Battle in the Mind

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Ash_JFF

Guest
#1
#1
There are many temptations that could draw us to sin and it can be avoided physically, however how about the temptations of the mind?

The mind and heart are terrible things. It is where every sin starts.

Lets open up to each other about the sin in our lives and hearts.

My sins are very much in the mind:

lust - every dirty thought imaginable, you do not want to know
pride - sometimes thinking I'm ok when I am not
idolatry - I go to other things for instant pleasure (trying to take the place of God in my life as my source of ultimate joy and devotion) even if those things are not sinful in of itself
cursing - sometimes, not really of a curser though
hate - there is this one person that brings out the worst in me

There are probably others that I don't realize at the moment. I sometimes feel hopeless even when I go to God because I think He's not "dealing with it". However, God never said he would take the temptations away. He said he would walk with us in the valley of the shadow of death not take us out of it.

Even when I feel hopless at times, He gives me enough hope to carry on for one more day. I just miss Jesus. I became a Christian when I was 8 and I feel that I was closer to Him then then I am now.

It feels good to tell others what temptations and sins I am having very much trouble with.

What about all of you? What sins are you having trouble with? Be honest; you might find someone with the same problems and you could help each other.
 
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SeekinHIM

Guest
#2
#2
Dear Ash_Jff,

Wow, such transparency, be blessed my friend........Just release these to HIM, set your mind on HIM. Do you know of the Great Exchange that has taken place in your life..........You are raised up and seated in Heavenly Places in CHRIST: Eph. 2:1-6 ............Just renounce all associations with anything evil, HE TRANSFERRED YOU TO THE KINGDOM OF HIS DEAR SON...............Do you know this....? Renounce the spirit of lust, OUTLOUD......

Declare that you are dead to this and you are alive to GOD, cry out to your GOD for HEALING of your mind.........HE will do this for you.


Please contact me if you would like, so we can talk more about this.......IT HAS BEEN PAID IN FULL........IT IS FINISHED MEANS IT IS FINISHED.

SeekinHIM
 
phil36

phil36

Senior Member
#3
Feb 12, 2009
8,260
2,111
113
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#3
Ash_JFF said:
There are many temptations that could draw us to sin and it can be avoided physically, however how about the temptations of the mind?

The mind and heart are terrible things. It is where every sin starts.

Lets open up to each other about the sin in our lives and hearts.

My sins are very much in the mind:

lust - every dirty thought imaginable, you do not want to know
pride - sometimes thinking I'm ok when I am not
idolatry - I go to other things for instant pleasure (trying to take the place of God in my life as my source of ultimate joy and devotion) even if those things are not sinful in of itself
cursing - sometimes, not really of a curser though
hate - there is this one person that brings out the worst in me

There are probably others that I don't realize at the moment. I sometimes feel hopeless even when I go to God because I think He's not "dealing with it". However, God never said he would take the temptations away. He said he would walk with us in the valley of the shadow of death not take us out of it.

Even when I feel hopless at times, He gives me enough hope to carry on for one more day. I just miss Jesus. I became a Christian when I was 8 and I feel that I was closer to Him then then I am now.

It feels good to tell others what temptations and sins I am having very much trouble with.

What about all of you? What sins are you having trouble with? Be honest; you might find someone with the same problems and you could help each other.
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Hi ash_jff,

I like your post and honesty. I think as Christians we forget the spiritual battle that is going on. everywhere we look, TV, magazines etc are full of lustful things, not to mention every imaginable sinful idea. if your in a workplace or college, we are usually in the minority so most conversations are no condutive to holiness.

I suppose what I am saying is we need to put on the whole armour of God (Ephesians 6), every day, immerse ourselves in His word, and the spririt will guide us. pray for help and wisdom through this period and get others to pray with you and for you.

One of the most common mistakes we have as Christians is to believe that once we are saved that is it, we don't have to worry about doing anything. unfortunately this is wrong we are to be obedient to Christ, this is the law within us.

Anyhow Ash, I am praying for you, and God won't allow us to be tempted with something we are not strong enough to handle :)

Just remember that we are not perfect, but one day we will be totally free from these things.

Prayerfully

Phil
 
VW

VW

Banned
#4
Dec 22, 2009
4,579
9
0
#4
the struggle against sin appears to be one which we cannot win.

seems that way.

but we are are able to overcome, to overwhelming conquer, through christ jesus who strengthens us.

try this: just keep jesus in your mind, talk to him silently, in your mind, about everything that is happening, all day long.

when we first attempt to do this, we are often distracted, and other times we forget. but when we realize that we are not thinking of him, that we are not relating our day to him, he has chosen to remind us that he is there, closer than any temptation, closer than any thought.

this is walking in christ, in his presence, and in this way we can bring every thought captive to jesus.

works for me, and many others i know.

we will still trip and even fall, but what is so great about this walk is that jesus picks us up, and he will never condemn, because there is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in christ jesus.

his blessings sister,
vic
 
phil36

phil36

Senior Member
#5
Feb 12, 2009
8,260
2,111
113
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#5
VW said:
the struggle against sin appears to be one which we cannot win.

seems that way.

but we are are able to overcome, to overwhelming conquer, through christ jesus who strengthens us.

try this: just keep jesus in your mind, talk to him silently, in your mind, about everything that is happening, all day long.

when we first attempt to do this, we are often distracted, and other times we forget. but when we realize that we are not thinking of him, that we are not relating our day to him, he has chosen to remind us that he is there, closer than any temptation, closer than any thought.

this is walking in christ, in his presence, and in this way we can bring every thought captive to jesus.

works for me, and many others i know.

we will still trip and even fall, but what is so great about this walk is that jesus picks us up, and he will never condemn, because there is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in christ jesus.

his blessings sister,
vic
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Amen VW :)
lovely piece

Phil
 
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SeekinHIM

Guest
#6
#6
Dear Brother,

Wow, indeed a lovely piece...........

Amen, oh we are havin' church now........

Thanks for the delicious meal my friend......MEALS FOR THE MIND AND HEART


SeekinHIM
 
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shad

Guest
#7
#7
Rom 7:23-25
22 For I delight in the law of God after the inward man:
23 But I see another law in my members, warring against the law of my mind, and bringing me into captivity to the law of sin which is in my members.
24 O wretched man that I am! who shall deliver me from the body of this death?
25 I thank God through Jesus Christ our Lord. So then with the mind I myself serve the law of God; but with the flesh the law of sin.

2Cor 10:5 Casting down imaginations, and every high thing that exalteth itself against the knowledge of God, and bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ;

The inner man is what needs to be strengthened and built up with the word (law) of God through the Holy Spirit, because with the law of our mind we serve the law of God. There is a law in us that is warring against the law of our mind that brings us into captivity to the law of sin. What these scriptures are dealing with is the captivity of thoughts and imaginations that bring us into sin and how to deal with it. Without the knowledge of God and the Spirit, there is no way to be delivered from the captivity to these laws including the law of sin. There are laws in operation in us that are warring against us and we can only get victory over these laws by an operation that involves dealing with every thought and imagination.

This law in us that brings us into captivity to sin involves thoughts and imaginations of the heart that continually rear their ugly head in the mind where we serve God. When this happens we must bring those thoughts, imaginations and high things (involving idols) that exalt themselves in our mind, into captivity to the knowledge of God through obedience to Christ. This is the area of faith that we fail in many times because we are not growing in grace and knowledge nor are we storing doctrine in the rooms of our soul for obedience to Christ. The Holy Spirit must have knowledge and doctrine of Christ to be able to bring to our remembrance and quicken us with God's thoughts so that we can obey Christ through faith.

We need to be renewed and strengthened in the inner man daily with the word and doctrine. We need to study but even more we need to hear the word preached in wisdom and knowledge from above and through the Holy Spirit. Most believers are not being feed daily. They may open their Bibles and read for a spell but they are not being feed by a man of God that God has raised up to feed the flock. This is when the word that is preached is quick and powerful and goes deep into the joints and marrow and discerns the thoughts and intents of the heart / Heb 4:12.

God gets the word into our hearts this way so that we will have the ability to discern and cast down thoughts and imaginations that exalt themselves against what we have been taught. If we do not have the word hid in our heart we will be held captive to the law of sin through those thoughts and imaginations we are unable to cast down. We can't cast them down because we have not been strengthened or quickened in the inner man by the Spirit and through the word and knowledge of Christ.

Now we have a pretty good idea what David meant when he said in Ps 119:11, 'Thy word have I hid in my heart that I might not sin against thee.'
 
phil36

phil36

Senior Member
#8
Feb 12, 2009
8,260
2,111
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#8
We truly are being blessed today, shad that was another excellent piece.

And all this from Ash's honesty :)

Praise God

yours in Christ

Phil
 
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shad

Guest
#9
#9
phil36 said:
We truly are being blessed today, shad that was another excellent piece.

And all this from Ash's honesty :)

Praise God

yours in Christ

Phil
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She is a precious saint as are you and faithful also. Thank you both for your kindness and for your true hearts of love and faith that you have expresses to so many of us.
 
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mpaper345

Banned
#10
Feb 9, 2010
2,486
39
0
#10
The Bible says confess your faults to each other but I believe a lot of people would have a hard time with that and would not want to tell people their faults.

1.Although we communicate with each other online we are not as close to each other as would be people that have physical contact and been around each other that they can trust not to think any less of them.

2.A lot of people would not want to confess their faults online for they want people to think they are a spiritual giant and that would rob them of people online thinking they know what they are talking about and a good Christian with no problems.

That is where all sin starts is in the mind but being tempted is not sinning is it is only sin if you act upon it.If you entertain the thought and like it then it is sin.If you disregard it and say I do not want it and mean it then it is not sin.

Jesus said if you lust after a woman in your mind then you have committed sin.
Jesus said if you hate someone you are a murderer.
The Bible says love fulfills God's law and says in another part of the Bible that love does not think an evil thought.

That is how strict that God wants us to abstain from sin that we cannot even think an evil thought.

But do not allow temptations to bother you for that is not sin if you do not entertain the thought or act upon it.

The Bible says Jesus was tempted in all points as we were but without sin.Temptation is not a sin and does not mean you want sin but the flesh will still want those things even if you are saved.Jesus is sinless and He was still tempted to do wrong.

Even when saved the flesh will still want to have it's way and that is because when we are saved we still have the choice of freewill in us but being with Christ we tone it down,people not with the Spirit,or we ignore it led of the Spirit.

Matt
 
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mpaper345

Banned
#11
Feb 9, 2010
2,486
39
0
#11
Ash,you had better allow the Spirit to lead you because you should not be in that much trouble with your mind.It sounds like you are entertaining some of these thoughts.

Matt
 
VW

VW

Banned
#12
Dec 22, 2009
4,579
9
0
#12
be gracious to me, o god, according to thy lovingkindness;
according to the greatness of thy compassion blot out my transgressions.
wash me thoroughly from my inequity,
and cleanse me from my sin.
for i know my transgressions,
and my sin is ever before me.
against thee, thee only, i have sinned,
and done what is evil in thy sight,
so that thou art justified when thou dost speak,
and blameless when thou dost judge.

behold, i was brought forth in iniquity,
and in sin my mother conceived me.
behold, thou dost desire truth in the innermost being,
and in the hidden part thou wilt make me know wisdom.
purify me with hyssop, and i shall be clean;
wash me, and i shall be whiter than snow.
make me to hear joy and gladness,
let the bones which thou hast broken rejoice.
hide thy face from my sins,
and blot out all my iniquities.

create in me a clean heart, o god,
and renew a steadfast spirit within me.
do not cast me away from thy presence,
and do not take thy holy spirit from me.
restore me to the joy of thy salvation,
and sustain me with a willing spirit.
then i will teach transgressors thy ways,
and sinners will be converted to the.

deliver me from bloodguiltiness, o god,
thou god of my salvation;
then my tongue will joyfully sing of thy righteousness.
o lord, open my lips,
that my mouth may declare thy praise.
for thou dost not delight in sacrifice,
otherwise i would give it;
thou art not pleased with burnt offering.
the sacrifices of god are a broken spirit;
a broken and contrite heart, o god, thou will not despise.
 
resurrection33

resurrection33

Banned
#13
Dec 19, 2009
27,513
128
0
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#13
You can commit a sin in your heart without actually committing the sin in deed:

But I say to you that every one who looks at a woman lustfully has already committed adultery with her in his heart. Matt 5:28 RSV
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