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. For to be carnally minded is death, but to be spiritually minded is life and peace. Because the carnal mind is enmity against God; for it is not subject to the law of God, nor indeed can be. Romans 8:5-7
The carnal mind is, by its very nature, self-seeking and rebellious; it can be nothing else. This is the source of its enmity with God. When Adam and Eve disobeyed God by eating of the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil, the desire to reason like God was forever linked to our fallen state.
This does not end when we are born again. We are given a new heart and spirit, but the mind remains carnal. Turning to our carnal mind – something most have been trained to do since kindergarten – invites the rebellion and sin of our carnal flesh.
Consequently, our carnal mind must be exposed and overcome. This is accomplished by the renewing of our mind – an iterative and ongoing process that depends on our submission to, and active participation with, the Holy Spirit (Romans 12:2; 2Corinthians 3:18).
Our reckoning (logizomai) the truth of God’s word serves as a catalyst for the renewing of our mind. Together, reckoning and renewing are important steps in our becoming obedient to the faith (Romans 1:5; 16:26).
Most Greek words carry much deeper meaning than the English translation. A word study of logizomai will bring clarity and encouragement for participation in the renewal of our mind. Romans 6:11 is a great place to start. Other references include 1Corinthians 13:11, Galatians 3:6, and Philippians 4:8 – just to name a few of its 41 uses.
Another word which has taken on limited meaning in modern church vernacular is “repent”. The Greek word translated as repent (metanoeō) literally means “to change one’s mind”. This change of mind eventually leads to the change in behavior that God requires.
John the Baptist, Jesus, and Peter all began their ministry with a call for their listeners to change their mind – about their sin (Mark 1:4), the kingdom of God (Mark 1:15), and God’s covenant with His people (Acts 2:38-39). How might this “repentance” change your Christian walk?
Quite a bit, I suspect; for much of our frustration over repeated sin can be traced back to failure in addressing the source of our thinking. The carnal mind is the “mind” of our flesh. Think about that for a moment (no pun intended). The flesh will respond to it, no matter how hard we try to convince it to act otherwise.
This is both a personal and corporate issue. In much of the church, group-thinking provides camouflage and ammunition for our carnal mind. Is it possible that the reformation of the Western church depends on our exposing and overcoming the carnal mind’s presence and influence?
We believe so, and have recently written a book that addresses the carnal mind as the #1 enemy of Christians and the church; and offers God’s way for overcoming its presence and influence. An Enemy Lies Within will be available in eBook form by the end of January, 2019 (you can preorder now from most outlets); and in a print edition later in the year.
We humbly offer it to the church for the advancement of God’s kingdom,
Rob