Let me say from the onset that this series on the mind will be based on biblical resources on the subject; so, here we go. Man is a triune being created by the Almighty with a spirit, soul, and body. Check the bible verse- (IThess. 5:23). Man is used here in respect of both sexes, male and female. Of the three dimensions that make up a man, I’d be dealing with the soul, which has three compartments identified as mind, emotion, and will.
The mind is the seat of intelligence, your brain so to speak; your emotion deals with feelings, while your will is the segment of your soul that deals with motivation for action. All are very important and everyone must have a well rounded soul to function as a balanced human being. Today, we’d be discussing the forces that control the mind, both the conscious and subconscious realms, sometimes called the heart.
There are two forces constantly at war in your mind and heart. One is positive, the other negative. Almost every waking minute of your day, these forces pull you in opposite directions and invariably influence every decision you make, any action you take or choose not to take. The good news is that you can control the force you choose to align with.
Your mind could be the devil’s workshop that produces evil devices, or a good construction site that delivers positive outcomes. It all depends on your disposition, your belief system, your ethics, your philosophy and rule of faith.
Advance in the science of psychology and psychiatry, especially the pioneering work of Sigmund Freud and others, have given us a clue on how the mind functions. Kepler and others gave us amazing revelations about how the blood circulates, using the heart as the fuel pump, but in this subject, we are not talking about the organic heart or its functions.
The heart here refers to the subconscious mind where the human spirit resides, while the mind is that portion of the brain where the conscious mind, your thoughts and action are formed.
However, our concern here is how our mind and heart (spirit) operate and the power you can exercise over them per time. Prominent Bible writers in the Bible like Paul the Apostle made clear distinction between the spirit, soul and body, in several Bible references. In 1Thess 5:23, stated above, Paul wrote: “ And the very God of peace sanctify you wholly, and I pray God your whole spirit and soul and body be preserved blameless unto the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ”. How did we get our spirit?
We got our spirit from God’s breath of life which He gave to Adam, the first created man (Gen. 2:7). The spirit is the leader of man because even though the body was the first to be created, it laid still on the ground at creation; it was lifeless and until God breathed into Adam, the breath of life, he did not become a living soul. That’s why when someone dies, though we see his physical body, we say his spirit or soul has departed.
The kind of spirit you have determines the force that dominates the battle field of your mind. You may need to read the whole of Paul’s epistle to the Galatians, chapter 5:16-26 to appreciate this teaching. There are two major spirits: one is the Spirit of God, sometimes called the Holy Spirit who dwells in Christians we know as Born Again brethren, and the evil spirit, represented by Satan or Lucifer.
These are the two spirits constantly struggling for the control of your mind. Whoever you yield to- God or Satan, will be your lord and dominant force in your mind.
In Gal 5 verse 19, we read, Now the works of the flesh are many, which are these: “Adultery. Witchcraft, hatred, variance, emulations, wrath, strife, seditions, heresies, envying, murders, drunkenness, reveling, and such like” These are the negative works of the Devil and they account for all the crises in the world today.
In sharp contrast, those under the influence of the Spirit of the living God manifest His fruits as stated in verse 22-25: “But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness, temperance, against such there’s no law. And they that are Christ’s have crucified the flesh with the affections and lusts. If we live in the Spirit, let us also walk in the Spirit”.
The forces at play in the world today are the products of the conclusions we reach in our minds. If all men decide to live and walk in the Spirit of God, we probably would have no need for Police Forces, the courts or law enforcement agencies. Armies would be useless because there would be no need for wars. Imagine a world like this. It certainly would be paradise on earth. But the forces of evil, rule most men and that’s why the world is at war.
My main goal in this write-up is to show you how to overcome the negative forces that constantly assault your mind. My plea is to yield fully to the Holy Spirit, who is the only one who can liberate you from the oppression of the Devil.
Weekend Spice: The Bible is the Rock on which our Republic rests- President Andrew Jackson of the USA.
Ok folks, let’s do it again next Friday. Stay motivated!
Ladi Ayodeji is an Author, Rights Activist, Pastor and Life Coach. He can be reached on 09059243004( sms & whatsapp only)