Renewing Your Mind

Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. - Romans 12:2

If the strongholds in your mind are the result of conditioning, then you can be reconditioned by the renewing of your mind. Anything that has been learned can be unlearned. Certainly this is the major path of renewal in the New Testament. Through the preaching of God's Word, Bible study, and personal discipleship you stop being conformed to this world and experience the transformation of the renewing of your mind (Romans 12:2)..

If your past experience were spiritually or emotionally devastating, then counselling and Christ-centered support groups will help the transformation. Since some of these strongholds are thoughts raised up against the knowledge of God (2 Corinthians 10:5), learning to know God as a loving Father and yourself as His accepted child is your starting place.

But you are not just up against the world and the flesh. You are also up against the devil who is scheming to fill your mind with thoughts which are opposed to God's plan for you.

Notice how Paul uses the word for thoughts (noeme) in 2 Corinthians in relation to Satan's activity. We have already seen it in 2 Corinthians 10:5: "We are taking every thought (noema) captive to the obedience to Christ." Why do these thoughts need to be taken captive? Because they may be the enemy's.

In 2 Corinthians 3:14 and 4:4, Paul reveals that Satan is responsible for our spiritual hardness and blindness when we were unbelievers: "But their minds (noema) were hardened ... The god of this world has blinded the minds (noema) of the unbelieving." In 2 Corinthians 11:3 and 2:11, Paul states that Satan actively plots to defeat and divide believers: "I am afraid, least as the serpent deceived Eve by this craftiness, your minds (noema) should be led astray from the simplicity and purity of devotion to Christ ... We are not ignorant to his [Satan's] schemes (noema)." If Satan can place his thought in your mind - and he can - it is not much more of a trick for him to make you think it's your thought. That's the deception.

- Neil Anderson