The semblance of a word can vary, communication takes on many forms. In fact, the word “utterance” mentioned in the Holy Bible in reference to speaking in tongues actually translates to “expression” in Greek. Expression is used to convey an emotion or to give voice to a thought. The source of our thoughts: self, the kingdom of light, and the kingdom of dark. In Ephesians 4:17-18 – “Here is what I am telling you. I am speaking for the Lord as I warn you. You must no longer live as the Gentiles do. Their thoughts don’t have any purpose. They can’t understand the truth. They are separated from the life of God. That’s because they don’t know him. And they don’t know him because their hearts are stubborn.” What did Paul mean by this when he addressed the Ephesians (non-Jewish)?
Gentiles are defined simply as someone that is NOT a Jew. This term can refer to the identity of an individual or nations, this is not to say that if we are NOT Jewish, we are unworthy, this means that we are to think more like Jesus. Many people will judge a person’s faith by their outward appearance, or a title given to them in their lifetime, but it is what we think on and the contents of our hearts that reveals who we are and what we believe.
The Voices in our Heads
Don’t be alarmed by the notion of hearing voices, because it is normal in this Biblical aspect. These voices aren’t necessarily audible in the same sense that we think we hear with our physical ears. Every mortal mind has 3 voices. It is important to discern the source for each, however. Often, people are diagnosed with Schizophrenia if they hear multiple voices in their mind, a divided mind. In the Holy Bible there is scripture that warns against possessing a split mind for this reason. God warns us NOT to be “double-minded” in James 1:8 – “being a double-minded man, unstable in all his ways.” Being unstable would no doubt lead to dissention in the mind, and the mind is a battlefield. The beginning of spiritual warfare is a thought not an action. Because the thought is what inspires the act. That is why we are instructed in Proverbs 4:23 – “Above everything else, guard your heart. Everything you do comes from it.”
Everything we think about will affect us in some shape or form. Our minds are subject to the influence of external sources from the world around us and is infiltrated by demons even when we do not realize it, but there is also the Holy Spirit that speaks to us from within. Our own ways of thinking should match his messages of light. We should always pray for discernment, so we know even when the demons mimic the voice of God through our own reasoning. The devil is a liar, and the architect of chaos and destruction. He has the ability, albeit limited, but he doesn’t have authority. Once we know this, we can tell the “voices” apart and we can renew our minds to be “Christ-like”.
How to Guard your Heart/Mind:
- Trust in God NOT Your Understanding (Proverbs 3:5-6)
- Pray Without Ceasing (1 Thessalonians 5:16-18)
- Have Empathy (Proverbs 3:5)
- Love Your Neighbor (Matthew 22:39)
- Follow your (Righteous) Heart (Philippians 4:8)
- DWJD – Do What Jesus Did (Ezekiel 36:26)
- ALWAYS Wear the Armor of God (Ephesians 6:10-18)
- Deliverance (Psalm 34:4)
