“For they that are after the flesh do mind the things of the flesh; but they that are after the Spirit the things of the Spirit. For to be carnally minded is death; but to be spiritually minded is life and peace. Because the carnal mind is enmity against God: for it is not subject to the law of God, neither indeed can be. So then they that are in the flesh cannot please God.” (Romans 8:5-8 KJV)
“For those who are living according to the flesh set their minds on the things of the flesh [which gratify the body], but those who are living according to the Spirit, [set their minds on] the things of the Spirit [His will and purpose]. ow the mind of the flesh is death [both now and forever—because it pursues sin]; but the mind of the Spirit is life and peace [the spiritual well-being that comes from walking with God—both now and forever]; the mind of the flesh [with its sinful pursuits] is actively hostile to God. It does not submit itself to God’s law, since it cannot, and those who are in the flesh [living a life that caters to sinful appetites and impulses] cannot please God.” (Romans 8:5-8 AMP)
The mind is a battlefield! Plain and simple. The mind is the field of battle that satan engages us first on, in order to gain access to other parts of us. If he can encamp his enemy forces within your mind, he then can have a stronghold to work out of. The battlefield of the mind is where hand-to-hand combat is engaged. It is down and dirty fighting. It is a warfare that will make or break a warrior. Thus, we need to know all we can about the mind and what the Word of God says about it.
When we start looking at the word “mind” within the Word of God, we find it a very complex study. In looking at the verses of Scripture within the New Testament that mention the word “mind,” we find that there are ten different Greek words used for this one single word. There are four Greek words that only deal with the evil, carnal mind, and six that deal with the good, righteous mind of a believer.
I am going to give to you, first, all ten of the original Greek words. Then, I am going to show you several Scriptures that talk about the mind, both of evil minds and of good minds, so that you can clearly see the difference the Word of God is trying to teach us. As a point of reference, I will be listing beside each Greek word, the Strong’s Exhaustive Concordance reference number, then also giving to you the Strong’s reference number beside each verse of Scripture, so that you can look back up at the original Greek word in order to understand the meaning within that Scripture, as it was written in the original language of New Testament times. Beside each original Greek word, I will also be giving to you the original intent/meaning of each word so as to better understand the Scriptures below.
Greek words for Mind
1271 - “dianoia” - deep thought through imagination
1374 - “dipsuchos” - two-spirited
3540 - “noema” - your perception
3563 - “nous” - intellect in thought, feeling or will
1771 - “ennoia” - thoughtfulness, moral understanding
4288 - “prothomia” - predisposition, readiness of mind
4993 - “sophroneo” - to be of sound mind
4995 - “sophronismos” - discipline, self control
5426 - “phroneo” - to exercise the mind, to entertain thoughts or opinions
5427 - “phronema” - mental inclination or purpose
Evil Mind
Luke 12:29, “And seek not ye what ye shall eat, or what ye shall drink, neither be ye of doubtful mind.” The Amplified Classic translation states it this way, “anxious (troubled) mind [unsettled, excited, worried, and in suspense].“ (Strong’s #1271 “dianoia” - deep thought through imagination) This is referencing allowing your mind’s imaginations to cause doubts.
Romans 1:28, “And even as they did not like to retain God in their knowledge, God gave them over to a reprobate mind, to do those things which are not convenient.” The NIV translates it as this, “depraved mind.” (Strong’s #3563 “nous” - intellect in thought, feeling or will) This Greek word can be used in verses concerning both the evil mind and the good mind. In this particular case it referencing the fact that the people who rejected God and His ways were released from His protective covering and were turned over to the thoughts that was in their minds, which were depraved evil thoughts, feelings and a will that was anti-Christ in nature).
2 Corinthians 4:4, “In whom the god of this world hath blinded the minds of them which believe not, lest the light of the glorious gospel of Christ, who is the image of God, should shine unto them.” (Strong’s #3540 “noema” - your perception) This is referencing the strategy of satan to “blind” the minds of men, or in the original Greek, “change your perception” of right and wrong, good and evil, so that you will not recognize the need for the gospel of Jesus Christ for salvation.
Ephesians 2:3, “Among whom also we all had our conversation in times past in the lusts of our flesh, fulfilling the desires of the flesh and of the mind; and were by nature the children of wrath, even as others.” (Strong’s #1271 “dianoia” - deep thought through imagination) This is referencing how we allow our imaginations to control our minds. Instead of thinking on things that are holy, righteous, of value, of godliness, we allow our imaginations to control our thinking.
James 1:8, “A double minded man is unstable in all his ways.” The Amplified Classic translates it this way, “a man of two minds (hesitating, dubious, irresolute), [he is] unstable and unreliable and uncertain about everything [he thinks, feels, decides].” (Strong’s #1374 “dipsuchos” - two-spirited) The original wording here can be translated as either “double-minded,” “of two minds,” or two spirits,” or even “of two souls.” A person such as this, that is thinking two different things at the same time, can never decide what to do. It divides their loyalty. How can you be loyal to God, loyal to His Word, loyal to what is right, if you are always being divided in your thought life?
Good Mind
2 Corinthians 8:12, “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.” (Strong’s #4288 “prothomia” - predisposition, readiness of mind) This is in reference to a mind that has a predisposition towards Godly things; a mind that is in a state of readiness.
Mark 5:15, “And they come to Jesus, and see him that was possessed with the devil, and had the legion, sitting, and clothed, and in his right mind.” The Phillips translation says it this way, “Then the people came to see what had happened. As they approached Jesus, they saw the man who had been devil-possessed sitting there properly clothed and perfectly sane.” (Strong’s #4993 “sophroneo” - to be of sound mind) The devil tries to destroy our minds, Jesus seeks to bring to us a sound, stable mind.
Philippians 2:5, “Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus.” (Strong’s #5426 “phroneo” - to exercise the mind, to entertain thoughts or opinions) We must have the mind of Christ, a mind that is exercised in godliness, purity of thoughts, and opinions only based upon the Word of God.
2 Timothy 1:7, “For God hath not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind.” The Amplified Classic translates this verse as, “For God did not give us a spirit of timidity (of cowardice, of craven and cringing and fawning fear), but [He has given us a spirit] of power and of love and of calm and well-balanced mind and discipline and self-control.” (Strong’s #4995 “sophronismos” - discipline, self control) God has given to us the ability to have a mind that is sound, well-balanced, disciplined, and of self-control. This is the will of God for our minds verses the plan that satan has, destruction of our mind, allowing access for him to gain an even deeper stronghold in our lives.
1 Peter 4:1, “Forasmuch then as Christ hath suffered for us in the flesh, arm yourselves likewise with the same mind: for he that hath suffered in the flesh hath ceased from sin.” The Amplified Bibles translates it this way, “Therefore, since Christ suffered in the flesh [and died for us], arm yourselves [like warriors] with the same purpose [being willing to suffer for doing what is right and pleasing God], because whoever has suffered in the flesh [being like-minded with Christ] is done with [intentional] sin [having stopped pleasing the world].” (Strong’s #1771 “ennoia” - thoughtfulness, moral understanding) We are to arm ourselves as warriors of the cross with the same mind that Jesus had, to have the same purpose that He had, to have a moral understanding of right and wrong in the midst of our battles.