Guard Well The Avenues to The Soul
1 Kings 9: 15-17 And this is the reason for the labor force which King Solomon raised: to build the house of the Lord, his own house, the Millo, the wall of Jerusalem, Hazor, Megiddo, and Gezer (Pharaoh king of Egypt had gone up and taken Gezer and burned it with fire, had killed the Canaanites who dwelt in the city, and had given it as a dowry to his daughter, Solomon’s wife.) And Solomon built Gezer, Lower Beth Horon, Baalath, and Tadmor in the wilderness, in the land of Judah,
What appears to be random verses in the Bible of just simply stated facts can often hold deep insight to something God is calling for me to do in my life.
Here we see Solomon busily building. He is building Millo, a fortified strong hold in the city of Jerusalem, he strengthens the wall of the city,he builds Hazor, a strong city in the far north of his territory, Megiddo a strong hold in the far south, Gezer, strategically placed in the western plains, Beth Horon a town in an important mountain pass, and Baalath and Tadmor are outlying towns, he strengthens.
Solomon, ruler of a vast territory, King of strength and power and wealth and might. From Solomon’s life of the busy work of fortifications and plans of defense for his territory, what does God call me to do in my life? Solomon is guarding well all avenues into his dominion so that the enemy may not enter in and thus conquer any part of his territory. Nor does Solomon give the enemy any opportunity to entirely defeat him and bring him to total destruction.
“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” MYP 285
Do I guard the avenues to my soul as diligently as Solomon guarded his domain? Do I plan how those avenues can be guarded? Do I pray about it? Do I fortify those places?
My mind is my citadel. It is up to me to choose to guard all avenues to it. To hold it in strong protection. It is the domain of God in my soul. I do not want the enemy to conquer any part of my mind, to weaken it, to take over God’s domain in way...not in part or in whole.
Phil 2:5 “Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus...”
John 17:20 You, Father, are in Me, and I in You
As the Father dwelt in Christ’s mind so he desires to dwell in my mind.
John 15:5 Abide in me, and I in you
Jesus’s mind was a fortress, a dwelling place for God. Jesus wants to dwell in my mind and set up a strong hold against the enemy in my mind.
Ps 27:1 The LORD is the stronghold of my life
God calls me to choose to guard that strong hold, His dwelling place in my soul, which is in mind.
What are the avenues to my soul that satan will use?
“All should guard the senses, lest Satan gain victory over them; for these are the avenues of the soul.” A.H 401
It is through touch, taste, smell, sight and sound that satan gains access to God's domain in my mind.
Prov 4:23 Above all else, guard thy heart; for out of it flows the issues of life.
1 Peter 1:13 Therefore, prepare your minds for action, keep sober in spirit, fix your hope completely on the grace to be brought to you at the revelation of Jesus Christ.
What I allow into my mind will either take over the domain of God within or enhance the domain of God within and thus out of my mind will flow the enemy of God or God himself.
Prov 23:7 For as he thinks in his heart, so is he...
Phil 4:8 Finally, brethren, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is of good repute, if there is any excellence and if anything worthy of praise, dwell on these things.
Luke 6:45 "The good man out of the good treasure of his heart brings forth what is good; and the evil man out of the evil treasure brings forth what is evil; for his mouth speaks from that which fills his heart.
Every Christian must stand on guard continually, watching every avenue of the soul where Satan might find access. He must pray for divine help and at the same time resolutely resist every inclination to sin. By courage, by faith, by persevering toil, he can conquer. But let him remember that to gain the victory Christ must abide in him and he in Christ. AH 401
What appears to be random verses in the Bible of just simply stated facts can often hold deep insight to something God is calling for me to do in my life.
Here we see Solomon busily building. He is building Millo, a fortified strong hold in the city of Jerusalem, he strengthens the wall of the city,he builds Hazor, a strong city in the far north of his territory, Megiddo a strong hold in the far south, Gezer, strategically placed in the western plains, Beth Horon a town in an important mountain pass, and Baalath and Tadmor are outlying towns, he strengthens.
Solomon, ruler of a vast territory, King of strength and power and wealth and might. From Solomon’s life of the busy work of fortifications and plans of defense for his territory, what does God call me to do in my life? Solomon is guarding well all avenues into his dominion so that the enemy may not enter in and thus conquer any part of his territory. Nor does Solomon give the enemy any opportunity to entirely defeat him and bring him to total destruction.
“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” MYP 285
Do I guard the avenues to my soul as diligently as Solomon guarded his domain? Do I plan how those avenues can be guarded? Do I pray about it? Do I fortify those places?
My mind is my citadel. It is up to me to choose to guard all avenues to it. To hold it in strong protection. It is the domain of God in my soul. I do not want the enemy to conquer any part of my mind, to weaken it, to take over God’s domain in way...not in part or in whole.
Phil 2:5 “Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus...”
John 17:20 You, Father, are in Me, and I in You
As the Father dwelt in Christ’s mind so he desires to dwell in my mind.
John 15:5 Abide in me, and I in you
Jesus’s mind was a fortress, a dwelling place for God. Jesus wants to dwell in my mind and set up a strong hold against the enemy in my mind.
Ps 27:1 The LORD is the stronghold of my life
God calls me to choose to guard that strong hold, His dwelling place in my soul, which is in mind.
What are the avenues to my soul that satan will use?
“All should guard the senses, lest Satan gain victory over them; for these are the avenues of the soul.” A.H 401
It is through touch, taste, smell, sight and sound that satan gains access to God's domain in my mind.
Prov 4:23 Above all else, guard thy heart; for out of it flows the issues of life.
1 Peter 1:13 Therefore, prepare your minds for action, keep sober in spirit, fix your hope completely on the grace to be brought to you at the revelation of Jesus Christ.
What I allow into my mind will either take over the domain of God within or enhance the domain of God within and thus out of my mind will flow the enemy of God or God himself.
Prov 23:7 For as he thinks in his heart, so is he...
Phil 4:8 Finally, brethren, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is of good repute, if there is any excellence and if anything worthy of praise, dwell on these things.
Luke 6:45 "The good man out of the good treasure of his heart brings forth what is good; and the evil man out of the evil treasure brings forth what is evil; for his mouth speaks from that which fills his heart.
Every Christian must stand on guard continually, watching every avenue of the soul where Satan might find access. He must pray for divine help and at the same time resolutely resist every inclination to sin. By courage, by faith, by persevering toil, he can conquer. But let him remember that to gain the victory Christ must abide in him and he in Christ. AH 401
2 Cor 10:5 Casting down imaginations, and every high thing that exalts itself against the knowledge of God, and bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ
John 15:5 Abide in me, and I in you
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