1. FORTIFY YOUR MIND Phil. 4:4-8

2. Introduction  Every man is made up of body, soul and spirit.  The body interacts with the physical world.  The soul (mind) with the intellectual and emotional world.  The spirit relates to the spiritual world.

3.  Without the body, there is no contact with the world.  Without the soul (mind) there is no ability to think or feel.  Without the spirit, there is no ability to commune with God.

4.  The mind is the ultimate battlefield of life.  The Lord, the flesh and the devil are all battling to control our minds.  Why?  Prov. 23:7 –

5.  This is a spiritual battle.  We do have to lose this battle.  There are certain steps to follow.  We do not have to do this alone.  We can build a wall of protection around our minds.  How?

6. 1. BUILD THE WALL OF PRAISE. (v.4)  Paul commands the believer “to rejoice” or “to be glad.”  When Paul wrote this he was bound between two soldiers in a Roman prison.  Regardless of the circumstances, God never changes.

7.  People will change, circumstances will change and life constantly changes but the Lord never changes.  We need to learn to rejoice in Who He is (worship) and what He has done (praise) and what He is doing in our lives.  Even if the road is hard, the Lord has planned your path – Psa.37:23

8.  He has promised to make all things work for good (Rom.8:28)  Promised to go with you through everything in life (Heb.13:5)  Promised us abiding victory (Rom.8:37)

9.  The destination will be worth the journey (2 Cor. 4:17)  Learn to be happy in the Lord.  Build a wall of praise.

10. 2. BUILD A WALL OF PATIENCE. (v.5)  “Moderation” means “gentle or gracious spirit”  The need to be patient with others.  It is not compromise in doctrine.  Be willing to take the back seat in favor of other people – Phil.2:4

11.  The reality of our faith should be demonstrated in how we deal with other people.  Paul wants us to get the focus off ourselves and get it on others.  When we are focused on those around us, we are less likely to feel hurt by what others do or say.

12.  If we learn to accept others just as they are and over look how they act or speak, it protects our mind.  When we have self love, we will look at others – what they say or do as a personal attack.  This will cause problems in the mind as we dwell on it.

13.  But if we learn to accept others just as they are, it will protect our mind.  We must learn to live in genuine contentment – Phil. 4:11  This will protect the mind.

14. 3. BUILD A WALL OF PRAYER. (v.5-7)  In verse 6, we are warned of the dangers of worry.  “Careful” – has the idea of anxiety.  It refers to a state of mind that is agitated over events and circumstances of life.  We all have concerns.

15.  Worry is dangerous because it allows the mind to conceive false notions about God.  We have these verses to help us: a.v.5 – The Lord is near. (Heb.13:5-6) b.V.6 – Exercise the tool of prayer. Instead of worrying, we are to demonstrate our faith in the power and will of God through prayer.

16. c. v. 6 -Develop a thankful heart. Regardless of the situations in life, learn to praise the Lord through them all.  The Lord’s promise is that He will replace our worries with His peace.

17.  “Keep” (v.7)- means to build a fort around, to post a guard around the heart and mind of those who trust Him.  We must learn to lean on the Lord in prayer.  Build the wall of prayer.

18. 4. BUILD THE WALL OF PURITY. (v.8)  God’s Word is honest (honorable) it is just (right), it is pure (holy, clean); it is lovely (beautiful), it is of good report (reputation); it is full of virtue (excellence) and praise (leading to worship).

19.  We are call to fix our minds on the things of God.  We are to fill our minds with the Words of God then there will no room for worry, fear, vengeance, confusion or trouble.  A mind filled and fixed with the Word of God is a stable mind.

20.  We need to force the mind to dwell on the Word of God.  We should not feed on the filth of this world and dwell on the problems and problem people.  We must that energy to dwell on the Word of God.

21. Conclusion  Your mind is a precious gift from God.  The forces of good and evil are battling for your mind all the time.  But it is you who determines the winner.  Remember Proverbs 4:23.