Fortifying Your Mind Phil
Fortifying Your Mind Phil. 4:4-8
EBC 1/13/08
The mind is the seat of the intellect, the will and the emotions. It is where we think, feel and decide. It is also the place where all of the conflicts we face in this life begin! You see, the mind is the ultimate battlefield of life. The Lord, the flesh and the devil are all battling for control of our minds. Why does the battle rage there? Because the Bible says, "For as he thinketh in his heart, so is he...", Pro. 23:7
We need to understand that this battle that is raging in the mind is a spiritual battle. Ultimately, it is a battle between good and evil for the control of our lives. Since it is a spiritual battle we need to fight it with spiritual weapons.
2 Cor. 10:3-5 –
Eph. 6:10-11- the weapons that I can use against Satan are God’s weapons. I have no weapons of my own. We can’t fight Satan on our own, with my weapons. Today, I want to let you know that you do not have to lose the battle for your mind! You do not have to be defeated in your walk with the Lord.
I. Build a Wall of Praise (4)
A. Paul commands believers to rejoice in the Lord.
1. Rejoice – to be glad, to be well
a. Present tense, active voice, imperative voice- this is a command to keep on being glad.
2. Much of life doesn’t lend itself to happiness. At this writing Paul was bound between two Roman soldiers. I change, you change, circumstances change – God doesn’t change- he is the same yesterday today and forever.
3. We can learn to rejoice in who He is and He has dome and what He is doing in our lives. Remember He has planned your . path. -
a. Psa. 37:23-
b. Heb. 13:5- He has promised to go with you through every circumstance in life-
c. Rom. 8:18- He has promised that the destination will be worth every mile of the trip.
B. When you can’t rejoice about life rejoice in the Lord.
C. Results of Praise – 2 Chron. 20:20-23
II. Build a Wall of Patience (5a)
A. Moderation – gentile or gracious spirit. It has the idea of being patient with others. Of giving way to the rights and wishes of others in this life. It means being willing to take a back seat to others.
B. Paul is saying that the reality of our faith should be demonstrated in how we deal with other people. If the focus of our lives is on ourselves, then when people hurt us, slight us, cross us, etc, there will be a desire to retaliate and get vengeance. Paul wants us to get the focus off of ourselves, and get it on others.
C. When we adopt the mentality of self-love that is all around us, we will always look at the things people do and say as a personal attack.
a. Phil. 4:11- The bottom line is this, if we can learn to live in genuine contentment, Phil. 4:11, then it will not matter what anyone says or does.
III. Build a Wall of Prayer (5b-7)
A. Worry- anxiety. It refers to a mind that is agitated over the circumstances of life.
1. Worry is wrong because it allows the mind to conceive false notions about God.
2. 1 Peter 5:7-
B. V.6- develop a thankful heart. Learn to praise God thru all circumstances.
IV. Build a Wall of Purity (8)
A. We have a call here to fix our minds upon the word of God. If we will fill our minds with the Words of God, there will be no room for evil, no room for worry, no room for fear
B. If we fill our minds with the word of God there will be no room for evil.
C. Prov. 4:23- how you think determines how you live.