Metanoia - The greek word for repentance - Meaning and significance
Matthew 3:1-2,“In those days came John the Baptist, preaching in the wilderness of Judea, 2 “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.” (RSV)
Matthew 4:17, “From that time Jesus began to preach, saying, “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.” (RSV)
The central message of John the Baptist and Jesus as we can see from the above mentioned verses was on Repentance. The word ‘Repentance’ is essentially a ‘change of mind’. Since our thought life is secret and hidden from others many are negligent about keeping a check on the same, but repentance is the transformation that begins from within one’s mind.
Repentance is rightly an alteration of our thought process. People can sometimes control our actions, but our thoughts are totally under our control and as our thoughts are hidden from others, we often don’t give much importance to controlling our thoughts. However, if our thoughts are not kept under control as they should be, they can cause many problems and complications for us.
The message of both Jesus and John the Baptist were echoing the same thing; if one wants to enter the Kingdom of God, then repentance is the prerequisite. The word Kingdom rightly implies, that there is a King who rules, and everything that happens there should be under His divine Lordship. The message is categorical; only when one brings the mind under control will one come under the Lordship of Christ and gain entry into the Kingdom of God.
Many are leading defeated lives because they have tried to change the outside but they have had no victory in their mind. If our mind is not renewed we will not see any real change.
In Romans 12:2, “Do not conform yourselves to the standards of this world, but let God transform you inwardly by a complete change of your mind. Then you will be able to know the will of God---what is good and is pleasing to him and is perfect.” (GNB)
If our mind is not changed there will be no change of life style. If the thoughts are new then the mind will be renewed, but if our thoughts are held captive by Satan there will evidently be no transformation of our lives.
What are the things that enslave the minds of people?
Wicked Thoughts
Proverbs 21:27 says, “The sacrifice of the wicked is an abomination: how much more, when he brings it with a wicked mind!”(WEB)
Many are trying hard to cope with thoughts that are wicked and evil. They are unable to think anything good because the mind is filled with negative and vile thoughts.
Proud Thoughts
In Daniel 5:20, we read, “But when his heart was lifted up, and his mind hardened in pride, he was put down from the throne of his kingdom, and they took his glory from him.”(LITV)
The above verse talks about King Nebuchadnezzar, whose heart was hardened with pride. Many are struggling with proud and lofty thoughts. A person with proud thoughts can easily be identified, as their talk with always be centered on themselves and their achievements. They will also constantly compare with others, to prove that they are far better than them. A proud mind is a clear sign that the Lord is not in command but the devil is, because humility is the Lord’s hallmark and pride is the trademark of the evil one.
Fearful Thoughts
In John 20:19,we read “That Sunday evening, the disciples were together behind locked doors because they were afraid of the Jews. Jesus stood among them and said to them, "Peace be with you!" (GW)
After the resurrection of Jesus, we see the disciples were hiding behind locked doors because their minds were filled with fear. Many are gripped with all sorts of fear and are living in a state of constant fear. These could be fears from the past, fears of the immediate or even fears regarding the future, but whatever it may be, many are unaware that fear is contagious. It surely affects the lives of those around us. In the list of those who will not find entry into the Kingdom of God, is mentioned those who are fearful and the reason for this is that, where there is fear there is no room for faith.
Doubtful Thoughts
Luke 12:29, says, “And do not give overmuch thought to your food and drink, and let not your mind be full of doubts.” (BBE)
The above mentioned verse clearly admonishes that our minds should not be filled with doubts. Some people doubt everything. A colleague shared an experience of working with a boss who was extremely suspicious and doubted everything. One day when the employee took a photocopy of a letter, and handed it over to the employer, he was shocked to see him study the photocopy intently to check if it was the same as the original. It might sound hilarious, but a lot of people live in constant doubt and suspicion. If Satan has his control over our mind, he will make everything and everyone look suspicious and will not let our mind trust anyone.
Thoughts that Blind
2 Corinthians 4:4 reads, “Satan, who is the god of this world, has blinded the minds of those who don't believe. They are unable to see the glorious light of the Good News. They don't understand this message about the glory of Christ, who is the exact likeness of God.” (NLT)
The above mentioned verse talks about a mind that is blinded by the god of this age. The reason Jesus came to the earth, was to give His life and bring us a wonderful salvation. He offers us victory by overcoming death and leaving His word and His Holy Spirit to guide and comfort us, but many people are blinded to this glorious good news of the Gospel of Jesus Christ. Satan’s plan is to blind our minds so we can never comprehend the beautiful message of the Gospel.
Only if we win the battle in our mind we will be able to see and experience victory in every area of our lives.
In 2 Corinthians 10:4 we read, “The weapons of our warfare are not physical [weapons of flesh and blood]. Our weapons are divinely powerful for the destruction of fortresses.”(AMP)
God has given us certain weapons to overcome the battle that rages in our mind. It is indeed true that Satan has built fortresses in our mind which we need to break down and destroy. In order for this to happen, we require God powered weapons. It will not be possible with our own human effort to break down these strongholds. Some people give a worldly advice that the best way to overcome evil thoughts is to keep it occupied, but that will only be a temporary solution.
How are strongholds built?
In 2 Corinthians 10:5 we read, “Casting down imaginations and every high thing that exalts itself against the knowledge of God, and bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ,” (EMTV)
If we were to investigate how strongholds are built, the first step is when thoughts are instilled in our mind. The next step is that these thoughts stimulate our imagination which start to linger in our minds. These thoughts and imaginations when not brought under the Lord’s authority will definitely become strongholds. It is so much easier for one to control the mind at the thought level, than to allow it to develop into imagination and let Satan build a stronghold in our mind, which then becomes a struggle to overcome.
We must categorize our thoughts and not let self-pity, fear, doubt, failure and pride become the evil one’s strongholds in our minds. Martin Luther said, “You cannot keep birds from flying over your head, but you can keep them from building a nest in your hair.” It’s simple, we must learn to stop the thoughts at the very outset, rather than let them dawdle on and become tools that the enemy uses to enslave and keep us captive.
How do we overcome these strongholds?
If we notice most of our struggles with our thought life is when we are alone. It is at those times we need to speak the word of God loud and clear. We should not give room for any negative thoughts. It is entirely in our hands. We must take the conscious effort to cast out every thought that is not pleasing to the Lord and bring our minds under the captivity of God and His word.
Instead of constantly telling ourselves what we are not supposed to think, we should train our minds to think those things that really edify and build our faith. That is why Paul gives this admonition to the Philippian Church in Philippians 4:8,“In conclusion, my friends, fill your minds with those things that are good and that deserve praise: things that are true, noble, right, pure, lovely, and honorable.” (GNB)
It is important for us to analyse each of our thoughts and see they are as Paul exhorted in the above verse. It is paramount for us to deliberately break down and destroy every one of the strongholds that Satan has managed to build in our minds. May the Lord renew our minds to think and speak those words that build and edify us and others. May we fill our minds with those things that are good, that deserve praise, things that are true, noble, right, pure, lovely and honorable.
Pastor Andrew Dixon
www.goodnewsfriends.net
Transcribed by : Ms. Esther Collins
