Renewing Our Minds: The Process
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Now, I am going to try to make my point, but I am relying on the Lord’s strength to make it. This is primarily a message for teens and young adults, but there will principles discussed that will help all of us.
One of the great misunderstandings by Christians is that too many of us think that spiritual battle in which we are engaged is fought in the heart. Well, dear friend, that is wrong. Satan could care less about your heart. He wants your mind.
I found this incredibly interesting.
It only takes seven seconds for a thought to become ingrained in your brain as a neural pathway.
Sins like drugs, alcohol, and sexual immorality overtake your brain because of your focus upon them. Now, honestly, our kids and young adults are in a bad spot. Drugs are now considered recreational, alcohol is like a bottle of milk, and sex is everywhere. Satan is throwing that stuff out there hoping to get you to focus on those because he knows that if you focus just a little while, he has you.
Now, we do not like to admit it, but certain sins affect you more so than others.
I believe the Bible reveals those four sins.
21 And they did not repent of their murders or their sorceries or their sexual immorality or their thefts.
Murders refers to violence and hatred for fellow man.
Sorceries comes from a word that we get our word pharmacy. It is referring to the mind-controlling affect of drugs.
Sexual immorality refers to any sexual activity outside what the Bible describes. Sex is reserved for the marriage, a marriage that is to be between one man and one woman.
Thefts means stealing and a general attitude of dishonesty.
These sins, especially sexual immorality and substances, are sins against your own body, and they need to be avoided.
They can be avoided if you believe the Bible.
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.
8 Finally, brethren, whatever things are true, whatever things are noble, whatever things are just, whatever things are pure, whatever things are lovely, whatever things are of good report, if there is any virtue and if there is anything praiseworthy—meditate on these things.
I am going to give you a blueprint tonight for how to avoid sexual sins and for how to avoid alcohol and drugs.
It will be three simple little steps.
1. The Joseph Principle.
1. The Joseph Principle.
12 that she caught him by his garment, saying, “Lie with me.” But he left his garment in her hand, and fled and ran outside.
Joseph handsome young man and Pharaoh’s wife wanted to have sex with him.
Joseph did not stick around to think about whether he should do it or not. He ran. He fled the scene. It was the course of action that David should have taken when he walked out on that balcony, but instead of fleeing, David pondered how great it would be to have immoral sex with Bathsheba.
LISTEN TO ME KIDDOS AND YOUNG ADULTOS.
Sexual sin is particularly harmful to you, and you need to run from it like Joseph did.
Do you know what the Bible says about sex outside of marriage?
18 Flee sexual immorality. Every sin that a man does is outside the body, but he who commits sexual immorality sins against his own body.
Joseph fled.
If you have had premarital or extramarital sex, you need to commit now to flee from it from here on out.
Fleeing from that few minutes of pleasure may save you from a lifetime of harm. Fleeing from it buys you time. Fleeing from it keeps that neural pathway from taking over your brain.
The Devil knows what he is doing. He knows if you think about having sex, or if you stare and lust after someone of the opposite, that he has you right where he wants you. He knows that if you let that thought pattern develop in your brain that it will possess you.
Step one: The Joseph Principle——-> Flee from sexual immorality and substance abuse.
2. The Daniel Strategy.
2. The Daniel Strategy.
8 But Daniel purposed in his heart that he would not defile himself with the portion of the king’s delicacies, nor with the wine which he drank; therefore he requested of the chief of the eunuchs that he might not defile himself.
That little Hebrew word translated purposed means to “pre-decide.”
Before temptation came, Daniel had already made up his mind. Daniel pre-programmed his mind.
You must do the same when it comes to alcohol, drugs, and sex.
You must “pre-decide” that you are going to remain pure.
Let me say this about alcohol and drugs and why you must pre-decide that you are not going to try either.
The only way you can know for sure that you will not be a drunk or an addict is to never try either.
Alcohol and drugs do things to your mind. Both create a desire within your brain for the next high or the next drunk? Why do you think it is so hard to quit once you get started?
You must pre-program your mind with pure images.
Your brain hates empty spaces. It will fill itself with what is most familiar. If you think too long on sex, alcohol, or drugs, your mind will fill itself with images of those, and Satan is more than eager to supply the images.
What was Daniel’s strategy? Remember, the Bible says that he had pre-decided that he was not going to be defiled.
In your life, you must employ Daniel’s strategy.
How do you do that? By filling your mind with God’s word.
You read it.
You visualize it.
You pray over it.
That is how you can use the Daniel Strategy.
I gave you a two-sided notecard. On one side, I want you to write this verse on the top line.
PSALM 51:10.
Whenever you are tempted with impurity or immorality, take out that notecard and read Psalm 51:10.
If you do that, you will be like Daniel. Your brain will be ready to deploy pure images when temptations come.
3. The Paul Protocol.
3. The Paul Protocol.
5 casting down arguments and every high thing that exalts itself against the knowledge of God, bringing every thought into captivity to the obedience of Christ,
Once you program your brain to flee, once your brain is full of images from God’s word, you are now ready to have a brain controlled by Christ.
That word translated captivity is an ancient military term.
It meant converting enemy soldiers into allies where they are fighting for your army.
When your mind is controlled by Christ, it is Christ who will fight Satan for you.
Listen.
Do you know why so many addicts cannot stop doing drugs or drinking?
Do you know why so many sex addicts cannot stop their addiction to sex?
Because you cannot destroy thoughts of sexual immorality or thoughts of addiction.
What you do is redirect that energy into worship and intimacy with God.
Those powerful drives that you have are misdirected passions. The same parts of the brain that they control can be controlled by Christ when your thoughts are properly channeled.
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.
Look at your notecard again.
You need to be aware of impure thoughts.
Notice those thoughts
Acknowledge those thoughts
Immediately, get out your notecard and read Psalm 51:10 first. Flip your notecard over and write this verse at the top of it: 1 John 1:9.
When you have an impure thought, you will be substituting what these two verses say in the place of the thought. By doing so, your brain is learning a new pattern, and you, even at a young age, are learning to be more and more like Christ.
Christ is wanting to fight Satan for you.
7 Therefore submit to God. Resist the devil and he will flee from you.
If you repeatedly go through this process, impure thoughts will start triggering immediate prayer and worship. You will have rewired your brain to focus on biblical principles.
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.
23 Now may the God of peace Himself sanctify you completely; and may your whole spirit, soul, and body be preserved blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ.
God wants to control your thoughts. He does not want you focusing on lust and addiction. He wants to control your thought patterns.
Let me say this.
If you talk to addicts, one thing that you will hear over and over is how many times they tried to quit on their own. They are making a drastic mistake. They are trying to manage the sin, but they cannot. It is a trap that Satan has set.
It is not your mid that can control the sin. It is the mind in Christ in you.
16 For “who has known the mind of the Lord that he may instruct Him?” But we have the mind of Christ.
The mind of Christ in you will not lead you to fulfill your sexual drive or pursuit of chemical highs. If you are consistent in the Joseph Principle, the Daniel Strategy, and the Paul Protocol, the mind of Christ in you can control those lusts and those addictions, but you must be consistent.
When thoughts appear that you know are impure, pull out your notecard and read Psalm 51:10 first followed by 1 John 1:9. The mind of Christ in you will start shaping your identity, and you will experience what Jesus meant.
36 Therefore if the Son makes you free, you shall be free indeed.
Any addict or anyone enslaved by sexual addiction will tell you that they feel trapped because they are, but if you, young people, do what I have told you tonight, the mind of Christ in you will set you free.
