Word for Today, Thu, 15 Jan 2004, The Battle of the Mind
Posted by: masinick <masinick@...>
Dear friends,
This message from Neil Anderson has many scripture references
about the battle that goes on in our mind and the way we can win
that battle - by continually renewing our minds with God's Word
of truth.
Yours in Christ,
Brian
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NEIL ANDERSON'S DAILY IN CHRIST
from Freedom in Christ Ministries
January 15
THE BATTLE OF THE MIND
Thanks be to God through Jesus Christ our Lord! . . . There is
therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus
(Romans 7:25; 8:1).
Romans 7:22, 23, pinpoints the battleground for the contest
between me and sin: "For I joyfully concur with the law of God in
the inner man, but I see a different law in the members of my
body, waging war against the law of my mind, and making me a
prisoner of the law of sin which is in my members."
Where does my desire to do what's right reside? Paul uses the
phrase "the inner man," referring to my new self where my spirit
and God's Spirit are in union. This is the eternal part of me.
And where does sin wage its war to keep me from doing what I
really want to do? In the physical members of my body (James
4:1). Sin operates through my flesh, that learned independence
that continues to promote rebellion against God. This is the
temporal part of me. Where then do these two opponents wage war
(Galatians 5:17)? The battleground is my mind. That's why it is
so important that we learn how to renew our minds (Romans 12:2)
and to take every thought captive to the obedience of Christ (2
Corinthians 10:5).
Paul concluded his description of the contest between sin and the
new self with the exclamation: "Wretched man that I am! Who will
set me free from the body of this death?" (Romans 7:24). Notice
that he didn't say, "Sinful man that I am !" Wretched means
miserable, and there is no one more miserable than the person who
has allowed sin to reign in his mortal body. If we use our bodies
as instruments of unrighteousness, we give the devil an
opportunity in our lives, and he brings only misery.
The good news is that Romans 7:24 is followed by Romans 7:25 and
Romans 8:1: "Thanks be to God through Jesus Christ our Lord! . .
There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in
Christ Jesus." The battle for the mind is a winnable war.
Thank You, Jesus, for knowing me, understanding me, and providing
for me a way of escape for every possible temptation.
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--
Brian Masinick, mailto:masinick@yahoo.com
Home page: http://www.geocities.com/masinick/
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