Renewing Your Mind: Meditating on the Word

As we have been learning for the past two weeks, it is important for every Christian to recognize the importance of taking hold of their thought life. We saw in the previous sermons that we are in a spiritual warfare, and that for us to be victorious we have to realize this, realize who our enemy is, and his tactics. Once we do this, we should do whatever it takes to ensure that we remain in charge of our thought life.

Today we want to talk about the key weapon that helps us renew our minds and destroy strongholds in our minds, and transform us to who God wants us to be: the word of God. 

2 Corinthians 10:3-5

For though we walk in the flesh, we do not war according to the flesh. 4 For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal but mighty in God for pulling down strongholds, 5 casting down arguments and every high thing that exalts itself against the knowledge of God, bringing every thought into captivity to the obedience of Christ...

The above has been our main text. In verse 5, we see Paul also talking about “…casting down arguments and every high thing that exalts itself against the knowledge of God…"

Even after strongholds are broken in your life, there will always be arguments and things presenting themselves as “high” in your life, competing against the knowledge of God. The purpose of these is to either draw you from abiding in the true word that is able to set you free, make you doubt God, distract you or make you start discrediting the true word of God. If you yield to these arguments and reasonings, you find no reason to study the word of God, and thus develop a way of thinking, a mindset and strongholds regarding certain situations and habits. Always keep in mind that your mind is like a computer; however you program it is the way it will operate, and whatever you feed it is whatever will come out (input = output). The world will limit you to the physical, whereas the word of God wants to take the limits off and cause you to think like the One you bear the image of, with whom nothing is impossible (Luke 1:37, Mark 11:27). Physical is limited, while spiritual is unlimited. The world wants to limit you to humanity; God’s word wants you to live in divinity. The world wants to limit you to the natural; the word of God wants you to live in the supernatural. 


James likens the word of God to a mirror (James 1:23-25). The word of God is spirit (John 6:63), and since you are a spirit the word of God will reflect to you your image, the real you. Your spirit knows all things (1 John 2:20), so it is your soul that needs to know who you really are. The more you look into the mirror, the word of God, the more your soul will be programmed to think according to the inner man, the real you, who is in the image of God. The more the mind in your soul is subjected to the word of God through meditation, the more it will align to the mind in your spirit, the mind of Christ (1 Corinthians 2:16), and start to take the limits off. That's when you stop saying that "I can't..." and "it's impossible..." and start saying “I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.” Philippians 4:13. That’s when you stop seeing yourself as a victim of circumstances and a failure and start seeing yourself as more than a conqueror through Him who loved you (Romans 8:37). That’s when you stop looking to the world for solutions, and instead fix your eyes on ”Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith” Hebrews 12:2a, being spiritually minded and setting your mind on and seeking the things above, not on things on the earth (Romans 8:5-8, Colossians 3:1-3, Hebrews 12:1-2).

When a person is saved, we usually say that one soul got saved. The soul was not saved, it’s our spirit that was saved (John 3:6). Your soul is in the process of being saved, of being converted, and this happens only through the word of God.

Psalm 19:7

The law of the Lord is perfect, converting the soul… 

James 1:19-25

Therefore lay aside all filthiness and overflow of wickedness, and receive with meekness the implanted word, which is able to save your souls. But be doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves.

The implanted word, according to the word we just read, is the word of God that has been read, understood and meditated upon. To meditate means to think about over and over, to practice in your mind, to deeply focus and think about something. You have to apply the word in your mind before you apply it in real life. Before people do anything evil, they contemplate/ plan it first, in their minds. For example, if someone says some hurtful things, most people go and play the words in their minds, and by the time they are done they are so angry that they start planning how they will retaliate, when they meet the person. This is where we even hear of pre-meditated murder and such stuff, because the person planned their reaction in their mind. The same should be true with the word of God; when you play the word over and over in your mind, by the time you are done you will be determined to apply it, and will start deliberating to act on it, and plan how to do it. For example when you hear a message on forgiveness, you should go home and play the message over and over again, and see yourself forgiving that person who you have never forgiven, and think of how you will call that person or behave when you meet them, since you have already forgiven them. When you meet the person, it is easier to act on the word because you have already acted it out in your mind. This is meditation.

When time comes to apply the word of God, you receive it, meaning you allow it to dictate how you will act, and when you do this your soul is saved. Saved from what? Destruction that comes about as a result of negative thinking and conformity to the world, saved from death. This is because as we saw in Romans 8:6, to be carnally minded leads to death (spiritual and physical). You can only receive or practice the word of God when you have made the decision to lay aside all sin, as the verse states. Verse 19-21 also says points out some of the things that hinder us from receiving the implanted word of God with meekness, which it terms as filthiness: being quick to speak, slow to listen and quick to get angry or take offense. In trials, we should always be slow to speak, swift to listen and slow to angry, which gives us time and chance for the Spirit of God to speak to us, and help us to retaliate/ react according to the word of God. If we are quick to speak and slow to listen, we will react fast, and thus miss out on an opportunity to act according to the word of God, and thus growing in faith. Trials, temptations and tribulations arise because of the word of God.

Matthew 13:20

But he who received the seed on stony places, this is he who hears the word and immediately receives it with joy; ²¹ yet he has no root in himself, but endures only for a while. For when tribulation or persecution arises because of the word, immediately he stumbles.

Tribulation/ persecutions come to tempt us to act contrary to what we heard in the word of God, so that we may lose the word. God is a good God, and is only responsible for that which is good and perfect:

James 1:17
Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and comes down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation or shadow of turning.
With this in mind, it is important for us to note that God does not tempt us, and does not tempt anyone:

James 1:13-15
Let no one say when he is tempted, “I am tempted by God”; for God cannot be tempted by evil, nor does He Himself tempt anyone. ¹⁴ But each one is tempted when he is drawn away by his own desires and enticed. ¹⁵ Then, when desire has conceived, it gives birth to sin; and sin, when it is full-grown, brings forth death.

Like we said in the sermon "Renewing Your Mind", desires/ feelings/ emotions arise when one has thought about something, a thought that has been suggested by the five senses. These are the desires that tempt us. The devil suggests a thought, and when we give it a place in our minds it evokes desires, which when given place in our minds result into action (sin), which eventually brings forth death.

God allows us to be tempted, but not according to what we can bear (1 Corinthians 10:13), so that He may give us an opportunity to act on the word of God, and thus grow. Every temptation that comes our way has qualified in the eyes of God as something that we can overcome. He is always also faithful, to show us the way out. The trial/ temptation/ persecution arose to steal the word of God in you, and cause you to stumble. When you act on the word of God, you become stronger, like a house built on a rock:

 Luke 6:46-49

 “But why do you call Me ‘Lord, Lord,’ and not do the things which I say? ⁴⁷ Whoever comes to Me, and hears My sayings and does them, I will show you whom he is like: ⁴⁸ He is like a man building a house, who dug deep and laid the foundation on the rock. And when the flood arose, the stream beat vehemently against that house, and could not shake it, for it was founded on the rock. ⁴⁹ But he who heard and did nothing is like a man who built a house on the earth without a foundation, against which the stream beat vehemently; and immediately it fell. And the ruin of that house was great.”

The reward of overcoming temptations by doing the word of God are not going to be enjoyed on earth, but also in heaven:

James 1:12
Blessed is the man who endures temptation; for when he has been approved, he will receive the crown of life which the Lord has promised to those who love Him.

John 14:23
Jesus answered and said...,“If anyone loves Me, he will keep My word..."

The world will always persecute you, because it persecuted Jesus (John 15:18-20, 16:33), trying to steal the word of God. The choice is yours; whether to allow yourself to be swayed by the trials and fall, or to receive the word of God with meekness, do the word and stand. You can choose to give in to the trials/ temptation/ persecution/ tribulation, or to stand on the word of God and escape. You can choose to see what the world brings as a stumbling block, or as a stepping stone to victory and growth, whether to ask “why me” or to rejoice knowing that trials are the backdoor of spiritual growth, success and victory (James 1:2-4), like Jesus did (Hebrews 12:1-2). Jesus knew the word and acted it out, knowing that God promised Him glory after He triumphs, and thus acted on this word and is now lifted up and glorified (Philippians 2:9-11, Hebrews 12:2).

You see, the world always substitutes the word of God; they can never be in harmony. One is contrary to the other. The world is not your only enemy. Culture, tradition and the spirit of religion too, are your enemies. These have arguments, wrong doctrines, theories and reasonings that are against the world of God. You ask me, how can religion be against the word of God? Religion, according to the dictionary, is a specific fundamental set of beliefs and practices generally agreed upon by a number of persons or sects. Religion is not based on the word of God or the truth, but rather beliefs and doctrines agreed upon by human beings. These beliefs are mostly lies that are built on the truth of God’s word, and because they contain some truth from the word then they easily pass as God’s word. This is what ties most Christians, sadly, because of ignorance. Instead of setting the word of God as their authority, they set religion, beliefs, reasonings, theories, doctrines and arguments agreed upon by human beings as their authority. They set men as their authority. Instead of seeking the truth and submitting to the Holy Spirit, the Spirit of Truth Whom Jesus sent (John 16:13-14), they settle for what religion teaches and goes by it. This is what Jesus also talks about:

Mark 7:6b-8a

‘This people honors Me with their lips, but their heart is far from Me. ⁷ And in vain they worship Me, teaching as doctrines the commandments of men.’

I believe this is also one of the things Paul was talking about, in citing “arguments” and “high things exalting themselves against the knowledge of God.” These are even more dangerous than lies from the world, since they are based on the word of God, incorrectly. You see, even the devil knows the word of God, and is what he used to tempt Jesus (Matthew 4:6). He also used the word of God to deceive Eve (Genesis 3:1, 4). He twists the word of God and uses it to deceive many Christians, sadly, to keep them from the truth that will set them free. After hearing these arguments and high things over and over again, people become indoctrinated with the wrong doctrine and undoing this is not an easy task. These wrong doctrines form strongholds, which always oppose truth from the word of God and hinder the Spirit of truth from revealing truth. This is why you will find it hard to teach truth to a person who has always believed in a lie. Wrong doctrine is a virus that has been secretly eating the church, and that spreads fast. The cure for this is submission to the Spirit of Truth, the Holy Spirit.

The only way to cast down these arguments and "high things" is through a disciplined study, meditation and practice of the word of God. You can't be "glancing at the word of God" and hope to renew your thinking according to it. You have to deliberately spend time in the word of God, let it sink in by meditate on it, seeking the truth in prayer, giving the Holy Spirit time and chance to reveal the truth. Do not take everything you are being told, even what I have written here, without verifying it with the scriptures for yourself. God is more willing than you are to lead you to the infallible and uncompromised truth, which is why He gave us the Holy Spirit, the Spirit of Truth, to lead us into all truth. God is not a sadist. He is a loving Father who is not ignorant of the tactics of the enemy to dupe and deceive Christians, which is why He is willing to teach you by Himself so that you can find truth and walk in it.

Hebrews 8:10-11

For this is the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel after those days, says the LORD: I will put My laws in their mind and write them on their hearts; and I will be their God, and they shall be My people. ¹¹ None of them shall teach his neighbor, and none his brother, saying, ‘Know the LORD,’ for all shall know Me, from the least of them to the greatest of them.

1 John 2:20, 27

But you have an anointing from the Holy One, and you know all things.

But the anointing you have received from Him abides in you, and you do not need that anyone teach you; but as the same anointing teaches you concerning all things, and is true, and is not a lie, and just as it has taught you, you will abide in Him.

Matthew 23:9-10

Do not call anyone on earth your father; for One is your Father, He who is in heaven. ¹⁰ And do not be called teachers; for One is your Teacher, the Christ.

You may wonder why then people are still being deceived, despite the fact that we have the Spirit of Truth with us, Jesus Himself, and the Father, to teach us. Jesus died to save us, but are all people saved? No! Why? Because though He offered the gift of salvation, we have a part to play, which is receiving the salvation, and walking according to it.

Colossians 2:6-8

As you therefore have received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk in Him, rooted and built up in Him and established in the faith, as you have been taught, abounding in it with thanksgiving. Beware lest anyone cheat you through philosophy and empty deceit, according to the tradition of men, according to the basic principles of the world, and not according to Christ.

Hosea 4:6a

My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge.

We received Christ by faith, and it is by faith that we will live, in Him (Habakkuk 2:4, Romans 1:17). It is through faith that we receive instruction from the Holy Spirit, believing that He is, and that He is the ONLY Teacher of truth (John 16:13, Hebrews 11:6, 1 John 2:27).

Let me reemphasize: the rest of the Christian walk is through accepting whatever Jesus offered, by faith, just like we accepted Him, and this includes accepting the leading of the Holy Spirit. In short, the Holy Spirit will only lead you into all truth when you yield to Him; He will not force Himself on you. It takes a surrendered will to work with the Holy Spirit, meaning you are truly searching for the truth and whatever He shows you is what you will accept, meditate on and renew your mind towards, no matter what you have always believed or how much it goes against what you have always been taught. Renew your mind according to the truth He shows you, not trying to renew the word according to your way of thinking, as religion does.

Whenever you hear anything cited as the truth, seek to have confirmation of the same. Scriptures always interpret scriptures. Do not read the word of God out of context, picking one verse and forming a doctrine out of it. This is done when we pick a verse and not read the context in which it is written, without even seeking further explanation or clarification from the word of God. Ask God to lead you to other verses to confirm what you have heard, to avoid being misled. God loves you and will answer you, as He wants you to know the truth for yourself.

2 Corinthians 13:1

…"By the mouth of two or three witnesses every word shall be established."

Renewing of the mind only happens when you abide in the word, as we saw earlier, for the truth to set you free (John 8:31-32). Abiding in the word interprets to practicing the word of God too. Just like these strongholds were created by you continuously acting on your negative thoughts, the ways of the world, wrong doctrines, arguments, theories, reasonings, culture and traditions, you have to pull them down by practicing the Word of God (James 1:25, Luke 6:47-48, Joshua 1:7-9).

Meditation takes effort and deliberation, and so does studying the word and practicing it. Meditation is the bridge that connects studying/ hearing the word and practicing, and what helps you to practice it.

Psalm 119:97 

O how love I thy law! it is my meditation all the day.

Psalm 19:14 

Let the words of my mouth, and the meditation of my heart, be acceptable in thy sight, O LORD, my strength, and my redeemer.

Joshua 1:8

This book of the law shall not depart out of thy mouth; but thou shalt meditate therein day and night, that thou mayest observe to do according to all that is written therein: for then thou shalt make thy way prosperous, and then thou shalt have good success.

Psalm 1:1-3

Blessed is the ma who walks not in the counsel of the ungodly, nor stands in the path of sinners, nor sits in the seat of the scornful; ² But his delight is in the law of the Lord, and in His law he meditates day and night. ³ He shall be like a tree planted by the rivers of water, that brings forth its fruit in its season, whose leaf also shall not wither; and whatever he does shall prosper.

Psalm 119:11

Thy word have I hid in mine heart, that I might not sin against thee.

You can only prosper and overcome sin through meditation, and it’s through meditation that you hide the word of God in your heart, making your heart good (Matthew 12:33-35).

It is only through praise, prayer and the word of God that we will be able to pull down arguments and high things exalting themselves against the knowledge of God in our lives, and be able to bring every thought into captivity to the obedience of Christ. The result is a believer who is in line with the absolute and infallible truth in the word of God, and one whose thoughts are captive to the obedience of Christ. Again, this is not a one-time exercise, but a process and daily work that requires effort on our end. 

No one is immune to temptations, and all temptations target our minds. Even after we have been walking in a renewed mind for quite a while, we should be alert against the enemy, who is looking for the slightest opportunity to attack us, when we think we are standing:

1 Corinthians 10:12

Therefore let him who thinks he stands take heed lest he fall. 

1 Peter 5:8

Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil walks about like a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour.  

  

Keep pressing on, by the grace of God. It's not over until God says it's over. 

Amen. 

-- Sam Gitonga.



(26/01/14 Sunday Service Sermon, Teaching Transformation Ministry.)

Brother Sam Gitonga is a Youth Leader at Teaching Transformation Ministry. We are located along the Thika-Ruai Flyover Junction (at the Thika Rd./ Bypass intersection), Next to Eastgate Restaurant.