Probably the most dangerous enemy of our purity is the mind. As we study God's Word, we stimulate our cognitive response to Him, as well as our spiritual relationship. We have the need for the Word of God to be ingrained into our most intimate place--our mind. "Those who live according to the sinful nature have their minds set on what that nature desires; but those who live according to the Spirit have their minds set on what the Spirit desires. The mind of the sinful man is death, but the mind controlled by the Spirit is life and peace; the sinful mind is hostile to God. It does not submit to God's law, nor can it do so. Those controlled by the sinful nature can not please God" (Romans 8:5-7).
"How can a young man keep his way pure? By living according to Your word. I seek You with all my heart; do not let me stray from Your commands. I have hidden Your word in my heart that I might not sin against You" (Psalm 119:9-11). Heart here is the "feelings, will and even intellect; the center of anything; the most interior organ" (Strong's). Just as the physical heart pumps life-giving blood to the physical body, so the mind "pumps" the life-giving word to the spirit. Philippians 4:8 instructs, "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."
It is by the Word that Jesus was able to ward off the temptation of satan in the wilderness:
4:1 Then was Jesus led up of the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted of the devil.
4:2 And when he had fasted forty days and forty nights, he afterward hungered.
4:3 And the tempter came and said unto him, If thou art the Son of God, command that these stones become bread.
4:4 But he answered and said, It is written, Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God.
4:5 Then the devil taketh him into the holy city; and he set him on the pinnacle of the temple,
4:6 and saith unto him, If thou art the Son of God, cast thyself down: for it is written, He shall give his angels charge concerning thee: and, On their hands they shall bear thee up, Lest haply thou dash thy foot against a stone.
4:7 Jesus said unto him, Again it is written, Thou shalt not make trial of the Lord thy God.
4:8 Again, the devil taketh him unto an exceeding high mountain, and showeth him all the kingdoms of the world, and the glory of them;
4:9 and he said unto him, All these things will I give thee, if thou wilt fall down and worship me.
4:10 Then saith Jesus unto him, Get thee hence, Satan: for it is written, Thou shalt worship the Lord thy God, and him only shalt thou serve.
4:11 Then the devil leaveth him; and behold, angels came and ministered unto him.
By the same Word committed to our hearts, we can also be armed for the attacks of satan upon the battlefield of our minds.
"True character is found in the thought life. The wickedness of this generation is evident by what occupies its thoughts. Their secret thoughts often are filled with greed, revenge and immorality. The most common form of meditation in our society is called fantasizing. The lingering, contemplative thoughts are called fantasies. The very words, in our day have become synonymous with lust and perversion. God will judge men for their secret thoughts. Jesus warned against the murderous and adulterous thoughts of the heart (Matt. 5:21-30). Paul reminded that 'God will judge the secrets of men' (Romans 2:16). The thought life can be dangerous to our eternal future" (Discipleship 64). In his book Celebration of Discipline (San Francisco: Harper and Row, 1988), Richard Foster says, "There is good reason for concern, for the imagination, like all our faculties, has participated in the Fall. But just as we can believe that God can take our reason (fallen as it is) and sanctify it and use it for His good purposes, so we believe He can sanctify the imagination and use it for His good purposes. Of course, the imagination can be distorted by satan, but then so can all our faculties. God created us with an imagination, and as Lord of His creation He can and does redeem it and use it for the work of the kingdom of God" (26). I love the idea of redeeming the imagination, or the fantasy life. God Himself has an imagination--and what an imagination!--from which He envisioned and created all things. Since we are created in His image, we too can have a pure imagination, "the mind of Christ."
"Blessed is the man who does not walk in the counsel of the wicked or stand in the way of sinners or sit in the seat of mockers, but his desire is in the law of the Lord, and on His law he meditates day and night" (Psalm 1:1-2). God will be victorious on the battlefield of our mind when we "write His word upon our heart," when we meditate on His word and not on carnal things. With the Blood of Jesus applied to our minds, we can be free of anger, rage, guilt, lust and even pornography--anything that would pollute the mind and hinder our relationship with Him. We can be ready for that pure intimate relationship that God desires with us.
Lord Jesus, "I seek You with all my heart [ my feelings, will and intellect]; do not let me stray from Your commands. I have written Your word in my heart that I might not sin against You. Amen
119:9 How can a young man keep his way pure? By guarding it according to thy word.
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