Walking On Waterናሙና

A Saved Mind

A strong, analytical and rational mind is a gift from God. It can be a great strength, but we need to learn how to properly apply such a gift. If you relate strongly to these chapters, don’t be discouraged. You have, in your mind, potentially a great ally. In 2 Corinthians 10, Paul talks about spiritual warfare in these terms: “The weapons we fight with… have divine power to demolish strongholds. 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” (verse 4-5). Notice how much of an emphasis there is here on our thought-lives: “arguments”, “pretensions” and “thoughts”. These strongholds stand against a true knowledge of God, and most spiritual warfare therefore happens between our ears. It’s ironic that those of who value knowledge so much can often end up frustrated in our faith, as we come to realise that academic or theoretical knowledge about God is no substitute for personal knowledge of God. 

Rather than letting our minds be a barrier to spiritual growth, the best response is to co-opt the mind into the battle. 2 Timothy 1:7 says that, “the Spirit God gave us does not make us timid, but gives us power, love and self-discipline” (or “a sound mind” in some translations) – but the original Greek word, “sophronismos”, comes from combining the word for mind (“phren”) with the word that is used throughout the New Testament for both “healing” and “salvation” (“sozo”). A “saved mind” is a strong weapon in spiritual warfare: we can use it to recall relevant truths from the Bible, think clearly about their implications, and have the mental discipline to obey. Our minds simply need to be surrendered to God, just as much as any other part of our lives. Having a “saved mind” is like “breaking” a young horse in the process of getting it to accept a rider. A “broken” horse is submitted; no less powerful, but now responsive to guidance.

The issue, according to Romans 8:5-9, is where we allow our minds to be focused. If a strong mind is a gift that you’ve received from God, lay it back down at his feet and in his service. You may have done well in life through that blessing, succeeding in exams or getting on in the workplace, but it was given so that you might explore his kingdom, not build your own. We’re all called to surrender everything to God, and to love him “…with all our mind” (Luke 10: 27).