The Battle for the Mind (2): A Sound Mind

‘And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind’, Rom. 12. 2.

In our previous study, we recognized the fact that we are engaged in a real battle for the mind. We saw something of the ways in which fear, doubt, and anxiety in the mind of a believer can overwhelm and potentially affect a testimony. Equally, we saw something of the ways in which God can take our weaknesses in this regard and turn them to His glory. The fact is that, in our weakness, His strength is made perfect as He ministers His grace to our lives, 2 Cor. 12. 9.

A set mind

As we commence this study, we do well to recall some of the plain teaching from the New Testament in relation to the mind. Remembering that the ‘mind’ is defined by W. E. Vine as ‘the seat of reflective consciousness, comprising the faculties of perception and understanding’, there are certain verses that deserve our reflection and that we need to apply to our perception and understanding of life in the 21st century.¹

Perhaps the clearest scripture of all in this regard is found in Colossians. It is rendered thus, ‘Set your mind on things above, not on things on the earth’, Col. 3. 2 NKJV. Interestingly, this is a different word for ‘mind’ to the common nous in the Greek, as perhaps suggested by our KJV which renders the word ‘affections’. It is certainly translated as ‘mind’ in many other cases, including ‘let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus’, Phil. 2. 5. In fact, we discover that the English words ‘set your mind’ are all caught up in this one Greek word phroneo. Strong refers to it in terms of ‘exercising the mind’.² So, we learn that there are things that can and should exercise our minds - things that are of God and from above - and there are earthly things that ought not to entertain us as they so often do. Our challenge is how we make sure our focus is set on the right things. Thankfully, the word of God offers much to help us.

A prepared mind

Peter takes things a step further when he states unequivocally that we need to ‘gird up the loins of … [our] mind’, 1 Pet. 1. 13. To believers in the heat of the battle, he is saying that they need to be prepared and ready for the battle in which they find themselves. There is a third word here - dianoia. It represents the act of thinking something through, of meditation, possibly with a sense of moral purpose behind it. With Peter here, he is taken up with minds that are thinking over and reflecting upon the things of Christ, resting in peace upon Him and His grace, in hope of the prospect of His return. What a great occupation for the believer, but it takes preparation, work, exercise. If our minds are to be occupied with right things, then we are going to need to work at it, to discipline ourselves under the watchful eye of our God. Preparation is useless where it is haphazard and careless (back to Peter’s battlefield analogy again). Instead, it needs to be purposeful, thoughtful, and careful, led and influenced by the work of the Spirit of God in our lives.

A firm mind

Paul also speaks to the Thessalonians and says, ‘be not soon shaken in mind, or be troubled, neither by spirit, nor by word, nor by letter’, 2 Thess. 2. 2. There were all manner of pressures coming upon them physically, morally, and doctrinally, and Paul’s earnest desire for them is that they will stand firm and not be thrown off course. Although they were facing all manner of persecution in the early days of the church - and often more intense in the second Epistles - it was their minds that he was chiefly concerned about.

A renewed mind

This appears to be the crux of our consideration. The first two verses of Romans chapter 12 are amongst the most challenging in our Bible, and bear repeating in full:

‘I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service. And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God’, Rom. 12. 1, 2.

As far as the physical body is concerned, it is to be sacrificed to God in service - fully surrendered to Him, that we might be acceptable to Him. If that were not enough, our minds are to be renewed. We know how hard the former is to put into practice each day of our lives. We might not be surprised that the renewing of the mind is just as hard, but equally vital. The ultimate objective is that we might ‘prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God’. We talk often, particularly amongst young believers, about the will of God. How can we know it? How can we live in it? Sometimes, we speak of it as something that we might just happen upon, or fall into, but it is not like that in reality. This verse highlights to us how hard it is. The Collins Dictionary has this to say of the word ‘prove’: ‘If you prove that something is true, you show by means of argument or evidence that it is definitely true’.³ Any mathematician or scientist will tell us how hard it is to prove something - to gather sufficient argument or evidence to prove the case. In our case here, the challenge is the renewing of the mind, that we might demonstrate evidence of living in the will of God in our lives.

Again, we return to our Bible dictionary to help us with the understanding of this word ‘renew’: ‘the adjustment of the moral and spiritual vision and thinking to the mind of God’, W. E. Vine.⁴ If we undertake a work of renewal or renovation in our home, we are looking to change things for the better, to make a real and noticeable difference for our own or others’ pleasure. This is what needs to happen in our minds if we are to live the lives that are going to bring glory to God. Paul uses similar language elsewhere of new believers whose lives have already been changed through faith in the Lord Jesus, ‘That ye put off concerning the former conversation the old man, which is corrupt according to the deceitful lusts; and be renewed in the spirit of your mind’, Eph. 4. 22, 23. It was still possible for them to be displaying the characteristics of the old man rather than the new man, whose characteristics are ‘righteousness and true holiness’, v. 24.

A conformed mind

If their minds were not transformed, then they must have been conformed. Whilst we would largely veer away from paraphrastic translations of the New Testament, J. B. Phillips is particularly helpful here, as he renders this expression, ‘Don’t let the world around you squeeze you into its own mould’.⁵ Whether in cookery, art, engineering, or the like, a mould gives us a set shape to conform to for reasons of uniformity. Our world is the same. It would have our minds occupied and shaped in particular ways and it definitely does not approve of a Christ-shaped mind - it wants us to conform to its licentious and immoral ways. William MacDonald captures it with beautiful simplicity in his commentary on this passage: ‘The world has its own politics, art, music, religion, amusements, thought patterns, and lifestyles, and it seeks to get everyone to conform to its culture and customs. It hates nonconformists - like Christ and his followers’.⁶

A transformed mind

This renewal then, requires an act of complete transformation. We love this word for ‘transform’ in the Greek because it is the word that gives us the scientific term for metamorphosis. Most will recall the primary school science lessons that taught us about the transformation of the somewhat bland and uninspiring caterpillar into the glorious butterfly, through the process of metamorphosis (although that was a hard word to say at age seven)! The shrieks of delight that are heard when the results of this real-life experiment turn into flight can still be heard across classrooms today.

Once again, as Paul comments on this in the verses preceding those quoted above in Ephesians chapter 4, he reflects on the wonder of the transformation that has turned the Christian from being like everyone else, to being, by God’s grace, something for His glory. Yet he emphasizes that this transformation is an on-going work in the mind for the remainder of our time in the world, until we reach the glory of heaven. ‘This I say therefore, and testify in the Lord, that ye henceforth walk not as other Gentiles walk, in the vanity of their mind … be renewed in the spirit of your mind’, Eph. 4. 17, 23.

Matthew Henry’s ancient, yet totally up-to-date commentary on this, is of great help here: ‘We receive from the Lord every day the fruits of his mercy. Let us render ourselves; all we are, all we have, all we can do: and after all, what return is it for such very rich receivings … The great enemy to this renewal is, conformity to this world. Take heed of forming plans for happiness, as though it lay in the things of this world, which soon pass away. Do not fall in with the customs of those who walk in the lusts of the flesh, and mind earthly things’.⁷

A sacrificial mind

So, practically, where does this all start? Right back at the beginning of the Romans chapter 12 passage. Paul is beseeching, that is, imploring and urging these believers, that they might be prepared to be sacrificial. Not now the offering of a dead creature, as in Old Testament days, but rather presenting their whole selves, body and mind, alive to God. This is their reasonable, or rational, act of service. Spiritual logic determines that, because Christ offered himself, we too offer ourselves, and we cannot do that effectively with a mind that is far from what it should be.

As Jamieson, Fausset and Brown put it: ‘The death of the one “Lamb of God, taking away the sin of the world,” has swept all dead victims from off the altar of God, to make room for the redeemed themselves as “living sacrifices” to Him who made “Him to be sin for us”’.⁸

The obligation to offer sacrifices to God has gone because of His one sacrifice for sins forever, Heb. 10. 12. However, our continual sacrifice now is to present our bodies, with renewed and not conformed minds, to Him, for His glory. May God grant us the strength and determination to overcome anything that would detract us from this purpose, that we might daily win this battle for the mind.