The Mind and Spiritual Life
Thou wilt keep him in perfect peace, Whose mind is stayed on thee: Because he trusteth in thee (Isaiah 26:3 KJV)
Growing up as a typical Spirit-filled Christian in a Spirit-filled environment, I believed the mind was inherently against the things of the Spirit. Thus, I placed it on my blacklist, along with the flesh. Regrettably, this is a profound error. On the contrary, the mind is at the center of our spiritual life and our walk with the Holy Spirit.
Let me explain this simply. Is your body evil? No, God gave you that body for His glory, though we can use it for evil purposes—hopefully, we do not. What about your will or emotions? Are they evil? Remember, Adam, before the fall, had a mind, body, emotions, etc., and he was sinless. Similarly, Jesus had a body, soul, and spirit, including a mind, feelings, and desires like us, but He was not sinful. We must distinguish between what God made and the corrupted nature that sin produced.
God created us with spirit, soul, and body to live and function on the earth. Each part of our being has a specific purpose. God created the body to enable us to interact with the natural world, and the spirit to keep us in touch with God’s world of the spirit. The soul is the person, the being that is alive here on earth when the spirit is in the body. This being has a body that moves, a mind that thinks, emotions that feel, and a will that decides. Your mind (soul) is central to your day-to-day human life on earth, whether in the unsaved or a Christian with the Holy Spirit.
Understand this: the Holy Spirit is in you, and He does not bypass your mind to live in and through you. Instead, He lives in and through your mind, emotions, and will, just as He does not bypass your body but uses your body for His purposes. When our minds are surrendered to Him, that is the mind of the Spirit. But when our minds are under the flesh, ruled by carnality and our human desires, they become fierce and hostile enemies to the purposes of God.
God does not want you to get rid of your mind to lead a Spirit-led life. Instead, He wants you to renew your mind—shed off that evil influence from the fallen sinful nature— and bring it under the control of the Holy Spirit. You cannot live on earth without a mind, and you do not have two minds. He wants your mind, your emotions, and your desires to be surrendered to Him. If we do this, we will see Christ in us come alive in our actions, words, and personality more fully.
Meditate
Do the thoughts you keep in your mind matter? Do they have any spiritual impact on your life, specifically on your relationship with God and the devil?
Apply the Word
Colossians 3:2 gives us the needed application of this devotional: “Set your minds on things that are above, not on things that are on earth” (ESV).
Pray
Ask the Spirit to help you engage in an aggressive endeavor to renew your mind so that you can enjoy your inheritance in Christ.
Recommended reading
- How to Renew your mind
- The Holy Spirit works in the flesh!
- The Difference Between the Spirit and the Soul
- What is the Human Soul?
- How to Yield to the Holy Spirit
- View All Deshen Daily Devotionals
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