God’s Word speaks truth to our minds, while the devil seeks to fill our minds with lies and deception. We choose which voice we will agree with and believe. Our inner talk and what we consistently confess about ourselves reveal what we truly believe. Our confession should agree with God’s truth, for what we believe shapes how we live. John 8:44 “You [scribes and Pharisees] are of your father the devil, and you want to do the desires of your father. He was a murderer from the beginning, and does not stand in the truth, because there is no truth in him. Whenever he speaks a lie, he speaks from his own nature; for he is a liar, and the father of lies. Our adversary is truthless and manipulates people with lies which is evident with his first recorded attack against Eve (Genesis 3:1-6) and again with Jesus (Matthew 4:1-11). Ephesians 6:13-14(ESV) Therefore take up the whole armor of God, that you may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand firm. Stand therefore, having fastened on the belt of truth…. Truth is the first armor of God because it is foundational to everything else in our armor. Truth stabilizes the believer and fortifies us against the lies. The Bible frequently speaks of a person’s heart, mind, and thoughts engaging in internal conversation. Scripture recognizes that what we say to ourselves profoundly influences our attitudes, faith, and actions. Psalm 42:1-11 (ESV) The Psalmist first acknowledges his discouragement, then deliberately redirects his thinking toward God. He replaces despair with truth. The beginning of controlling our inner talk is acknowledging what we are feeling, thinking, or saying is inappropriate and asking God for help. “Father I am feeling very uncomfortable with myself.” “I feel unwanted, please help me.” Psalm 43:5 Why are you cast down, O my soul, and why are you in turmoil within me? Hope in God; for I shall again praise him, my salvation and my God. Psalm 103:1-2 Bless Yahweh, O my soul, and all that is within me, bless his holy name! Bless Yahweh, O my soul, and forget not all his benefits. Unfortunately, way too often our inner voice and outward confession align with the devil’s lies like – “I am worthless, I have nothing to offer, I’m a loser, I’ll never change, nobody loves me, nobody wants me, I’m damaged, something terrible is going to happen, everyone is better than me, I’ll never overcome this.” Mark 2:8 “Jesus, perceiving in his spirit that they thus questioned within themselves…” Jesus often responded to conversations people were having internally. God and Jesus know the inner fight that is ours and they will help if we pursue their help. Philippians 4:8-9 Note that “true” is listed first: WHOLESOME EDIFICATION DESTRUCTIVE True God’s Word, godliness Lies, deception Honorable Worthy of respect Worldly acclaimed Just Morally right and fair Dishonest and corrupt Pure Clean and holy Morally filthy Lovely God’s love and beauty World’s ugliness Commendable Good reputation Reprehensible politics Excellence Godly concepts Worldly concepts Worthy of praise God, Jesus, believers Unbelievers This is not instruction to ignore life’s hardships. Earlier in the chapter, Paul addresses anxiety (6–7), urging believers to bring their concerns to God in prayer. Then, in verse 8, he tells them what to do with their minds afterward. The progression is: Bring your anxieties to God in prayer (vv. 6–7). Receive God’s peace, which guards your heart and mind. Intentionally fill your mind with what is true, righteous, honoring… (v. 8). Put these truths into practice (v. 9). This passage teaches that the Christian mind is not meant to be passive. We cannot always control the thoughts that first enter our minds, but we can choose which thoughts we continue to entertain. Believers are to dwell on thoughts that align with God’s truth and character, because those thoughts shape our attitudes, emotions, and actions. 2 Corinthians 10:5 “…take every thought captive to obey Christ.” Lamentations 3:21–24 “But this I call to mind, and therefore I have hope: NEGATIVE SELF TALK: Worthlessness – “I am worthless,” “I don’t matter,” “No one will miss me.” Who evaluates worth – God or man? (1 Corinthians 6:20; 7:23). You are part of the purpose of the ages, God’s eternal purpose. God had you in mind before the foundation of the world, (Ephesians 1:4) and has called you to be with Him forever (Ephesians 1:10-12). How valuable is someone’s child? “I have nothing to offer” (Ephesians 4:16; 1 Corinthians 12:27). God gave you something to offer – yourself (Romans 12:1). Love for Him and others. No one – not one other person on earth – can do exactly what you can do. “I’m a failure,” “I never do anything right.” You were a failure, but now you are part of an elite spiritual family (2 Corinthians 5:17). You are a new creation in Christ. You are a success – one of the few that accept that Yahweh is God and Jesus is the Messiah. You are a winner. We need you! “No one loves me,” “I’m not wanted,” “People only tolerate me” (Romans 5:8). God Almighty loves you (Romans 5:8; 8:32-39). Stop believing the lies! “I’m damaged,” “I’m dirty,” “My past defines me,” “God could never use someone like me.” Through Christ there is forgiveness and cleansing (1 John 1:9). Paul, David, Peter, and many others were restored after serious failures. “I can’t handle this,” “Something terrible is going to happen,” “I’m going to fail,” “Everything will fall apart.” God repeatedly tells His people, “Do not fear,” because He is with them (Isaiah 41:9-10, Psalm 18:1-3; 31:18-20, 2 Timothy 1:7). Proverbs about the Mouth The mouth of the righteous is a fountain of life, but the mouth of the wicked conceals violence. Proverbs 10:11 The lips of the righteous bring forth what is acceptable, But the mouth of the wicked, what is perverted. Proverbs 10:32 The one who guards his mouth preserves his life; the one who opens wide his lips comes to ruin. Proverbs 13:3 In the mouth of the foolish is a rod for his back, but the lips of the wise will preserve them. Proverbs 14:3 The words of a man’s mouth are deep waters; the fountain of wisdom is a bubbling brook. A fool’s lips bring strife, and his mouth calls for blows. A fool’s mouth is his ruin, and his lips are the snare of his soul. Proverbs 18:4, 6-7 He who guards his mouth and his tongue, guards his soul from troubles. Proverbs 21:23 Words from the mouth of a wise man are gracious, while the lips of a fool consume him. Ecclesiastes 10:12 Discipline Yourself for the Purpose of Godliness – 1 Timothy 4:7 Godliness does not happen accidentally. Just as physical strength develops through consistent exercise, spiritual strength develops through repeated practice—prayer, Scripture, meditation, self-control, serving others, and resisting ungodly influences. Biblical discipline is the deliberate training of our thoughts, desires, emotions, bodies, and behavior so that we are not controlled by selfish impulses but increasingly learn to live according to God’s Word and the Spirit. A renewed mind does not merely think differently; it learns to practice differently so that new thinking produces new living. How habits are formed – Our brains are designed to recognize rewarding experiences and learn from them. When a behavior is followed by something we experience as rewarding or satisfying, the brain can strengthen the association between the behavior and the reward, making us more likely to repeat it. Over time, repeated patterns can become habits. This normal reward-and-learning system can work for our benefit, but it can also contribute to destructive patterns. Behaviors such as overeating, smoking, excessive drinking, compulsive gaming, pornography, or excessive social-media use can become strongly reinforced patterns that are difficult to break. Therefore, renewing the mind requires us to examine our patterns of behavior and intentionally replace harmful rewards with beneficial ones. We start by recognizing the pattern – For example: Work → alcohol: The brain can begin associating the completion of a stressful workday with drinking. Exercise → junk food: Exercise can become paired with an unhealthy food. Difficult task → cigarette: The habit and the chemicals in cigarettes form an addiction. End of long day → mindless TV viewing or ice cream. Accomplishment → scrolling/ gaming/ social media: The brain can learn to expect immediate digital stimulation after completing something challenging. The goal is not simply to remove a reward. It is to replace an unhealthy reward with one that supports the life we want to live. Replacing unhealthy rewards – for example: Work → walk, engage in a healthy hobby, pray, or biblical meditation Accomplishment → meaningful rest, Bible study, or time enjoying God’s creation Exercise → healthy meal or nutritious (protein) smoothie Worry about someone we love → Scripture, prayer, or listening to biblical teaching Stress → listen to music, fellowship with family or friends rather than isolation The principle is not to deny ourselves everything pleasurable. Rather, we can learn to choose rewards that strengthen rather than weaken the life we want to live. Our God-given reward system is part of being human. We cannot simply eliminate it and we do not need to. We can learn to use it wisely. Discipline becomes necessary because what feels rewarding in the moment is not always what is beneficial in the long term. The renewed mind learns to distinguish immediate gratification from greater and lasting benefits. Hebrews 11:26; Romans 8:18; 1 Corinthians 9:24-25; Colossians 3:23-24 We can begin by using immediate, godly rewards to reinforce the behaviors we want to de
