And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God.    Romans 12:2 NKJV

What does the Bible mean when it talks about renewing our minds? This is an ongoing process where we shift from worldly thinking to spiritual thinking. We should be a continual process.

The spiritual renewal of the mind is important because sinful thoughts often become sinful acts.  We must renew our minds spiritually to help us resist the temptation. This is why we are told in 2 Corinthians 10:5 that in spiritual warfare we must take every thought captive and bring it into the obedience of Christ.

1 Peter 5:8 tells us to be sober and alert because the devil prowls around like a roaring lion seeking someone to devour. Guarding our minds and having regular spiritual renewal helps to keep us alert.

As Christians, the ongoing spiritual renewal of our minds is essential. Protecting our minds from sinful thoughts is a must. Ephesians 4:22-24 says, “You took off your former way of life, the old self that is corrupted by deceitful desires; you are being renewed in the spirit of your minds; you put on the new self, the one created according to God’s likeness in righteousness and purity of the truth.”

How do we renew our minds?  As we mentioned earlier, we must take thoughts captive. Simply put, stop sin before it starts. Jesus said that lusting after someone is committing adultery in the heart (Matthew 5:28) just as hating someone is allowing murder to begin in the heart (Matthew 5:22).

The first step is to pray. Ask God to forgive you for these thoughts. Ask Him to help to spiritually renew your mind. Ask Him for the strength to resist temptation.

We renew many things like our Driver’s license or passports. We renew work certifications. This renewal recertifies us to do whatever it is like drive or travel or perform CPR. So, it stands to reason that our mind should be constantly being renewed.

Our minds can become weary and bogged down in the worries of this world. We can become negative, judgmental and calloused. When this happens, we can allow our minds to wander into areas where they have no business being. Before this happens, take that thought captive. Ask yourself is this the way Jesus would have me to think?

And then redirect your mind. Our minds should always be focused on Jesus. This is why Jesus said in Matthew 6:33, “Seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness and all these things will be added to you.” If we stay focused on Jesus, He will provide all we need both physically and spiritually.

And Philippians 4:4-8 gives us some good advice for the spiritual renewal of our minds. First, we should rejoice always. We should not worry about anything but give it to God and trust in Him. Verse seven tells us when we do this the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding or every thought, will guard our hearts and minds in Christ Jesus. And verse 8 says, “Finally brothers, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable-if there is any moral excellence and if there is any praise-dwell on these things.”

In Ephesians 6:17 Paul tells us to put on the helmet of salvation. When we accept Christ as our Savior, we put on our new self. We begin the ongoing process of spiritually renewing our minds. We take the negative thoughts captive and turn them over to Jesus and we focus on Him and all the good that He provides for us.

If you haven’t renewed your mind lately, do so right now. Continue to renew it often. This world will fill it with all sorts of negativity. Spiritually renew it so you can stand against that.

Have a great day!