An older proverb says, "You are not what you think you are, but you
are what you think." The statement is not merely an ancient proverb, but
it is also a Bible truth. The Bible states that as a man thinks in his
heart, so is he (Proverbs 23:7).
Satan attacks all of us in many ways, but perhaps his most vigorous assault is brought to bear upon our thought lives. Satan knows that what we think, eventually makes us what we are. He knows that our thoughts often lead to actions-and so he works on our thought lives. Each of us is responsible for what he welcomes into his mind.
The mind can easily be covered up (at least for a while), and so the mind is difficult to capture for Christ.
We can retreat within the walls of our minds, and think about things that are known only to ourselves and God-they eventually do come out into the open.
In the European country of Italy nearly 2,000 years ago, there was a thriving town called Pompeii. It was nestled on the slopes of Mt. Vesuvius. One man who lived in Pompeii painted filthy pictures on the walls of one of the rooms of his house. He normally kept the door to that room shut. He thought no one would ever know. But in 79 A.D., Mt. Vesuvius erupted and buried the town of Pompeii. And in more recent years archaeologists began to uncover the city, and they found houses just as the owners had left them. The house with the bad pictures was discovered, and today, those who tour Pompeii find that the guide keeps the door to that room locked so that people will not walk in accidentally, and become embarrassed. His thoughts came out into the open.
The greatest area of sin in the believer's life is not usually in the area of actions, but in the arena of the thought life. Pride, for example, is a sin of the mind. And so is lust and suspicion and discouragement. These are all sins of the mind.
Most of us would not want the thoughts that have gone through our minds during the past month to be flashed on a screen in front of a room for all to see. It could be kind of embarrassing, and perhaps even frightening.
The secret thoughts, however, that pop into our heads are not really an accurate barometer of our spiritual condition. It is what a person continues to think about, and what he delights in-that tells more accurately what he is and where he stands spiritually.
It must be disciplined by conscious exercise. The mind must be exercised like the body-thinking on good and wholesome things.
The Bible says in Philippians 2:5, "Let this mind be in you which was also in Christ Jesus." We must cultivate spiritual thinking, and the Scriptures give a list of worthy objects that we ought to be thinking about. The list is recorded in Philippians 4:8.
"Whatever things are true"-that is, reliable, in agreement with fact; the opposite of lying and deception. We must never let our minds dwell on every piece of gossip we hear,
"Whatever things are pure"-that is, free from anything that is tainted. Purity speaks especially about chastity in the realm of sexual relationships. It is very hard to live through a single day in our society without having the mind bombarded with sex in some kind of distorted form. Unclean thinking is stimulated by abbreviated dress, obscene pictures, and dirty stories. For this reason, the follower of Christ does not attend the movies, he carefully censors his reading material, and he avoids participating in a joke that is not noble and pure. Most television programs and television commercials are not acceptable to him. Whatever things are pure, think on these things.
"Whatever things are lovely"-that is, things that are beautiful, winsome, and pleasing. "Lovely things" are the opposite of the ugly and bizarre.
We should think of things that call forth admiration-incidents of faithfulness and courage and loyalty. Paul Harvey, on a news broadcast, sometimes tells of a marriage that lasted 60 or even 70 years. That is a "lovely" kind of report to hear. By way of contrast, television programs and magazine and newspaper articles that emphasize stories about wife-swapping, child abuse, lesbianism, and crude violence-are ugly things that are the opposite of that which is lovely.
One method for defeating evil of any kind, is to run away from it. The Bible says, "Let everyone that names the name of Christ depart from iniquity" (2 Timothy 2:19). And again, "Flee youthful lusts" (2 Timothy 2:22). When Joseph was tempted by Potiphar's wife, he fled and got away (Genesis 39:12).
One way to conquer evil thoughts, is to stay away from situations that can stimulate wrong thinking and provide easy occasions to sin.
Another means of achieving victory over evil thoughts, is to intentionally occupy the mind with wholesome things in order to drive out the flood of evil that tries to enter. The devil walks about looking for vacancies in our minds and seeks to make entry.
When evil thoughts pop into our minds, we must make it a practice to immediately deal with it. Must be alert to watch and pray. We must over and over again reckon ourselves dead to sin and alive to God.
We cannot keep a bird from flying over our heads, but we can keep it from building a nest in our hair.
(Isa 26:3) Thou wilt keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on thee: because he trusteth in thee.
Satan attacks all of us in many ways, but perhaps his most vigorous assault is brought to bear upon our thought lives. Satan knows that what we think, eventually makes us what we are. He knows that our thoughts often lead to actions-and so he works on our thought lives. Each of us is responsible for what he welcomes into his mind.
THE MIND'S CAPACITY FOR EVIL
The Apostle Paul was keenly aware of the capacity
of the mind for evil thoughts. One may dwell upon lustful thoughts,
wrong thoughts about some member of the opposite sex. Another may seethe
in his mind with jealousy and envy toward other people. Still others
are consumed with pride and with high thoughts about themselves. The
"works of the flesh" in Galatians 5 is a long list of sins-many of which
are sins of the mind.The mind can easily be covered up (at least for a while), and so the mind is difficult to capture for Christ.
We can retreat within the walls of our minds, and think about things that are known only to ourselves and God-they eventually do come out into the open.
In the European country of Italy nearly 2,000 years ago, there was a thriving town called Pompeii. It was nestled on the slopes of Mt. Vesuvius. One man who lived in Pompeii painted filthy pictures on the walls of one of the rooms of his house. He normally kept the door to that room shut. He thought no one would ever know. But in 79 A.D., Mt. Vesuvius erupted and buried the town of Pompeii. And in more recent years archaeologists began to uncover the city, and they found houses just as the owners had left them. The house with the bad pictures was discovered, and today, those who tour Pompeii find that the guide keeps the door to that room locked so that people will not walk in accidentally, and become embarrassed. His thoughts came out into the open.
The greatest area of sin in the believer's life is not usually in the area of actions, but in the arena of the thought life. Pride, for example, is a sin of the mind. And so is lust and suspicion and discouragement. These are all sins of the mind.
Most of us would not want the thoughts that have gone through our minds during the past month to be flashed on a screen in front of a room for all to see. It could be kind of embarrassing, and perhaps even frightening.
The secret thoughts, however, that pop into our heads are not really an accurate barometer of our spiritual condition. It is what a person continues to think about, and what he delights in-that tells more accurately what he is and where he stands spiritually.
THE MIND'S OCCUPATION WITH THE GOOD
The mind is like a garden which can grow beauty
or it can grow ugliness. It can produce flowers or it can bring forth
weeds. It must be tended with care and with diligence. It must be disciplined by conscious exercise. The mind must be exercised like the body-thinking on good and wholesome things.
The Bible says in Philippians 2:5, "Let this mind be in you which was also in Christ Jesus." We must cultivate spiritual thinking, and the Scriptures give a list of worthy objects that we ought to be thinking about. The list is recorded in Philippians 4:8.
"Whatever things are true"-that is, reliable, in agreement with fact; the opposite of lying and deception. We must never let our minds dwell on every piece of gossip we hear,
"Whatever things are pure"-that is, free from anything that is tainted. Purity speaks especially about chastity in the realm of sexual relationships. It is very hard to live through a single day in our society without having the mind bombarded with sex in some kind of distorted form. Unclean thinking is stimulated by abbreviated dress, obscene pictures, and dirty stories. For this reason, the follower of Christ does not attend the movies, he carefully censors his reading material, and he avoids participating in a joke that is not noble and pure. Most television programs and television commercials are not acceptable to him. Whatever things are pure, think on these things.
"Whatever things are lovely"-that is, things that are beautiful, winsome, and pleasing. "Lovely things" are the opposite of the ugly and bizarre.
We should think of things that call forth admiration-incidents of faithfulness and courage and loyalty. Paul Harvey, on a news broadcast, sometimes tells of a marriage that lasted 60 or even 70 years. That is a "lovely" kind of report to hear. By way of contrast, television programs and magazine and newspaper articles that emphasize stories about wife-swapping, child abuse, lesbianism, and crude violence-are ugly things that are the opposite of that which is lovely.
THE MIND'S BATTLE FOR THE RIGHT
Living the Christian life involves a daily
battle. The Apostle Paul spoke of the great conflict that raged within
him. He says in Romans 7:23, "I see another law in my members, warring
against the law of my mind, and bringing me into captivity to the law of
sin which is in my members." On the one hand, his mind was bombarded
with solicitations to evil; on the other hand, there was the appeal of
the Spirit of God, seeking to bring Paul's mind under God's authority.One method for defeating evil of any kind, is to run away from it. The Bible says, "Let everyone that names the name of Christ depart from iniquity" (2 Timothy 2:19). And again, "Flee youthful lusts" (2 Timothy 2:22). When Joseph was tempted by Potiphar's wife, he fled and got away (Genesis 39:12).
One way to conquer evil thoughts, is to stay away from situations that can stimulate wrong thinking and provide easy occasions to sin.
Another means of achieving victory over evil thoughts, is to intentionally occupy the mind with wholesome things in order to drive out the flood of evil that tries to enter. The devil walks about looking for vacancies in our minds and seeks to make entry.
When evil thoughts pop into our minds, we must make it a practice to immediately deal with it. Must be alert to watch and pray. We must over and over again reckon ourselves dead to sin and alive to God.
We cannot keep a bird from flying over our heads, but we can keep it from building a nest in our hair.
(Isa 26:3) Thou wilt keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on thee: because he trusteth in thee.
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