Philippians 4:8, “Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things.”
As we walk out our lives for Christ and continue studying God’s Truth, the revelation of who God truly is continues to astonish me. The deeper you go into His Word, the more that is
revealed and made known. What I find difficult in my daily walk is the struggle between the flesh and the Spirit (Galatians 5:17). When I try to live my life on my own or accomplish what I am called to do outside of God’s Grace, everything is an uphill battle and to an extent unattainable. That is ironic in a way, as born-again believers, our lives are called to be filled with trials and tribulations (John 16:33). The message today is a message of hope to remind us, that in Christ all things are possible and in Christ the path does not have to seem overwhelming or unachievable. The key to take away from this message is “in Christ”, in Christ we are overcomers, in Christ we have a strength and determination we never thought we could and in Christ our focus and walk are made clear and known.
We may never have considered it or even may have dismissed its relevance, but our thought lives play a key role in how we maintain our spiritual walk in Christ and overcome the temptations of the flesh. Philippians 4:8 noted above provides guidance and direction for believers to maintain a healthy thought life and of which if followed, leads to a life filled with Peace and triumph. What you think about and where you spend your time with your thoughts plays a key part in your ability to walk as an overcomer in Christ. Ephesians 6:12 states, “For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms.” I find this passage to be dismissed or even overlooked as we study God’s Word because of the spiritual and unforeseen aspect. When we think of a fight, it is easy to think of the physical and emotional aspect of arguments or even when we were younger fights on the playground at school. Hopefully as a representative of Christ you are not still fighting on the playground…😊. With all jests aside, so many times the physical element of the five senses, our emotions and what is directly in front of us plays such a large part in how we act or react that we tend to overlook and look past the spiritual struggle that may be driving those emotions or actions.
Unless protected by the helmet of salvation and the sword of the spirit, which is the word of God (Ephesians 6:17), the spiritual influences of our thought lives could determine how we walk out our lives on this earth. What brings this to the forefront of this blog are my own thoughts that if not focused correctly can lead me into situations with predetermined physical slants that are not in line with the spiritual reflection of Christ. I write that not to be confusing, but the situation that occurred really made we wonder how often that if not guarded against, the “spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms” play a part in how we portray the opportunities God has given us to share the Gospel. The situation that opened my eyes occurred a few days back when everything was good. The day was going good, you could say the birds were chirping in the trees, the sun was shining and the weather was very enjoyable. Then, out of nowhere I started thinking quarrelsome thoughts. What about this, what about that, it just kept going on and on until the Word of the Lord came to me. He asked, why in good times is your flesh so drawn to quarrelsome thoughts? Why do the things you allow your mind to ponder focus on the desires of the heart? An unrenewed heart brings fleshly desires and temptations. Mark 7:20-23 tells us, “…What comes out of a person is what defiles them. For it is from within, out of a person’s heart, that evil thoughts come…” So often, if not guarded, our thoughts can drive our very existence. Within the website Bible Reasons, Fritz Chery wrote within the article Christians Quotes about Controlling Your Thoughts, “Thoughts lead on to purposes; purposes go forth in action; actions form habits; habits decide character; and character fixes our destiny.” This looks much further past the typical excuse for having this thought or that, but it encourages us to understand the long-term ramifications of how thoughts are building blocks for character and how in our character we represent ourselves and more importantly how we represent Christ to those around us.
If allowed, thoughts have a way of redefining God’s purpose and intent for our lives and redirecting our character to the desires of the flesh and not the Will of the Father. As always, I write this not to bring despair and hopelessness, but instead to bring to light the significance of what may be considered just a thought. The reasoning of the flesh directs us to believe that it can’t be harmful because it is only a thought, but the reality is a thought has consequences, intentional or unintentional. The slope can be very slippery if we are not on guard in the Word and protecting our minds against the constant barrage of fiery arrows of the devil and this world.
The Armor of God is outlined in Ephesians 6 and verses 16-17 state, “In addition to all of these, hold up the shield of faith to stop the fiery arrows of the devil. Put on salvation as your helmet, and take the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God.” Protecting yourself from the origination of thoughts that do not align with God’s Will starts at salvation. The transformation of your mind from an earthly perspective to the new creation and spiritual being God created you to be. When you accepted Christ as your Lord and Savior, you became and continue to be a new person in His righteousness, given all authority of the Kingdom in Jesus’ mighty name. Through the study of God’s Word and the holding up of your faith, fiery arrows are prevented from taking hold in your mind and your thoughts become aligned with the Truth that not only sets us free but keeps us free in Jesus Christ!
Blessings to all and may your thoughts be guarded against fiery arrows, your hearts filled with God’s Peace and your minds overflowing in the abundance of His Truth! Shalom!!
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