Every believer has a great battle field upon which a war rages almost without a break. This battle field is that of the mind. I have to say that recently it feels like I have been lazy in my approach to this battle field but I have been reminded of the importance of this field through some sermons that I listened to and also at a time of discipleship on Friday January 6.
It was during the time of discipleship that my friend Jay Wegter drew this picture. I know that he has referenced it before but for some reason it stuck out in my mind this time so much that I had to take a picture. The battle field of the mind can be broken up into 4 quadrants: Intellect, Affections, Will, Conscience. These can all work together to glorify God or they can be at enmity with one another.
The Intellect quadrant is the front line of this battle. The intellect is the first faculty of the mind that wages war with the external or internal inputs. It is here where many people think that the battle is won or lost, but that is not the case. This is the easiest place to win the battle but if a foothold is established here the battle can still be won. Victory after loosing the battle in the intellect is simply more difficult to achieve.
James 1:14-15
The second quadrant is that of the Affections. It is this area where what a person desires will bring them closer to action. James 1:14-15 talks about being enticed by your own desires and those desires eventually bring forth sin and death. Affections is that which describes your desires or wants. We can be either overcome by our desires to please ourselves or to be overcome by the character of God. In Romans 12:2 Paul talks about renewing the mind of the believer so that you will not forget how great your affections should be towards God.
Romans 12:2
The third quadrant is Will. Will is the implementation of actions that you desire to do. It is not too late to stop sin in this quadrant but one who finds themselves fighting in this quadrant are most likely to loose the sinful battle. Romans 12:2 talks about how we can approve of and know what is good and pleasing in God’s will. The thought is that when your will and God’s will are aligned then your actions will be pleasing to him but when you do your own will then it will definitely not be pleasing to God.
Was that a right or wrong decision?
It is here that the conscience takes over in the fourth quadrant. If your will leads to actions which are not in accordance with what God desires than you will be condemned for your actions. This condemnation will normally lead to a deterioration between how close the 3 other quadrants are. If your actions are in accordance with the will of God than your conscience will affirm the actions your will, affections and intellect which will draw them all closer together.
Benjamin's Burden 