Mind Control - The Enemy In Your Mind

So far, we've seen:
-that we're responsible to renew our mind
-that we do have a choice and the power to decide what we think about

-the detailed instructions about what our thought life should look like. 

It seems like God has a lot to say about our mind and our thoughts. Why do you suppose that is? I believe God is trying to focus our attention toward our minds because there's something in them that He calls His enemy...and it may not be who you think!

What A Blow To The Ego!

Matthew 16:21-23 - "From that time Jesus began to show His disciples that He must go to Jerusalem, and suffer many things from the elders and chief priests and scribes, and be killed, and be raised the third day. 
"Then Peter took Him aside and began to rebuke Him, saying, 'Far be it from You, Lord; this shall not happen to You!'
"But He turned and said to Peter, 'Get behind Me, Satan! You are an offense to Me, for you are not mindful of the things of God, but the things of men.'"

Can you imagine Peter's shock at this? In the verses before this, He had just declared that Jesus was the Messiah...which was something that they were all thinking, but only Peter had the guts to actually say it. In response to that, Jesus gave Peter an "atta-boy", and commended him in front of all the others. He even seemed to promise Peter a position of authority in the soon-coming Kingdom of Heaven.

This must've gone to Peter's head, because he apparently felt like he now had a special and unique position with Jesus. After Jesus began to prophesy of His imminent death, Peter didn't agree and actually felt like he had the right to rebuke Him! I can't even imagine having that kind of confidence (or should we say arrogance?)! But Peter didn't like the idea of his Messiah dying like a criminal, and felt like he had to say something.

Peter grabbed Jesus' arm and pulled Him off to the side, privately...away from everyone else. Then he started trying to correct Him..."Listen Jesus, You can't die, You've got a kingdom to set up. You know, that kingdom that You're giving me the keys to? You're not making any sense here. This thing You're talking about - being betrayed and dying - that's not gonna happen to You!"

Apparently, he had more to say along these lines (since verse 22 says that "he began to rebuke Him), but Jesus didn't let him finish talking. He immediately turned back toward the other disciples, turning away from Peter, and said openly for everyone to hear, "Get behind Me, Satan! You're an offense to Me!"

Ouch...

Satan Who?

There are a lot of people, maybe even the majority of those who have read this passage, that assume Jesus was calling Peter the devil. It's been supposed that Satan himself had either possessed Peter, or was somehow controlling him to say these things. But if you look closer at this passage, you'll see that there was nothing necessarily satanic or demonic at play here. Let's read Jesus' statement in verse 23 again:

"But He turned and said to Peter, 'Get behind Me, Satan! You are an offense to Me, for you are not mindful of the things of God, but the things of men.'"

First, notice Jesus was talking to Peter; He was not addressing a demon. He literally called Peter himself "Satan".
The word "satan" is the Greek word "satanas". It literally means, "adversary or someone who opposes". What Peter was doing in this passage was setting himself up to be an opponent of Jesus. This is certainly not a good position for anyone to be in!

What was it that set Peter against Jesus? We see it in the last phrase, "you are not mindful of the things of God, but the things of men." Peter thoughts were not godly, they were carnal. He was thinking normally...naturally...worldly. And those natural, fleshly, carnal thoughts were what Jesus called His adversary.

Suddenly, this takes on a whole new meaning to us. Is it possible that our own natural thoughts will do the same thing? Could it be that when we're thinking like everyone else in the world, we're actually setting ourselves up to be (little "s") satans? 

Enemies Of God

Romans 8:7 - "Because the carnal mind is enmity against God; for it is not subject to the law of God, nor indeed can be."

When you let your mind go unchanged and un-renewed, it will stay carnal. When your mind is carnal, it doesn't necessarily mean it only things sinful thoughts. No, carnality is simply worldliness. It means you think about what everyone else in the world thinks about. It means you're interested in what everyone else in the world is interested in. It means you're entertained by the same things that entertain the rest of the world. Carnal minds are minds that never leave this world's system. They are continually mindful of the "things of men.

Does this describe you? Is this how your mind still works? If so...re-read Jesus' response to Peter, because He's still saying that to worldly Christians today!

If you want to see what God thinks of minds that are given over to natural thoughts, look at Colossians 3:18-19. "For many walk, of whom I have told you often, and now tell you even weeping, that they are the enemies of the cross of Christ: whose end is destruction, whose god is their belly, and whose glory is in their shame--who set their mind on earthly things."

Focusing your mind on things of this earth is the very definition of opposition to the Kingdom of God...and calling yourself a Christian doesn't change that fact. It didn't matter that Peter was in the inner circle, his carnal thoughts still made him Jesus' adversary! 

So friend, I'm begging you - no, I'm warning you - Get your mind out of this world!
Stop thinking like they think. Stop focusing where they focus. Stop calling "fun" what they call "fun". Stop being afraid of what scares them. You are not like them!

You've been given the grace and the power to control your own mind, so kick out that enemy now, in Jesus name!