Tag Archives: put off the old self

Battle for the mind

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What trials have you faced or are you now facing that pose a battle for the control of your mind? Is it a serious illness, the grief that accompanies a serious loss, a deep disappointment with how life has turned out, a continual longing for satisfaction that always escapes you, or a temptation you can’t seem to escape? Each of these and others affect the way we perceive and respond to our circumstances. Unattended and unresolved, they influence how we perceive ourselves and lead us to question our very identity and how we perceive and respond to others and to God.

This is the spiritual battle for the mind. It is a battle we will each fight all our life. But although we enter the battlefield each day, it is not God’s intent that we are defeated by it. On the contrary, although we won’t fully escape the battle until he calls us home to heaven, he equips us to overcome the battle while we live now. He desires us to experience victory and abundant joy each day, even as we face our battles.

But if we ignore or neglect the tools God gives us to fight the battle, we bring even more distress to our minds, and confusion that prevent us from experiencing victory over the struggles that confront us. In absence of relying on God, we trust in our own abilities or we wallow in self-pity, so consumed by the wounds we experience, we find no strength to seek the healing touch of the great physician.

What are we to do in such a daily and life long struggle? First, we need to remind ourselves that “our struggle is not against flesh and blood…but against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms.” (Ephesians 6:12) Your fight is not with your spouse or child or coworker, it is against evil forces that war against healthy relationships. If we want to live a victorious life, we must be aware of this reality so we can be vigilant of the real dangers before us. We have to know the enemy before we can defeat them.

Second, we have to equip ourselves with God’s tools for surviving the battle. How foolish it would be to walk into a real battlefield without protective armor. “Put on the full armor of God.” The armor includes truth, righteousness, peace, faith, the Word, and salvation. (Ephesians 6:11-18) “Take captive every thought and make it obedient to Christ.” (2 Corinthians 10:5) Let’s not idly walk into minefields unaware of their danger.

Third, we have to renew our minds daily. “Be transformed by the renewing of your minds.” Romans 12:2 “Put off your old self. Be made new in the attitude of your minds. Put on your new self, created to be like God in true righteousness and holiness.” (Ephesians 4:22-24) “The mind governed by the Spirit is life and peace.” (Romans 8:6)

The daily battle may rage on. Trust God and you will be able to stand firm, and victorious!

Can I Really Change My Thoughts?

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It seems we all have patterns of thoughts that are ingrained in us. Likely our life experiences have played a part in what we think about. And yet we seem to be wired to go down certain thought paths. Have you ever noticed two children, both raised in the same home, and one child who tends to think positively and the other who tends to ponder the darker side of things? Or in your own life, are there certain thought processes that seem to dominate how you view and respond to situations? After a lifetime of practiced behavior you might ask, “Can I really change the way I think?” The answer is Yes. But possible does not mean easy. You will be undertaking a revolution of your mind.

Changing thoughts and behaviors requires first a long-term commitment, especially if it involves a change in values. Like everything in life you are making a conscious exchange, swapping that which is customary but harmful for that which is unfamiliar but beneficial. Change begins with a commitment to a renewed mind. (Romans 12:1) If you are not desperate for a change, it likely will not come.

Just as a medium shirt will not fit an extra-large body, more trim and purified thoughts will not fit a mind that is ‘overweight’ with many desires. Not until we decide we WILL put off the thoughts which weigh us down and put on those thoughts that are beneficial to our well-being. (Colossians 3:9-10)

Some thought patterns go against God’s will – and His best – for you. You will not succeed in achieving lasting positive change until you agree with Him and acknowledge your rebellious ways. That was the case with me 32 years ago when I wanted to change my selfish and angry thoughts. Only God could bring about that transformation.

Some practical tips for changing the way you think:
Be careful where you let your thoughts go when you daydream.
Hang out with people whose positive thoughts guide their actions.
Learn to quickly acknowledge the presence of wrong thinking and imagine putting that thought in handcuffs and marching it off to a courtroom, and leave it there. Immediately replace negative thoughts with those that are beneficial.
Don’t dwell in despair. Learn to give thanks.
Train yourself to agree with God on what is good, what is noble, that which is pure and beneficial.

“Do not lie to one another, seeing that you have put off the old self with its practices and have put on the new self, which is being renewed in knowledge after the image of its creator” (Col. 3:9-10)