Just like the computer, we all have been encoded with a unique MAC address. By MAC here I mean “Mind Access Control”.
Computers and most electronic devices come with a hard-coded series of hexadecimal numbers that is used to identify that computer or device. These addresses are unique to a particular device and are thus referred to as the physical addresses of these devices.
Just like the computer, we all have been encoded with a unique MAC address. By MAC here I mean “Mind Access Control”. We all have it. I have one time or the other heard people say, “I just can’t do without this or that”. Whatever they might be. We have programmed our minds to think that way.
Satan wants us to believe we can’t control that which comes into out mind or how they come in. He wants us to believe we just can’t do away with certain addictions and habits. But this is a contrary belief to what the word of God tells us.
“Finally, brethren, whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report; if there be any virtue, and if there be any praise, think on these things”-(Philippians 4:8).
In other words, God wants us to control what we think about. Not just to let our minds loosed to the elements of this world. One of my favourite writers puts it this way:
“You will have to become a faithful sentinel over your eyes, ears, and all your senses if you would control your mind and prevent vain and corrupt thoughts from staining your soul”-(Ellen G White, Testimonies For The Church vol. 2, 561)
“In no case can Satan obtain dominion over the thoughts, words, and actions, unless we voluntarily open the door and invite him to enter.”-(Ellen G White, Adventist Home, p.402)
Your mind is the key to your soul. Just as an encrypted password to a vault. But the greater task is protecting the control of it. It’s either we control it or we allow the devil do it for us.
Impure THOUGHTS Leads To Impure Actions
“This is an age when corruption is teeming everywhere. The lust of the eye and corrupt passions are aroused by beholding and by reading. The heart is corrupted through the imagination. The mind takes pleasure in contemplating scenes which awaken the lower and baser passions. These vile images, seen through defiled imagination, corrupt the morals and prepare the deluded, infatuated beings to give loose rein to lustful passions. Then follow sins and crimes which drag beings formed in the image of God down to a level with the beasts, sinking them at last in perdition.”-(Ellen G White, Testimonies For The Church 2, 410.)
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I hear most people say “I know how to control the things I see, hear and think”. But what they have failed to understand is that “by beholding, we become changed”-2 Corinthians 3:18 and out of the abundance of the heart proceeds the actions we tend to carry out.
A basic COMPUTER SCIENCE principle is “GIGO”-(Garbage In Garbage Out). That is exactly what it is also to our mind. Sometimes we wonder why we cannot do away with certain habbits. We complain about our inability to change when we want to. The reality is that this cannot be possible not until we guard well the avenues of our soul.
Ellen White puts it this way:
“Those who would not fall a prey to Satan’s devices must guard well the avenues of the soul; they must avoid reading, seeing, or hearing that which will suggest impure thoughts.” -(Messages to Young People, p.285)
“Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.”-James 4:7
MAKING CONSCIOUS DECISION
Just like the computer, we all have been encoded with a unique MAC address. By MAC here I mean “Mind Access Control”. We all have it. I have one time or the other heard people say, “I just can’t do without this or that”. Whatever they might be. We have programmed our minds to think that way.
Satan wants us to believe we can’t control that which comes into out mind or how they come in. He wants us to believe we just can’t do away with certain addictions and habits. But this is a contrary belief to what the word of God tells us.
“Finally, brethren, whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report; if there be any virtue, and if there be any praise, think on these things”-(Philippians 4:8).
In other words, God wants us to control what we think about. Not just to let our minds loosed to the elements of this world. One of my favourite writers puts it this way:
“You will have to become a faithful sentinel over your eyes, ears, and all your senses if you would control your mind and prevent vain and corrupt thoughts from staining your soul”-(Ellen G White, Testimonies For The Church vol. 2, 561)
“In no case can Satan obtain dominion over the thoughts, words, and actions, unless we voluntarily open the door and invite him to enter.”-(Ellen G White, Adventist Home, p.402)
Your mind is the key to your soul. Just as an encrypted password to a vault. But the greater task is protecting the control of it. It’s either we control it or we allow the devil do it for us.
Impure THOUGHTS Leads To Impure Actions
“This is an age when corruption is teeming everywhere. The lust of the eye and corrupt passions are aroused by beholding and by reading. The heart is corrupted through the imagination. The mind takes pleasure in contemplating scenes which awaken the lower and baser passions. These vile images, seen through defiled imagination, corrupt the morals and prepare the deluded, infatuated beings to give loose rein to lustful passions. Then follow sins and crimes which drag beings formed in the image of God down to a level with the beasts, sinking them at last in perdition.”-(Ellen G White, Testimonies For The Church 2, 410.)
READ ALSO
Top Adventist App for Worship
I hear most people say “I know how to control the things I see, hear and think”. But what they have failed to understand is that “by beholding, we become changed”-2 Corinthians 3:18 and out of the abundance of the heart proceeds the actions we tend to carry out.
A basic COMPUTER SCIENCE principle is “GIGO”-(Garbage In Garbage Out). That is exactly what it is also to our mind. Sometimes we wonder why we cannot do away with certain habbits. We complain about our inability to change when we want to. The reality is that this cannot be possible not until we guard well the avenues of our soul.
Ellen White puts it this way:
“Those who would not fall a prey to Satan’s devices must guard well the avenues of the soul; they must avoid reading, seeing, or hearing that which will suggest impure thoughts.” -(Messages to Young People, p.285)
“Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.”-James 4:7
MAKING CONSCIOUS DECISION
We have to understand our problem and make firm decisions to overcome them and be victorious. But the question again is “Is it ever possible?”
The very act of trying to make changes to our situations, say our thoughts, words, actions and even our motives, will always bring us to huge walls or mountains if you like of impossibilities. Let me explain.
The apostle Paul gives us a glimpse to this in the following text:
The very act of trying to make changes to our situations, say our thoughts, words, actions and even our motives, will always bring us to huge walls or mountains if you like of impossibilities. Let me explain.
The apostle Paul gives us a glimpse to this in the following text:
“I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me.”- Philippians 4:13
“For that which I do I allow not: for what I would, that do I not; but what I hate, that do I.”-Romans 7:15
The above texts tells us that just like Paul, we can only try and keep failing because it’s not about us but about God. No wonder the same Paul gives us a clear picture why it is impossible for us to change ourselves and situation. Speaking to the Philippi Christians, he said “for it is God which worketh in you both to will and to do of his good pleasure.”(Philippians 2:13). Notice that even the very will to do the things we want to is all about God. But does that mean I have to sit back and wait till there is a supernatural feeling in me to show that God has started working in me? The answer is No!!!
God has given us the power to make choices for ourselves. All He does in the entire process is to help us make the right choices. What this means is that we first need to have a willing mind before God can act. But He keeps speaking to our hearts so we can take the right path and make the right decisions but he doesn’t force us to make these decisions. That is why the Bible says “For if there be first a willing mind, it is accepted according to that a man hath, and not according to that he hath not.”(2 Corinthians 8:12)
“Those who would not fall a prey to Satan’s devices must guard well the avenues of the soul; they must avoid reading, seeing, or hearing that which will suggest impure thoughts. The mind should not be left to wander at random upon every subject that the adversary of souls may suggest.”-(Ellen G White, Messages to Young People, p.285)
WHAT ARE WE TO PROTECT AGAINST?
So far we’ve been talking about protecting our minds from the illegal access of the devil. I want to choose this opportunity to quickly highlight the basic ways the devil gains access into our minds and controls us.
We might all be familiar with the terms “VIRUS” and “ANTIVIRUS”. These are basically terms used more often in the technology world. But permit me still to use these terms but from a religious perspective.
Trojan Horse Virus
We might have heard of this virus but never knew why it was named thus. During the war between the Greeks and Trojans, it was very difficult for the Greeks to conquer the kingdom of Troy. Until they came up with the idea to build a mighty horse which would serve as a gift to the Trojan. But beneath this plan was also to create a hollow in the horse to hide some soldiers.
The Trojans did come finally, after the Grecians had pretended to sail away, taking the horse into their city and shut the gates. As the night grew older, the hidden soldiers came down from the horse, opened the gates to their colleagues and that was the last of the city of Troy.
The story might have been undetailed, but my point is all about the deception and stealth. Just like the Greeks, the devil presents certain habits to us that seem quite harmless but within is embedded tools to divert our minds from God. It makes us feel evil is not really evil. Examples in this category are Entertainments viz: movies, music, novels, games,’social media’ and lots more. They appear innocent in the outside but deep within its a killer. I used to be a victim of this category. I spent my time seeing movies that where not relevant to my life or career. I dedicated virtually more than half of my time in the world of movies. Though I have never been so much of a fan of games but I know the devil has won so many into His camp through this means.
Notice I put social media in quotation marks. This is because it could be for good and evil also. The gospel can be propagated through this means as well as perpetrate evil. This is where we need to be very careful who we allow control our minds.
When we spend more of our time seeing the violence and spiritism in the movies, chances are that with time you begin to appeal unconsciously to them in the real world. After seeing one of the Harry Potter collections titled "Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire", I noticed that I was trying to say the very same incantations Harry used to open a door with a sculpted snake on it. I didn’t see it as evil, after all I wanted to bring back a snake to life which to me is a good thing. But little did I know I was already a sympathiser of wizardry. I could go on and further about this very point and we’ll not live the topic.
Like E.G White puts it, we should not see, read or hear those things that will generate impure thoughts in our minds.
“For that which I do I allow not: for what I would, that do I not; but what I hate, that do I.”-Romans 7:15
The above texts tells us that just like Paul, we can only try and keep failing because it’s not about us but about God. No wonder the same Paul gives us a clear picture why it is impossible for us to change ourselves and situation. Speaking to the Philippi Christians, he said “for it is God which worketh in you both to will and to do of his good pleasure.”(Philippians 2:13). Notice that even the very will to do the things we want to is all about God. But does that mean I have to sit back and wait till there is a supernatural feeling in me to show that God has started working in me? The answer is No!!!
God has given us the power to make choices for ourselves. All He does in the entire process is to help us make the right choices. What this means is that we first need to have a willing mind before God can act. But He keeps speaking to our hearts so we can take the right path and make the right decisions but he doesn’t force us to make these decisions. That is why the Bible says “For if there be first a willing mind, it is accepted according to that a man hath, and not according to that he hath not.”(2 Corinthians 8:12)
“Those who would not fall a prey to Satan’s devices must guard well the avenues of the soul; they must avoid reading, seeing, or hearing that which will suggest impure thoughts. The mind should not be left to wander at random upon every subject that the adversary of souls may suggest.”-(Ellen G White, Messages to Young People, p.285)
WHAT ARE WE TO PROTECT AGAINST?
So far we’ve been talking about protecting our minds from the illegal access of the devil. I want to choose this opportunity to quickly highlight the basic ways the devil gains access into our minds and controls us.
We might all be familiar with the terms “VIRUS” and “ANTIVIRUS”. These are basically terms used more often in the technology world. But permit me still to use these terms but from a religious perspective.
Trojan Horse Virus
We might have heard of this virus but never knew why it was named thus. During the war between the Greeks and Trojans, it was very difficult for the Greeks to conquer the kingdom of Troy. Until they came up with the idea to build a mighty horse which would serve as a gift to the Trojan. But beneath this plan was also to create a hollow in the horse to hide some soldiers.
The Trojans did come finally, after the Grecians had pretended to sail away, taking the horse into their city and shut the gates. As the night grew older, the hidden soldiers came down from the horse, opened the gates to their colleagues and that was the last of the city of Troy.
The story might have been undetailed, but my point is all about the deception and stealth. Just like the Greeks, the devil presents certain habits to us that seem quite harmless but within is embedded tools to divert our minds from God. It makes us feel evil is not really evil. Examples in this category are Entertainments viz: movies, music, novels, games,’social media’ and lots more. They appear innocent in the outside but deep within its a killer. I used to be a victim of this category. I spent my time seeing movies that where not relevant to my life or career. I dedicated virtually more than half of my time in the world of movies. Though I have never been so much of a fan of games but I know the devil has won so many into His camp through this means.
Notice I put social media in quotation marks. This is because it could be for good and evil also. The gospel can be propagated through this means as well as perpetrate evil. This is where we need to be very careful who we allow control our minds.
When we spend more of our time seeing the violence and spiritism in the movies, chances are that with time you begin to appeal unconsciously to them in the real world. After seeing one of the Harry Potter collections titled "Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire", I noticed that I was trying to say the very same incantations Harry used to open a door with a sculpted snake on it. I didn’t see it as evil, after all I wanted to bring back a snake to life which to me is a good thing. But little did I know I was already a sympathiser of wizardry. I could go on and further about this very point and we’ll not live the topic.
Like E.G White puts it, we should not see, read or hear those things that will generate impure thoughts in our minds.
Our greatest desire should be to do submit completely to the will of God. Its our only safeguard in such a time like this. Remember no one can force you to sin. "The strongest temptation cannot excuse sin. However great the pressure brought to bear upon the soul, transgression is our own act."-(E.G White, Messages to Young People, p.62)
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