Who Controls Your Mind?
Where you set your mind will determine how you live your life. Whatsoever controls
your mind will control your life. We are a three part being, spirit soul and body (I
Thessalonians 5:23b) “I pray God your whole spirit and soul and body be preserved
blameless to the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ”. Your spirit connects you to the
Spirit of God; your body connects you to this world; your soul is your mind, will and
emotions. The strongest one will take control.
In Isaiah 26:3 it says “(God) You will keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed
on You, because he trusts in You”. In your meditating, think on the love, goodness
of God, His mercy and His promises, and it will set your focus on God. But we must
pull down every evil thought that comes into our mind (II Corinthians 10:4-5) “for the
weapons of our warfare are not carnal (fleshy), but mighty through God to the pulling
down of strong holds. 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”. You set your mind on something at all times, you can set your
mind on the word of God or the world, the choice is yours.
Proverbs 23:7 says “as a man thinks in his heart, so is he”. The Bible tells us the
things we should think on (II Corinthians 4:18) “while we look not at the things which
are seen (natural, worldly), but at the things which are not seen (spiritual), the things
which are seen are temporal, but the things which are not seen are eternal”; and
(Philippians 4:6-9) “be careful for nothing, but in every thing by prayer and
supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the
peace of God, which passes all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds
through Christ Jesus. Finally brethren, whatsoever things are true, whatsoever
things are honest, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure,
whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report, if there be any
virtue, and if there be any praise, think on these things. Those things which you
have both learned and received and heard, and seen in me, do and the God of
peace shall be with you”.
We are told to set our mind on things above, His word (Colossians 3:1-3) “if you then
be risen with Christ, seek those things which are above, where Christ sits on the right
hand of God. Set your affection (mind) on things above, not on things on the earth.
For you are dead, and your life is hid with Christ in God”. When it says set, it means
to place, to put, and that indicates it is our responsibility. We set our mind by the
things we focus on. Our thinking is very important because (Ephesians 3:20) says
“now to Him that is able to do exceeding abundantly above all that we ask or think,
according to the power that works in us”. That’s why the devil tries so hard to
influence your mind. This should make you fighting mad.
III John 2 says “beloved, I wish above all things that you may prosper, and be in
health, even as your soul prospers”; remember our soul is our mind, will and
emotions. It takes discipline, we have to set our mind on the right things. The Bible
gives us the right way to go (Proverbs 4:20-23) “My son, attend to my words, incline
your ear to my sayings. Let them not depart from your eyes, keep them in the midst
of your heart. For they are life to those that find them, and health to all their flesh.
Keep your heart with all diligence, for out of it are the issues of life”. And then in
(Romans 12:1-2) it says “I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God,
that you present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy acceptable to God, which is your
reasonable service. And be not conformed to this world, but be you transformed by
the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good, and acceptable,
and perfect, will of God”. We renew our mind by the word of God. We are made
holy (sanctified and cleanse) by the washing of water by the word.
Paul explains the dilemma, of the fleshy man and the spiritual man, he says “for I
know that in me (that is in my flesh), dwells no good thing, for to will is present with
me, but how to perform that which is good I find not. For the good that I would I do
not; but the evil which I would not, that I do” (Romans 7:18-19), then he answers by
saying “O wretched man that I am! Who shall deliver me from the body of this
death? I thank God through Jesus Christ our Lord. So then with the mind I myself
serve the law of God, but with the flesh the law of sin” (verse 24-25). In chapter 8, it
shows the mind of the spirit, and the mind of the flesh (Romans 8:5-8) “for they that
are after the flesh, do mind the things of the flesh; but they that are after the spirit,
the things of the Spirit. For to be carnally minded is death; but to be spiritually
minded is life and peace. Because the carnal mind is enmity against God, for it is
not subject to the law of God, neither indeed can be. So then they that are in the
flesh cannot please God”.
Galatians 5:16-18,and 25 says “this I say then, walk in the Spirit, and you shall not
fulfill the lust of the flesh. For the flesh lusts against, the Spirit, and the Spirit against
the flesh, and these are contrary, the one to the other so that you cannot do the
things that you would. But if you be led of the Spirit, you are not under the law. If we
live in the Spirit, let us also walk in the Spirit”.
The battle is to control your mind. God made man so that his spirit man, which
connects with God’s Spirit, should control his mind, but after the fall of man, the
fleshy man took control. And man did what he thought was right, according to his
own imaginations. After our rebirth, the spirit man is again alive within us, and we
have to exercise disciple over our flesh. Paul says “knowing this, that our old man is
crucified with Him, that the body of sin might be destroyed, that hereafter we should
not serve sin” (Romans 6:6) and “I am crucified with Christ, nevertheless I live, yet
not I, but Christ lives in me, and the life which I now life in the flesh I live by the faith
of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave Himself for me” (Galatians 2:20).
So, I ask you again, who controls your mind? If it is your flesh, that will only lead to
death; while if it is your spirit man, it will lead to live and peace. The choice is yours,
the world will tell you that you don’t have to read and study the Bible, and you don’t,
but if you don’t renew your mind with the word of God, your spirit man will not be
strong enough to take control of your mind. It is a principle of God (Galatians 6:7-8)
“be not deceived, God is not mocked, for whatsoever a man sows, tha shall he also
reap. For he that sows to his flesh shall of the flesh reap corruption; but he that
sows to the Spirit shall of the Spirit reap life everlasting”. Send the devil packing by
letting your spirit man take control of your mind. And live the life that God planned for
you.
Sermon by: Harriet Bond
Date: September 5, 2008
Where you set your mind will determine how you live your life. Whatsoever controls
your mind will control your life. We are a three part being, spirit soul and body (I
Thessalonians 5:23b) “I pray God your whole spirit and soul and body be preserved
blameless to the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ”. Your spirit connects you to the
Spirit of God; your body connects you to this world; your soul is your mind, will and
emotions. The strongest one will take control.
In Isaiah 26:3 it says “(God) You will keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed
on You, because he trusts in You”. In your meditating, think on the love, goodness
of God, His mercy and His promises, and it will set your focus on God. But we must
pull down every evil thought that comes into our mind (II Corinthians 10:4-5) “for the
weapons of our warfare are not carnal (fleshy), but mighty through God to the pulling
down of strong holds. 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”. You set your mind on something at all times, you can set your
mind on the word of God or the world, the choice is yours.
Proverbs 23:7 says “as a man thinks in his heart, so is he”. The Bible tells us the
things we should think on (II Corinthians 4:18) “while we look not at the things which
are seen (natural, worldly), but at the things which are not seen (spiritual), the things
which are seen are temporal, but the things which are not seen are eternal”; and
(Philippians 4:6-9) “be careful for nothing, but in every thing by prayer and
supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the
peace of God, which passes all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds
through Christ Jesus. Finally brethren, whatsoever things are true, whatsoever
things are honest, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure,
whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report, if there be any
virtue, and if there be any praise, think on these things. Those things which you
have both learned and received and heard, and seen in me, do and the God of
peace shall be with you”.
We are told to set our mind on things above, His word (Colossians 3:1-3) “if you then
be risen with Christ, seek those things which are above, where Christ sits on the right
hand of God. Set your affection (mind) on things above, not on things on the earth.
For you are dead, and your life is hid with Christ in God”. When it says set, it means
to place, to put, and that indicates it is our responsibility. We set our mind by the
things we focus on. Our thinking is very important because (Ephesians 3:20) says
“now to Him that is able to do exceeding abundantly above all that we ask or think,
according to the power that works in us”. That’s why the devil tries so hard to
influence your mind. This should make you fighting mad.
III John 2 says “beloved, I wish above all things that you may prosper, and be in
health, even as your soul prospers”; remember our soul is our mind, will and
emotions. It takes discipline, we have to set our mind on the right things. The Bible
gives us the right way to go (Proverbs 4:20-23) “My son, attend to my words, incline
your ear to my sayings. Let them not depart from your eyes, keep them in the midst
of your heart. For they are life to those that find them, and health to all their flesh.
Keep your heart with all diligence, for out of it are the issues of life”. And then in
(Romans 12:1-2) it says “I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God,
that you present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy acceptable to God, which is your
reasonable service. And be not conformed to this world, but be you transformed by
the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good, and acceptable,
and perfect, will of God”. We renew our mind by the word of God. We are made
holy (sanctified and cleanse) by the washing of water by the word.
Paul explains the dilemma, of the fleshy man and the spiritual man, he says “for I
know that in me (that is in my flesh), dwells no good thing, for to will is present with
me, but how to perform that which is good I find not. For the good that I would I do
not; but the evil which I would not, that I do” (Romans 7:18-19), then he answers by
saying “O wretched man that I am! Who shall deliver me from the body of this
death? I thank God through Jesus Christ our Lord. So then with the mind I myself
serve the law of God, but with the flesh the law of sin” (verse 24-25). In chapter 8, it
shows the mind of the spirit, and the mind of the flesh (Romans 8:5-8) “for they that
are after the flesh, do mind the things of the flesh; but they that are after the spirit,
the things of the Spirit. For to be carnally minded is death; but to be spiritually
minded is life and peace. Because the carnal mind is enmity against God, for it is
not subject to the law of God, neither indeed can be. So then they that are in the
flesh cannot please God”.
Galatians 5:16-18,and 25 says “this I say then, walk in the Spirit, and you shall not
fulfill the lust of the flesh. For the flesh lusts against, the Spirit, and the Spirit against
the flesh, and these are contrary, the one to the other so that you cannot do the
things that you would. But if you be led of the Spirit, you are not under the law. If we
live in the Spirit, let us also walk in the Spirit”.
The battle is to control your mind. God made man so that his spirit man, which
connects with God’s Spirit, should control his mind, but after the fall of man, the
fleshy man took control. And man did what he thought was right, according to his
own imaginations. After our rebirth, the spirit man is again alive within us, and we
have to exercise disciple over our flesh. Paul says “knowing this, that our old man is
crucified with Him, that the body of sin might be destroyed, that hereafter we should
not serve sin” (Romans 6:6) and “I am crucified with Christ, nevertheless I live, yet
not I, but Christ lives in me, and the life which I now life in the flesh I live by the faith
of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave Himself for me” (Galatians 2:20).
So, I ask you again, who controls your mind? If it is your flesh, that will only lead to
death; while if it is your spirit man, it will lead to live and peace. The choice is yours,
the world will tell you that you don’t have to read and study the Bible, and you don’t,
but if you don’t renew your mind with the word of God, your spirit man will not be
strong enough to take control of your mind. It is a principle of God (Galatians 6:7-8)
“be not deceived, God is not mocked, for whatsoever a man sows, tha shall he also
reap. For he that sows to his flesh shall of the flesh reap corruption; but he that
sows to the Spirit shall of the Spirit reap life everlasting”. Send the devil packing by
letting your spirit man take control of your mind. And live the life that God planned for
you.
Sermon by: Harriet Bond
Date: September 5, 2008
