Yesterday’s sermon was the first part of a two-part message on “Conquering Inner Space.”
1 Peter 1:13-16
“Therefore, prepare your minds for action; be self-controlled; set your hope fully on the grace to be given you when Jesus Christ is revealed. As obedient children, do not conform to the evil desires you had when you lived in ignorance. But just as he who called you is holy, so be holy in all you do; for it is written: “Be holy, because I am holy.”
In order to prepare our minds, I suggested we need to:
Stop thinking like an unbeliever. Ephesians 4:17-19
Stop thinking for the moment. Romans 8:5
Stop thinking you know it all.1 Corinthians 8:1-2
Stop thinking with a double mind. James 1:8 James 1:8 “He is a double-minded man, unstable in all he does.”
Stop thinking with a childish mindset. 1 Corinthians 13:11
Start thinking like a soldier. (Ephesians 6:12) We have an enemy. We are in a war. Soldiers understand that victory will require mental fortitude. Satan wants to come after you in at least three ways which all involve your mind.
a. Satan wants to deceive you. (Genesis 3:4) Satan can gain access into your life or control you through deception.
b. Satan wants to tempt you. (Matthew 4-The Temptation of Jesus) Satan is great at making something off limits look good. The minute you start thinking about something you know you shouldn’t pursue, that is the minute to “capture that thought” and make it obedient to Christ. II Corinthians 10:5 says, “We demolish arguments and every pretension that sets itself up against the knowledge of God, and we take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ.”
c. Satan wants to accuse you. (Revelation 12:10) His goal is to shame and embarrass you. He will throw your past in your fast.
He wants to beat you down with guilt. He wants to bring up your past sin, but your past sins are buried in a “sea of
forgetfulness.” God remembers them no more. What is confessed is under the blood of Jesus and can never be held against you. (Hebrews 10:17)
You have dominion over your thought life. You can choose what you will believe, dwell on and be convicted by. You can set your mind on things above (Colossians 3:2) on spiritual things, truthful things and godly things or you can choose to dwell on earthly, fleshly, sinful things.
Scripture tells us to seek the mind of Christ (Phil. 2:5). What was on Christ’s mind? Humility and obedience. Philippians 2 tells us that though He was equal with God He made himself nothing, taking the nature of a servant and humbled himself to become like us and then to become obedient even unto death.
He didn’t think like an unbeliever, looking for ways to get ahead and be applauded. He didn’t think for the moment or He would have looked for a way of escape from the cross and torture that went with it. Though He possessed all knowledge, He subjected Himself to learning in the synagogue and being taught by His parents. He was never, not for one minute, double-minded as He said His mission was to do the will of the Father who had sent Him. No one had more right to think the world revolved around Him than Jesus, after all, He made it. J Yet He was a servant instead of demanding to be served. He didn’t fall for any of Satan’s temptations but defeated Him with the Word of God.
Pray that God will help you prepare your mind and enable you to conquer the inner space that will enable you to be victorious in all the spaces and places of this life!
I hope to see you Wednesday!
Pastor Melissa
