"What we must beware of is not damage to our belief in God but damage to our Christian disposition or state of mind. “Take heed to your spirit, that you do not deal treacherously” (Malachi 2:16). Our state of mind is powerful in its effects. It can be the enemy that penetrates right into our soul and distracts our mind from God. There are certain attitudes we should never dare to indulge. If we do, we will find they have distracted us from faith in God. Until we get back into a quiet mood before Him, our faith is of no value, and our confidence in the flesh and in human ingenuity is what rules our lives."
Indeed, the mind is very powerful, taking us on terrible rides of fancy and fervor distracting us -- if we let it. . .
Yet we do not have to be fooled into thinking that we are stuck with a purely and exclusively reprobate mind.
"For who hath known the mind of the Lord, that he may instruct him? But we have the mind of Christ." (1 Corinthians 2:16)
How do we have the mind of Christ? Through the indwelling power of the Holy Spirit:
"Howbeit when he, the Spirit of truth, is come, he will guide you into all truth: for he shall not speak of himself; but whatsoever he shall hear, that shall he speak: and he will shew you things to come." (John 16:13)
And
"But ye have an unction from the Holy One, and ye know all things." (1 John 2:20)
Rather than trying to control our thoughts, let us rest in the infinite power of grace which was released to all of us through the Cross:
"Casting down imaginations, and every high thing that exalteth itself against the knowledge of God, and bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ;" (2 Corinthians 10:5)
Let's be very clear -- it is the obedience "of" Christ -- HIS obedience!, NOT our own! His obedience to the Father at the Cross, and all the blessings pertaining to those who believe on Him.
"Until we get back into a quiet mood before Him, our faith is of no value, and our confidence in the flesh and in human ingenuity is what rules our lives."
Exactly, our faith is made of none effect, because to the extent that we try to figure out or work things out from our mind, to that extent then do we fall from grace:
"Christ is become of no effect unto you, whosoever of you are justified by the law; ye are fallen from grace." (Galatians 5:4)
What then must we do when faced with terrible thoughts? How do we bring our thoughts into spear-point captivity to the obedience of Christ?
We meditate on who we are and what we have through Christ!
"Set your affection on things above, not on things on the earth." (Colossians 3:2)
Who might that be?
"And hath raised us up together, and made us sit together in heavenly places in Christ Jesus." (Ephesians 2:6)
We do not just meditate on Him who died and lived and lives in us and through us. Let us absorb the infinite joy of knowing that we sit with Him! In honor, in glory, in power, in majesty, in eternal unmerited favor -- at the right hand of the Father!
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