Why we need to renew and protect our minds

1. Life or death is determined by our thought life
Matthew 12:33 -37, Luke 6:43-45, John 6:62-64

Thoughts are words sown into our hearts. They affect our life physically and spiritually.

Lets take a close look at what Jesus said in Matthew

Matthew 12:33-37
Either make the tree good and its fruit good, or else make the tree bad and its fruit bad; for a tree is known by [its] fruit. 34 "Brood of vipers! How can you, being evil, speak good things? For out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks.

35 "A good man out of the good treasure of his heart brings forth good things, and an evil man out of the evil treasure brings forth evil things. 36 "But I say to you that for every idle word men may speak, they will give account of it in the day of judgment. 37 "For by your words you will be justified, and by your words you will be condemned." (NKJV)

Out of the abundance of the heart comes the words and actions of a person. I don't think any honest person would dispute this fact.

The enemy spends so much effort into putting bad thoughts into our minds because he knows they open the door to our heart.

An understanding of this alone should help you to set your will in line with God's and resist those ungodly thoughts.

Of course we need more than will power to renew our mind but without our will power nothing else can help us.

We need to renew or minds because an unrenewed mind will result in an ungodly action.

Our minds are the breeding ground of future action.

As we bring our thought life into line with God's will we shall discover the power to walk in and understand His purpose for our life's more clearly. Romans puts it this way

Romans 12:2 And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what [is] that good and acceptable and perfect will of God. (NKJV)

This leads us to the second reason why we need to renew our minds

2. To lay hold of God's will for our life
- Romans 12:1-3, Colossians 3: 1-3

Renewing our minds is vital to understanding the will of God

Ignorance is not bliss - Ephesians 4:17-24
Ignorance and a mind not renewed by the Word of God leaves us devoid of the power of God.

You can speak in tongues all day long and give 90% of your income to the Lord, but without knowing the will of God you will never be fruitful in serving Him.

There are thousands of spirit filled believers walking around in almost total defeat to the enemy of their souls. It is as if they have been cut off from the life of God available to them.

God could not speak to them if He tried. And believe me He is trying. However because of the hold satan exerts over there minds he (satan) successfully keeps them from hearing the voice of God.

A Christian who lives without knowing the will of God is as harmless to satan as someone who does not know the Lord at all. Ephesians put's it this way.

Ephesians 4:17-24 This I say, therefore, and testify in the Lord, that you should no longer walk as the rest of the Gentiles walk, in the futility of their mind, 18 having their understanding darkened, being alienated from the life of God, because of the ignorance that is in them, because of the blindness of their heart; 19 who, being past feeling, have given themselves over to lewdness, to work all uncleanness with greediness.

20 But you have not so learned Christ, 21 if indeed you have heard Him and have been taught by Him, as the truth is in Jesus: 22 that you put off, concerning your former conduct, the old man which grows corrupt according to the deceitful lusts, 23 and be renewed in the spirit of your mind, 24 and that you put on the new man which was created according to God, in true righteousness and holiness. (NKJV)

The scriptures employ us not to walk as the rest of the Gentiles walk, in the futility of their mind.

By Gentiles the Bible refers to those that do not know the saving grace of our Lord Jesus Christ. Read Ephesians 4 again. If you have a copy of the Amplified Bible try reading that version. It makes the need to renew our minds abundantly clear.

In summary

We need to protect our minds from the onslaught of the enemy

We need to bring our thoughts in line with God's thoughts in order to understand His will

A mind renewed by God's Word is essential if our lives are to be full of His power