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https://youtu.be/oxLEvt-qrzQ Mind Body and More 4 – The renewed mind in action A sneak peek into the internal workings of a renewed mind In my last three videos I’ve tried to show that the mind governed by the body or flesh is death and that the mind governed by the S/spirit is life and peace (Romans 8:6). I’ve highlighted that we must offer our bodies and renew our minds (Romans 12:1-2). Today I want to look at some verses that offer an insight into the world view of such a renewed mind. Paul had been attacked by false teachers who had come into the Corinthian church, persuading some of the Christians there that Paul was incorrect in his teaching and perhaps suggesting that he was preaching for his own personal gain. Imagine how it might feel to sense the call of God on your life to preach the gospel with nothing but the Kingdom of God at the centre of your motivation. You have suffered, been beaten and still you have remained humble and faithful. Now you hear that other people are teaching misleading ideas that are undoing the work that God led you to do. And what’s more they are deliberately attacking you on a personal level, questioning your authority. What might your reaction be? I’m not sure mine would be as spiritual as Paul’s! Instantly he sees the whole situation from a heavenly, eternal perspective. He recognises – in his mind – that this is more than an earthly human affair. And because of that he deals with the situation radically differently from the way you or I might do in the natural. These key verses sum up his attitude to opposition from within the church, and are a fine example of how we should also respond to opposition, wherever it comes from: The weapons we fight with are not the weapons of the world. On the contrary, they have divine power to demolish strongholds. We demolish arguments and every pretension that sets itself up against the knowledge of God, and we take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ. (2 Corinthians 10:3-5 NIVUK) Here’s what I want us to notice from this passage: 1: We live in the world We may not be of the world: I have given them your word and the world has hated them, for they are not of the world any more than I am of the world. (John 17:14)   They are not of the world, even as I am not of it. (John 17:16) But we are still in it. And as an aside, we are allowed to enjoy it. God made a good world for our enjoyment. He put people in it with only one rule. Imagine that for a moment – only one law to live by! The rest of the time was working for him and living with him in complete freedom in a perfect place. In every day of creation, God saw that it was good. And that’s the world we live in today. It may be fallen but it is still a good world with many good things in it to enjoy. Let’s not self-isolate from the world completely. Not only are we to enjoy it, but we also have a mission within it. However, let’s always keep firmly fixed in our minds that we are not part of the world. We are different. We do things differently, we think differently, and we have a totally different perspective. As such, we are not normal! People should see that at some point if they get close enough to you if you let them in to your life a little bit. We are citizens of heaven. We do not operate on the same system as the world. But we do live in the world. And while we are here, there are some things that will happen that are a result of spiritual forces at work in the heavenly realms. Those in the world won’t see it that way but we are being transformed by the renewing of our minds. 2: We fight a different battle in a different way The weapons we fight with are not the weapons of the world. (v4) Don’t join in with the world’s methods and weapons. That’s not how we do things. What are the weapons of the world? Remember the context of these verses. How might Paul have responded to those who were criticizing him and pulling him down,