Spiritual Victory Begins with Our Minds
Do we want to live in triumph over sin? Do we want to live a holy life following Jesus? If so, there are choices to make. God gives us free will. He then allows us to control how good our life in Christ will be based upon the decisions that we make. We can choose to shine like stars in the midst of a wicked and twisted generation. We can just as easily lose our flavor and be trampled under foot by men. God leaves that decision to us. He will never forsake us, but He doesn’t force us to live a vibrant life.
If we do want all that God offers to us, there are simple decisions that we must make to allow this to take place. It all starts in our mind. This is the underappreciated battlefield for a Christian. It is here we need to take every part of us, every thought, intention, and emotion, and make them obedient to Christ. Look at how the Bible frames this process:
The Bible assumes that there are thooughts that rebel against God. Make no mistake about it, our mind is a battlefield. It is where the choices to follow God and His Word are made or forsaken. Thankfully, God gives us the heart to want something different and the power to choose correctly. The freedom that is the basis of true love and devotion also allows bad choices though. Still, think we don’t have a choice?
Paul and Jesus set out the importance of having the right mindset. “Let the mind of Christ be in you“, Paul says, indicating that we have a choice in the matter. We can refuse to let it be in us and have the mind on human things. Peter chose to let his mind be on his concerns and plans and as a result became a stumbling block to Jesus. Isn’t that a chilling thought? We can just as easily become a stumbling block to the work of Jesus in our lives. We can let Jesus in or keep Him out. We can take our thoughts captive or be captive to them. Which will it be?
Where are our minds today? Are they on the things above or below? Are we taking our minds captive to the obedience of the Lord? If not, why not start today?
