March 23, 2025
All believers are indwelt by the Holy Spirit. He lives in the heart of every believer, guaranteeing heaven as the destination of that soul. To walk by the Spirit is to be led by the Holy Spirit. We should pray every morning for the guidance and leadership of the Spirit throughout our lives. In Romans 8:14, the Apostle Paul said, “For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, these are sons of God.”
Paul warned, “But I say, walk by the Spirit, and you will not carry out the desires of the flesh” (Galatians 5:16). Charles Stanley said, “Every sinful act is committed twice: once in our heads and once in our behavior. To win the behavior battle, we must first win the battle that takes place in our minds. Every Christian should desire to walk in the Spirit.” Stanley ends by saying, “To walk in the Spirit, we must get serious about guarding our minds.”
To successfully resist the devil, we must keep our minds on the things of God. James reminds us, “Therefore submit to God. Resist the devil and he will flee from you” (James 4:7). We Christians need to keep in mind that we are new creations in Christ. We are spiritually born-again and set free. We, unlike unbelievers, do not have to sin. It all depends on our thinking and keeping our minds on the things of God instead of on things of the flesh. And that takes practice. It takes Bible study and constant prayer. So many Christians do not realize this. They do not know that they are now free from the bondage of sin. Therefore, Satan is able to make them think that they have no choice but to sin.
Satan knows that he can never have the souls of believers, so he does all he can to cast doubt in their minds their salvation. And he does all he can to hinder any service that any Christian tries to render to the Lord while on earth.
The reason we are to guard our minds is not for salvation. That is already settled in believers. To guard our minds is to ward off the temptation that Satan throws our way. Nothing pleases the devil more than for Christians to yield to his temptations and sin against God. He managed to do this with David, Solomon, and every believer who has ever lived. He is more successful today than ever before.
Peter tells us, “Therefore gird up the loins of your mind, be sober, and rest your hope fully upon the grace that is to be brought to you at the revelation of Jesus Christ; as obedient children, not conforming yourselves to the former lusts, as in your ignorance” (1 Peter1:13-14).
In Colossians 3:2, Paul advises, “Set your mind on the things above, not on the things that are on the earth.” And in Philippians 4:8, he tells us to dwell on things worthy of praise.
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Ralph Fudge is the pastor of Big Ochlocknee Baptist Church in Coolidge, Ga., and has a Master’s degree in theology from Midwestern Baptist Theological Seminary.
