Chapter 10
The
Renewed Mind and Inner Healing
And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God. Romans 12:2
For to be carnally minded is death; but to be spiritually minded is life and peace. Romans 8:6
For as he thinketh in his heart, so is he.
Proverbs 23:7
When you say “I can’t,” you are
right, even if you are a child of God. When you say “I can’t,” you are siding
with the devil against the Word of God, and you will not be able to accomplish
the things God desires in your life! When you repeatedly state, “I can do all things through Christ which
strengtheneth me” (Philippians
You cannot have a negative mind and a victorious life. A life with ungodly beliefs and a life of victory cannot go together. When we side with the devil against God’s Word, we are in big trouble!
Death and life are in the power of the tongue: and they that love it shall eat the fruit thereof.
Proverbs 18:21
We must cast down all negative thoughts that the devil brings to our minds and replace them with faith thoughts. We must fight the good fight of faith. There is tremendous victory in having our minds in agreement with God’s Word. This is what faith is: believing and taking action on God’s Word, on His promises.
We need not be victims of the past, nor of people, nor of present circumstances. The Lord is our Shepherd. Trust Him and His promises. He will never leave you nor forsake you. Let Him be in control of your life.
We must renew our minds to the truths that we can, indeed, do all things through our mighty Lord Jesus, and that in every difficulty, God will be the source of supplying all of our needs. The Scriptures promise:
We are more than conquerors through him that loved us. Romans 8:37
But my God shall supply all your need according to his riches in glory by Christ Jesus.
Philippians 4:19
These truths will mightily change your life.
When you believe that through Jesus Christ you can be successful in every area of your life, God will bring it to pass (see Psalm 37:5). When you disbelieve or doubt, you attract “reasons” and negative people to support your disbelief. Doubt, disbelief and a subconscious will to fail, the not-really-wanting-to-succeed mentality, is responsible for most failures. This is a demonic stronghold that needs to be broken through the renewal of your mind.
Moving From Darkness Into Light
What does it mean, then, to have your mind renewed, and what will it accomplish for you? It is a complete change in the way you view life and relationships. It is moving from darkness into light, from the natural or carnal way of thinking to the spiritual. To have a “renewed mind” means to have the way you think changed by the Holy Spirit to the way God thinks and believes. You begin to see things from God’s perspective, from His viewpoint. He has said:
My thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, saith the Lord. For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways, and my thoughts than your thoughts.
Isaiah 55:8-9
Faith in God —in His truth, in His principles — will become a way of life. You will experience and live in the peace that passes all understanding.
The way you think will affect your words and your actions and, therefore, will determine whether you live in victory or defeat, in fulfillment or frustration.
A good man out of the good treasure of the heart bringeth forth good things: and an evil man out of the evil treasure bringeth forth evil things.
Matthew 12:35
As your mind becomes renewed to God’s truths, by having the Word of God planted deeply in your heart, you will bring forth good things in your life — good words and good actions — which, in turn, will cause you to be “more than a conqueror” through Christ Jesus.
The Law of Sowing and Reaping
If you insulate a house well, you will save money and be more comfortable. If you eat nutritiously and exercise correctly, you will have a strong body, more energy and less sickness. If you pay your tithes, God will bless you financially. If you delight yourself in the Lord, He will give you the desires of your heart (see Psalm 37:4). You “sow” an action and you “reap” a result.
All of life is based on cause and effect, sowing and reaping. The Bible says:
Be not deceived; God is not mocked: for whatsoever a man soweth, that shall he also reap. For he that soweth to his flesh shall of the flesh reap corruption; but he that soweth to the Spirit shall of the Spirit reap life everlasting. Galatians 6:7-8
God’s Success Principles
God does not promise you a life without trials, but He has promised you victory in every trial:
There hath no temptation taken you but such as is common to man: but God is faithful, who will not suffer you to be tempted above that ye are able; but will with the temptation also make a way to escape, that ye may be able to bear it. 2 Timothy 2:12
If we suffer, we shall also reign with him: if we deny him, he also will deny us. 1 Corinthians 10:13
God has success principles that apply to every area of your life. His truth, His Word, His principles and His laws will set you free from every bondage, every stronghold, and will produce prosperity in every area of your life.
The Lord instructed Joshua to renew his mind to the Word of God. The Lord spoke to him:
This book of the law shall not depart out of thy mouth; but thou shalt meditate therein day and night, that thou mayest observe to do according to all that is written therein: for then thou shalt make thy way prosperous, and then thou shalt have good success.
Joshua 1:8
Renewing your mind to God’s Word, to His success principles,
will cause you to “sow” actions that will “reap” success in every area of your
life, including your relationships with God, your family and your friends, as
well as success in your job and in your finances.
Your Mind Becomes Conformed
to What You Meditate On
You must be careful not to behold or focus on the wrong images, including the wrong image of yourself! You need to be full of the Word, God’s truth, His promises, so you won’t be overwhelmed by the problems of life. Focus on the promises of God, not the problems, not the mountains in your life.
When necessary, the Holy Spirit will anoint you to glance, not in fear but in faith, at the problems in life. You must look at your problems, your trials, as challenges, as opportunities for God to show His greatness. He has many miracles for you. Reach out by faith and grab them!
Through the mighty power of the Holy Spirit or, negatively, through the power of the enemy, you are transformed into what you meditate on — good or bad, godly or ungodly. Meditating, pondering and reflecting on the Word of God will teach you His principles, His laws, and this will renew your mind. These principles and laws become birthed within you. They will become part of you. Meditation on His Word will cause you to become more and more godlike!
The Word of God states:
But we all, with unveiled face, beholding as in a mirror the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from glory to glory, just as by the Spirit of the Lord. 2 Corinthians 3:18, NKJ
If you meditate on the faults of
others, you will become like them. If you meditate on the pleasures of the
world, you will become like people of the world. If you meditate on the
problems in your life instead of on the promises of God’s abundant supply (see Philippians
Praise is a language of faith. Complaining is an attitude, or mind-set, of unbelief and even rebellion. It includes self-pity, and even blaming God! The Lord desires us to praise Him continually for the blessings of life and also for the trials in our lives, and to be set free from such complaining and unbelief! David, said:
I will bless the Lord at all times: his praise shall continually be in my mouth. Psalm 34:1
Some people are willing to praise God in their trials, but they can’t understand why we should praise God for those trials. “Aren’t trials caused, directly or indirectly, by the devil?” they might ask. This is true, but God is in control of our lives, and He desires to bring good out of every bad situation. Praising Him for the trials and hardships of life is a language of faith. It shows we trust God, and it “releases” Him to work on our behalf to bring good out of the situation.
Praising for the trial removes fear and enhances our relationship with Him. The Word of God tells us:
And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose. Romans 8:28
Giving thanks always for all things unto God and the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ.
Ephesians 5:20
My brethren, count it all joy when ye fall into divers temptations. James 1:2
Joseph came to know that God brings good out of evil. Years
after his brothers sold him into slavery in
Ye thought evil against me; but God meant it unto good. Genesis 50:20
Over the years, Pattie and I have experienced great
blessings from praising God for trials in our lives. For example, our car broke
down when we were on our way to a revival meeting in
Within three minutes, an empty car carrier stopped. The
driver pulled our car on top and allowed the four of us to squeeze into the cab
with him. Then he sped off, taking us to where we could get help, and we
arrived on time in
Once when Pattie was driving in
Last year I was closing a roll-up metal self-storage door and caught three of my fingers in it. When I finally got my fingers out of the door, I was in such terrible pain that I feared permanent damage. With Pattie’s strong encouragement, I praised God for the accident and the pain. To my amazement, soon the pain vanished, and there was not even a bruise on my fingers, although the metal of the accordion-like door was bent in three places where my three fingers had been caught!
Trust God and know that He will never let any trial come to you unless He can bring good out of it. Praise God even for the small irritations of life. He will often teach you valuable lessons through them. Murmuring, complaining and self-pity will leave, and a new peace and faith will come into your life.
I encourage you to read Merlin Carothers’ book, Power in Praise, on the awesome victories and power from praising God for the trials of life.
Adamic Sin and Ungodly Beliefs
Because of Adamic sin and the generational sins of our family line, we live in a world of sin, fear, deception, lies and half-truths. From birth, because of hurts (including negative words and ideas) and rejection by loved ones, our minds have been programmed to a multitude of ungodly beliefs. These wrong beliefs — these incorrect, ungodly ways of thinking — become demonic strongholds in a person’s life. Furthermore, they don’t just make life more difficult. They squeeze us like an octopus. These strongholds trap us in a spiritual prison of wrong thinking.
Each one of us, to a large extent, lives his life with these wrong beliefs. We believe lies about ourselves, about God, and about others. It is difficult for us to trust God in our hearts when every important person in our lives has let us down, deeply hurt us or disappointed us.
Most people are afraid of and rebel against surrendering their beliefs, ideas and self-control to anyone. This includes God because they assign to God the ungodly qualities of their parents and other authority figures. These wrong beliefs are strongholds and must be broken. Our minds must be renewed to God’s way of thinking.
Getting Rid of Ungodly Beliefs
Your mind cannot be “renewed” to God’s way of thinking until you are willing to be changed, and until you know how to give up your present ungodly beliefs — your ways of controlling your own life. God wants you totally dependent on Him.
As emphasized throughout this book, one of the major purposes of inner healing and deliverance is to change us on the inside, to produce within us the character of Christ. This includes the mind of Christ — the way He thinks. Therefore, having our minds renewed to God’s way of thinking, to His principles and laws, is the most important spiritual tool or principle of inner healing.
The first stage in the renewal of your mind is getting rid of your old ungodly beliefs and ways of thinking, including fears, distrust and rebellion against man and God, and even against change itself. This will prepare you for the next stage in the renewal of your mind, a change to a whole new way of thinking — God’s way of thinking, reflecting His truths, His Word, His wisdom, His love.
It will be a life surrendered to God, a life of peace and joy:
For the
Romans 14:17
It will be a life of greatly enriched relationships with friends, with loved ones, and with God through the Lord Jesus Christ. I’m sure you want this.
Renewal of the Mind for Physical Healing
With a stressful look on her face, Alicia, a lovely black sister, approached Pattie and me and confided, “I have had migraine headaches for over ten years, and they never leave completely. My head is always in pain and pressure. It makes it hard to be a good mother or wife. Can you help me?”
Thank God, we were able to say that we could help her. We ministered extensively to her for the healing of deep, rage-filled wounds from the past — the root cause of the migraines. Then, in the name of Jesus, we commanded the spirit of migraine to leave permanently. For the first time in years, she was pain-free, healed by the mighty power of God.
Isn’t our God wonderful?
We then instructed Alicia in the importance of thanking the Lord repeatedly for His mighty healing miracle in her life. We also had her to repeatedly quote healing scriptures. This is essential to receiving and keeping your miracle. It enables you to believe in your heart that you are healed. Your mind becomes renewed to this truth.
Keeping Your Healing
In the physical healing ministry, one of the greatest lacks in the Body of Christ is the failure to teach Christians how to keep their healing. If you follow certain spiritual principles, you will rarely lose your healing.
When persons are healed and the pains or other symptoms leave, in most cases the devil will bring the symptoms back — to convince them that they are not healed. Your mind needs to be renewed to the important spiritual truth that the return of pains or other symptoms does not mean you have lost your healing. This is a trial of your faith, and you must contend fervently for your healing.
For we walk by faith, not by sight.
2 Corinthians 5:7, NKJ
We walk by faith in God’s promises, not by what we see or feel. Walking by faith and not by sight is one of the most important principles of faith, and our minds need to be deeply renewed to this principle.
Furthermore, when you are believing for a great miracle in your life, whether for healing, finances, family relationships, open doors of ministry, revival in your church, or some other type of miracle, circumstances usually get worse before the miracle comes. You must stand on God’s promises and on His faithfulness.
Never focus on your circumstances, nor on what you reason with your natural mind. The miracle will come. The Bible tells us:
And let us not be weary in well doing: for in due season we shall reap, if we faint not. Galatians 6:9
With ten years of nonstop migraines, it would be extremely difficult for Alicia to believe in her heart that she was healed — particularly when she felt the pains returning. Her mind needed to be renewed to the awesome truth that she was, indeed, healed. She needed to be taught how to take authority over any returning migraine pain sent by the devil, and to stand by faith that she was healed. Here are some written instructions we gave to Alicia (and others) so that her mind would be renewed to the truth necessary to keep her healing. Use them to keep your healing too, or even to receive your healing:
1. During the next twenty-four hours, thank God at least twenty-five times for healing you!
Declare to our Lord, “Jesus, I am healed through Your shed blood. I am healed, I am healed! And I thank You, I thank You, I thank You for my healing. Thank You, Jesus.” Do this twenty-five times in one day.
2. Command, in the Name of Jesus, any returning pains (or other symptoms) to go, to go, to go.
Get angry at Satan if he tries to put any pain back on you. Jesus took your sickness on the cross. He loves you! You are healed! If even a small amount of pain returns, command it to go. Fight the “good fight of faith.”
3. Testify to at least three or four people.
Tell them exactly in detail the healing miracle God has given you. Brag about Jesus!
And they overcame him by the blood of the Lamb, and by the word of their testimony.
Revelation 12:11
When you have done these three things, if you still have any pain or other symptoms or if you have a serious or long-standing condition such as Alicia had, read out loud the following scriptures three or more times each day (fifty times daily would be much better) for one week:
Who his own self bare our sins in his own body on the tree, that we, being dead to sins, should live unto righteousness: by whose stripes ye were healed.
1 Peter 2:24
Repeat many times, “By whose stripes, I was and am healed.”
Who forgiveth all thine iniquities; who healeth all thy diseases. Psalm 103:3
Personalize it. Say “Who healeth all MY diseases.”
Keep praising Jesus for your healing. He is wonderful. He is mighty. He is our Savior, our Healer and our Deliverer. He has healed you.
You have received the healing Jesus purchased for you on the
cross at
Please feel free to copy the above instructions for “Keeping Your Healing” and make them available for others.
Conclusion
We have described in this book various inner healing methods the Holy Spirit uses to remove from our lives much of the roots of negativity, unbelief, lust, rage, fears and other ungodly ways of thinking. This paves the way for “day and night” meditation on the Word of God to renew our minds deeply to God’s victorious ways of thinking and living.
As you become a doer of the Word and live out these truths in everyday life, they will further transform your thinking, your actions and your life. You will have a new and deeper love for God and greatly enhanced relationships with the people around you. You will be freed from the past to live victoriously in every area of your life and to excitedly look forward to the future. You will be Changed Into His Image Through Inner Healing.