Summary:

There is a slogan that says, “A mind is a terrible thing to waste.” We allow our minds to be wasted when we adopt mindsets that oppose the Word of
God. We must renew our minds daily to keep our thoughts in line with
the Word. When mind renewal begins to affect our subconscious thinking,
we will see lasting change in our lives.




  1. Renewing the mind is necessary to live a successful Christian life (Romans 8:5, 6; Romans 12:2).
    1. If our thinking does not line up with the Word, we must change it.
      1. A fleshy mindset contradicts the Word of God, and leads to death.
      2. A spiritual mindset agrees with the Word, and leads to life and peace.
    2. Death in Romans 8:6 refers to separation from the Father and His provisions.
      1. An example of this separation is found in the parable of The Prodigal Son (Luke 15:11-18).
      2. The son asked for his inheritance, then went out and wasted all of it.
      3. What God has given many of us, we give to the world rather than the Kingdom of God i.e. gifts, talents, and resources (Luke 15:12).
      4. The son joined himself to the world, and, as a result, he found himself poor and hungry. Wrong thinking separated him from his father.
      5. He changed his thinking, and it led him back to his father and his provision.
    3. Many times, we are waiting for God to make a move, but God is waiting on us to take the first step.
      1. God has already done His part.
      2. We must change our thinking and actions to line up with His Word.
      3. Renewing the mind is a lifetime process; it must become a lifestyle.
      4. Change is a process, not a one-time event.
  2. The Process of Change
    1. Decide to change.
      1. A decision is an open door into reality.
    2. Desire change.
      1. You must want it bad enough. If you do not want it, ask God to give you the desire to want it.
    3. Deepen your knowledge, awareness, and understanding.
      1. Be educated in the Word. God’s knowledge is greater than any knowledge in society.
    4. Be diligent.
      1. Be faithful to your decision to change.
    5. Defend your mind from the old way of thinking.
    6. Disassociate with some people or circumstances that do not support the change you want to make.
    7. Depend on God for help.
  3. A negative stronghold is a construction of many layers of negative thoughts concerning a particular issue (2 Corinthians 10:3-5).
    1. When we have strongholds in our minds, we are holding on to a certain type of knowledge.
      1. Usually, that knowledge consists of thoughts that bring a certain type of pleasure or relief, which causes addictions to form.
      2. Our minds will hold on to the bad thinking until we decide to change.
      3. We should gather God’s knowledge and refuse to take counsel from ungodly people (Psalm 1:1, 2).
      4. When we have a stronghold of ungodly knowledge, we will resist godly knowledge.
      5. However, when we have a stronghold of godly knowledge, we will resist ungodly knowledge.
  4. In the Garden of Eden, God told Adam and Eve that if they decided to get their knowledge from a source other than Him, they would die (Genesis 2:16, 17).
    1. The way back to the Garden is by renewing your mind with God’s Word.
      1. Since Satan cannot curse those who are blessed, he will try to get God’s people to rebel against Him.
      2. We cause a curse to come on our lives when we turn away from God.
      3. The curse is evident when nothing is working in our lives.
    2. Be renewed in the Spirit of your mind (Ephesians 4:22-24).
      1. The spirit of your mind is your subconscious level of thinking.
      2. It includes actions and thought patterns that are programmed by habit and training.
      3. We must continue to renew our minds until it becomes a habit and our thinking automatically agrees with the Word of God.

Scripture References:

  • Romans 8:5, 6
  • Romans 12:2
  • Luke 15:11-18
  • 2 Corinthians 10:3-5
  • Psalms 1:1-2
  • Genesis 2:16-17 Ephesians 4:22-2