By Kenny Keeler

The mind is a fascinating thing. I once heard someone say that it is a beast that needs to be tamed. It will run as far, fast and as long as you will allow it run. I had never really paid much attention to what I allowed my mind to focus on. To my knowledge, I was like everyone else, focusing on career, family, religious rituals, until the Father started showing me His Kingdom vs our kingdom here on earth. I started to realize that not every thought that came to me was mine. There are other forces at work against me. The Father started showing me verses about:

  • Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may DISCERN what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect. Romans 12:2   
  • Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things. Philippines 4:8
  • You keep him in perfect peace whose mind is STAYED on you, because he trusts in you. Isaiah 26:3
  • For though we walk in the flesh, we are not waging war according to the flesh. For the weapons of our warfare are not of the flesh but have divine power to destroy strongholds. We destroy arguments and every lofty opinion raised against the knowledge of God, and take every thought captive to obey Christ, being ready to punish every disobedience, when your obedience is complete. 2 Corinthians 10:3-6

These verses for me became something that I could not ignore. I chewed on them. I couldn’t depart from what my spirit was telling me… pay attention, there is a Key here that will unlock something. We are at war not only in our mind but in our spirit. Everyone one of us go to  battle and fight day in and day out against an unseen enemy that is always attacking our mind and our soul.

The mind is interesting in itself, however when paired with emotion (part of our soul), it brings on another dynamic that makes things even more challenging. Often I wondered who is in control, my emotions or my mind. To make matters more complicated, the Father showed me that when Jesus was asked what the greatest commandment was, he responded with “to love the Lord with ALL your heart, soul, mind, and strength.” and “to love your neighbor as yourself.” Matt 22:37, Luke 10:27, & Mark 12:30-31. This essentially is saying “Love your neighbor just as much as you love God inside you.”  I have had to really take an inventory on my inner man (soul and spirit) and ask the question, do I really have the mind of Christ? Philippians 2:5

The Word says out of the heart the mouth speaks. Matt 15:18, Luke 6:45, Proverbs, Mark 7:21-23. The Father has challenged me to understand why Jesus only spoke what He heard the Father say. Jesus spoke what was the Father’s heart (mind) all the time. He came not to do His will but only the will of the Father. John 6:38

For me to imitate Jesus, that meant I had to take drastic measures in my thought life to change my heart, mind, and soul. I have to admit this is not an easy commandment nor do I have the capacity to fulfill it within myself. I am drawn to what King David and Joshua said:

  • But whose delight is in the law of the LORD, and who meditates on his law day and night. Psalms 1:2
  • Oh, how I love your law! I meditate on it all day long. Psalms 119:97
  • Keep this Book of the Law always on your lips; meditate on it day and night, so that you may be careful to do everything written in it. Then you will be prosperous and successful. Joshua 1:8

I use to think that the Law spoken of in these scriptures was the mosaic law until the Father revealed His Kingdom has its own set of laws in the heavenly realm. It was David’s pursuit of clean hands and a pure heart that made him a man after God’s own heart that came through the meditation in his mind, day and night. It was a heavenly mindset that moved from temporal thinking to eternal thinking.

The enemy will attack our identity. If the enemy can get us to believe a lie about who we are  or who the world wants us to be vs who we are IN Christ, he has won a battle in our mind. He plays the same game over and over in our mind. For me to win this battle of my mind I have to go to the source (JESUS the Truth) that can do for me…, what I can’t do for myself. JESUS the Living Word! The one who promises that IF we drink from His cup out of our bellies will flow springs of Living Water. Take a drink of Living Water and let your mind Be Conformed into the image and likeness of Jesus.

Blessings to you in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ!