What the Bible Says About the Mind
Your thoughts have power. Thoughts in line with the Word of God will protect you—spirit, soul and body. Negative thoughts will cost you dearly in the same areas.
It may not seem like it, but when it comes to the thoughts we think—we have a choice. Thoughts can come into your mind from all sides, but you can choose what will stay and what you will get rid of.
According to Dr. Caroline Leaf, a Neuroscientist and Christian, toxic thoughts—such as stress, worry, fear, anger and unforgiveness—actually cause damage to the brain. Chemicals are released into the brain, causing chaos and damage. Those toxic thoughts can cause a loss of sleep inability to do your job right, physical illness and more.
In a spiritual sense, those toxic thoughts connect you to the curse. But when you guard your mind and your thoughts, and keep yourself in an attitude of faith, praise, thanksgiving and truth, you come over to healing, deliverance and victory.
But be VERY clear, satan wants to use times like this for us to get into fear. I’m amazed at how fearful many Christians are right now. They tell me how worried they are about getting sick, loss of job and income, about the future, just about anything you can name, people are fearful about it right now. Worry is the manifestation of fear. When a person is worried, they have been engaging in fearful thoughts and those thoughts have come over and over in their mind. They are feeding on fearful thoughts rather than taking them captive and getting rid of them. Romans 8:15 call that the “spirit of bondage”. Rehashing these kind of thoughts is like going through a filing cabinet looking for a lost file. Realize that fear cannot be controlled by mental exercise alone because fear is a spirit. 2 Timothy 1:7 - For God hath not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind. Fear must be dealt with in the spirit realm. This is why it is SO important to be renewing our minds with the Word of God. When we know the truth of God’s Word we are able to use the weapons of our warfare and dispel fear and it’s consequences. Let me share with you some scripture that bares this out.
1 Peter 5:8 - Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour: When you daily feed on the Word…you recognize your adversary when he comes to you through your thoughts.
Ephesians 6:10-12. Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord, and in the power of his might. Put on the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil. For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high [places]. Our strength and power rests in our connection to God. He provides us armor and ability to withstand the battle, but only through a daily connection with Him and His Word.
2 Corinthians 10:3-5. For though we walk in the flesh, we do not war after the flesh:(For the weapons of our warfare [are] not carnal, but mighty through God to the pulling down of strong holds;) Casting down imaginations, and every high thing that exalteth itself against the knowledge of God, and bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ;
Clearly Paul is saying, your weapons are in the spirit realm. You can literally pull down strong holds like fear. It begins with mentally recognizing who your enemy is, where he has launched the battle and maintaining your stand by not allowing ANYTHING to stay in your mind that does not agree with the Word of God.
James 5:7. Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. Fear will have to go if you resist it. James says you are able to do so when you are submitted to God. That simply means that you are daily presenting yourself to God, daily asking for His wisdom, daily listening for instruction and daily being obedient to what He says.
The Bible is clear about the power of the mind and the power of our thoughts. If you haven’t focused on taking every thought captive, guarding your heart and mind, and watching what you think and say, now is the time!
I don’t know about you guys but I am determined to use this time to be productive, to continue to grow in every area of my life, especially spiritually. I have purposed to spend quality time studying the Word and seeking fresh, new revelation. I WILL NOT be fearful and lazy! Life has not stopped. There are still millions of people that DO NOT know Jesus. This is an incredible opportunity to not only grow spiritually, but to use that growth to minister to people that need to be comforted, encouraged and introduced to Love, Himself!
I don’t want to be the one that says pat, clique one-liners as a response when someone is truly afraid and has no peace. I want to be the one that KNOWS the Word of God and can apply it appropriately. Never has there been a time to offer real peace, real truth and real answers! I want to encourage you to renew your mind to the truth of God’s Word. Be an encourager. Have your heart so full of The Word and It’s Goodness so you can allow that abundance to flow out of your mouth.
The mind is powerful…God made it that way. He also made your tongue a very powerful instrument. It is capable of speaking life or death. God has encouraged us to choose Life, choose the blessing and speak that life with our tongue and impact our environment for the good! The following scriptures are what God says about the mind, the negative impact when not renewed, and the consequences both good and bad when we do or don’t renew it to the truth of God’s Word. I implore you each to put on the whole armor of God daily and immerse yourself in the Word. Love you all!!
All scriptures are in EVS.
1. Isaiah 26:3
“You keep him in perfect peace whose mind is stayed on you, because he trusts in you.”
2. Isaiah 43:18
“Remember not the former things, nor consider the things of old.”
3. Psalm 19:14
“Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be acceptable in your sight, O Lord, my rock and my redeemer.”
4. Psalm 94:11
“The Lord—knows the thoughts of man, that they are but a breath.”
5. Psalm 139:23-24
“Search me, O God, and know my heart! Try me and know my thoughts! And see if there be any grievous way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting!”
7. Proverbs 4:23
“Keep your heart with all vigilance, for from it flow the springs of life.”
8. Proverbs 17:22
“A joyful heart is good medicine, but a crushed spirit dries up the bones.”
9. Matthew 6:25
“Therefore I tell you, do not be anxious about your life, what you will eat or what you will drink, nor about your body, what you will put on. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothing?”
10. Mark 7:21-22
“For from within, out of the heart of man, come evil thoughts, sexual immorality, theft, murder, adultery, coveting, wickedness, deceit, sensuality, envy, slander, pride, foolishness.”
11. Romans 7:23
“But I see in my members another law waging war against the law of my mind and making me captive to the law of sin that dwells in my members.”
13. Romans 7:25
“Thanks be to God through Jesus Christ our Lord! So then, I myself serve the law of God with my mind, but with my flesh I serve the law of sin.”
14. Romans 8:6
“For to set the mind on the flesh is death, but to set the mind on the Spirit is life and peace.”
15. Romans 12:2
“Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect.”
16. 1 Corinthians 2:11
“For who knows a person's thoughts except the spirit of that person, which is in him? So also no one comprehends the thoughts of God except the Spirit of God.
17. 1 Corinthians 2:16
“‘For who has understood the mind of the Lord so as to instruct him?’ But we have the mind of Christ.”
18. 2 Corinthians 10:5
“We destroy arguments and every lofty opinion raised against the knowledge of God, and take every thought captive to obey Christ.”
19. Ephesians 4:23
“And to be renewed in the spirit of your minds.”
20. Philippians 2:5
“Have this mind among yourselves, which is yours in Christ Jesus.”
21. Philippians 4:6-7
“Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.”
22. Philippians 4:8-9
“Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things. What you have learned and received and heard and seen in me—practice these things, and the God of peace will be with you.
23. Colossians 3:2
“Set your minds on things that are above, not on things that are on earth.”
24. 2 Timothy 1:7
“For God gave us a spirit not of fear but of power and love and self-control.”
25. James 1:8“ He is a double-minded man, unstable in all his ways.”
26. 1 Peter 1:13
“Therefore, preparing your minds for action, and being sober-minded, set your hope fully on the grace that will be brought to you at the revelation of Jesus Christ.”
When you renew your mind to the fact that your thoughts matter, you will begin to detox your brain, and switch over from fear, worry and anger to power, love and a sound mind. Begin today to be intentional about paying attention to every single thought that comes into your mind. Keep the good, take the bad captive, and keep your mind fixed on God. Your life and faith will go to a new level!
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