‘And so, dear brothers and sisters, I plead with you to give your bodies to God because of all he has done for you. Let them be a living and holy sacrifice—the kind he will find acceptable. This is truly the way to worship him. Don’t copy the behavior and customs of this world, but let God transform you into a new person by changing the way you think. Then you will learn to know God’s will for you, which is good and pleasing and perfect.’ Romans 12:1-2(NLT)
‘Stay alert! Watch out for your great enemy, the devil. He prowls around like a roaring lion, looking for someone to devour. ‘ 1 Peter 5:8(NLT)
‘For all of God’s promises have been fulfilled in Christ with a resounding “Yes!” And through Christ, our “Amen” (which means “Yes”) ascends to God for his glory.’ 2 Corinthians 1:20(NLT)
Yesterday we looked at the daily discipline of putting on the whole armor of God and a new way of looking at that—the idea that when we put on the whole armor, we actually put on Christ. Today we are going to look at the daily discipline of renewing our mind.
Just living in a fallen world and dealing with each day as it comes is difficult and challenging enough. Add that to our specific ups and downs of life and we are assured of the reality that we have a spiritual enemy who seeks to disrupt, discourage, distract, and ultimately destroy our lives.
Without the daily discipline of reading God’s Word and allowing it to transform the way we think, thereby renewing our minds, we are helpless to stand against the enemy’s schemes.
Being transformed by the renewing of our mind gives us the ability to discern between fact and fiction, truth and lies, right and wrong, and good and evil. If we are left on our own to make the tough decisions and face the real trials and fears of life, we are bound to live a defeated life and believe the lies of the enemy who asks, “Did God really say that?”
Daily time in God’s Word allows us to know, understand, grasp, believe, and trust in the promises of God. His Scripture allows us to know the truth, thus being able to spot out a lie from hell.
Get to know God’s voice (His affirming, loving, calming voice) and be able to distinguish between the enemy’s voice of deception, condemnation, and fear.
I think of the song by Casting Crowns, “The Voice of Truth.” Listen to the lyric: “And the voice of truth says, ‘Do not be afraid.’” Now there’s a weapon against fear! Knowing and trusting the truth of God’s Word.
When we daily let it renew our mind, it becomes one of our most powerful fighting instruments. Reflect upon this, read today’s Scripture passages, and be armed with the truth of God’s Word.
from Take Courage by Greg Alkinson