“But you should keep a clear mind in every situation. Don’t be afraid of suffering for the Lord. Work at telling others the Good News, and fully carry out the ministry God has given you.” – 2 Timothy 4:5 (NLT)
In his closing statements, Paul gives Timothy instruction on something that I feel is so important. He tells him to keep a clear mind. But what does that even mean?
There is a lot of distraction out there these days. Everything around us is fighting for it. And the fight intensifies the deeper that you go into the Word of God. This is because the mind is the #1 place that the enemy will attack us. He will make us think something so intensely that we eventually start to believe it.
I like to call this the stronghold of the mind. How do you protect a stronghold? You place watchmen, guards, along the top to keep an eye out for the enemy. And in this case, the guard is the Word of God. We combat the attacks of the enemy with the Word of God, the Sword of Truth as Paul calls it. This is what Jesus did when He was tempted by the Devil in the wilderness. Every distortion of thought that the enemy threw at the Lord, He would tear down immediately with the Scriptures.
If you read my article from yesterday, then you understand that there has never been a more important time to be clear minded in every situation. Our spiritual discernment needs to be at an all time high, and the only way to do that is to be clear minded and in tune with the Lord at all times. We are in a war, and each believer has been enlisted into this battle from the moment that they came to faith in Christ. The only way to survive a battle is to be alert at all times. One wrong move could cost you your life, and possibly the lives of those around you in some cases.
We must know the Scriptures. We must be clear minded at all times. We must be watchful. And, as Paul tells Timothy, “Preach the word of God. Be prepared, whether the time is favorable or not. Patiently correct, rebuke, and encourage your people with good teaching.” (v. 2)
“May the Lord be with your spirit. And may His grace be with all of you.” – 2 Timothy 4:22
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