“But the unbelieving Jews stirred up the Gentiles and... poisoned their minds against the brethren.” (Acts 14:2). And it wasn’t long afterwards before they made an attempt to abuse and stone them. (5)

That really is a ‘thing’, you know...where people can have their ‘minds poisoned’.

This is usually where it starts before it makes its way in to the heart and then eventually “desire is conceived and gives birth to sin. And sin...when it is full grown, brings forth death.” (James 1:14-15)

This should be news to none of us believers since Paul assumed we were “not ignorant of Satan’s devices.” (2 Cor. 2:11). It’s how he ‘takes advantage’ of us by gaining access in to our lives, which we are encouraged to not...let him do. (Eph. 4:27) How do you think he was able to “fill the heart” of Ananias in order to get him and his wife to ‘lie to the Holy Spirit’? (Acts 5:3) Things did not end well for either of them. (5,9-10)

If any child of God is halfway serious about ‘guarding their heart’ as scripture admonishes us to do (Prov. 4:20-27) they might want to learn just how one does that, and learn it quickly. I just don’t believe I could underscore enough... the importance of this or the urgency.

Many in the church today have ‘fallen asleep’, just like those ten virgins did in the parable Jesus taught in Matt. 25. And we all know what happens when men fall ‘asleep’ – the ‘enemy comes’ and sows bad things that never bear good fruit. (Matt. 13:25). And good fruit matters! (Matt. 3:10; 7:17-20)

When one dozes off, it’s easy to quickly forget about a ‘war’ we are currently involved with and I am not talking about a ‘physical’ or ‘earthly’ war either; this war is ‘spiritual’ in nature. Paul talked about it in 2 Cor. 10:3-5 and even goes in to explaining how we have these spiritual weapons to make use of, that are not ‘according to the flesh’. And one key component of fighting in this ‘war’ involves us...”bringing in to captivity...every thought...to the obedience of Christ.” (5). This really is ‘a thing’ , as well, that we actually can do, and should do. I also speak from experience when I say it is near impossible to do if one is not abiding in Christ.(Phil. 4:7)

It is easy to think our heart is just fine, given how deceptive it can be. (Jer. 17:9). That’s why John said if we claim to ‘have no sin’, we deceive ourselves. (1 John 1:8). I should also point out here that ‘having sin’ does not automatically imply one is actively sinning or acting out what may reside in one’s heart. Think in terms of those Canaanite nations who were ‘on the land’ and God made it clear to His people how they would be dealt with ‘little by little’, or one at a time.

So it’s good to be reminded that our minds can easily become clouded and deceived as well. In fact if we are not careful, our minds can become depraved and defiled...or even ‘poisoned’.

It really is amazing how much scripture talks about our minds as we are warned to be careful what we allow in to them, given they are the gateway to our hearts. (Job 31:1)

Paul expressed concerns to the church at Corinth that ‘in the same way Eve was deceived by the serpent that our minds could be corrupted...from the simplicity that is in Christ’. (2 Cor. 11:3). He goes on to warn of ‘other gospels and spirits’ , and how one could be duped into ‘receiving’...and even hinting one might end up ‘following another Jesus’. (4)

So if the way to our hearts is through the gateway of our minds, it should begin to make sense to us that what we allow to settle and fester in our thought life is going to have an effect on our hearts and will eventually come out producing sin, yes? (Matt. 12:33-37)

The psalmist prayed- ‘Your word I have hidden in my heart, that I might not sin against You...O Lord.” (119:11)

How does one actually ‘do that’, ‘hide His word in our hearts’? For starters, you might check out Hebrews 10:16. Then look out the very first psalm where he ‘finds delight in the law of the Lord, and in His law he meditates day and night.” (1:2) And if he does, then there seems to be the promise of ‘fruit coming forth in its season’. (3). So there’s that thing about ‘fruit’ again. Like I say often – ‘Fruit Matters!’.

Oh, there are more than a couple of mentions there in the Book of Psalms about our ‘meditations’ and wanting them to be ‘pleasing’ to the Lord. (104:34). You can almost imagine how there must be some kind of channel that directly links the heart and the mind together. While both are distinct and separate components residing within us, they are seemingly inseparable as well. Some make the case that our heart speaks more to where our ‘spirit’ is seated, and the mind is where our ‘soul’ resides. There is a difference in the two as well. (1 Thess. 5:23)

Then there is the statement Jesus made about how “where our treasure is, there our heart will be also”, (Matt. 6:21) which then points back to this idea of what are we allowing to linger there...in our mind and thoughts? And God did make it known that “He is the One who searches both minds and hearts.” (Rev. 2:23)

So yes...it really does matter that we ‘bring in to captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ.” (2 Cor. 10:5). And I need to mention this once again, as I did the other day, because it’s important that we understand this since way too many people think they cannot walk ‘free of sin’ simply because they have ‘bad thoughts’ land in their minds daily, if not hourly or even ‘non-stop’ - Having bad thoughts land in your mind is NOT a ‘sin’. You are simply being ‘tested’ or ‘tempted’. Abiding in Jesus does not come with some ironclad promise you won’t be tempted and tested. On the contrary...you will be...but you will also be ‘more than a conqueror through Christ’ who lives in us. (Rom. 8:37; Gal. 2:20)

And let’s not forget that Jesus Himself was ‘tempted in every point that we are, yet without sin.” (Heb.4:15) So once more: It Is Not A Sin To Have Bad Thoughts!

What you ‘do’ with those thoughts though... will reveal what you are loving more...than God, perhaps in both your mind and heart. And remember...He wants us to love Him with ALL our heart and soul and mind...!

You’ve probably heard that expression about throwing everything up against a wall to see what sticks, yes? That’s pretty much what our enemy does...as he ‘roams to and fro like a roaring lion seeking to devour’. (1 Pet. 5:8). Not everything he throws at us will stick, and what may stick on one person will just evaporate when it hits another person.

Using an extreme  example here...if some random thought just dropped in my mind out of nowhere that involved torturing or inflicting horrific pain and suffering on a young child...I might recoil as to wondering where in the world that even came from; but I can assure you that if such a thought landed, it would hit my mind like a drop of water might hit a scalding hot iron skillet and would not last a milli-second.

But there was a time where ‘other thoughts might land, and did, that maybe I was not so quick to ‘brush away’ or ‘bring in to captivity’. It’s those lingering ones that usually give us an indication as to what might be in our hearts that is ‘hungry’ for more. Those are the ones you need to pay attention to and ask God to intervene and remove anything that is ‘hidden’.

Again, the psalmist offers up more insight and suggestions as to how we might pray- “Search me, O God, and know my heart: Try me and know my thoughts and see if there be any wicked way in me.” (139:23-24) But don’t do this if you are not serious about doing something about it if/when the Holy Spirit brings something to your attention that needs to be dealt with, as in ‘confessed and turned from’. This is what we call repentance.

Tomorrow, Lord willing, I want to share some interesting things with you that should stop us all in our tracks and truly bring some more truth to light as just how this ‘wicked one influences or controls the whole world’. (1 John 5:19)