Worldliness reflects the prince of the air, not the Lord. As Christ followers we are told “If then you were raised with Christ, seek those things which are above, where Christ is, sitting at the right hand of God. Set your mind on things above, not on things on the earth. For you died, and your life is hidden with Christ in God.” (Col. 3:1-3)

This week the Holy Spirit has been working on me to see sin that I’ve become desensitized to, and has hardened my heart. Since we no longer live for ourselves alone, but belong to the Lord (Rom. 14:7-8) we need to be especially careful of allowing the acceptance of sin to harden our hearts.

What have you accepted in movies, in books and on television so that you no longer even think about the violence and the sexual impurity you watch? There’s a ton of it out there, and it’s easy to fall into the devil’s trap. Paul warns us about this: “So I tell you this, and insist on it in the Lord, that you must no longer live as the Gentiles do, in the futility of their thinking. They are darkened in their understanding and separated from the life of God because of the ignorance that is in them due to the hardening of their hearts. Having lost all sensitivity, they have given themselves over to sensuality so as to indulge in every kind of impurity, and they are full of greed.” (Eph 4:17-19)

Author Kay Smith in “Reflecting God” says: “The Word teaches us that because we belong to Christ, we have the mind of Christ (1 Cor. 2:16). That means that the work of His Holy Spirit within us transforms our thinking and our reasoning. Our will conforms to His. Our desires line up with His desires. No longer are we trapped in the darkness of our own ignorance and faulty reasoning.”

We all know that Satan was able to tempt Eve by putting thoughts and questions into her mind about God and what He requires of us. Kay reminds us: “the battle for your mind is not over. It’s as intense as ever. Satan is constantly studying you and looking for sneaky ways he can infiltrate your mind. That’s why Eph. 4:23 is written in the active tense: “Be renewed in the spirit of your mind.” We must actively offer ourselves to the Holy Spirit to be renewed and directed by Him. If you don’t offer yourself to the Holy Spirit’s influence and control, you can be sure that TV, worldly magazines and all the rest will be only to happy to fill your mind with its filth.”

Paul says, “You were taught, with regard to your former way of life, to put off your old self, which is being corrupted by its deceitful desires; to be made new in the attitude of your minds; and to put on the new self, created to be like God in true righteousness and holiness.” (Eph 4:22-24 NIV) We now have Christ in us, we have His mind and we are now created new, and are to be set apart from worldliness.

I urge you to ask the Lord to: “Search me, O God, and know my heart; try me and know my anxious thoughts; and see if there be any hurtful way in me, and lead me in the everlasting way.” (Ps. 139:23-24) And when He shows you what thoughts you need to change, “take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ.” (2 Cor. 10:5).

We are here to glorify God and to allow His light and truth shine through our lives. Ask the Lord what you are reflecting for others to see. “Let your light shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven.” (Matt. 5:16)