The Battle is IN The Mind!

I am thankful that you have chosen to read the Word the Lord has given us to share with you this week. We trust this teaching will strengthen your walk with the Lord and help you to become more confident of His presence with and in you every day. God's Word is Life, God's Word is Truth and God's Word is Transformative. May the Holy Spirit bring His revelation to you as you read. Eric

When Adam chose to rebel and disobey God's command to "not eat the fruit of the tree in the middle of the garden." it impacted all humanity. We have been taught in the Scripture that, from that point on, man was born with an inherent bent toward sin. David lamented that he bore the marks of sin from conception. (Psalm 51:5). Romans 5:12 reveals that sin entered the world through one man and death through sin. It also expresses that death was passed on to all men, because all sinned. Then, we see another example in Ephesians 2:3 when the apostle Paul explained, "we were 'by nature' children of wrath." "The phrase "by nature" indicates a condition into which people are born rather than one they acquire exclusively by environment or choice." (Bible Hub Study Bible). What we must understand, is that, before we were transformed (by the blood of Christ) we were all naturally under judgment.

I would love to be able to tell you that when we accept Christ as our Savior, the battle ends. However, I cannot.

You see, the enemies that Adam and Eve faced in the garden are still with us today. When we accept that Christ died on the cross so that our sins could be forgiven, and begin to live a 'Christian life,' we soon discover that living the 'Christian life' is a spiritual battle. 1 Timothy 6:12, "Fight the good fight of the faith. Take hold of the eternal life to which you were called and about which you made the good confession in the presence of many witnesses."

So, how do we “fight the good fight?” The first step to being victorious in any battle is to recognize your enemy. We contend for our faith against satan, our sin nature and our flesh.

Satan is our enemy, a liar, tempter and deceiver. We need to saturate our minds and hearts with the Word of God to withstand his attacks.

However, our main area of focus today is the battle which occurs in our minds. The enemy (satan) as well as our own flesh or selfish desires contend for our attention continually.

As we look at Romans 7:22 and 23 (NIV) we find that, by reading his words, even the Apostle Paul had to fight this battle in the mind. "For in my inner being I delight in God's law; 23 but I see another law at work in me, waging war against the law of my mind and making me a prisoner of the law of sin at work within me." In verse 22, the phrase 'inner being' is "understood as the mind and is distinct from the flesh." (Bible Hub Study Bible). 'Delight in God's law' conveys a genuine love for God's commandments, which are a reflection of His character and will for our lives. In verse 23, the phrase 'but I see another law at work in me' emphasizes the internal conflict which all believers experience. 'Another' heteron, in the Greek, refers to: one not of the same nature but a power that works within human nature, including the physical aspect of humanity or the sinful tendencies due to the fall of man. The 'law' refers to a principle or power that operates within human nature and reflects the struggle between the flesh and the spirit. "The 'law of my mind' represents the renewed mind of the believer, which has been transformed by the Holy Spirit. (Romans 12:2)." (Bible Hub Study Bible). As a believer, our mind is renewed and aligns with the mind of Christ. (1 Corinthians 2:16). and seeks to obey God's commands. However, the phrase 'waging war against' indicates a continuous and intense struggle. It is not merely a psychological struggle but a deeply spiritual one because the 'war' is between the 'old and new natures’ within a believer. Then, Paul reveals that the power (law) of sin, still dwells in him. "Sin is not a passive remnant of our life before Christ, but is an active insurgency." (Bible Hub Topical Lexicon). We have our old sin nature verses our new nature in Christ, and we battle it out, in our minds with the help of the Holy Spirit.

Let me bring that all together for you - Paul lets us know we are spirit as well as flesh. As a believer in Christ's ministry, he loved God's commandments. He desired earnestly to please God and live according to His commandments. Even though he was a believer and was transformed by the Holy Spirit, he acknowledged that there is a continual struggle between that desire to please God and the reality of human sinfulness due to the fall of man. That is the battle all believers experience - reflecting the conflict between the old sinful nature and the new regenerated nature. He stated that the power that operates in our sin nature tries to control us and lead us into disobedience and thus separation from God.

In our recognizing our enemy, we battle him with the help of our regenerated spirit through Jesus and the assistance we have through the Holy Spirit. In order to overcome this internal conflict, we need divine intervention through Christ. (Romans 7:25).

Here is the thing we need to remember, sin begins with a thought which comes through our mind. "The mind that is governed by the flesh (our own desires) is hostile to God; it does not submit to God's law (His will), nor can it do so." (Romans 8:7 (NIV). Now that we know the enemy (our sin nature and our flesh), we can learn where the battle takes place.

"The concept of "the Battle of the mind" is a significant theme in Christian theology, emphasizing the spiritual and mental struggles believers face in aligning their thoughts with the will of God. This battle is rooted in the understanding that the mind is a battle ground where spiritual warfare occurs, influencing one's actions, beliefs and relationship with God." (Bible Hub Topical Encyclopedia).

The word translated 'mind' in Romans 7:23 in the Greek is "'nous' meaning: intellect, the mind, thought, feeling or will." (Bible Hub Topical Lexicon). "Nous designates the seat of thought, perception, judgment, purpose and moral reasoning. It embraces both rational intelligence and the spiritual faculty by which God's truth is apprehended and acted upon. Hence it is never a neutral or merely cerebral term; Scripture treats the mind as a dynamic battleground where allegiance to God or rebellion against Him is decided." (Bible Hub Topical Lexicon).

We must recognize our need for divine guidance and transformation. "As a result of the fall of man, every part of man - his mind, his will, emotions and flesh - have been corrupted by sin. (gotquestions.org). "The unregenerated heart is terminally corrupt and does not have the ability to self-heal." (Bible Hub Topical Lexicon). We cannot win this battle on our own!

Let's take a look at what Scripture teaches about our heart. Jeremiah 17:9a, "The heart is deceitful above all things and beyond cure." Yikes! Without divine intervention the deceitful nature of the human heart has no human remedy. The heart is inherently deceitful, leading us away from God's truth. Look at what Matthew 15:18 and 19 reveals, "But the things that comes out of the mouth come from the heart, and these things defile a man. 19 for out of the heart come evil thoughts, murder, adultery, immorality, theft, false testimony and slander."

'Heart' leb, in the Hebrew, is used and "signifies, in one word, the inner life of humankind - thought, emotions, will, conscience and spiritual perception. It is the invisible control center from which life issues proceed. Thus, we have this directive in Proverbs 4:23 (NIV), "Above all else, guard your heart, for everything you do flows from it." Our modern language locates thought in the brain, yet the Old Testament ascribes intelligence to the heart.

With our understanding today, our mind is the door to the heart and spirit. With our directive to 'guard' our heart, we must be proactive and vigilant to protect it. we must diligently control what we allow to enter our mind.

Believers, we need to take care regarding what we allow ourselves to see and hear. This includes watching movies, TV, internet videos and listening to music on the radio.

We need to be careful about the conversations we participate in and what we read. Whatever we allow to enter our mind will influence all that we do or say

"With the heart being inherently deceitful, leading us away from God's truth, it is vital that we recognize our need for divine guidance and transformation. Another way we guard our hearts diligently is by filling them with God's Word and aligning our desires with His will." (Bible Hub Study Bible). With the battleground being in our mind, we must choose to believe God's Word rather than our circumstances.

We are commanded to "be renewed in the spirit of our minds." (Ephesians 4:24b). To ‘be renewed' emphasizes an ongoing process of spiritual transformation, not a one time event. It is a continuous process.

Basically, our battle comes down to a war between our faith and our circumstances. How do we strengthen and build up our faith? "Faith comes from hearing and hearing by the Word of God." (Romans 10:17).

Our minds are not instantly changed when we accept Christ as Savior. Our minds must be renewed or transformed through the Word of God and by the power of the Holy Spirit.

We are not to be conformed to this world but be transformed by the renewing of our mind. (Romans 2:12). To 'be transformed' conveys making a foundational change in character and conduct.

Make communication with God a top priority in your life. (Philippians 4:6,7).

Take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ. In other words, bring your thoughts under the authority of Christ. (2 Corinthians 10:5b).

Focus your thoughts and desires on heavenly realities rather than earthly distractions. (Colossians 3:2).

Think and meditate on godly virtues, it brings transformative power. (Philippians 4:8,9).

Hide God's Word in your heart by memorizing and meditating on It. (Psalm 119:11).

You see, believers, only you can control what influences your mind.

Choose daily to read His Word, to heed His Word and to follow the Holy Spirit as He reveals the truth of the Word to you!

Don't allow your eyes or thoughts to draw you away from His Truth!

You absolutely can be victorious in the battle of your mind!

Satan loses.

Your flesh loses.

God, the Holy Spirit and your regenerated soul wins!

Hallelujah!

Unless otherwise noted all scriptures were taken from the Eastern Standard Version

NIV New International Version