Our Mind And The Will of God

And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God. (Rom 12:2)

I have been told as a child that an ‘idle mind is the devil’s workshop’ which carries some truth. Moving closer to truth, the mind is the beachhead of the devil’s assault to influence and finally to cause us to be deceived into losing sovereignty of our will. We have to be in constant watchfulness ‘as the serpent beguiled Eve through his subtilty, so your minds should be corrupted from the simplicity that is in Christ’ (2Cor 11:3). The corruption of the heart enters through the mind through demonically inspired thoughts and temptations (Gen 2:17).

Good intentions are not good enough because it is of the heart; we need a renewed mind to secure our regenerated life in Christ. Similarly with faithfulness; men can love their wives with their hearts and yet be unfaithful and mentally hold separate relationships. If we concede in the battle of the mind, evil will work its way to our heart or emotions and from there control the entire being (John 13:2) and steal the Word from our hearts (Luke 8:12). We should be circumspect in our though life and not allow the devil any foothold. The foothold the devil takes is when we give our minds over voluntarily by lack of carefulness to guard it.

The meaning of repentance is a ‘change of mind’. This does not mean altering our thoughts but renewing a mind by a complete wiping clean of world and past conformity to the conformance to the mind of Christ (1 Cor 2:16). Things that play through our minds will tell us if the renewal is being done and if the peace of God resides with us (Php 4:8-9). We cannot afford to be passive in our mind, but be active in meditation of His Word which allows God to work in first and subsequently work out in our everyday living. Genuineness of faith is shown in the living and the doing (Jam 2:20). If we desire to know the good, acceptable and perfect will of God for us personally, for our family and for our church, it will begin with us actively engaging in warfare to regain surrendered ground of our mind.