2022.09.03 - The Battle For Your Mind

Philippians 4:8-9 Martin Luther has been quoted as saying, “While you cannot prevent birds from flying over your head, you can prevent them from building a nest in your hair.” You will never have a joyful, enduring faith if you surrender the fight raging on the battlefield in your mind. Far too many Christians have let the sinful birds of lies, deceit, immorality, etc. to build nests in their hair; allowing the enemy to run rampant among their thoughts. The tragic result is that many Christians are miserable, resentful, bitter, ineffective, and unfruitful in their service for Christ Jesus. I) A Principle to Safeguarding our Minds In our struggle against the schemes of Satan, we must have strategies to safeguard our mind. Here are six ways to begin that process: 1. Protection begins with salvation. (Ephesians 6:17a & 1 Corinthians 2:16). 2. Prayer is the path to peace of mind (Philippians 4:6-7). 3. Preparation is an action word. (1 Peter 1:13) 4. Preeminence of mind means, “Set your mind on things above, not on things on the earth” (Colossians 3:2; also, Philippians 3:19). 5. Position means “place of mind” (Isaiah 26:3). 6. Process refers to being “clear minded” (1 Peter 4:7). The mind games Satan plays with you and me are deadly serious. II) A Pattern for Right Thinking (4:8) Make no mistake: There is no enduring change in life, there is no meaningful Christ-exalting, sin-killing sanctification apart from a transformation in how you think. Your mind matters. In fact, it matters eternally. So, Paul tells us all to think these eight virtues. 1) “Whatsoever is true” Paul’s exhortation is that we are to think and meditate on truth with regard to God, man, the church, the world, sin, redemption, relationships, etc 2) “Whatsoever is honorable” He has in view things that lift the mind rather than dragging it through the gutter. 3) “Whatsoever is just” That is to say, whatever is in accord with divine standards of right and wrong. 4) “Whatever is pure” He’s calling us to fix our thoughts on those things