Gird Up The Loins Of Your Mind

Introduction

“According as his divine power hath given unto us all things that pertain unto life and godliness, through the knowledge of him that hath called us to glory and virtue: Whereby are given unto us exceeding great and precious promises: that by these ye might be partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world through lust.” (2 Peter 1:3-4)

1. We’ve been taught from this passage that we can have power to live victoriously now.
2. That power comes through the knowledge of God and Christ.
3. You’ve heard, “Knowledge is power!” Only if it is the knowledge of God for life and godliness!

“For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh, and the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life, is not of the Father, but is of the world.” (1 John 2:16)

1. We’ve been taught from this passage that sin lies! Lust lies!
2. How Do Sin and Lust Lie?
   1. They say they will bring you great pleasure.
   2. They say God does not care about your sins.
   3. They say there will be no real consequences.
   4. They say you can do whatever you want to do.
   5. They say everyone does it and gets away with it.
3. Remember the shiny can of Red Bull with arsenic from Castro, of which the president and joint chiefs warned you?
   1. You have a choice! Sin lies, but God has warned you in the Bible how to avoid it.
   2. You have been thoroughly warned about sin’s deception.
   3. You have been told you can have power to live victoriously by knowledge from the Bible.
4. How do you go from God fearing to cast out into outer darkness?
   1. What drastic, explosive, gigantic thing can take you down in one fell swoop? (Not much!)
   2. But what subtle, pervasive, persistent, and sneaky thing can do it over time? (Your thoughts!)

Let’s look at Five Actions we can take to Live Victoriously and Resist Sin and the Devil in our thoughts.

1. Girding Up (1 Peter 1:13)
   1. Creative Metaphor
      1. Back in August, our pastor covered this metaphor, rejoicing in the creativity of this fisherman!
      2. Gird: To encircle, as with a belt; make ready, esp. for intense activity
      3. This action is spoken often in the bible, but only hear regarding the mind.
      4. Surely the context indicates the subject is our thoughts, for sobriety and hope are how it is accomplished.
      5. If girding up is preparation for battle, then girding up your mind is preparing it for battle!
   2. Application of Metaphor
      1. Be ready for quick, efficient battle by preparing your thoughts, or ruling them accordingly.
      2. Mental discipline is having control over your thoughts so they can be managed effectively.
   3. Example Application – Preparation for coming trials (James 1:2-4)
      1. What good would James’ warning of coming temptations be without knowing how to respond?
      2. “Knowing this…” is wonderful! God wants us to know why, so we can respond properly.
      3. When trials come, we can have thoughts that get us down.
      4. Knowing God can bring them, as a good Father, with good intentions toward us, can help us prepare in advance to rule our thoughts and trust God in trials!
      5. How can you expand on this for the further comfort of your soul?
         1.  Open James 1:2 in the Online Bible software, click on the pound sign in the scripture window, and look at the 30 references for that verse!
         2.  Here are some examples: Matthew 5:10; Romans 8:18; Romans 8:35 
         3.  Don’t these verses bring immediate comfort?
         4.  Is your memory too weak to have 30 verses memorized? Not to worry!
   4. Gird up the Loins of your Mind!
2. Examining Self (Psalms 139:23-24)
   1. What thoughts do you think that you know are destructive?
   2. Can we categorize these thoughts?
      1. Self, Others, God
   3. Thoughts about Self
      1. These are the things you think about yourself.
      2. These thoughts can lead to fear, depression, moodiness, and destruction.
      3. But right thoughts about self, from the Bible, are a balm to the soul, and build faith!
      4. Prideful thoughts, puffed up by a too-high opinion of yourself, are sin!
      5. Think soberly, remembering your heart is deceitful and desperately wicked.
      6. Do you fear you are not a child of God? Why? Have you girt up the loins of your mind and remembered God said you could assure yourself by righteousness?
      7. Crush those negative thoughts, and believe the Bible!
      8. Thoughts leading to withdrawal, depression, or inactivity are lying thoughts of the devil. Reject them!
      9. Joel read that Paul had troubled, perplexing, persecuted and cast down thoughts, but they had limits! Not distressed, not despairing, not forsaken, not destroyed!
      10. Jonathan read that David encouraged himself in the LORD, then he got up and got going. Can you?
          1.  Quench the fiery darts by the shield of faith.
          2.  Remember the goodness of God and His promises.
          3.  Be of good courage, to see the LORD in the land of the living (Ps 27:13-14)
          4.  Get up and go! David launched into action as soon as he encouraged himself.
   4. Thoughts about Others
      1. The things you think about others are strictly ruled by the Word of God.
         1.  If you look at the outward appearance, you are guilty of evil thoughts (James 2:4)
         2.  Think the best of even the worst believer, as a child of God and brother in the family of God
         3.  Remember, God chose the foolish, weak, base, and poor, like you! Like me! (I Cor 1:26-29)
         4.  If you have any advantage over others, get off your high horse! God gave it to you, thou fool! (I Cor 4:7)
         5.  Our church is perfected by each soul brought in by the Holy Ghost..
      2. Thoughts about others should be elevating them, and diminishing you. (Ephesians 4:2-3; Philippians 2:3-4)
      3. Charity is the bond of perfection in your thoughts toward others. (1 Corinthians 13:4-7)
      4. What if someone has really hurt you?
         1.  Who could hurt you? Those closest!
            1. Wife
            2. Husband
            3. Child
            4. Parent
            5. Grandparent
            6. Friend
            7. Teacher
            8. Employer
            9. Employee
            10. Church Member
            11. Neighbor
      5. God’s word gives two options.
         1. Ignore it, and be glorious! (Prov 19:11; Col 3:13)
         2. Carefully confront and reconcile with them (Mat 5:23-25; 18:15-17)
         3. Talking about it or getting bitter in your heart are both sins, and destructive like murder, so stop those thoughts!
         4. Forgive, forebear, forget, and be thankful for the opportunity when it comes.
         5. Remember the beam in your own eye, before picking the mote from your brother’s.
      6. What about what others are thinking about me?
         1. Your first concern should be what God thinks. If he is pleased, those who count will be fine with you.
         2. Be careful that you are not surmising evil, while thinking about what you think others might be thinking about you!
         3. If you are consumed with what others are thinking about you, rather than what God is thinking about you, you are messed up! Rule your thoughts!
   5. Thoughts about God
      1. Reprobates never think about God. God is not in all their thoughts. (Ps 10:4)
      2. Weak believers get wrapped around the axel with negative thoughts they think God has toward them.
      3. Such thoughts are lies, and distort God as one who is evil and gets joy from inflicting pain.
      4. Such are blasphemous thoughts, sent by the devil to destroy you and pervert God’s reputation.
      5. Resist the devil with scripture and he will flee from you!
      6. God is the Potter. All else is clay. Fret not! (Job 33:12; Is 45:5-10; Rom 9:14-24)
      7. Balance your view of God with Scripture, as He is more kind and merciful than you or me!
         1. You think He can’t forgive you? His thoughts are higher than yours! (Isa 55:6-9)
         2. You think He won’t extend His Mercy? He knows your frame, and pities better than the best Father! (Ps 103:8-14)
         3. You think He won’t give you the desires of your heart? He is better than the best Father! (Mat 7:9-11)
   6. Your Thoughts Can Destroy You!
3. Taking Captive (2 Corinthians 10:5)
   1. Your thoughts are not your own! But they are yours to manage. And you must submit them to Christ.
   2. The job of our pastor is described here. But you have to apply what he teaches from the Bible yourself.
      1. Considering thoughts as individual things you can grasp, or take captive, is helpful.
      2. Once in captivity, subject the thought to Christ.
      3. Pray about it.
      4. Ask for power from the Holy Ghost to be delivered from the destructive thoughts in your life.
      5. Are your thoughts being misdirected by inputs?
         1.  Are the Videos you watch building a godly worldview?
         2.  Is the Music you listen to lifting thoughts toward God, or earthly; sensual?
         3.  Do your Friends bring you encouraging thoughts from God’s word, or earthly snares?
         4.  Are you reading the Bible with the same desire you have for food?
         5.  How is your Prayer life? Stifled? Non-existent? Or growing with love for Jesus Chrsit?
   3. Take Every Thought Captive! Don’t let life just happen!
4. Encouraging Yourself (1 Samuel 30:6)
   1. What is the evidence we have that David knew how to encourage himself?
      1. Is it the passage Jonathan read? We have little knowledge of what he did, but that it was effective. (I Sam 30:1-6)
      2. How about dancing before the Ark of the Covenant with all his might?
      3. What about paying for the sacrifice and building the altar at his own cost to worship God?
      4. Was it taking up a collection and paying for the temple his son would build?
      5. Did he attend the assembly for worship faithfully? (Ps 122)
      6. Of course all of these are true! But David did one thing of which we have a great record.
   2. David sang (and composed) Psalms!
      1. If you are struggling with negative thoughts, get out the book of Psalms and read.
      2. Better yet, get out a hymnal and sing! Singing lifts the spirits. Sing with understanding.
      3. If you say you can’t sing, then listen.
      4. We have resources on the website.
      5. There are many a Capella hymns of the faith on YouTube.
      6. You cannot hear “It Is Well with My Soul” and think about those negative things.
   3. Encourage one another today! (Heb 10:25)
5. Living by Faith (Hebrews 10:38-11:6)
   1. Do you believe God?
   2. Do you believe His scriptures?
   3. Do you believe he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek Him?
   4. What can your thoughts do to you? They are not seen. But they can destroy you!
   5. Can you see the end from the beginning? I trow not!
   6. Then you cannot worry yourself into a better situation, for you do not know the future.
   7. But you know Who holds the future, and you can life by faith, trusting the One who holds your future with kind providence and grace toward His beloved child – you.

IV. Conclusion

1. God does love you, precious child. His Son loves you with an everlasting love.
2. Run to Jesus and confess your reckless thoughts.
3. Nail your bad habit of analysis of every person in your life, and free yourself from the consequences of an unruled thought life!
4. Talk to yourself about the thought inputs that plague you.
5. Examine your inputs and cut off and pluck out!
6. Separate your thoughts from your conscience and be ready to call yourself a liar!
7. Do you hate vain thoughts? How much? Do you think that verse applies to the vain thoughts of others only? (Ps 119:113)
8. Remember, the thoughts and intents of your heart are naked and opened unto the eyes Him with Whom we have to do. (Heb 4:13)
9. But that same Jesus, the Son of God, has been touched with the feeling of our infirmities, and is able to succor us.
10. For your good and His glory, gird up the loins of your mind!