Think About These Things Series

I was playing in a church softball game once where two guys nearly got into a fight… not over the score… but over whether the the ball that was hit was a fair ball or a foul ball.

Now mind you… these are grown men… and I now this comes as a complete shock that there would be an argument in a church league game.

One of the guys in the fight was the one that had prayed before the game. And he prayed for good attitudes to reflect Christ.

So the ump calls it a foul ball. The one guy in the fight was the first baseman and had a pretty good angle on it. And ump yelled foul ball.

The guy who hit the ball, was arguing that it was fair. The guy on first said it was definitely foul. Suddenly they’re nose-to-nose arguing like Game 7 of the World Series is on the line.

The guy who hit it says… “I’m telling you — I SAW CHALK-DUST!”

The guy playing first says, “You’re crazy!!!” or something to that effect. And right about the time it looked like someone might need pastoral counseling… the umpire calmly said,

“Gentlemen… this is slow-pitch church softball. No one is going to get a ring or an endorsement deal because of your athletic ability.” And they eventually calmed down.

But here’s what strikes me… (no pun intended) That fight didn’t start at the base… It started in their heads… A thought… an assumption… a reaction.

And that’s true far beyond the softball field. Because whether we realize it or not… every one of us lives on a battlefield…

the battlefield of the mind.

Oh… for the record, I was not either of the players involved.

Whether we realize it or not, every one of us lives on a battlefield.

It’s not a battlefield you can see… It’s not one fought with weapons you can touch.

But a battlefield that is active every waking moment. It is the battlefield of the mind.

Most of the victories or defeats in our spiritual lives do not begin with actions… they begin with thoughts.

Long before we say something we regret… Long before we drift from God… Long before peace leaves our soul… A thought was allowed to settle in.

Paul understood this. Writing from prison, chained, restricted, uncertain of his future… yet he writes about peace, joy, and the discipline of the mind.

He is writing to the Church at Philippi basically encouraging them to have the mind of Christ. He writes this in verse 8…

And now, dear brothers and sisters, one final thing. Fix your thoughts… Philippians 4:8

That phrase matters: “one final thing.” This is not an afterthought. This is Paul saying, “If you miss everything else, don’t miss this.”

The life you live will be shaped by the thoughts you allow.

So today we’re going to talk about this truth: What you dwell on and what you walk in determines your closeness to God.

If you don’t feel like you are very close to God right now… I want you to think about what you think about most often. So… as we wrap up this 6-week series called, “Every Thought Captive”…

I want us to dive into what Paul says will help us to draw nearer to the Lord and walk more closely with Him on a regular basis.

Here is the first thing I think we need to understand.

1. The Battle for the Mind is Real

Paul doesn’t say, “If negative thoughts come…”

He know they will… He knows that it’s a part of being human. Because Paul understood this reality.

The enemy knows something we often forget: If he can influence your thinking, he can eventually influence your living. That’s why Scripture is constantly addressing the mind.

“Be transformed by the renewing of your mind.” “Set your minds on things above.” “Take every thought captive.”

Listen… This is not just poetic language… This is war language.

Every day, thoughts enter your mind:

Some are planted by God, Some rise from your flesh, Some are whispered by the enemy. And here’s the danger: not every thought that enters your mind deserves permission to stay.

We have a tendency to believe the lie that… thoughts are harmless — “I didn’t do anything.” But Scripture never treats thoughts as neutral.

Unchecked thoughts become: Attitudes… Attitudes become behaviors… Behaviors become habits… Habits shape character…

And character determines direction.

This is why anxiety doesn’t start with panic — it starts with what is called rumination…. That’s basically reflecting or even fixating on something and it eventually causes anxiety.

This is why bitterness doesn’t start with rage… it starts with rehearsing an offense. We play it over and over in our minds. This is probably why Jesus said…