PEACE IN RELATION TO THE MIND

OR

THE BATTLE FOR OUR MINDS (Phil. 4:8)

I. Introduction

A. The day in which we live is a day of conflict

1. There are bitter conflicts in the political realm

a) In the economic realm - in the social realm

b) There is a conflict in education; no matter where we venture, we find no rest or peace, tranquility or agreement.

c) Isaiah sums it up well when he said; The wicked are like the troubled sea, there is no peace to the wicked (Isaiah 57:20-21)

2. I submit to you however that the greatest conflict is not being waged in the areas I just mentioned.

a) The greatest conflict in the world today is the battle for the control of our minds.

b) Apostle Paul is well aware of this, hence the reason for this verse

B. The greatest thinker in Old Testament put it this way:

1. Prov. 4:23 - Above all that must be guarded keep thou thy heart, for out of it are the issues of life (Rotherham)

a) The heart stands for our entire mental and moral activity

b) The heart is used figuratively for the hidden personal life

c) It is the seat of thinking - willing - choosing (Matt. 15:18-20)(Rom. 2:15)

d) Webster - the mind equals the heart. The mind is that part of man that has the capacity to remember, analyze, calculate

e) Out of the mind are the issues (outgoing - going forth) the activities of life

2. Prov. 23:7 - As a person thinks in his heart so is he.

a) If you really want to know what kind of a person you really are; tell me what you think about and I will tell you what kind of a person you are

b) What a person thinks about will determine what he will become

II. Subjects for thought

A. Things which are true

1. That which is genuine -- true to fact

2. There are so many things in this world which are deceptive and illusory, they promise things which they can never perform.

a) Think of the 1500 advertisements bombarding us each day over the T.V. all of which tell us that they are the best

b) They are not genuine - sincere - truthful

3. What can we think upon that is genuine and truthful

a) John 14:6 - I am the way, the truth and the life.

b) John 17:17 - Sanctify through thy truth, Thy word is Truth.

c) Gal. 2:5 - That the truth of the gospel may be in you.

d) I Thess. 2:13 - As it is in truth the Word of God.

e) II Tim. 2:15 - The Bible is called the Word of Truth.

4. It is obvious, that we are to fill our minds with the Word of God

B. Things which are honest

1. Dishonesty is one of the most withering blights on human character

a) It is the carnal willingness to lie.

b) In court, lying is perjury, and the bulworks of society are undermined by perjured testimony

2. However, this word means more than our concept of honesty.

a) In the original it means worthy of veneration, honorable, nobly serious, dignified.

b) There are cheap, flippant, and worldly things that are attractive to the light minded.

c) The sincere Christian should think upon and speak of those things that are serious and dignified.

C. Things which are Just

1. The mind becomes the scales of justice that weighs and considers the case before judgment is past.

a) We must not allow one bad thing that a person does to outweigh the good things he has done

b) It is refusing to make a fact out of a rumor

c) We cannot afford to make a junk shop out of our minds and allow them to be cluttered with suspicion, bitterness, jealousy, malice and hatred.

d) We must stockpile our minds with worthwhile interests and priceless scriptures

D. Things that are Pure

1. There can be no purity of life without purity of mind.

a) The pure mind is undefiled. This means we do not mix unclean and clean thought in the same mind.

b) We must be careful not to pollute our minds with that which is unsavory.

E. Things that are Lovely.

1. The word means attractive, winsome, gracious and agreeable.

2. This is the opposite of a grudging mind that is set on vengeance.

3. There are those whose minds so set on criticism that they call forth bitterness and rescindment in others

F. Things of Good Report

1. It liter4ly means fair speaking

a) It describes the things which are fit for God to hear

b) There are cruel words, hurtful words spoken which are not fit for God to hear.

2. It takes a baby approximately two years to talk and another sixty years to learn to keep his mouth shut.

3. Perhaps there is a warning against gossip here

G. Think on these things

1. Think means to meditate, to dwell upon, to give attention to them as a result, to speak forth what has been on my mind.

2. How can a person bombarded with all the evil forces refrain from solicitation to evil

a) Psalm 1:2 - In His law doth He meditate

b) Meditate originally meant to ruminate - chew the cud.

c) Taking a portion of the Word and dwelling on it over and over again until it has been appropriated.

3. The mind is mysterious in its operation

a) Did you ever notice the rapidity with which your mind darts from one thing to another

b) Have you gone to prayer suddenly your mind is on something other than the matter you are praying about

c) You ask what is happening - Satan is attacking your mind and he has succeeded in directing your mind away from God.

4. The greatest area of sin in a Christians life is not what he does but what he thinks

a) There is an entire classification of sin that we must call the sins of the mind.

What was the first sin of Lucifer? It was pride. What is that? A sin or the mind. What is lust? A sin of the mind. What is covetousness? A sin of the mind. Greed? A sin of the mind. Suspicion? A sin of the mind. Discouragement? A sin of the mind. We could go on and on; Those sins are more real to the child of God than such sins as adultery and murder and theft. That is a testimony to the fact that there is a warfare going on. Satan is attacking the mind.

You have heard the word - it has been energizing your mind.

You Thought about receiving Christ.