Purity of Mind

Recently, a brother wrote to me asking various things about his spiritual life. Since I believe that he is sincere and that many others are in similar circumstances, I think it would be profitable to look into the matter in more detail. He wrote

1) that he had no lasting peace, and

2) that at times Satan attacked him so that his mind became agitated, and he became angry.

If you are in bondage to sin, you must confess it to someone in whom you have confidence. Then you must pray and take up the battle against this sin. Do not let your mind and thoughts dwell on the sin to which you have the greatest tendency. Consciously chase such thoughts away. Resist Satan, steadfast in the faith, and he will flee from you. The fact that you become angry is just pride. You think people are treading on your honor. Consider how much scorn and mockery Jesus had to bear. You don’t have any greater right to be honored than He did, do you? We have no right to become angry. A person who has lowly thoughts about himself thinks that it is only right that he is disregarded. However, a haughty person barges ahead and gets angry when something gets in his way.

A man once wrote the following words of wisdom in a textbook for young people: “An angry person looks like a madman in the eyes of one who is calm.”

When the lusts in our members are stirred up, our mind becomes agitated. Do not listen when Satan lectures you about your injured honor. If you want to follow the apostle who said that he was without honor, then you, too, will be without honor. God gives His honor to no man, but He honors the one who stands the test. No one who cares about his own honor to the point of getting angry stands the test.

We all have sin in the flesh. Do not let it influence your mind, because we are to serve the law of God with our mind. Rom. 7:25.

An ungodly person serves sin and his lusts with his mind, which is why there is no rest for the wicked. But we must consciously chase evil thoughts and carnal gain and desire far away from us. If we do this, peace will enter in as a river. Satan will no longer be able to make us angry. However, we must watch and pray, for our adversary the devil walks about like a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour. You could put it this way: If a man becomes angry, Satan has devoured him.

Therefore, be sober and vigilant. Keep your mind pure.

Johan O. Smith