Do not be conformed to this age, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, so that you may discern what is the good, pleasing, and perfect will of God.  (Romans 12:2 HCSB)

We are transformed by the renewing of our mind. To renew in this case means to be made into a new person by changing your mind—repentance. Remember, repentance means to change your mind by changing your thoughts, focus, and perspective, which results in a change of place, condition, and perceived reality.

The word “transform” is the same word that is used to describe a caterpillar transforming into a butterfly. Your mind is the command-and-control center of your heart-soul. What you think and believe affects everything about you and even the world around you. As a man thinks in his heart, so he is, (Pro 23:7).

Keep your heart with all diligence, For out of it spring the issues of life, (Pro 4:23 NKJV). The word issues means borders. Your life flows from your heart-soul. Your heart-soul determines your life, more than you may realize.

Do not be conformed to this age (or world). Do not let the physical world and the time we live in make you to be like them. Jesus said to experience the Kingdom of God you must repent. The Kingdom of God is another realm, but it is also inside of you, (Luke 17:21). When Jesus is living in your heart you have full access to the Kingdom of God including all the blessings of it. To live in the Kingdom does require that you follow the laws of the Kingdom, the government, of which Jesus is King.

The laws of the Kingdom are the things Jesus taught in the gospels and the other scriptures of the Bible. We are also to be led by His Spirit of Truth. The Words of Jesus and the Spirit of Truth will be witness to each other, so that you do not get off track.

Your heart-soul is also a vast kingdom. You are much greater than you realize. When you give your life to Jesus and receive Him into your heart the Kingdom of God begins to expand in you as you submit to the Kingship of Jesus. You are the King of your heart, but when you obey Jesus and submit to His government your heart kingdom becomes a part of His greater kingdom. Somewhat like a state or province is subject to the national government.

Your heart-soul kingdom includes your your will, mind, desires, emotions, and conscience. Your mind hears a word, a thought, or a message and then you must decide if it is true. If you believe the word, or if you desire it to be true, the word becomes a part of your heart, a part of who you are. This is important because words are spiritual, they have spiritual influence.

Jesus says, “the Words I speak are spirit and they are life”, (John 6:63). The words of Jesus lead us to greater and eternal Life. Words and communications from other sources can be from the kingdom of darkness, they are deception.

If you accept and believe a deception, it will also become a part of who you are, a part of your heart kingdom. In this way your heart-soul kingdom can become a home for spiritual influences that you do not want. Words are spiritual. You are being transformed by the spiritual influence you permit to enter your heart.

Often spiritual influences are attached to desires. Your heart-soul receives information from your body and physical senses, and it also receives communication from your Spirit, where the Kingdom of God is. Depending on what you are more focused on, is what will have more influence in your life. Galatians chapter 5 tells us how to identify heart issues from the Spirit of God or other spirits that are from the physical realm and the kingdom of darkness.

When you follow the desires of your sinful nature, the results are very clear: sexual immorality, impurity, lustful pleasures, idolatry, sorcery, hostility, quarreling, jealousy, outbursts of anger, selfish ambition, dissension, division, envy, drunkenness, wild parties, and other sins like these. Let me tell you again, as I have before, that anyone living that sort of life will not inherit the Kingdom of God.

But the Holy Spirit produces this kind of fruit in our lives: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. There is no law against these things! Those who belong to Christ Jesus have nailed the passions and desires of their sinful nature to his cross and crucified them there. Since we are living by the Spirit, let us follow the Spirit’s leading in every part of our lives. (Galatians 5:19-25 NLT)

Your “will” is the part of you that makes you like God. Your “will” rules in your heart, you decide. As you submit your will to God’s will you are transformed and empowered by His will working in you. As the king of your heart-soul, you decide what you will permit into your heart and what you will forbid.

“I tell you the truth, whatever you forbid on earth will be forbidden in heaven[s], and whatever you permit on earth will be permitted in heaven[s]. (Mat 18:18 NLT) The word for heaven is both singular and plural. It represents the spirt realm and can refer to the Kingdom of God or the kingdom of darkness.

Giving your life fully to Jesus is a daily process of following Him and His Word. Then He said to them all, “If anyone wants to come with Me, he must deny himself, take up his cross daily, and follow Me, (Luke 9:23 HCSB).

In Christ you have already won, and you can rest in the victory He purchased for you at the cross. However, as long as you are in this realm, there will be things that come against you and your heart. You are a threat to the kingdom of darkness and the enemy knows you now have the weapons to do damage against the darkness. He also knows that you have power and weapons to advance the Kingdom of God, in your life and in your world.

You are the one with the power to forbid and permit, by your will. Jesus is there to help you and guide you with every step if you permit Him. Then, the forces of the Kingdom of God will also back you up. However, it will be your command that permits and forbids in your heart Kingdom.

Communications and thoughts must be discerned to know what realm they are from. Remember, Jesus testifies to Truth; if you desire to know Truth you will hear His voice. There is a major spiritual war being fought for your heart kingdom. This is largely an information war, and the main battlefield is your mind and thoughts.

For although we live in the natural realm, we don’t wage a military campaign employing human weapons, using manipulation to achieve our aims. Instead, our spiritual weapons are energized with divine power to effectively dismantle the defenses behind which people hide. We can demolish every deceptive fantasy that opposes God and break through every arrogant attitude that is raised up in defiance of the true knowledge of God. We capture, like prisoners of war, every thought and insist that it bow in obedience to the Anointed One. (2Co 10:3-5 TPT)

Taking your authority begins with believing in your heart, then confess with your mouth. Other actions you do in the physical realm will enforce your forbidding and permitting.

If you confess with your mouth, “Jesus is Lord,” and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved. One believes with the heart, resulting in righteousness, and one confesses with the mouth, resulting in salvation, (Rom 10:9-10 HCSB).

Salvation means every type of freedom and deliverance including healing of your body, mind, and emotions. The word confess means to speak together in agreement. It also carries the idea of a covenant between two people. Agreeing with the promises of God in the scriptures is powerful. Jesus calls you to repent, to change your thoughts and come into agreement with His thoughts, His Word, and His Way. Reading, meditating, and confessing the scriptures, as your are being led by the Holy Spirit is transforming.

For our battle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the world powers of this darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavens… In every situation take the shield of faith, and with it you will be able to extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one. Take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is God’s word. (Eph 6:12-17 HCSB)

More about winning the war for your heart in the next article.

⇐ Return to Repent Part 1 – Kingdom of God in You   |   Go to Repent Part 3 – Permit Jesus to be King of Your Heart ⇒