We all live in the world between our ears! During this message today we will all have different experiences. Just because we’re all listening to the same message or sitting in the same sanctuary does not mean we’re having the same experience. There will be similarities.
But your experience is shaped by your thinking process. Your mind is working and selecting concepts and ideas for processing as I speak. I may say something that sparks a thought in you and sets your thinking in a direction. While I’m saying the next thing, you’re processing those additional ideas. God may put something in your heart that is associated with the subject but is particularly important for you to know.
Sometimes people thank me for something that really ministered to them during the sermon. They share how the idea so encouraged them and brought guidance. But when they tell me what it was, it was something that went beyond my teaching. God dropped a revelation in the person’s heart during the message. I count on the Holy Spirit to do that. God can speak to us in a very personal way. He uses what is being said from the pulpit, but it is not limited to that.
Your experience during this next hour will vary depending on how you process what is being said. Some will get revelation like I have just discussed. Others will allow their minds to wander off onto other subjects. One person is thinking about lunch. Another is processing a conversation that went on yesterday. For brief moments the mind may be totally unaware of what is being said. That’s one reason one student makes an A on a test and another makes a D. They may have the same IQ, but one student is able to concentrate on the subject because she has developed a more disciplined mind. Over time she has learned to tell her mind what to concentrate on.i
I am pointing this out only to say: we all live in the world between our ears. And the quality of our lives depends on that process. It’s interesting to watch people during the worship time in a service. The words to a particular song may be extremely meaningful to one person. The experience that person is having may be very different from the person sitting next to him. That person may have little awareness of the words being sung. Instead he is thinking about how uncomfortable the temperature is or how nice the worship leader’s shirt looks. Two very different internal experiences in the same setting!
The Bible has a lot to say about our thought life. In fact, what we set our minds on reflects and determines the nature of our spiritual experience. Romans 8:5 makes that clear: “For those who live according to the flesh set their minds on the things of the flesh, but those who live according to the Spirit, the things of the Spirit.”ii The person who sets his mind on fleshly things, will live accordingly. His life and behavior will follow the desires of the flesh. The person who sets his mind on the things of the Spirit will live in that dynamic. “This passage [in Romans 8] makes it abundantly clear that the way one thinks is intimately related to the way one lives.”iii We cannot set our minds on the desires of the flesh and then live in spiritual joy and peace.
That’s why Paul gives the instruction we have in our text today. In Philippians 4:8 he tells us what kind of things should occupy our thought life: “Finally, brethren, [he is clearly instructing Christians] whatever things are true, whatever things are noble, whatever things are just, whatever things are pure, whatever things are lovely, whatever things are of good report, if there is any virtue and if there is anything praiseworthy — meditate on these things.”
“Meditate on these things.” The word translated “meditate” is logizomai. In this context it means to “to give careful thought to a matter, think (about), consider, ponder, let one’s mind dwell on.”iv Paul is not talking about thoughts that hit our minds in a flash. He is talking about embracing a thought and dwelling on it: the things you ponder; the subjects you process and deliberate on. The devil can inject a thought into our minds. But when that happens, we have the power to either embrace it and think about it or to reject it and think about something else.
In Ephesians 6 Paul instructs us on spiritual warfare. There we are told to put on the whole armor of God. Verse 16 says, “above all, taking the shield of faith with which you will be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked one. 17 And take the helmet of salvation. . . .” The helmet was designed to protect the head. We are talking today about protecting our thought life. The way we put on the helmet of salvation is to obey our text in Philippians 4:8.v
We guard our minds by disciplining our thought life. The devil shoots “fiery darts” at every one of us.vi He tempts us with negative and inappropriate thoughts.
The suggestions he made to Jesus in Luke 4 were fiery darts. Jesus cast each one down and replaced it with truth from God’s word. Satan’s first suggestion was, “If You are the Son of God, command this stone to become bread.” Get your mind set on the desires of your physical body; focus on that; satisfy that hunger. Jesus countered with, “It is written, 'Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word of God.’” Satan then showed Him “all the kingdoms of the world in a moment of time.” Then he offered Jesus all the authority and glory of that if He would simply bow and worship him. What if Jesus had embraced that thought? What if He had taken the bait and pondered how good it would feel to receive all that glory and honor? The temptation was real. But Jesus immediately rejected the idea and countered it with truth from God’s word: “Get behind Me, Satan! For it is written, 'You shall worship the Lord your God, and Him only you shall serve.’” He responded the same way with the third temptation.
Temptations come our way, and they typically come as a suggestion to the mind. When that happens, we must identify the lie and reject it. We must replace it with truth from God’s word. Our text in Philippians 4:8 is not condemning us for the initial thought Satan flings at us. It is telling us how to protect ourselves against those attacks.vii
What dominates your thought life? Would it be wholesome things that are true and noble, or would there be times when you entertain imaginations contrary to the adjectives Paul uses in our text?
There are six adjectives and two nouns used to describe the kind of things we should dwell on.
First, Paul says, “whatever things are true.” The consideration must match up with reality. Satan is a liar and the father of lies (John 8:44). His primary strategy against us is lies and deception. He led Eve into the first sin by questioning the goodness of God and convincing her that she would be better off disobeying God than obeying Him.
One of the first things we do in resolving conflict is bring to light false assumptions. Often the conflict is sustained by erroneous assumptions disputants are making about the situation or about one another. In one case I mediated a divorced father had faieds to arrive on time to pick up his children for his parenting time with them. In the already-strained relationship, the mother assumed that he was being disrespectful toward her and inconsiderate of her schedule. The more she thought about it, the more angry she became. But during the mediation the father explained how he got hung up in a traffic jam because of a serious wreck. Clearing up that false assumption helped lower the negative tension in the relationship. It wass a good step toward resolution. Half-truths and false assumptions can generate a lot of negative emotion.
Lies about God and His attitude toward us are particularly damaging. Paul has dealt with some of those in this letter. When you think about a situation, another person, or even about God, ask yourself this question: Is it true? Have I investigated the matter enough to know that it is true?viii If it is false or only half true, then replace it with what is true.
Then ask yourself, “Is it noble”? The second test is “whatever things are noble.” The Greek word translated noble comes from a root word (sebo) meaning to revere.ix It is sometimes translated honest (KJV) or honorable (RSV). The Amplified Bible says, “whatever is worthy of reverence and is honorable and seemly.” Is the activity you’re contemplating something the average person would consider noble. Helping a little old lady cross the street is noble. Robbing her is not noble. Cheating a customer is not noble. Calculating how you will do that is a direct violation of our text. Let your thoughts dwell on honorable, honest activities.
A third test is “whatever things are just.” Is the action you’re thinking about taking a just thing to do. Is it the right thing to do? Are you dwelling on past injustices done to you? If you dwell on offenses and injustices, you will become a bitter person.x Those matters are best forgiven and put into God’s hands.xi If you dwell on good things God has done for you and good things others have done for you, you will find much to be thankful for. It will sweeten your nature and bring peace to your mind.
Psalm 103 tells us to count our blessings. We are not told to count our curses or enumerate all our negative experiences in life. Our troubles and anxieties are to be dwelt with through prayer as we talked about when expounding 4:6. The focus of our meditation is not to be the ugly, negative things of life.
Secular psychology often gets people focused on their negative experiences and keeps them there.xii That is the opposite of what we’re told to do in our text. Dwelling on the goodness of God in your life will produce peace and joy. Dwelling on past offenses will poison your soul.
The fourth adjective is pure: “whatever things are pure.” The Greek word is hagnos. It is translated “chaste” in 1 Peter 3:2. It stands in contrast to tainted, defiled, or unclean.xiii When you buy your bottled water, you are pleased to see the word “pure” on the label. None of us want to drink defiled, unclean water. Likewise, we should not entertain impure, unholy imaginations. Jesus said, “whoever looks at a woman to lust for her has already committed adultery with her in his heart” (Matt. 5:28). It’s not just the physical act that is a sin; cherishing the thought is a sin as well. If the temptation is dealt with in the heart, the physical sin will not be difficult to reject. David lusted for Bathsheba before he acted on that lust. Joseph was able to resist the advances made by Potiphar’s wife because he had kept his heart pure.
An additional filter is “whatever things are lovely.” He is referring to “thoughts of great moral and spiritual beauty.”xiv David was on the right tack when he said, “One thing I have desired of the Lord, That will I seek: That I may dwell in the house of the Lord All the days of my life, To behold the beauty of the Lord, And to inquire in His temple” (Ps. 27:4). The beauty is often reflected in His people—people with a meek and quiet spirit, people who speak well of others, people who encourage you in the Lord. When the glory of the Lord is on a person, that person is beautiful regardless of external features.
Instead of dwelling on ugly, debased things, ponder the beauty of the Lord—as seen in Him but also in His creation. Isn’t it inspiring to gaze at the billions of stars shining in the night? Or enjoy the song of a robin in the morning? Have you enjoyed the beauty of a sunrise or sunset lately? There are all kinds of beautiful, pleasing things in God’s creation for us to enjoy. Of course, David had it right. The most beautiful thoughts are experienced when we gaze upon the Lord Himself in worship.
When Gabriel brought God’s promise to Mary, the Bible says she “kept all these things and pondered them in her heart” (Luke 2:19). Are there promises God has made to you that should be pondered? I love to reflect on the day I first met the Lord. It was a “lovely” experience to be cleansed from my sins and meet the Master. Reflect on past experiences in God, and let those thoughts stir up your faith.
The last adjective is euphemos: “whatever things are of good report.” The Amplified Bible translates this, “whatever is kind and winsome and gracious.” The NIV says “admirable.” It is referring to things that are constructive and commendable.xv The Greek authority, Thayer, says it is “things spoken in kindly spirit, with good-will toward others.” Think about the admirable, good things people have said and done. Don’t dwell on their sins. Don’t focus on unkind acts.xvi
As we read these adjectives, it is implied that the opposite things would not occupy our thoughts. False ideas, ignoble, unjust, and impure stories and subjects should be rejected. We should not dwell on things devoid of moral and spiritual beauty. We should not entertain slander or gossip. Our delight should not be in a bad report about someone. Instead we rejoice in their acts of kindness.
Paul is not giving an exhaustive list of tests to apply to our thought life. Instead he is conveying a general understanding of what kind of things should occupy our inner contemplation. We are not to pollute our soul with ugly, negative thoughts about others or unwholesome things we might do. Let these adjectives give you a general sense what you should open yourself up to: “whatever things are true, whatever things are noble, whatever things are just, whatever things are pure, whatever things are lovely, whatever things are of good report.”
To reinforce the general intent of these six adjectives Paul adds: “if there is any virtue and if there is anything praiseworthy — meditate on these things.” The word translated “virtue” is used in 1 Peter 2:9 to refer to the praiseworthy nature of God. It is a quality God wants worked into the believer’s character. It “incorporates all moral excellence.”xvii The word translated “praiseworthy” is also a broad term indicating “‘anything that deserves the thinker’s praise’ or ‘anything that God deems praiseworthy.’”xviii With these two nouns Paul is casting a broad net that clarifies the kind of things we should pursue in our thought life.
This text should inform our selection of reading material and conversation. It should guide our selection of movies and other media we would watch on our phones. We live in a society saturated with evil. There are all kinds of perverted, debased things we must avoid. There is a lot of angst in the media that can provoke the wrong emotions in our hearts. “Keep your heart with all diligence, For out of it spring the issues of life.” The NIV says, “Above all else, guard your heart, for it is the wellspring of life.” Paul is telling us how to do that in our Philippians text.
You have probably heard the very memorable summation of how our inner thoughts determine our behavior and ultimately our eternal destiny. This is why our subject today is so important.
“Sow a thought, reap an action.
Sow an actions, reap a habit.
Sow a habit, reap a character.
Sow a character, reap a destiny.”xix
We see that principle taught in Romans one. F. B. Meyer writes,
“If a man cherishes bad thoughts, almost unwittingly he deteriorates; he cannot help it. There is a profound philosophy in Rom. i., where it says that because they refused to retain God in their minds, but cherished their vile lusts, God gave them up to their passions to defile themselves. If a man is perpetually cherishing unholy, impure, and untrue thoughts, he will become an unholy, impure, and untrue man. Our character takes on the complexion and hue of our inward thinking. If a man is ever cherishing noble thoughts, he cannot help becoming noble.”xx
It works both ways. In Philippians 4:8 Paul is giving us a key to becoming noble, admirable, honorable, pure people. It all flows out of the inner thought life. It all depends on what you give yourself to in thought and deed.xxi
Religious hypocrisy develops when the inner thought life does not line up with the external presentation of self.xxii Remember when Jesus pronounced woe on the scribes and Pharisees in Matthew 23? He said,
“Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you cleanse the outside of the cup and dish, but inside they are full of extortion and self-indulgence. 26 Blind Pharisee, first cleanse the inside of the cup and dish, that the outside of them may be clean also. 27 "Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you are like whitewashed tombs which indeed appear beautiful outwardly, but inside are full of dead men's bones and all uncleanness. 28 Even so you also outwardly appear righteous to men, but inside you are full of hypocrisy and lawlessness” (Matt. 23:25-28).
Their inner thoughts and motives were very different from the way they presented themselves to the public. That is the kind of thing that gives Christianity a bad name. People like that become harsh and judgmental. They are not compassionate and redemptive. They develop a hard, religious veneer that hides the true condition of what is going on inside. How do we avoid that? We tend to the inner man.xxiii We discipline our thought life. We think on the kind of things Paul is talking about in our text.
I want to close with four practical instructions for managing our thought life.
(1) Guard what you allow into your eye gate and ear gate. You have heard the saying coined in the computer business: “Garbage in; garbage out.” We cannot take in filthy, unclean, unkind, ignoble thoughts and expect to stay pure and noble. We must close our eyes and ears to those things.xxiv David said in Psalm 101:3, “I will set nothing wicked before my eyes. . . .” The NLT says, “I will refuse to look at anything vile and vulgar.” So, this is our first line of defense.
(2) When an unkind or unclean thought flashes into our mind, we are to cast it down immediately. In that split second, we choose to either embrace it or reject it. That is part of the spiritual warfare Paul describes in 2 Corinthians 10:3-5: “For though we walk in the flesh, we do not war according to the flesh. 4 For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal but mighty in God for pulling down strongholds, 5 casting down arguments and every high thing that exalts itself against the knowledge of God, bringing every thought into captivity to the obedience of Christ.” As we said earlier, Satan attacks with evil thoughts, but we have the right to cast them down and not dwell on them. We have the responsibility to counter his lies with truth from God’s word. The primary battlefield in your spiritual warfare is in your mind.xxv If you win the battle there, you will win! If you yield ground there, you will be defeated by the enemy. It is a battle no one sees, but the results do become evident in what you do and what you become.
(3) Take charge of your thoughts. Don’t let them just wander here and there. Discipline your thinking. That’s what Paul is talking about in Philippians 4:8. Do not entertain unholy, unkind ideas and narrative. Instead think on true, noble, lovely things. The underlying assumption in our text is that you can do that.xxvi
Psalm 119 is a good commentary on our text. In verses 15-16 the Psalmist declares God’s word as the subject of his meditation. It is the most reliable source of truth we have. It has a cleansing influence on our minds. It is essential to the renewing of our minds.xxvii “I will meditate on Your precepts, And contemplate Your ways. 16 I will delight myself in Your statutes; I will not forget Your word.” In verse 97 he talks about his love for the Torah. Then in verse 99 he shares how meditating on the word has given him wisdom: “I have more understanding than all my teachers, For Your testimonies are my meditation.” Paul told Timothy to give himself to reading, exhortation, and doctrine. He emphasized, “Meditate on these things; give yourself entirely to them” (1 Tim. 4:15).xxviii
Christian meditation actively chooses its subject. Cults encourage people to empty their minds of thought. But that is foreign to biblical meditation. In fact, a passive mind is particularly susceptible to demonic influence.xxix Our text in Philippians 4:8 does not call us to passivity. It exhorts us to fill our minds with good, profitable things.
The best defense against wrong thinking is right thinking. Your mind is going to be occupied with something. If you will proactively occupy yourself with wholesome things, it will crowd out the other. You’re doing that by coming to church this morning and getting into the word. The most important way we obey Philippians 4:8 is to stay in the word.
(4) Put good thoughts into action. That’s Paul’s point in the next verse, Philippians 4:9: “The things which you learned and received and heard and saw in me, these do, and the God of peace will be with you.” That solidifies the thinking. The Bible is given to us so we can live it. The blessing is in the doing. We can read about it. We can study it. We can meditate on it. All in preparation for doing. But the end objective is the way we live and what we become.
God also gives us teachers and mentors to enhance our understanding of how to walk it out. Those of us who have been this awhile should serve as examples for others. We should so follow Christ that we can invite others, as Paul does here, to follow our instruction and our example.xxx
Philippians 4:7 ended with a promise of peace. If we will take our burdens to the Lord in prayer, the promise in 4:7 is “and the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.” But Paul has more to say about living in peace. In 4:8 he tells us how to manage our thoughts, and in 4:9 he tells us how to order our behavior. Then he affirms the promise of peace: “, and the God of peace will be with you.”
May that peace rest upon each of you.xxxi
ENDNOTES:
i “Clutter isn’t just in your home, attic, garage, or office. Clutter is also in your mind, and distracts you from the amazing things you are meant to do.” Katrina Mayer, “Lessons from Organizing.” Accessed 10-24-20 at https://www.bing.com/images/search?q=quotes+about+cluttering+the+mind&qpvt=quotes+about+cluttering+the+mind&form=IGRE&first=1&scenario=ImageHoverTitle
ii All Scripture quotes, unless indicated otherwise, are from the New King James Version.
iii Colin Brown, ed, The New International Dictionary of New Testament Theology, Vol. 2, 1967 (Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 1986) s. v. “Mind,” by J. Goetzmann, 617. While Paul’s primary contrast in Romans 8:5 is between the unbeliever and the believer, he warns believers to not walk in the flesh (Gal. 5:17). To do that we must set our minds on the things of the Spirit. After referring to Paul’s exhortation to believers in Philippians about having the mindset of Christ (2:5; 3:17), Longenecker acknowledges the danger of Christians setting their minds on carnal things and reaping accordingly. He says Paul “regarded it necessary to speak to both nonbelievers in Jesus and true Christians regarding these diametrically opposed mind-sets and modes of existence. For thinking and living ‘according to the fleshly nature’ is not only the situation of the unregenerate, it is also a real possibility, as well as a sad reality, for many who claim to be Christ’s own.” Richard N. Longenecker, The Epistle to the Romans: A Commentary on the Greek Text, The New International Greek Testament Commentary, I. H. Marshall and D. A. Hagner, eds (Grand Rapids, MI: Eerdmans Publishing, 2016) 697. Commenting on Romans 8:6 Barnhouse writes, “Death, then, in this passage, is the living existence of a born-again believer on a spiritual level that is lower than that which God has designed for us.” Donald Grey Barnhouse, Romans: Expositions of Bible Doctrines Taking the Epistle to the Romans as a Point of Departure, vol. III: God’s Heirs, 1963 (Grand Rapids: Eerdmans Publishing, 1982) 30-31.
iv BDAG, 598. Under the word “think” in Vine’s dictionary the following definition is given: “In Phil 4:8, ‘think on (these things),’ it signifies ‘make those things the subjects of your thoughtful consideration,’ or ‘carefully reflect on them’ (RV marg., ‘take account of’). (from Vine's Expository Dictionary of Biblical Words, Copyright © 1985, Thomas Nelson Publishers). Paul’s choice of this word may indicate a connotation to “‘reckon’ in the sense of ‘take into account,’ rather than to simply ‘think about.’” Fee, 415. We dwell on these matters in a way that shapes our worldview and fortifies our faith. We don’t just think about these good things, but we count on them as well. Paul could have used the term meletao as he did in 1 Timothy 4:5. He chose logizomai instead. Peter’s admonition may be helpful in understanding Paul’s intent more fulye: “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” (1 Pet. 1:3). Following the instruction in Philippians 4:8 is conducive to resting our hope upon God’s grace and goodness. That produces peace (Philippians 4:9).
v The more our mind is renewed by the influence of the Holy Spirit and the word (Rom. 12:2, the less vulnerable we are to Satan’s suggestions. In this life we are never completely above such temptations. However, the helmet of salvation is more securely in place the more disciplined our thought is and the more anchored we are in God’s truth.
vi In ancient times “hallow reeds filled with naphtha or some other combustible material, and, being set on fire, were shout from slack bows. Whatever the arrows struck, the flames consumed . . . Large shields were used by the soldiers against whom these ‘fiery darts’ were thrown, and thus their persons were protected.” James M. Freeman, Manners and Customs of the Bible (Plainfield, NJ: Logos International, 1972) 463. Fiery darts in Ephesians six probably represent circumstantial attacks as well, but the symbolism surely includes thought suggestions since his primary weapon is lies and deception.
vii The human mind is designed in such a way that the amygdala rapidly, almost involuntarily, responds with fight or flight. But we can immediately process the situation in the frontal lobe and adjust the response to a more rational, appropriate response. By his use of the word logizomai, Paul is directing his instruction to the response in the frontal lobe. Daniel Goleman provides an in-depth study of the relationship of the amygdala and frontal activity in the thinking process. Daniel Goleman, Emotional Intelligence, 1995 (New York: Bantam Books, 2006).
viii “A man should look for what is, not what he thinks should be.” Albert Einstein, “20 Insightful Albert Einstein Quotes That Will Change Your Mindset,” Lifehack Quotes. Accessed 10/24/20 at https://www.lifehack.org/630993/20-albert-einstein-quotes-that-may-change-your-mindset.
ix A. T. Robertson, Robertson’s New Testament Word Pictures, 1930. Accessed in electronic data base: Biblesoft 2000.
x We see this in Esau (Gen. 27:41; Heb. 12:15-17) and Absalom (2 Sam. 13).
xi Cf. Mark 11:25-26; Rom. 12:19.
xii Not all psychologists do this. There are man Christian counselors who provide biblical help to clients.
xiii The holy garments for the high priest included a crown for his head engraved with the words “Holiness to the Lord” (Ex. 28:35-38). This may signify the purity of thought we are to maintain as kings and priests unto God.
xiv Bruce Barton, Mark Fackler, Linda Taylor, and Dave Veerman, Philippians, Colossians, and Philemon, Life Application Bible Commentary, G. Osborne and P. Comfort, eds. (Wheaton, IL: Tyndale House Publishers, 1995) 118.
xv See NRSV and Adam Clark. Failure to follow the instruction given in Philippians 4:8 can leave a Christian vulnerable to depression. If Satan can get us depressed, he can neutralize much of our effectiveness.
xvi Love “thinks no evil; 6 does not rejoice in iniquity” (1 Cor. 13:5-6).
xvii Barton, et al., 118. The Greek word arete is also in 2 Peter 1:5 as a quality Christians are to diligently seek to incorporate into their lives. Second Peter 1:3 links it with glory when indicating God’s ultimate purpose and destiny for the believer.
xviii Barton et al., 119.
xix Warren W. Wiersbe, Be Joyful (Wheaton IL: Victor Books, 1986) 129. Cf. Proverbs 23:7.
xx F. B. Meyer, Devotional Commentary on Philippians, 1979 (Grand Rapids: Kregel Publications, 1984) 230-231.
xxi “. . . every time you make a choice you are turning the central part of you, the part of you that chooses, into something a little different from what it was before. And taking your life as a whole, with the innumerable choices, all your long life you are slowly turning this central think either into a heavenly creature or into a hellish creature: either into a creature that is in harmony with God, and with other creatures, and with itself, or else into one that is in a state of war and hatred with God, and with its fellow creatures, and with itself.” C. S. Lewis, Mere Christianity, 1952 (New York: HarperCollins Publishers, 1980) 92.
xxii There is probably some difference for everyone. But the greater the inconsistency, the greater the hypocrisy. Our word integrity comes from a Latin word meaning entire. One definition is “the quality or state of being complete or undivided.” Merriam Webster’s Collegiate Dictionary, 10th ed.
xxiii “To think well is to serve God in the inner court.” Thomas Traherne, 4400 Quotations for Christian Communicators, Carroll E. Simeox, complier (Grand Rapids: Baker Book House, 1992) 355.
xxiv Cf. Psalm 119:37.
xxv “The mind of man is the battleground on which every moral and spiritual battle is fought.” J. Oswald Sanders, A Spiritual Clinic: Problems of Christian Discipleship (Chicago: Moody Press, 1958) 20.
xxvi Cf. Romans 6:12-14. Colossians 3:2 tells us to “Set your mind on things above, not on things on the earth.” Again, by the enablement of the Holy Spirit we can do that, and we are responsible to make the decision to do so. The Greek word translated “set your mind” is phroneo. It’s meaning is similar to the way Paul uses logizomai in the Philippians 4:8. Paul has used phroneo seven times in this epistle including the call in Phil 2:5to “Let this mind be in you which was also in Christ Jesus.” In Colossians 3:2 phroneo means “to give careful consideration to something.” BDAG, 1065.
xxvii Psalm 119:9, 11; John 17:17-19; Romans 12:2; Eph. 5:26.
xxviii We find these principles affirmed in Joshua 1:8 and Psalm 1:2 as well.
xxix For extensive teaching on this subject see Watchman Nee, The Spiritual Man (in Three Volumes), Vol. 3 (New York, Christian Fellowship Publishers, 7-44.
xxx I am limiting my exposition of 4:9 because much of the subject was covered in the teaching on Philippians 3:15-21 entitled “Staying on Track (Part 1).
xxxi Cf. Rom. 15:32; 2 Cor. 13:11; 2 Thess. 3:16.
