“And that you be renewed in the spirit of your mind” (Eph. 4:23).
Once the old man is taken off, believers are prepared to be renewed and that begins with the transformation of the mind. The Greek words and tenses used here suggest a continual renewal of the mind that is produced by the Holy Spirit.
The mind is the center of a person’s thinking. It can be used to think of spiritual truth or it can be used to think on purely natural things. The word “spirit” here means the human spirit. The renewal of the human spirit of man is the work of the Holy Spirit that enables us to put off the old man and put on the new one.
Paul speaks of this transformation of the mind in greater detail in Romans 12:1-2. It begins with the surrender of the body; the giving up of all claimed rights to our body. As we give ourselves fully to God the Holy Spirit brings about the transformation of the mind which fights against the natural tendency to be conformed to the world’s standards. It is this transformation that will enable us to know and do the will of God.
How does this renewal of the mind take place? First, it requires an act of surrender. Give yourself to God fully. Second, it requires that we begin to focus on spiritual truth. Read your Bible and ask the Spirit to use the truth of God’s Word to conform you to the image of Christ.
Prayer: Father, I give you my mind. Transform me and conform me. Amen