In his book, The Christian Mind: How Should a Christian Think?, Harry Blamires states that ‘The Christian mind is the prerequisite of Christian thinking, and Christian thinking is the prerequisite for Christian action.’ The simple logic of this thought is more easily accepted than put into action.
As already established in this series, the mind is the battleground where good and evil incessantly confront each other. If the adversary can gain advantage, he can adversely affect our actions. How, then, can we safeguard our minds from set-backs? This is a most challenging task.
The mind processes the information collected by the senses. Whether by sight, hearing, touch, smell or taste, the material gathered is directed to our minds so that actions or thoughts are produced. It follows therefore that to control the information our senses collect is to limit the opportunity for the development of errant actions or thoughts.
However, therein lies our difficulty. We don’t have absolute control over our senses. Whilst what we taste or touch is largely within our gift to manage, it is far more onerous to superintend what we smell, hear or see. Without warning, we can be caught off guard by some unwholesome influence and, before we know it, a suggestive image or unsavoury word has infiltrated the mind with the potential of developing wayward thoughts or deeds.
To counteract this possibility, scripture advises the believer to ‘set your mind on things above, not on things on the earth’ (Colossians 3:2). To preoccupy ourselves with ‘the things that are of God’ is to exclude earthly things. This is the policy God will adopt with His people Israel. To safeguard them in a coming day, He says ‘I will put My laws in their mind and write them on their hearts’ (Hebrews 8:10).
The more I discipline myself in this matter, the greater will be my self-control.