INTRODUCTION:
Among the things in our life we must protect as a fight against impurity or immorality is our mind. Our eyes and ears feed our mind. Let's see what Paul said in 2 Corinthians 10:4-5:
The weapons we fight with are not the weapons of the world. Instead, weapon of our warfare have divine power to demolish every strongholds.
MAIN DISCOURSE:
We destroy every argument and pretension that implants itself against the knowledge of God, and we take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ.
Like Matthew 5:29-30, this passage uses warfare terminology for our battle against sin. For us to walk in holiness and pureness of life, both in heart and body, we must fight. War isn’t easy.
Our main enemy, Satan is relentless in trying to conquer us, and lust is one of his most commonly strategy he uses. In this battle for our mind, Paul says we must "take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ. ”
Satan always targets the mind—it is our primary battlefield. Satan bombards every believer’s mind with sexual images and reasons. He achieves this through the world system which he rules with his myriads of demons. He knows very well that if he can control the mind, he can control the body.
Therefore, if we are going to win in this battle, we must learn to control our bodies in a way that is pure and honorable, (1 Thess 4:4) we must fight to control our mind. Satan’s attack on our mind crosses over with his attacks on our eyes and ears.
Surely! Whatever the eyes and ears input is given to the mind. Therefore, by guarding the first two, we guard the latter. However, that is not the only way we guard our mind.
How else should we guard our mind?
- For us to guard our mind, we must recognize ungodly reasonings and ungodly ideas by testing them against God’s Word.
David said this in Psalm 19:7: >The law of the LORD is perfect, reviving the soul. The laws of the LORD are trustworthy, making wise the simple.
The word “simple” in Hebrew has the meaning of “open-minded.” “The ancient Jews described it as someone whose mind was like an open door: everything went in and everything went out.”
This person is gullible and will believe anything. His mind is open even to reasons, images and statues that should be rejected.
However, David says that by filling the mind with God’s Word, one becomes wise to discern what is not of God (compare Heb 5:14). Wisdom in the Bible firstly refers to knowledge of God and obedience to him (compare Prov. 9:10). That is why Scripture describes the “fool” as one who says there is no God (Psalm 14:1).
A person who does not know the Word of God will have difficulty testing what is not good and therefore have difficulty protecting himself. Such person's mind will continually be saturated by ungodly thoughts, ungodly imaginations, sexual images, and lusts meant to control and destroy him. Such will lack power and discernment to close the door against sexual thoughts and often times will not only accept them but also cultivate them.
If we will really protect our mind, we must recognize what is not godly. As we watch TV and enjoy shows, listening to music, or engaging in risqué discussions that stir up lust, the simple accepts such pollution to his soul, while the wise recognizes and rejects what would dishonor God’s temple (1 Cor 6:19).
Haven said all these, guarding our mind does not stop at recognizing what is ungodly by testing it against God’s Word.
- In order to protect our minds, we must reject the ungodly by knowing and using the Bible verses wisely.
As the simple opens the door, on the contrary the wise closes the door. Again, this is done first by recognizing what is wrong and then using Truth to combat what is false and sinful. The verses of the Bible help Jesus Christ, when he was tempted by Satan in the wilderness. He quoted the Scriptures to reject Satan and his lies. We should do the same. You should arm yourself through memorizing Bible verses related to lust and purity such as:
You have heard that it was said,
You shall not commit adultery. ’
But I say to you that everyone who looks at a woman with lustful intent has already committed adultery with her in his heart (Matthew 5:27-28 ESV).
Run away from sexual immorality. Apart from sexual immorality, every sin a person commits is outside the body, but the sexually immoral person sins against his own body.
Apostle Paul asked, do you not know that your own physical body is a temple of the Holy Spirit within you, whom you have from God? You are not the owner of your own body, for you were bought with a price. So glorify God in your body (1 Corinth. 6:18-20 ESV).
You can remember what instructions we gave you through the Lord Jesus Christ. This is the will of God, your sanctification, and justification: which you abstain from sexual impurity; that each of you know how to control his or her own body in holiness and honor, not in the emotions of lust like the Gentiles who do not know God; that no one transgress and offended his brother in this matter, because the Lord is an avenger in all things, as we told you before now as warning. For God has not called us for immorality, rather in holiness and righteousness. Therefore whoever disrespects this, disregards not man but God, who gives his Holy Spirit to you (1 Thess. 4:2-8 ESV).
I personally married to my Bible as quote it, when attacked by lust, I always quote relevant Scriptures, confess wrong thoughts, lusts, and images before the Lord, and ask him to take them away. In our war for our mind, we must "take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ. ”
- In order to protect our minds against immorality and lust, we must at times need to command the devil to leave in Jesus name.
When Jesus Christ was tempted in the wilderness, He initially responded to the temptation with quoting relevent Bible verses, but ultimately he commanded the devil to leave. Matthew 4:10-11 describes this:
Then Jesus said to him,
Be gone, Satan! For it is written,
You shall worship the Lord your God and him only shall you serve.
Then the devil left him, and behold, angels came and were ministering to him.
Sometimes you may need to do this. When the war with lust, pornography, and illicit sex are difficult, we can be sure that Satan , the enemy has ganged up camp in these areas, and sometimes we may need to pray in authority over these demonic strongholds, so that it will be broken in the name of Jesus.
Some people struggle with this sin of immorality, arguing that authority over the demonic was exclusively for Christ and his apostles.
Nevertheless, I believe there are many evidences that demonstrate this is for every believer. For instance: Christ is our best model for everything in life, including spiritual warfare (compare Phil 2:5-11, Heb 12:2-4. 1 Peter 2:21-24).
We need to follow His lifestyle as the perfect example of humanity. Jesus Christ's example in defeating the devil in the wilderness is not only descriptive but prescriptive.
Some other believers urged the demons to take their leave throughout the New Testament.
In Acts 16:18, Paul commanded a spirit of divination to leave a slave girl in the name of Jesus. And in Acts 8:6-7, Philip, who was possibly one of the early deacons, also cast out demons. Yes, Paul was an apostle but Philip was not. This was practiced by the early church.
Finally, the Bible indicates that Jesus Christ has given us his power based on our union with him.
Ephesians 1:20-22 describes his position of authority at the right hand of the Father seated above powers and principalities (the demonic) in the heavenly realm. And then Ephesians 2:6 describes how believers are seated with him.
Further more, this seating is not primarily a location rather a position of authority which believers have in Christ. In fact, one day we will judge fallen angels with him because of this position (1 Cor 6:3).
We equally have power over the demonic just as the apostles and the early Christians, and we are called to conquer them with the spiritual weapons God has given us (cf. Eph 6:10-19).
It quite unfortunate that many believers neglect this authority not only to their own detriment but also to the detriment of others Christians. When Christ sent believers into the world to proclaim the gospel, he sent them in all the authority given to him (Matt 28:18-20). We need this power not just to spread the gospel but also for spiritual battle.
Christ’s authority is important in battling lust because some strongholds and temptations are not just of the flesh, they are demonic. Like Christ in the wilderness, Paul, at times, recognized certain obstacles and temptations were not just of the flesh and of the world, but of the devil.
Paul said this in 1 Thess. 2:18: >we wanted to come to you—I, Paul, again and again — but Satan hindered us” (ESV).
We need to be sensitive to discern this as well and resist the devil.
James says this: “Submit yourselves, then, to God. >Resist the devil, and he will flee from you” (4:7).
As we submit to God through his Word, prayer, and the ministry of other saints, we can resist the devil, and he will flee from us. Nevertheless, sometimes, resistance may include commanding the demonic to leave in the name of Jesus Christ as demonstrated by Christ and the early church.
It is not the will of God for us to live in boundage to lust and sexual immorality, and God has given us all the resources to walk in freedom, including his Word and his authority. We appreciate the Lord Jesus Christ, for giving us everything needed for life and godliness (compare 2 Peter 1:3).
Thank you, Lord, for your grace. We also appreciate Him, that He is creating a pure and blameless Church for His pleasure (cf. Eph 5:25-27).
Are you protecting your mind? Are you subjecting every thought captive and making it obedient to Christ? Are you feeding your mind with God’s Word? Are you saying no to the devil’s suggestions so that he flees?
CONTEMPLATION:
Why is the mind so mandatory in our battle for purity?
In what ways does the enemy troubles our brain, heart and mind with sexual images and thoughts?
How can someone tell when certain strongholds, mostly sexual ones, are also demonic?
How should we say no to the devil so he flees? How is God calling you to better protect your mind?
What are some other questions or thoughts you have about this post?
How can you pray in response? Take some minutes to pray as the Lord leads.
