Winning the Battle in the Mind: Colossians 3:1-2
“1) If then you have been raised up with Christ, keep seeking the things above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God. 2) Set your mind on the things above, not on the things that are on earth. Colossians 3:1-2
Paul now makes a reference back to a truth presented in Colossians 2:13. The believer not only died “with Christ” to sin on the cross; we were also raised up with Him and seated with Him in heavenly places. Our present position “in Christ” includes His current place of glory and victory at the right hand of God.
Paul is encouraging the believer to start seeking heavenly fulness and benefits. We have a choice of either being absorbed and overwhelmed by earthy concerns or we can set our mind on heavenly blessings. The first leads to anxiety and fretting, the second leads to increased faith, joy, praise and thanksgiving.
These two verses highlight the basic fact the our minds matter and what we think about makes a huge difference. We are responsible to control our thinking. Our thinking can work for us or against us.
Satan loves an idle mind. He plants all kinds of vile, bitter, immoral and anxious thoughts in the minds of people. If you dwell on them, you empower the flesh. If you crucify these thoughts and replace them with godly and wholesome thinking, you empower the spirit. This was Paul’s theme in Philippians 4:8-9. These verses are worthy of constant review.
But make no mistake, what Paul is saying goes far beyond mere positive thinking. He is saying that the believer can tap into heavenly resources for daily living. Through the Holy Spirit we have access to the fulness of the glorified Christ. We have resurrection life available to us.
The mystery is that this is not a one time event. It is like the filling of the Holy Spirit mentioned in Ephesians 5:18. It is a continual ongoing process. Time and again throughout the day I need to consciously shift my mind back to heavenly things. I find that I need to stop and hit the “reset” button in my thinking.
It is a constant battle, but I find that it gets easier when I filter what goes into my mind. If I let my guard down and feed on garbage books and entertainment, the battle in mind mind becomes intense. I am moody, short tempered and restless. My flesh is in control. But when I screen for edifying and wholesome input, my idle thoughts are peaceful and pure. The secret to victory in my thought life has become guarding what I let into my mind.
I have found that this is especially true before I lay down or go to bed. My most glorious times of rest come right after writing my nightly post followed by my Word time. Laying down is then transformed into glorious prayer, praise and communion with God. It infuses spiritual energy into my soul and spirit. It gives me rest and fills my tank like nothing else. At some point I drift into peaceful sleep. I wake up absolutely refreshed and energized.
You need to find what works best for you, but you must find a way to win the battle in your mind. You will either control your thought life or it will control you. Why leave your life and future in the hands of random and fleshly thinking? Take these two verses for seriously. Within them are the keys to success and joyous living. You and I can tap into heavenly life and resources on a daily basis by setting our minds on things above.
Daily Bible Commentary By Terry Baxter: Cofounder of GoServ Global
