by J. Randal Matheny

September 11th. The third anniversary of the terrorist attack on the World Trade Center. After three years, the difficult war on terrorism continues.

The difficult war of THINKING also continues.

Philippians 4:8 points the way:

"Finally, brethren, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is of good repute, if there is any excellence and if anything worthy of praise, dwell on these things."

Dwell on these things. Why is the proper use of the mind so important? Three truths suggest themselves.

First, everything STARTS in the mind.

We thrill with the stories of those who trekked upriver to find the source of the Amazon, the Nile, and other important rivers. That knowledge may have been useful. But to those who want to steer true in life, no fact is more important than knowing where it all starts. In the mind.

The Contemporary English Version translates Proverbs 4:23 this way: "Carefully guard your thoughts because they are the source of true life." The original Hebrew word usually translated "heart" is properly translated "thoughts" here because the Hebrews thought of the heart as encompassing the whole of man's interior life.

The thoughts are the wellspring of life. From the thoughts bubble up the life-essence. From the mind spring actions, feelings, purposes, decisions.

The beginning of Christian life starts with faith and repentance, two actions of the mind. Conversion to Christ is first of all a mental action, a decision to believe in the message presented through facts, arguments, appeals, and promises.

Jesus said sin starts in the mind. "For from within, out of the heart of man, proceed the evil thoughts, fornications, thefts, murders, adulteries, deeds of coveting and wickedness, as well as deceit, sensuality, envy, slander, pride and foolishness. All these evil things proceed from within and defile the man" (Mark 7:21-23, NASU).

So the mind produces the actions. That is why John Stott can say, "Self-control is primarily mind-control."

If we want to produce good actions, we must first think good thoughts, "dwell on these things."

Second, the mind is the primary spiritual BATTLEFIELD.

Satan's principle strategy is to gain control of my mind. And his tactics and methods are more perverse than those of the terrorists.

Before Eve sinned, the devil set up a trap to substitute God's positives with evil thoughts. Doubts about his word: "Has God said ...?" Lies about God: "For God knows ..." The devil attacked Eve's mind.

Likewise, Paul's great concern is for the mind. To the Corinthians he wrote, "But I am afraid that, as the serpent deceived Eve by his craftiness, your minds will be led astray from the simplicity and purity of devotion to Christ" (2 Corinthians 11:3).

Paul wants us to have a one-track mind. And a closed mind, at that. He continues ironically in verse 4: "For if one comes and preaches another Jesus whom we have not preached, or you receive a different spirit which you have not received, or a different gospel which you have not accepted, you bear this beautifully."

When the mind is closed around the true Christ and the true gospel, it should not be open to other influences.

The one-track, closed mind uses spiritual weapons to "take every thought captive to the obedience of Christ" (2 Corinthians 10:4-5). This net must not let a single one escape to damage the Christian thought-life.

The thought patterns of Christ are our best weapon in this war. "Therefore, since Christ has suffered in the flesh, arm yourselves also with the same purpose [literally, "mind"], because he who has suffered in the flesh has ceased from sin" (1 Peter 4:1).

Third, thinking is the EFFORT of meditation.

The information glut and the speed of the Internet are keeping us from the slow work of meditation. We don't stop and think anymore, we skip and scan. Instead of dwelling on these things, we dash to the next item.

Though none is wrong in and of itself, you can with difficulty dwell on these things while you

• watch TV or films
• listen to worldly music
• play videogames
• surf the Internet
• chat on the phone or messenger
• party
• play or watch sports

The problem is permitting these activities to occupy our time and mind space, rather than mulling over the truths, principles, promises, facts, and commands of the gospel as we let them slowly soak into the fabric of our thoughts and establish strong neural patterns in our brain.

Such an effort requires constant attention, exactly like the successful righteous man who "meditates day and night" in the law of the Lord (Psalm 1:2). Only in this way will the mind be prepared for action as its hope is fixed "completely on the grace that is to be brought you at the revelation of Jesus Christ" (1 Peter 1:13).

September 11th. The day the long war began.

And when did you start to "dwell on these things?" Keep dwelling. To win the war.