The Mind Of Christ

We sit down for an honest, practical conversation about what Scripture means when it says we have the Mind of Christ and why that truth matters most in the moments that feel ordinary, stressed, or outright impossible.

We walk through 1 Corinthians 2 and the sharp contrast between the natural mind and spiritual discernment, then bring it down to real life: the quiet drift toward envy, jealousy, self-pity, resentment, and anger when we ignore Jesus. We also talk about why “choosing Jesus first” is a discipline and how the Holy Spirit makes God relatable, near, and accessible spirit to Spirit. 

We move into the battleground of the mind with 2 Corinthians 10: taking every thought captive to obey Christ. We explore invasive thoughts, spiritual warfare, and strongholds that may have once “worked” for us like manipulation, deception, or self-soothing comfort, but now need to be demolished. We share a simple replacement pattern that turns darkness toward its opposite: deception to truth, fear to life, lust to purity, and hopelessness to hope. We close by asking God to search us, reveal dysfunctional thinking, and give grace to live from love, blessing, and selfless strength.

If this helped you, subscribe, share it with a friend, and leave a review. What thought are you choosing to take captive today?

Transcript

Welcome And Setting The Table

SPEAKER_01 0:00

Welcome to the Hearing God Podcast. I'm Anthony Moore. And I'm Dan Lamus. For over a decade, Anthony and I have been diving deep into weekly conversations about the prophetic, the mystical, and the matters of the heart.

SPEAKER_02 0:15

And we invite you into these weekly conversations. We hope you feel like an honored guest at our table. So pull up a chair, settle in, and let's get started.

SPEAKER_01 0:27

Here we are. Here we are.

SPEAKER_02 0:29

Here we are. Here we go. Let's let's uh let's let's let's jump in. So how's it how's it going, Dan?

Choosing Jesus First In Busy Seasons

SPEAKER_01 0:37

It's going, it's going well, you know. Um, yeah, busy. I feel like I um as we all have those times where we just are more aware than others that you have a lot, a lot on your plate, a lot on your calendar. Yeah. And man, in the middle of that, um I in fact I was reading something recently that challenged me in a beautiful way. Uh, I won't go deep into it, but I was the the the book We do like we do like rabbit trails here. Yeah, we do. But just just to say that um I'm appreciating in the past week or so finding my joy in Jesus, choosing Jesus first, whether it seems like my day will be easy or difficult. Yeah. Uh just to discipline the practice of choosing Jesus first, even when you don't feel like you you're pressed to do it. Some days, some days you feel pressed to do it because you feel the impossibilities of what you need to do that day or the week. And so you you you know, you reach out to Jesus because it feels like a crisis. Right. But I'm appreciating again the value of choosing Jesus first, even if I feel like I have everything together. The day's very doable, yeah, and there's no real big stress over it, even on that day, choosing Jesus first. And I'm just appreciating that in a fresh way. Yeah, it's good.

SPEAKER_02 2:05

I mean, enjoying Jesus is part of my word for the year.

SPEAKER_01 2:08

So I'm yeah, there you go.

SPEAKER_02 2:10

So that's uh always a that was always a good good reminder to keep pressing into that. Yeah.

SPEAKER_04 2:19

Yeah, yeah, I like that. Yeah, that's right. Yeah.

SPEAKER_02 2:22

Everything about everything about him is enjoyable. Yeah. Uh yeah. So anyway, that's that's good, man. Uh probably doing, you know, I just like I feel like a broken record because I just I feel like I'm about to say everything's like a mixed bag. Yes. But uh This is also a theme of this current season. Yeah, I I again like uh I'm just I like you at times are kind of faced with the impossibility of it all. Like the things again, um, and we've said this plenty of times, but uh when you have um when you've said yes to a god-sized dream, yeah, uh the the impossibility of it all is uh sort of like ever before you.

SPEAKER_01 3:06

Yes, that's right.

SPEAKER_02 3:07

And like when because we're you know, you we're in the in the quote unquote business of hearts and minds. Yeah. And it is a bit of a it's a what it what what do we call it? A self-sacrificing slow, like what was it? It's there's a slow march of like death to self and yeah, yeah, uh just yeah laying down, just laying down, you know, especially especially if you not only not only if you're in the business of people, but if you're in the in you're in this sort of this call, but also it's uh you want to do it Christ-like.

SPEAKER_03 3:48

Yes, that's right.

SPEAKER_02 3:49

You know, yeah, like you can be a tyrant and then lead people but not be Christ-like. Yeah, that's right. Right, and absolutely right. So that's the that's the call is like so to be self-sacrificing, to lay down your life, to be invitational, yeah, is just seems like a whole lot of death to self.

SPEAKER_01 4:11

You're and you're right, the the impossibility of it, you know, as we're talking, it just kind of makes me laugh to think about Jesus said, you know, with man this is impossible, but with but all things are possible with God. Yes. And so it's a lot of fun to get hyped up about that at the beginning. Yeah, but you get several miles down the road on a path to the impossible, yeah, and sometimes it hits you hard, like, uh-oh, yeah, this is actually impossible. Yeah. And you find yourself turning to it's God God again saying, Well, this is the life you invited me to, and I agreed to it. So here we go.

SPEAKER_02 4:51

What's true? And it's like, it's like I I know how difficult I am to deal with the times. And so it's so so when you like times that by whoever's around you, yeah, right.

SPEAKER_01 5:02

Oh man, yes, yeah, yeah. So all that being said, yeah, God is good, and it's good to be on mission with Jesus. He sure is, and he's enjoyable in the middle of all that. But man, yeah, the enemy loves to like the our flesh, like the way we beat up on ourselves at times, and then the whole demonic, you know, dominion of darkness, yeah, love to take advantage of reminding us this is impossible, yeah, and getting our eyes off of Jesus. Yeah. Because thing it is true that all these things are possible in Christ, like with God. So that's cool. Yeah.

Defining The Mind Of Christ

God Sized Dreams And The Impossible

SPEAKER_02 5:40

Amen. All things are possible with Christ. Yeah. Uh speaking of all things are possible with Christ, uh, we're gonna one of the things that are possible with Christ is to have the mind of Christ. Yes. Uh, and really felt like uh wanted to hit that today. Just felt felt a little nudge that uh we should chat a little bit about the mind of Christ. Uh so to maybe just to lead in and just see where the conversation goes, um, really want to focus in on uh First Corinthians chapter two. Now, the the the cool thing about this is just to kind of like have a little bit of a setup, I'll read a little bit of it here. But Paul in First Corinthians two is really drawing a line between like uh he's drawing a line between the mind of the flesh and the mind of Christ. What comes, what what we get, uh, and sorry, maybe not what we get. That sounds a little too transactional, but like what happens because we have the Holy Spirit living in within us. Yeah. And so what comes from that relationship what we can access because of that. And it's it's and it's like they're not only are they different, but they're diametrically opposed, even dare I say. Yeah, they're they're seem to be uh he seems to be trying to communicate that they're polar opposites. Um and so just really, you know, he you know, it was when I was with you, you know, he's in in other places right there in that beginning, like he talks about the kingdom of God be not being a matter of that's in chapter four, the kingdom of God not being a matter of of talk, but a matter of power. Right. Like he's right, he's drawing this these lines uh within this about the the wisdom of man, the ways of the flesh, uh, the ways of the world, and the ways of the spirit, right? The mind of Christ. And so so let me just read chapter 14, sorry, verse 14, uh, and just kick it off there. First Corinthians two of 1 Corinthians 2, and then we'll and then we'll jump in. So he says, he says this uh the natural person does not accept the things of the spirit of God, for they are folly to him. So it's just someone framed in the the mind of the world. Uh they are folly to him, and he is not able to understand them because they are spiritually discerned. That's important. Right. And verse 15 says the spiritual person judges all things, and not and not just people who are spiritual, but people who are connected to the spirit of God, as he just just said the previous verse. But he he the so the spiritual person judges all things, but is himself to be judged by no one. For who has understood the mind of the Lord as to instruct him, but we have the mind of Christ. Uh and he and he talks about the you know, we we were you were saying um maybe before the before the start, it's like the the spirit of God, who can know the mind of God except the spirit of God? Right, yeah. And so there's this there's this accessibility that we have to the mind of Christ because we have the indwelling presence of God in our inner the spirit, spirit of not just the presence of God. I don't know if what what the theological distinction there is there. It's like God the the very spirit of God lives within us. And so just I don't know.

The Battle Between Two Mindsets

SPEAKER_01 9:12

Let me just yeah, that I love that. Yeah, because to me, the the uh I I love the way Paul really really applies the relatability of God uh in this in this chapter. Like a few a little bit earlier, he does talk about uh no one knows uh the mind of a man except the spirit of a man within him. Right. And then and he says that as if the people in that culture would readily understand what he means, yes. And so he he says that, and then he says, Well, it's the same with God. Who can know the mind? No one knows the mind of God except the spirit of God. Yeah, but it's kind of like he's weaving this good news message in the middle of that. Like, hey, this is a mystery in a sense, but it's also very relatable because you know how you work, yeah, the people you associate with, yeah, that there's this dynamic to them that the spirit of this person really gets what's going on in the mind of this person. So he takes that and he applies it and he and he he makes it to me, he draws God very near to us with the way he explains it. Like God to me, God who is present with you, is someone that you can relate to spirit to spirit. Yes. Like that, like what you said, what was very important, like spiritual things are spiritually understood, yes, communicated. Right, right. I love that. Because it is like you we've made we've made we are made like God, not just not just uh, you know, not just as trophies on the shelf or something, but God has designed us to partner with Him. Yeah. So He's made us functioning beings that can very much communicate with Him. Yeah. So I just love that.

SPEAKER_02 11:07

No, no, and I think it's I think it's important to just like to just say like there's to maybe just hit like the consequences of these dual realities, right? So first thing that comes to mind when I when I think of like so in you and I we have the mind of the flesh, so to speak, the mind of how the like the world is, the ways of the ways of the world, right? Right. Yeah, which is like to to get ahead, to step on people, the the God of self.

SPEAKER_03 11:39

Yeah.

SPEAKER_02 11:39

Uh yeah, you know, and then there is the mind of the spirit, you know, the mind of Christ, which is self-sacrificing. It is uh not just not just in how we are, but the possibilities, right? So you know, we look at things, we look at things differently. I don't I'm gonna get too far ahead of myself, but I just want to hit that actually Yeah, the two mindsets, the two, the two, the two mindsets, yeah, yeah, yeah. Like, how real is the conflict between the two of them? That's right. Right. And I just say like because they're so diametrically opposed, and and there's this tension, there is a battle, the battleground of the mind, right? And so yeah, it is worth just maybe talking about, like, because we are that they are at war with each other, right? Suddenly, as the believer, right? We're in the middle of this, not only this war around us, but the war within us. Right, right. The war of of choosing, having both you know, minds, so to speak, right? Both uh paradigms, both, you know, pathways presented before us in like any given moment. Right. Right. How do we look at a situation? How do we assess a situation? There's a there's a real battle over which pathway, which mind do we do we bring our agreement to? Right.

SPEAKER_01 13:12

Yeah. Well, you know, we're recording this podcast in the morning, and it's a pretty it's pretty first thing in the morning when we're recording it today. But already on this day, yeah, I've I've been fighting that battle. Yeah. Like the moment I got out of bed and went through my normal routine, which includes the practice of getting with God.

SPEAKER_04 13:35

Yep.

SPEAKER_01 13:36

Um, already I've been aware of that battle.

SPEAKER_04 13:40

Yes.

SPEAKER_01 13:41

And the battle between, you know, the mind of, we'll just call it the mind of the flesh.

SPEAKER_02 13:46

Yep.

SPEAKER_01 13:46

We'll just call it that for now.

SPEAKER_02 13:47

Sounds a little over spiritual or something. You know, it's like the yeah, the or a little old-fashioned to just keep saying or the sinful nature, maybe.

SPEAKER_01 13:57

Because, you know, it's interesting in Galatians, the letter to the Galatian to the church in Galatia, Paul in chapter five lists out we're very familiar with the fruit of the spirit. Yes. Which I guess I would say we could say the mind of Christ is described when you think about the fruit of the spirit. Yes. You know, the mind of Christ is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, um, self-control. But up above that, a list we don't usually spend a lot of time on is like two verse, two verses before in Galatians chapter five, Paul talks about the acts of the sinful nature. But we call we could call that the mind of the sinful nature because it includes stuff like envy, yeah, uh dis divisions, dissensions, jealousy, fits of rage. These things that in some ways they seem like just normal human activity. Like okay, yeah, sure, fly off the handle sometimes. Like they seem very normal, routine things, but but they're the mind of the flesh, like the natural mind, the flesh. Like that's what Paul calls it in 1 Corinthians 2 again, yeah, the natural man or the person focused on the natural mind, yeah, can't make any sense of the spiritual mind of Christ. You know, and it's like I'm holding my hands out in front of me. But but but like you said, the the all a person really has to do, my theory is all a person has to do is ignore the mind of Christ any given day, right, and they're gonna default to the natural mind, right? Like if we it's so they the the paying attention to the mind of Christ. Paul says we have the mind of Christ, yeah, yes, but but even the veteran believer in Jesus can ignore the mind of Christ, yes, and and reap the consequences, absolutely, and always can, always will have that choice.

SPEAKER_02 15:54

Yeah, that's right.

SPEAKER_01 15:55

Yeah, that's a mysterious thing, yeah, and it feels a little too risky from the human side. Yeah, like I look at that and say, God, you sure about this plan? Like, yeah, I'm gonna need to remember daily, you know, to to remember that I have the mind of Christ accessible to me. Yeah, because if I ignore that, I am going to default to it'll seem very gradual and it won't seem horribly off or evil at first, but I will slip into the things that produce bad fruit, like envy, strife, jealousy. Yeah, and I, you know, full disclosure, fits of rage would be that would be uh nemesis to me. Like uh like I can I'm I'm a I can be a good pretender when it comes to tension and stress. Oh, I'm fine, I'm good. I'm I'm good. And inside it's beginning to boil, right? And and so rage can can you know my my older siblings, I was the fourth of five kids. My older siblings used to love when I was a kid, they used to love pushing me right and teasing me and just to see how far the breaking point seeing how far they could they could push me until I broke, and then when I did, they would just have a great time seeing me lose it. Yeah, but I I know that would be something I would be prone to if I if I don't willfully choose the mind of Christ, I I embrace that for this day. Yeah, I can find myself late afternoon into the evening.

SPEAKER_02 17:31

Yeah, I can feel the boil happening. Feel the boil. Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah. It's true. And I think one of the one of the other things, just to just it's it, it can get us um having the mind of the flesh cannot, it isn't just about uh how we can get ourselves into trouble, though invariably it all leads our into trouble, but I think it sometimes it I think where I want to go with this is is that it it's you know things like hope start to slip away. Right. Right when we look at our circumstances, right? Like the mind of Christ is always hopeful, right? Right. The mind of Christ is is joyful, right? So when we look at our situations, having the mind of Christ means that like there's an opportunity to choose hope in the middle in the midst of a difficult situation. Right, that's right. Right. So so it isn't just necessarily although, and again, you get what I'm saying, is like that will lead you to trouble, but I mean like quote unquote getting into trouble, like how that might lead to uh you know, whatever, uh uh sinfulness, right? Right. Although, again, I'm not like you could make a we'll call it obvious sinfulness.

SPEAKER_01 18:46

Yeah, obviously. Everybody looks at that, oh yeah, that's obviously out of it.

Hope And Healing Through Heaven’s View

SPEAKER_02 18:49

Because you could say, because again, you could say everything outside of original you know what I'm saying, you know what I'm saying. Everybody listening knows what I'm saying here, but like, but it talks about like, or um, we can talk about getting, you know, in the midst of a difficult situation, in the midst of, hey, things are not going great there. I am I'm hurting right now, right? Then I the even then the midst of my woundedness will have an opportunity to maybe choose revenge or choose hope. What about self-pity? Self-pity, yeah. That's the the self-pity is a is a is a is a slippery slope.

SPEAKER_01 19:29

Yeah, because it's all inside here.

SPEAKER_02 19:30

It's all inside and the victim the victim mentality and just like woe is me, all of that stuff. And I'm sure plenty of people know what that's like. I'm certain I'm certainly well familiar with that. But just I want to say that like it's it isn't just how we can get into trouble, so to speak. It is about like yeah, it is it and and also I'm gonna throw this out there too. It's about like looking at impossible situations, right? So uh perhaps someone needs healing, right? Yeah, the mind of Christ is looks at that situation and says, healing is possible. Yes, right, right. Any and and I dare say like any situation and say healing is possible, right? Yeah. And so, like in having heaven's perspective, it's a little bit like, you know, uh, I'm reminded of like uh I think it's John chapter eight, the woman caught in adultery, right? Where there's the situation, the Pharisees are setting up the trap, and Jesus goes and does something completely different, right? Right, yes, like Jesus operating in the fully in the mind of Christ goes and does something unexpected, right, completely different, disarms the situation, doesn't condone sin and free and frees a woman to go and sin no more. So it's like wow, like so it's like even just as we look at maybe impossible situations with with the mind of Christ, suddenly the impossible becomes possible. So that's what you know, when when and you and I are in these places plenty where we're we're in a situation where we're praying for healing, right? Maybe it's you know, we've prayed for people, you know, with all the way from you know, you know, simple things like pain in their shoulder or pain in their in their body somewhere to terminal cancer, right? And we've we've seen turnaround in that, perhaps even as we've uh simply trusted and leaned into the mind of Christ. And you know, as our faith grows and we're we're choosing at times, probably like everybody else, we're choosing faith. We're choosing to say, okay, Lord, I know I'm not sure how convinced I am right now, but Lord, I am choosing to believe that you, you know, you're you speak a better word. Your blood speaks a better word. Yeah. And so in this situation, that might be fairly inconsequential, though. Every situation matters to Christ, but or even this the super dire, right? If nothing changes, yeah, you know, yeah, death is coming soon, right?

SPEAKER_01 22:11

So yeah, this is really important to the to the life of hearing God, you know. Absolutely. Like why uh so hearing God is is not just a favorite hobby that you that you choose to take up and say, Well, I think I'd be kind of interested in that. I think I need a hobby. I should I should learn to hear God and be a hearing God person. Yeah, there is a day-to-day uh life of being in the flow of God's kingdom, which is present on earth as it is in heaven. We we're living in this flow of God's kingdom. To me, Paul calls that reigning in life. Yeah, I think it's I think it's it's either Romans 5 or Romans 4, verse 17, where Paul refers to reigning in life. That for the believer, part of what God wants for us is to not just reign off into forever after this life as we know it, but even in this life to reign. To me, reigning in life is the same thing as living in the flow of God's kingdom. So you're in the same situations if as everybody else, but you're operating in a different dimension in that same location. Yeah, and that dimension operates out of the mind of Christ. Like it's you are you your mind, your thinking on any given day can be the same as if Jesus were actually there and we were in, you know, we were back in in the gospels, living the gospel scenes, the same mind Christ operated in as he did things in an unconventional way. Yeah, we he saw the impossible, and other people saw the impossible happen before their eyes. That same mind that Jesus operated in is what we can access and operate in. So we find ourselves going back to the faith thing because we throw ourselves on the faith of God's promises that we have the mind of Christ as his sons and daughters in Christ. We have that mind available to us. Well, we step into impossible situations saying, I know you have my back, Jesus, and I'm just going to be here and I'm going to step out and declare to this person all things are possible with God. Let's pray together about it. Yeah. And we find ourselves doing the unconventional thing, yeah, but God moves in that. But our confidence is not in a method, our confidence is this promise that there's a different mind going on here.

Taking Thoughts Captive And Strongholds

SPEAKER_02 24:52

Like, right. And I think just to just to sort of wrap a circle, just to bring it back a little bit, is just to just say like this choice, these two diametrically opposed choices are in conflict within you and me. Yes. And every believer. Right. Right. Because there is there is a war. I I want to, I want to just I want to I had just a quick thought, but I want to read this too. And then this isn't super if you're been a Christian for a terrible long time, this verse might not be super like this. Uh, and this is from second 2nd Corinthians uh chapter 10. And this is interesting. So I uh verse verse 3, 2nd Corinthians chapter 10, verse 3. For though we walk in the flesh, we are not waging war according to the flesh. I just had this thought because I'm gonna get in to get into the rest of it, but I just thought, I always think guns and tanks and such. Yeah, but what about waging war with like envy or manipulation or deception? Right. Waging war with like, you know, it again, like if I'm dealing with you in a deceptive way, I'm just anyway, just yeah, sliding that across the table. Yeah, yeah, yeah. Uh because Paul then goes on to say, verse four, for the weapons of our warfare are not of the flesh, but have divine power to destroy strongholds. Yes, they are. I'm just obviously what we would normally understand. We destroy arguments. Here's here's what I want to get to. We destroy arguments and every lofty opinion raised against the knowledge of God. Take every thought captive to obey Christ, being ready to punish every dis every disobedience when you're dis and when your obedience is uh complete. And so really there is a there is the battleground, right? So it's like uh one of the things I wanted to to hit on was when so to speak, the the the warfare of it all, as the kingdom of God advances, the the mind of Christ advances, right? And so that suddenly becomes a um that becomes a uh like as people's hearts and minds come awake to the reality of Christ, as people people's hearts and minds start to believe differently, yeah, you know, then the mind as then the mind of Christ ad advances. Right. Right. So there is a there's not just the the battleground within our own being, yeah, right. There is the there is the battleground over the the hearts and minds of the people around us. And as the kingdom advances, you know, the not just how the you know whatever we would say that is like that that the the way the world looks to different to people starts, you know, it starts to look different. Yes, people start to think differently, right? People start to think like Jesus. Yeah, right.

SPEAKER_01 28:02

And so just this this so it's a communal thing, like it's yeah, it isn't just like it really is uh yeah, it's it's individually, yes, but it's also it also affects people around us, yeah, and we have the mind of Christ. There's it is we yeah right, yeah. Like it's not all of us that make up we individually have the mind of Christ.

SPEAKER_02 28:28

Yeah, it's we together have the mind of that's actually that's a great point because Paul doesn't say I have the mind of Christ, yes, yeah, it's right, it's we have the mind of Christ. Right.

SPEAKER_01 28:39

There is a I'm responsible to individually plug in, yes, but really it it's uh it's the word culture keeps coming to mind that that there's a c there's a cultural cultural dynamic to this that in community the church has the mind of Christ. And if we if we together are actually creating a momentum by choosing the mind of Christ on the regular, yeah, then that does affect that has an impact on our community around us, even those who don't know Christ yet pick up on the on the the dynamic of it.

SPEAKER_02 29:18

Yeah, you know, yeah, and I I think I think what what Paul says here in chapter 10 is like taking every thought captive, yeah. To to obey Christ. Yeah. Right. It's so it's like in every moment, like there is a there's a a call and a possibility, right? To you know, that we wouldn't be we wouldn't be sort of exhorted or or encouraged or commanded to do this if it were not possible. And you know, at times, I'm sure in every in the life of every believer, I know for me personally, there there have been times where I've just flat out said, like, I take authority over this thought, I take it captive, make it obedient to Christ. Maybe not in so many words, but I'm using language like that where I'm like, that thought does not belong in me, right? Whether that's uh whether that's a uh that's an intruder, like yeah, some yeah. So it's it could be deceptive, it could be an angry thought, it could be a hopeless thought, right? It could be a lustful thought, it could be, you know, those kinds of things where we they it's obvious to me. And again, I that's the part where we need the help of the Holy Spirit to say, okay, which thought which of my thoughts are not right, you know, in alignment with the mind of Christ. Yes. And so, but at times, right, we uh it's been over the course of my walk with the Lord, there have been many, many times where I've I have banked on this scripture verse there where it's possible to take that thought captive. Yes, I yeah, right? Totally admitted to that. So it maybe just this is like we're not victims to our own thoughts. No. And we've we've said this uh probably in episodes long past, but not all your thoughts are your own. Right, exactly. Right? So, so then there's a lot, there's a if that's true, then then we would have uh certainly in the midst of all of this, thoughts that come from us, but also thoughts that come from from the enemy. Yeah, right. And so and so we have to be aware there's temptation that comes, right? So yeah, so we have to be aware of and keep over and over, just keep daily choosing to live in the mind of Christ. That's right. But in the midst of that, also just realizing the process of that is when we become aware to that, is to actually take authority over that, to take that thought captive, make it obedient to Christ, right? So, so how what does that look like? Yeah. Well, well, just just one one thing before I sort of, it's like when we have a thought of uh when we have a thought of uh uh of deception, we we're we're going for truth. When we have a thought of death, a fearful thought, we're we're we're have a we turn we shift that around and turn that into life. When we have a thought like a lustful thought, we turn that into purity, right? We make a conscious choice of we make a conscious choice of taking something dark, dysfunctional, sinful, and turning or turning it around to the to the polar opposite, right? Right, to from something of something of the kingdom of darkness and turning it. We can choose the opposite of that. Yeah, right. That's what I'm saying, is like to me, that's what making that thought obedient to Christ is actually like almost like prophesying the the opposite of that, right?

Identity As Warriors And Daily Practice

SPEAKER_01 32:53

So just yeah. Oh, this is is it's so practical, you know. It's so important to to to recognize that that we have been we have been taught and we are being taught that every day there is a need to wrestle. Yeah, there's a need to get skin in the game for my own for my own walk with with God. Like to to realize that um you know hearing God again isn't just a fun extra part of being a child of God that that we can have as a hobby and and just enjoy it. It is enjoyable, but it's necessary for our everyday life. Yeah, it's it's like the same impossibility with which David faced Goliath and said, You come against me with these swords and spears, but I come against you in the name of the Lord, and today I will take your head. Yep. Um, it's it's a very real fight, but the the same confidence David had is the same confidence we have. Yes. That it's in Christ, like you you fight, you fight an enemy that left to yourself would defeat you. Yes. But you are you are embracing the fight. Um it's the assumption that your opponent does want to take you out. Very much so. You're not, yeah, you're not, you're not, you're not getting you're not getting you're not getting picked on like a victim individually in a fight that nobody else is in. Like the like Jesus has warned us that all through scripture we've been shown you are you enter every day into into a into a battle zone. Yes. And you are a warrior, whether you feel like you are or not, you are going to be perceived as that as you go into your day. The enemy's going to perceive you as a warrior that he wants to take out.

SPEAKER_02 35:01

Yes, absolutely. And because I uh let me just just to jump on that for a second, like you and I and every believer at times, especially the way we see ourselves, right? I would say that, like, you know, we've talked about this before, like identity and who we've made to be. Like, God has made every believer to be a fearsome warrior. Right. Yeah, that's right. And the enemy knows that, right? Yeah, and so he will use any and every tactic to keep you and I from believing that we are a fearsome warrior. Yes, right. I mean, like just the simple fact of again, as we've said, the living God lives within you and it has consequences and implications, yeah. Right. So because you know, the message of Jesus, right, even greater things, like so like there's there is a there's a victorious and glorious path uh set aside for you specifically and me, right, specific individually, that the even the enemy is probably aware of, right? Right? Yeah, again, and this is the battle, right? Which and so just to throw that, yeah, just to throw that on top of it.

SPEAKER_01 36:13

So this whole thing of taking captive every thought. Yeah. Like it really ties in again to the Psalm 139 prayer, like God, Lord, know my anxious thoughts and see if there be any offensive way in me, yeah, and lead me in the way everlasting. Yeah. Okay, well, it's kind of a poetic way to talk about the same thing. The way everlasting is actually a wrestling match that you win in Christ. It's like when we, you know, know my anxious thoughts. That doesn't seem like a sinister thing to have an anxious thought. But David, this psalmist, way, you know, like centuries before Christ, right walking with the Lord, like before the word was made flesh, just to kind of say Jesus always existed, yes. But um, but he understood there that this prayer, Lord, Lord, know my anxious thoughts and see if there's any offensive way in me, lead me in the way everlasting. That is a grappling sort of like like David was in the Psalmist was involved in the fight. God, if you show me these thoughts, if you reveal this to me, I will partner with you against that. And I'm gonna trust you to defeat my foe within my own mind, my my own heart, within my own heart. But to just be awake to the fact that every one of us is in a wrestle with thoughts that feel like they come quite naturally to us. Yes. Of you know, a thought in you know, the a popular term today is invasive thoughts. Yeah, you know, what do we do with invasive thoughts? Well, yeah, this the mind of the sinful nature that feels very natural to us comes and this thought is invasive. It is on us to say, much like David taking off Goliath, yeah, thought I I come to you in the name of the Lord, right? And you do not belong in my life. Yes. I reject you, I I reject that and I cast it out of my of my thinking. I'm not going, not dwelling on that in in the name of the Lord Jesus. I'm not gonna get into a striving and don't think about that. Don't think about that, don't think about that. I'm actually calling Jesus in on it.

SPEAKER_04 38:30

Yes.

SPEAKER_01 38:31

Because one of the things I want to just mention that can can get just assumed in the whole process is the very person, the spirit of God, is the one who's very familiar with the mind of Christ. Yeah. Like, like, yes, the mind of Christ, the how it is made so personal to us is the very presence of the Holy Spirit in us with us, communing with our spirit, yeah, gives us that that same victorious um the same victorious weapons David fought with fighting Goliath. It was, hey, you know, the in the name of the Lord, I take this thought down.

Prayer For Renewed Minds And Closing

SPEAKER_02 39:14

Yeah, it's so it's it's so it's not it's not a matter of like gritting your teeth either. Right. Right. And I think that's the I think that's the important distinction that you're making, right? Yeah that it's not just a mat like it's not a it doesn't the like the the life of the spirit doesn't come from gritting your teeth. Like so mean to me, it's almost like it's almost like a fleshly action doesn't produce a spiritual result, right? It's like it's like earning and like those those kinds of things. Though like but it does it does require choice, obviously. It is a spiritual result. Right, there but there is a spiritual, there is a spiritual, there is an element of this of taking every thought captive. There's of the mind of Christ expanding within you, right? Right. Uh there is an element of that that is only done by the spirit, yeah, by the Holy Spirit. Right. Spiritual things are spiritual. Yes, absolutely. And so concerned, yeah. And so there is a, there's a, there's a probably a little bit of a tension point, right? So there's there is a, you know, how long is that gonna take, Lord? Right, right. Like, and there is a there is just the the the daily choice, the daily rhythms, the daily, yeah, you know, the stumblings, the getting back ups, right? All of that stuff. And but I would just say, like, I I think that it's just just to highlight the fact that you know, that the mind of Christ uh takes ground within your heart, your mind, and my mind by the it's a spiritual, it's a spiritual thing that happens. Yes, that's right. Yeah, and not a and not a physical thing that happens. So just worth worth highlighting. Yeah, yeah, yeah. Yeah, go for it.

SPEAKER_01 41:02

Coming at the same thing from a different angle, if you ignore what you just said, Anthony, you you will find that um that's gonna affect your the way you interact with your community and with relationships. Like if I if I ignore the the battle within and I don't take the invasive thoughts captive, that's gonna affect the way I treat other people.

SPEAKER_04 41:25

Absolutely.

SPEAKER_01 41:25

It'll feel mysterious to me. Why did I just lash out at that person? Why am I having such an attitude problem? Why why all of a sudden do I feel resentful toward this person over here? Right. Well, it really it's because I've ignored the battle within. Yes.

SPEAKER_02 41:41

And I just assumed that I could just step into any situation either ignored or uh or allowed the the mind of the flesh to take to take control.

SPEAKER_01 41:53

Yeah, I was too cat like I yeah, I casually went ahead and entertained uh an uh uh a thought from anyway, yes, yeah. Yeah, for sure.

SPEAKER_02 42:06

No, no, but you've entertain you've entertained some dark thought, right? Either what and then the consequence of that is that you've acted in a way that was in accordance with that, whether that's whether that's a lustful thought or an angry thought or a deceptive thought, or those.

SPEAKER_01 42:21

So it's I'm gonna get what I want, however, means I mean immediately. Right.

SPEAKER_02 42:25

And so that's just it. Like so, but yeah, I love that. Anyway, so just a little lump of that on the pile. And and I I do want like so it it it really is it really is a battleground. It really is a battleground in the mind. And maybe maybe go for it.

SPEAKER_01 42:44

Sorry to interrupt you because please do because I I just came back to me that if I like the the I can't jump to having a kingdom influence in the world and ignore the wrestle inside. Yeah, I think that's what I was coming at from a different angle. Yeah, I'm like, yeah, if I expect to be effectively used for the kingdom of God, but I'm ignoring the taking captive, like ignoring the battle inside of me. Well, yeah. I would feel like, well, I got him now.

SPEAKER_02 43:16

Well, I think the and the other thing too is like I think there's a and and the other thing that I want to throw in there too, in the middle of that, the enemy will trick you into thinking that a lot of those things are your friends, right? And he there will be, and again, we've I'm sure we've talked about this before, but just the the idea of like that like sometimes it's these these things are like I you know I I live my life by deceiving people just to get my own way, right? And that's helpful to me. Right. Yes, right. I have made it to this point by by manipulating by operating manipulatively. Yeah. Uh that. That is a powerful, that is a powerful deception. Yes. Especially when you have reaped the benefit of your deceptive thinking. Yeah. And so not only is there the battleground of that, but it's your, it's the level of agreement that you that suddenly, you know, that suddenly you're aware that you have benefited from this uh let's just call it uh dark, sinful, evil thinking. And that goes in it, that just that expands to everything we've been just talking about. But yeah, but anyway, so it's just to just to say that that's a that's a real that's a real thing too, is right because it's not just you know, I'm coming at this from uh from a neutral position every day. I may have strongholds in my life, yes, right, that actually need that, you know, casting down every stronghold. Right, right. I may actually have some of those strongholds in my life that I have benefited from, you know, operating in the ways of the flesh. And so the enemy, you know, not only um, let me just say, the enemy could try to, he can keep me off the playing field altogether, probably by either by you know, telling me I'm powerless, or I could actually be working in accordance, like partnering with the kingdom of darkness in the way that I in the way that I think and conduct myself based on those beliefs and how how I've benefited from that. Yeah, that's right. Right. And so that's a that's a thing that that you know that's a stronghold that lives, you know, again, strongholds live essentially and have lived in all of us, right? Where dysfunctional thinking, right? And yeah, I mean, so I just want to just to throw that out there is this may have, you know, these things may have been beneficial to me, you, anybody along the way. And they and they need to be demolished, right? That yeah, that self-serving, yeah, that self-serving way of thinking that I have benefited from, either from uh, you know, getting ahead, or you know, we've talked at times about comfort, self-soothing, that comfort where what we run to when things get difficult, those kinds of things just those simply are not in the mind of Christ. And so they become when and the more and more that we partner with those, the stronger, like the the foundation of those, that dysfunctional way of thinking.

SPEAKER_01 46:40

Right.

SPEAKER_02 46:40

Like though though that foundation gets firmer and firmer until it becomes, you know, the seed gets planted and it bears fruit, right? The pick your analogy, right? It just becomes more of a a presence in how we live our lives, right? Right. So just just throw just throwing it out throwing it out there.

SPEAKER_01 47:02

So it would be it would be very much an appropriate prayer for any of us to say, God, I want the mind of Christ to go deeper and deeper in me. Yeah. In deeper ways, I want the mind of Christ to expand. Like I love that. I think it was a word you used just a few minutes ago. The mind of Christ expanding within me. Yeah, yeah. An appropriate prayer would be there is therefore now no condemnation of those who are in Christ Jesus. That there's no condemnation for me to admit in prayer, yeah, I don't have the mind of Christ deep enough in me. Yeah. And I want, because I I would want more, I want the mind of Christ to have more of me.

SPEAKER_02 47:52

Right. That's it right there. Like, because I think, I mean, the depth is like where does that mean? But I think it's like the areas of my thinking, the areas of my belief system where it's obvious, maybe, or not obvious. Again, we need the Holy Spirit's help, where it's but we need the Holy Spirit, we need the mind of Christ operating in all in all of that. Right. So maybe that's and again, like, and I I want to throw throw this out there, and we're we need to land the plane here, but just the maybe it's this way. We can pray obviously in that way that that there's no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus, but also I think it's it's more uh let me just throw this out there. I think it's like it's the help holy spirit. It's the Psalm 139. It's like search me and know me. Yes, right, yeah, and also, and also you have empowered me so that there's two things going. It's not one or the other, I think it's two two things that are here. It's it's Holy Spirit help me locate things in my heart, or remember, yes, any in faith and righteous thoughts, right? Even in the moment, right? Yeah, yeah. Like, yeah, would you prompt me, would you convict me of of those times where I am operating outside of the mind of Christ? Yes, and also I'm actually taking a proactive or a um or a uh um offensive posture in this where it's like I'm actually because you live within me and because of the cross, I actually can take authority over that way of thinking. Right, right. Yeah, and I may pray this prayer like you know, you know, every day for 30 days, right? Like, but like knowing that I am in the fight and I will continue to fight that fight until my mind, that part of my mind, becomes like the mind of Christ. Right, right. So maybe, maybe I'll just maybe I can maybe we can pray into that. And then if again, if you've made it this far into the podcast, congratulations. But just let me let me pray. Let me pray. So, Father, I just want to thank you, Lord. I want to thank you for uh for the mind of Christ, that the mind of Christ is available to us, and I thank you for your obviously just the thank you for your presence within us, Holy Spirit. I just acknowledge, acknowledge your presence here, and I acknowledge your presence within us, Lord. And so just want to honor you for that. And I want to honor your word. And so for for me, for Dan, for everyone listening, Lord, I just pray, God, for um that you would help us, Lord. Would you search us and know us? Lord, would you scan the motivations of our heart? Would you search out any dysfunctional thinking, anything that is not of the mind of Christ, Lord? And so I just say, first, would you help us in that in identifying that, Lord? And and then I and then I pray, God, that we wouldn't be victims to that, but you've made us to be overcomers, Lord. And so we just say, God, for all those places, God, whether that's a a sinful thought that's like deceptive or manipulative or lustful or angry or you know, envious or any of those things, Lord, anything that's not of you, Lord, we just take authority over those right now in Jesus' name, Lord, and make them obedient to Christ. Yes. Like that our thoughts are of purity, that our thoughts are of love, our thoughts are of blessing, our thoughts are of self-sacrificing and just in uh our hearts um turn from self, selfishness, Lord, to selflessness, Lord. So for whatever that looks like, Lord, I just pray for just just grace, grace, grace to do that in Jesus' name. And we love you in your name. Amen.

SPEAKER_01 51:59

Amen. Well, that's a wrap on this episode. It's been a privilege to have you as an honored guest as we all learn to hear God better.

SPEAKER_02 52:10

If your time with us has been encouraging and you think this conversation will be helpful to others, we would love it if you could share this podcast with the people around you. Until next time.