Guard Your Heart And Your Mind

Guard Your Heart and Your Mind

Sunday, March 6, 2022

One thing that we can certainly count on is the steady ticking of the clock. Regardless of what men do, time marches on. Whether it is the evil plans of the devil, often working through the minds and efforts of evil men and women; or if it is the fulfillment of the plan of God for the ultimate destruction of evil and the beginning of a brand new earth where nothing but righteousness will dwell, they are both happening right now.

Satan has his plan to destroy mankind and condemn every soul that he can to be with him and all of the fallen angels and demonic spirits in the pits of hell forever, and though he might seem to have the upperhand at times in the earth, his plan will ultimately fail because he is already defeated by the blood of Jesus.

Jesus has paid the price of redemption for all who will believe in him, and make Jesus the Lord of their lives.

I love what the word of God promises to all who will seek after him in Jeremiah 29:11-13 For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, saith the Lord, thoughts of peace, and not of evil, to give you an expected end. Then shall ye call upon me, and ye shall go and pray unto me, and I will hearken unto you. And ye shall seek me, and find me, when ye shall search for me with all your heart.

What a contrast that is with the thoughts that Satan has against all who follow after him! Satan’s whole agenda is laid out in scripture, but his plans aren’t easy to see because he such a Deceiver. The good thing is that all we have to do is look into the Word of God and it is all revealed to us. Those who refuse to look are easy to fool because Satan’s ways are so sneaky, conniving, underhanded and subtle; often hidden in half-truths and lies that mankind falls into his traps without realizing it.

I want to begin this morning buy saying that we must guard our mind because Satan will do everything he can to get you to be filled with doubt and fear concerning God’s word and promises. He is out to destroy your faith and soul.

He started his trap in the very beginning in the Garden of Eden in Genesis 3:2-5 Where Eve “… said to the serpent, God has said that, ‘We may eat fruit from the trees in the garden, but God did say, You must not eat fruit from the tree that is in the middle of the garden, and you must not touch it, or you will die.”

Satan immediately cast doubt concerning God’s word when he answered, “You will not surely die, For God knows that when you eat of it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil.”

He accused God of lying, and appealed to the pride of Adam and Eve, causing them to not only doubt God but to think that they could become like a god themselves, knowing just as much as God does. (they never considered that “knowing what God knows” doesn’t give them the power and wisdom to do what God does with what He knows)

Satan is good at using our own weakness in the flesh to cast doubt upon us, even as Children of God. Look at what happened in the heart of one the disciples that walked with Jesus and was faithful for the years of Jesus’ ministry on earth.

In John chapter 20, the disciples were excited because they had seen Jesus after he was raised from the grave! But this was unbelievable to Thomas. If he couldn’t see it for himself, he would not believe, and he forever earned the title “Doubting Thomas”. All that he knew, and the voice of doubt that spoke to his mind and heart just said, “That’s impossible. Nobody comes back from the dead.” Thomas’ doubt kept him from believing in the miracle of the resurrection until Jesus appeared to him and revealed the truth. Jesus didn’t get upset with Thomas’ doubt. He knew Thomas’ weakness and he turned doubt into belief and then to worship.

Satan never stops bringing doubt into our minds if we give him an open door to bring it to us. There are many today that are doubting that there is a rapture of the church coming. It’s nothing but a trick of the devil to cause many to be drawn away from the truth, doubting that Jesus could come at any moment, so like Adam and Eve, they let their guard down and begin to live as though life will go on forever, forgetting that one day there will be a reckoning. By doing that which is according to their own will, and being disobedient to God’s word, and choosing to live in sin, they won’t be ready when that day comes. The rapture is for Believers, and obedient servants of Christ; not for doubters.