September 7, 2025

Minding Your Thoughts

A Biblical Overview of Obtaining and Maintaining a Biblical Thought Life

II Corinthians 11:3 But I fear, lest by any means, as the serpent beguiled Eve through his subtilty, so your minds should be corrupted from the simplicity that is in Christ.

Remember floppy disks? Sometimes they would become corrupted and the information stored on them could not be retrieved. Today most people do not utilize floppy disks we have “files.”  Thousands and thousands of files on computers and if they become corrupted then we have computer problems. Likewise, evidently, our minds can become corrupted and the information we once had concerning the simplicity that is in Christ is ruined.

Millions of dollars are spent each year in an attempt to protect the files on computers. I wonder how much money, or even effort, is spent each year protecting our minds. If you look up the words “subtil,” and “subtilty” you will find that they are only used nine times in Scripture (subtil three times and subtilty six times). Eight of these references are in connection with very poor decisions, as in Jacob stealing Esau’s birthright, or very misguided people like Jonadab who was a friend, so called, to Amnon and instrumental in Amnon’s untimely death at the hands of his brothers.

But one usage of the word “subtilty” is constructive. It is found in Proverbs and describes the purpose of the book, To give subtilty to the simple, to the young man knowledge and discretion. (1:4) By reading the book of Proverbs, and may I add the entirety of the Bible, those who are simple can obtain subtilty. Someone may ask, “Why would a child of God desire to be subtle or have subtilty if it is such a bad thing?”  That is a good question. Let me answer by using one of our Lord’s commands, Behold, I send you forth as sheep in the midst of wolves: be ye therefore wise as serpents, and harmless as doves. (Matthew 10:16) By obtaining an understanding of Scripture the subtle tactics of the serpent and his minions can be recognized and overcome. Subtilty always recognizes subtilty. The subtilty God gives is for protection against subtilty.

Invest time in protecting your minds from corruption by reading the Bible, studying the Bible and hearing the Bible preached and taught routinely. Belief and faith in Jesus Christ is so simple that the intellectual and sophisticated crowd stumbles over it, adds to it, changes it, and complicates it. And beware of subtilty; it is an enemy of simplicity.

May the Lord bless and be pleased with your thought life today.

Dr. William Howe