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Philippians – Framing the Mind
For let this frame of mind be in you that also was in Christ Jesus, Who while existing in the form of God, did not regard for Himself equality with God to be robbery, but emptied Himself, after receiving the form of a servant, He came to be in a likeness of man. And after being found in the outward shape as a man, He humbled Himself, becoming obedient up to the point of death, even a cross death. Wherefore also God has exalted Him, and has given Him a name above every name, in order that by the name belonging to Jesus every knee will bow, heavenly and earthly and subterranean, and every tongue should say the same thing, that Jesus Christ is Lord resulting in a proper opinion of God [the] Father.
The Battle for the Mind
The Battle is for the Mind, it is not a Physical Battle
… because we do not wrestle against blood and flesh, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the world powers of darkness of this age, against spiritual malignant evil in the heavens, Ephesians 6:12
Satan’s methodologies:
- Independence from God, 1 Corinthians 10:31
- Disappointment, Job 3:1-13
- Discouragement, Job 19:1-19
- Bitterness, Job 7:11; 10:1
- Doubt, Romans 14:23
- Spiritual Cowardice, John 18:17,25,27
- Lying, Acts 5:1-4
- Pride, 1 Timothy 6:4
- An Unforgiving spirit, 2 Corinthians 2:10,11
- Stealing, Ephesians 4:27-30
- Corrupt Communication, Ephesians 4:27-30
- Spiritual laziness, 1 Timothy 5:11-15
- Gossip, 1 Timothy 5:11-15
- Busybody, 1 Timothy 5:11-15.
Our Defense – The Armor from God
The whole armor from God needs to be put on only when under attack, Ephesians 6:13.
- Protect the sensitive parts of your mind with the truth, Ephesians 6:14; 1 Peter 1:13.
- Breastplate of righteousness, Ephesians 6:14; Philippians 3:9; 2 Corinthians 5:21.
- Feet made ready with the Gospel of Peace, Ephesians 6:15; 1 Corinthians 15:1-4.
- The shield of faith – taking God at His Word, Ephesians 6:16; Hebrews 11:1.
- The helmet of salvation, Ephesians 6:17; Ephesians 2:8.
- The sword belonging to the Spirit, Ephesians 6:17; 2 Peter 3:2.
Putting on the Armor from God is a mental process by which we take elements from our position in Christ and our salvation and use them in defense against a mindset that is manipulated by Satan or his demons. Satan casts thoughts at the Christian in an attempt for that saint to accept Satan’s desires as his or her own. In addition, Satan can manipulate circumstance to allow for a better mental condition in which the saint is more likely to accept one of his desires as his or her own […]
Sin, Trespass, and the Mind
The definition of sin has become so elusive today that there are so called “sins” in many churches that cannot be found in Scripture. How do you know what a sin is? True, we see very well defined sins in Scripture such as adultery, fornication, stealing, lying, murder, etc., but what about the things that are not revealed in Scripture. Is it a sin not to give ten percent of your wages to the Church? Is it a sin for a husband to ignore his wife? What about which movies you watch, what you wear, what friends you hang out with, going to a party…, how do we know if they are sins?
“Missing the mark” as a definition of sin is very predominate in teachings today. However, there is a problem with this definition. First of all, what mark are we missing? When we start asking this question we will find that the answer is a moving target. Secondly, this definition is so generic it allows for really anything to be put in as the mark missed. The mark could be, not living up to God’s glory; having a ruined character; not abiding by God’s law; and they go on and on. Lastly, where this definition comes from is an issue. In the book of Judges the word normally translated as “sin” from the Hebrew is used to describe men who are so good with a sling that they do not miss their targets. The meaning “missing the mark” comes off of a miss understanding of how this word is used in this passage and also requires ignoring other passages of Scripture that specifically define sin. These men are so good with the sling that […]
Pleasing (ἀρέσκω)
Pleasing (ἀρέσκω) expresses the concept of acting in a fawning manner to win favor or to act in a way that is pleasing. Therefore, it has a negative, flattery, and a positive, pleasing, side to its meaning.
On Herod’s birthday, Herodias’ daughter danced before Herod and his guests to please him, instigating a response from him that resulted in a promise of a reward. This allowed Herodias to have John the Baptist put to death for calling out Herod’s unlawful act of being with her (his brother’s wife), for she had already instructed her daughter to ask for his head when the King offered her whatever she wanted because she pleased him, Matthew 14:6.
At the beginning of the Church, before the complete revelation concerning the Church was given, the first assembly in Jerusalem faced an issue with the care of the widows among the Hellenistic Jews. This issue required substantial attention and would impact the disciples’ ability to minister to the saints. To address this, the disciples called the multitude together to discuss selecting men who would handle the day-to-day affairs of the assembly, including ensuring that all widows were adequately cared for. This solution would allow the disciples to focus on ministering the Word instead of serving tables. The proposed resolution pleased the multitude, creating the position of Deacon, Acts 6:5.
The desires and works of the flesh cannot please God, for they are carnal in nature and, therefore, hostile to God, Romans 8:8. Because God imputes Christ’s death and resurrection to us, we are able to walk in newness of life, free from slavery to the sin nature, Romans 6:5-6. However, when we try to live the Christian life through law, the result […]