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The world wants us to think and act one way. God would have us to think and act a different way. Our sanctification is that very battle lived out, with God ultimately having the victory in the end at the day of Christ. But until then, we are to look to cultivate our minds in the way Gods calls us. We are in this world, but not of it. There’s a difference, so when Scripture talks this way it’s thinking about the world in its corrupt nature, immoral lifestyle, and ungodly living. It talks about how the world does whatever it thinks is right in its own eyes. The world sees humans as supreme and is not in submission to the one true God. We must not be conformed to such a world. Paul had talked about how the world in its rebellion against God had become corrupted and depraved.“For what I am doing, I do not understand. For what I will to do, that I do not practice; but what I hate, that I do. If, then, I do what I will not to do, I agree with the law that it is good. But now, it is no longer I who do it, but sin that dwells in me. For I know that in me (that is, in my flesh) nothing good dwells; for to will is present with me, but how to perform what is good I do not find. For the good that I will to do, I do not do; but the evil I will not to do, that I practice. Now if I do what I will not to do, it is no longer I who do it, but sin that dwells in me” Romans 7:15–20 (NKJV). It’s important that we take on the mind of Christ. We must not be conformed to the unregenerated man’s way of thinking.
The nature of mankind repeatedly engages in immoral and wicked actions, this is why their minds and hearts had been horribly affected. They had debased minds and darkened hearts. In other words, the problem with the world’s wickedness was far more than just in what they did. It’s the way the world thought about things–that was fundamentally flawed. And so, when Paul talks about not being conformed to the world, we need to be concerned not merely with our behavior. We need to especially be concerned with how we think. “But he who is spiritual judges all things, yet he himself is rightly judged by no one. For “who has known the mind of the Lord that he may instruct Him?” But we have the mind of Christ” 1 Corinthians 2:15–16 (NKJV). A Christian is undergoing a metamorphosis. Think of the caterpillar becoming a butterfly. That’s biological metamorphosis. Well, we are to be changing from one thing to another. Spiritual metamorphosis. We are being transformed from conformity to the world to conformity to Christ. And as this verse points out, that especially has a priority on our mind. How we think about things needs to be changing. That will in turn lead to changed actions. It’s like how Jesus said that out of men’s hearts comes our various sinful actions. And so, our transformation from being like the world to being like Christ especially needs to focus on the inner self.
On our heart and mind. The renewing of our mind is so that we can be proving what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God. The biblical truth renews your mind in such a way that it colors how you interpret the world around you. The difference is profound. We are still commanded here to be conformed, be conformed to all of this. The idea is that when it comes to our sanctification, God works through our actions that look to grow in him. And so, the encouragement is that God’s ultimately the one at work. He grows us. He renews our minds. See his grace in this. But he also commands us to be transformed by the renewing of our mind. What this means is we are told how it is that God will grow us. We know how to be received his gracious work of mind renewal. Given that my behavior begins in your mind, and your mind is where spiritual transformation happens, is it any surprise that the adversary wants to mess with your thinking. It must be his favorite first attempt to distract and disarm Christians, and it usually works. A feeling of heaviness accompanies my self–defeating thoughts. When it comes to renewing your mind, keep in mind that God has already done His part. And it is clear that He will not do your part. Everyone has to take accountability and responsibility for the reason it’s important to renew their minds. After all, it is your mind, yet it’s your main objective and priority to seek the Lord to help you renew your mind.
We need to learn to think like God thinks. We need to get rid of our sinful attitudes, our negative, critical ways of thinking, our selfish thoughts. Renewing your mind should not be confused with thoughts that come into the mind that will lead you down the path of unrighteousness or out of the will of God. Many times, we cannot stop certain thoughts from entering our mind, but there’s a need to seek the Lord to help us to maintain this changed and renewed mind. But what we do with that thought the instant we recognize that thought-that's where our response clearly shows whether or not we are renewing our mind. Much of what we think about is directly connected to what we are feeding into our mind. If you put pornography into your mind-that is what you will end up thinking about. And what goes into your mind affects your whole life. “For your obedience has become known to all. Therefore I am glad on your behalf; but I want you to be wise in what is good, and simple concerning evil” Romans 16:19 (NKJV). God tells us to take on the mindset of a season or veteran soldier fighting the enemy. These evil thoughts are not conquered by ignoring them, any more than a soldier ignores his enemy. The soldier faces his enemy and fights him. We must do the same when we face evil thoughts. We must use the strategies of a soldier–fight with passion! Satan is our enemy, committed to destroying us. You must speak God's truth to the evil thoughts that come to you.