YOUR MIND – THE BATTLEFIELD
Eph. 4:23
INTRODUCTION
A. HUMOR
1. A police officer jumped into his squad car and called the station. “I have an interesting case here,” he said. “A woman shot her husband for stepping on the floor she had just mopped.”
2. “Have you arrested her?” asked the sergeant. “No!” “Why not?” “Because she’s in the house and the floor’s still wet!” [Rose Mattix]
B. IDEA & TITLE
1. The Lord Jesus warned us there would be “wars and rumors of wars.” He was right. But the wars aren’t only in Ukraine or the Middle East, we have wars within our very beings – 2 natures warring against each other (Rom. 7:23; Jam. 4:1). The fallen nature of Adam wars against the new nature of Christ.
2. We ourselves play the decisive role of which side will dominate. So tonight we’re looking at the idea, “Your Mind – The Battlefield.”
I. IT’S IMPORTANT WHAT YOU THINK
A. OUR MINDS ARE A BATTLEGROUND
1. Prov. 23:7, “As [a man] thinks in his heart, so is he.” A fine Christian businessman confided in his Pastor, “I’ve been having vulgar, disturbing thoughts. I try to control my thinking but nothing seems to work. Can you help me?”
2. A young Christian writer confides that when he gets in certain situations or hears certain music, they trigger memories from his former ungodly lifestyle which troubles him.
3. I’ve even had times, during worship, when I had a blasphemous thought come into my mind. This is the enemy’s way of trying to discourage you or make you doubt you’re a Christian.
4. Let me ask you, “Is it a sin to be tempted?” If Satan puts an evil thought in your mind, are you automatically guilty for that thought being there? No! If, however, after the initial thought (from Satan) – you CHOOSE to keep thinking about it, then it becomes a sin.
5. An analogy: “You can’t stop the birds from flying over your head, but you can stop them from building a nest in your hair.”
6. We have 2 natures at war in us: the old fallen nature (connected to our bodies) and our new nature from Jesus.
7. ILLUS. a. There was a man in Alaska who had two dogs (one black & one white). He had a dog-fighting-pit with the 2 dogs, and people gambled for which dog they thought would win.
b. Sometimes one would win, sometimes the other, but the owner always seemed to know which would win. A close friend asked, “How do you know which will win?”
c. He said, “The one which I feed that day is the one that will win.” It’s the same with us; if we feed our lower nature, it will get stronger. If we feed our heavenly nature, it will get stronger. Paul said, “Make no provision for the flesh” Rom. 13:14.
B. CORRECT THOUGHT LIFE: 1ST STEP IN A CHRISTIAN’S PURSUIT OF HOLINESS
1. Eph. 4:23 says, “to be made new in the attitude of your minds and put on the new self, created to be like God....” See also Col. 3:10. “Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind” Rom. 12:2.
2. Critically important is Rom. 8:6, “The mind governed by the flesh is death, but the mind governed by the Spirit is life and peace.” We’re supposed to “put off” our old nature and “put on” the new nature of Christ.
C. FAULTY THINKING WILL LEAD TO FAILURE
1. In many great underground caves are huge stalactites and stalagmites. These immense stone pillars were formed over thousands of years by single drops of water, each leaving a tiny amount of sediment. It’s the same with our tiny thoughts slowly forming our character.
2. SOW..................................REAP
A thought........................an act
An act.............................a habit
A habit...........................a character
A Character....................a destiny
3. The believer’s goal? “We...take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ” 2 Cor. 10:5. How do we establish new patterns of thought?
II. HOW TO SIFT YOUR THOUGHTS
We must learn how to constantly sift our thoughts; to keep the good and reject the bad. The battle ground is the mind. That’s where your temptation will start.
A. THE PROBLEM OF IMPURE THOUGHTS
1. This was the problem which brought on the flood of Noah; "The Lord saw how great man's wickedness on the earth had become, and that every inclination of the thoughts of his heart was only evil all the time," Gen. 6:5.
2. "For out of the heart come evil thoughts, murder, adultery, sexual immorality, theft, false testimony, slander. These are what make a man ‘unclean’…" Mt. 15:19-20.
B. THE NEED: DIFFERENTIATE BETWEEN THOUGHTS
1. "For the Word of God... judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart" Heb. 4:12. "If we would judge ourselves, we would not be judged by the Lord" 1 Cor. 11:31.
2. "Let the words of my mouth, and the meditation of my heart be acceptable in thy sight, O Lord, my strength and my Redeemer" Ps. 19:14.
C. THINK ONLY POSITIVE, SPIRIT-INSPIRED THOUGHTS
1. So when we recognize a depressive thought, a self-pitying thought, a defeatist thought, a condemnative thought, a discouraging thought, or a thought of some form of sin – we should reject those thoughts and rebuke them in the Name of Jesus!
2. We should “put off [those thoughts and]...be made new in the attitude of your minds; and to put on the new self, created to be like God in true righteousness and holiness" Eph. 4:22-24.
3. Instead, think of a positive thing to focus on; "Finally, brothers, whatever is true... noble... right... pure... lovely... admirable... excellent... praiseworthy -- think about such things" Phip. 4:8. “But we have the mind of Christ” 1 Cor. 2:16.
III. 7 STEPS TO DEFEAT WRONG THOUGHTS
A. HIDE GOD’S WORD IN YOUR HEART
1. "I have hidden your Word in my heart, that I might not sin against God” Ps. 119:11. One aspect of the Word of God is that it strengthens us against temptation.
2. Any breaches in the walls of our lives due to past sins are filled in and made inaccessible for our enemies to use them again. The Word of God within us instructs us -- helps us discern -- what is truth and what is error. The Holy Spirit reminds us of the words of God that we need to combat any subtle deceptions of the enemy.
3. FILL IN THE GAPS
a. To defeat the old temptations, it’s necessary that you do like the Lord Jesus and take steps to fill in/ strengthen your weak spots.
b. You do this by honestly writing down your strongest temptations, finding examples of them in Scripture, and memorizing verses of Scripture that defeat the temptation.
B. BLOCK & REPLACE BAD THOUGHTS
1. Identify the wrong thought. Ask yourself: is this healthy thought?
2. We must replace our thoughts with God’s thoughts. Isa. 55:8-9, “For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, saith the Lord. For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways, and my thoughts than your thoughts.”
3. Find a Scripture that combats your unhealthy thought and quote it. Sing a Christian song to block out the bad thought. Keep a Christian radio channel going all the time to funnel your thoughts the right direction.
C. SET UP EARLY WARNING SYSTEMS. Put a buffer zone between you and the areas where you are tempted. Insulate yourself from temptation. Examples?
1. Don't go near establishments which might cause temptation. An alcoholic shouldn't walk down the street where the bar is.
2. What would be the sequence of your thoughts if you were going to give in to temptation? Anticipate those thoughts and don’t let yourself go that way.
3. Don't allow yourself to get into situations which might lead to temptation. Don't be alone with a woman/man late at night by yourself. Don't get on the computer when no one is around.
D. BEWARE OF YOUR INPUT/ENVIRONMENT
1. Choose your friends carefully. If you run with dogs, you Will get fleas. "He who walks with the wise grows wise, but a companion of fools suffers harm."
2. Beware what you watch/read. "Garbage in and garbage out." Any channel of thinking that takes you back toward your sin should be rejected.
E. WATCH YOUR HEART
1. “Keep your heart with all diligence, for out of it spring the issues of life” Prov. 4:23. “For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also” Mt. 6:21. “Do not love the world or the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him” 1 Jn. 2:15.
2. Keep a close eye on what is the center of your desires/attention. If you find yourself gravitating to material things, then it is time to refocus on spiritual priorities to make sure that God and his kingdom are kept at the highest place in your heart’s priority system.
F. RESIST THE DEVIL
1. "Submit yourselves, then, to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you” (James 4:7).
2. We must recognize that we have power over the devil. We have power to bind him; power to loose people who are bound. At times our resistance will be with verbal commands: "The Lord rebuke you!", "Get behind me, Satan!"
3. The “engrafted” Word of God (memorized) is stored up as ammunition for battle -- and the specific type of ordinance fired back at the lies and deceits of the devil when they come.
G. TAKE THE WAY OF ESCAPE
1. “No temptation has seized you except what is common to man. And God is faithful; he will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear. But when you are tempted, he will also provide a way out so that you can stand up under it” 1 Cor. 10:13.
2. If you really don't want to be enticed, there is always a way out. The way out is usually the more difficult path.
3. Do the right thing in every situation and you'll be fine.
4. IN TEMPTATION, CLING TO GOD. The battle is not yours, but God’s. You can’t defeat the enemy in your own strength or by any formula. At the point of temptation, begin asking Jesus to save you from the temptation and don’t stop asking until the temptation is gone!
CONCLUSION
You CAN BE an overcomer – subdue your lower nature and live as a conquering Child of God. To not live above your lowest self is to be like the lady who was wealthy, but lived as a beggar.
A. ILLUSTRATION: The example of Garbage Mary
1. There once was a lady named Garbage Mary. She was dubbed that name by the media when she was picked up by police in a shopping mall in Delray Beach, Florida. She was a filthy mess. So were her car and her two-bedroom apartment.
2. Neighbors told of her scrounging through garbage cans in search of food, which she took back to her apartment. Police found the garbage everywhere; in the refrigerator, in the stove, in the cabinets-even in the bathtub.
3. But, they found other things as well. They found Mobil Oil Stock worth more than $400,000. They found documents indicating she owned oil fields in Kansas, stock certificates from prominent firms, and passbooks from eight large bank accounts. Police also discovered that Garbage Mary was the daughter of a well-to-do lawyer and bank director from Illinois, who had died several years earlier.
4. Garbage Mary was a multi-millionaire, but she lived like a pauper. Great wealth was at her fingertips, but she spent her life sifting through garbage and trash. [Jeff Simms]
5. Let’s do what Paul said, “not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind” Rom. 12:2.
B. THE CALL
1. First step: Repent of Bad thoughts.
2. Second: Resolve to advance in personal holiness.
3. Prayer for discipline to read and memorize the Bible, to be filled with the Spirit, and grace to walk as Jesus walked.
