You might be familiar with an old saying that goes “an idle mind is the devil’s workshop”. Though this is often used in a satirical context, it is not wrong in essence because the mind is where the truth of God’s Word and the lies of Satan contend.
It is your responsibility to decide which you will choose to become your reality. The Bible is filled with pivotal instructions about guarding the heart by controlling our thoughts, and the mind is the home to thoughts as the heart is that of emotions. I will start by defining the mind as the faculty of thought, reasoning, understanding and memory. Through the mind, a human being learns to process information and apply judgement. The heart on the other hand is the core of one’s being, the seat of emotions, will, desires, conscience, and processed thoughts. By this, we see that the heart and the mind, though distinct, are deeply interconnected. If one will guard their heart (Proverbs 4:23), it is important to be diligent in what the mind is fed with; otherwise it will only flow with what you have chosen to prioritize.
Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable, if anything is excellent or praiseworthy, think about such things. – Philippians 4:8 NIV
In our theme scripture, Paul gives a charge on the kind of criteria we ought to be looking out for in the thoughts we want to entertain. Many people do not take scriptures like Philippians 4:8 literally because of its simplicity, but such plain instructions are the kind of principles on which other consequent truths are hinged upon. Paul was intentional in starting up this list with “truth” because our belief is that Jesus is the way, the truth and the life (John 14:6), and because He is both truth and Word, the standard for what is true can only be set by Him.
The second criterion is “noble”. Nobility is spoken of in reference to people’s honor, which as children of God you have been called kings and priests (Revelation 1:6). Therefore any thought that a king and a priest would not entertain, you too ought not to. The third attribute is “rightness”, and we ought to be people that discern what is right because we know what is true. Truth is a prerequisite in understanding what is right because what is true can be right while some things may be right but not true. For example, Abraham believed God wanted him to sacrifice Isaac. While God ultimately stops him, Abraham’s obedience is considered right (Hebrews 11:17-19), even though the belief that Isaac would be permanently killed wasn’t true, for that would ascribe divine cruelty to a Holy God. He never intended the sacrifice to go through.
“Purity” is the third criterion, and Matthew 5:8 speaks of those pure in heart seeing God. Just as mud water may seem clean at the surface until it is stirred, so does the heart carry in itself residue of the fleshly lusts. That is why we must strive to keep it pure and undefiled. How does one keep their hearts pure then if we have no control over it you may ask? The thoughts and meditations you entertain. It is not what goes into the mouth that defiles the heart, but what comes out (Matthew 15:11). What comes out of one’s mouth indicates what has been indulged upon first in your thoughts and matured in the heart after a certain amount of time. Lovely and admirable are two things that walk hand in hand. What is “lovely” stirs love or affection, and what is “admirable” that which is commendable or worthy of respect. Paul is urging believers to set their minds on things that uplift both the heart and conscience.
Finally, he urges us to admire what is excellent and praiseworthy. Excellence as defined in scripture refers to moral virtue, excellence of character, or outstanding quality. Praiseworthiness is anything deserving public or divine commendation; something that honors God or reflects His nature. For example, our Lord Jesus stooped down in humility and washed His disciples’ feet yet He was the greatest among them; this act of our Lord is both excellent in nature and praiseworthy for the humble character of God which it portrayed. In light of this, once we have learnt to literally interrogate every thought against the Lord’s blueprint, we ought to 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 (2 Corinthians 10:5). Several other versions refer to these pretensions as a stronghold, which is figuratively a prison or place of bondage in one’s mind. Satan was called by God – the father of lies (John 8:44), he is called cunning and divisive and through these strategies, he invests time in firing doubt, fears, suspicions, and lies of all kinds whether about us, about God and about others.
That is why when we can’t rule our thoughts, we get worn out by his long-suffering games to bring you into agreement with his lies and see them as your reality. Child of God, your mind is fertile soil and whatever you allow to be planted in there will grow and take real root in your heart. The rising numbers in mental health diseases in our generation is in direct proportion to the lack of sound biblical truth instilled in the minds of the youth. As many as have been captured by the secularism present in schools, media, museums, music, entertainment – as many as have become too seared to discern truth or tame their thought life.
If you have never given your life to Jesus Christ and feel that this is the right time, pray this prayer:
“Lord Jesus, I thank You because You died for my sins, and You were raised for my glory. Today, I receive You as my Lord and Savior. I am born again. Amen.”
