I have three questions.

[Nathan]

I've been reading that article put out on another thread about men as trees walking . . . a super read.  

I kinda wanted to clarify just a bit to my last post in dealing with the part of us that we're supposed to kill.  As I mentioned, I don't think we're the ones that kill carnality.  And I don't think God has brought it to it's death either.  I think it remains alive for his use to strengthen us in his power and authority.  What I believe actually dies in us is not our carnality, but our carnal "nature".  What's the difference?

My mind not only is a womb, but it's also a reflection of who's in control in "me".  You can't keep a bird from flying over your head, but you can keep it from making a nest in your hair.  For me, the birds are thoughts.  I can't keep all negative, dark, or carnal thoughts from entering my mind, but I can keep those thoughts from taking up residence in my thinking.  The latter is by choice.  I can choose to dwell on the darkness, or I can choose to override it with more constructive thoughts.  I have the God-given authority to aim my spiritual eye (eyes are the windows to my soul/mind) toward any given activity as I so choose.  

It's as Paul states, I can do anything I want.  It's just that not everything I choose is beneficial.  In other words, there are consequences for the descisions I make, both good consequences and bad.  Whatever I choose to observe is what I begin to reflect on to others.  

In this analogy aligning with Eve being my mind and Adam being my spirit, Scripture states that Eve will desire after Adam . . .in other words, my mind will always want control.  I'll always want the hard proof.  I don't want to receive anything from you in faith, I want you to post at least 10 Scriptures before I'll accept what you have to say as truth.  That's not faith, that's knowledge.  My Eve desires after my Spirit.  My mind longs to control "me".  But God immediately follows that up with "But he shall rule over you".  

Which is not saying physically men are to be dominant over their wives, as much as it's saying my spirit has authority and power over my mind.  So what happened with Adam?  If he had that authority, how did Eve get his attention?  Taf had posted this on my facebook the other day . . .blew me away . .. still does when I meditate on it.

Proverbs 18:21
Death and life [are] in the power of the tongue: and they that love it shall eat the fruit thereof.

Adam ate the fruit not because he was duped into doing so, but because he turned his affections toward it, and it changed him.  Instead of subduing his earth, which God gives all of us power over, "our" earth (inwardly speaking) is our flesh, it is the carnality that attempts to deceive our minds.  We've been given power over that craving, but we need to exercise it . . .Adam didn't.  The next chapter we see the same language used with Cain.  God told him that sin was at the door "desiring" after him but he shall "rule" over it.  Obviously, Cain didn't fare any better than Adam did.

But the point to all of this is, I have the power, not to put carnality to death, but to put my own nature to death and as I turn my attention toward Christ, he aligns and empowers me to bring those thoughts into captivity.  2 Corinthians 10.  Having a renewed mind is not something I can do of my own power.  I can do only what I'm empowered to do.  I can submit myself before the Father, and I can take captive carnality, and put to death the old man, my old carnal nature.  But again, if I turn away from Christ, I'm resurrecting the old man all over again.  Adam had power to bring life and death, he chose death and God honored his decision.

I have that same ability to bring life, death, and if I can bring life to something, that means i have the power of resurrection in me.  I just need to be aware that I can be just as destructive by resurrecting things that should be left dead, than I can by putting things to death that should never be experiencing life in me in the first place.

[Nathan]

So Molly, are you then saying there is a natural explanation to a miraculous healing?

I didn't say that, although I could probably argue that actually.  In other words, I could argue that is it dis-ease which is unnatural, not health.

What I said is--there is real science and there is a sound mind, two things which I think you denied, and for that matter, the two are completely compatible.

I don't see myself denying either of these, but I'll not argue this any further.  I'm not seeing any benefit in the dissection of it.

[Molly]

So Molly, are you then saying there is a natural explanation to a miraculous healing?

I didn't say that, although I could probably argue that actually.  In other words, I could argue that is it dis-ease which is unnatural, not health.

What I said is--there is real science and there is a sound mind, two things which I think you denied, and for that matter, the two are completely compatible.

I don't see myself denying either of these, but I'll not argue this any further.  I'm not seeing any benefit in the dissection of it.

Ok, then, maybe we agree, after all.  As you say above, the mind is the arena where we can be tricked by satan.  Eve was deceived.  She believed his lies.  But we are given the tools to protect our minds, as you said, the helmet of salvation, the ability to take every thought captive [and compare it to Christ], and the illumination of Spirit.  We are the children of the light.  We are able to have sound minds, and are given such by God.

I don't believe, myself, that this is something satanic which is inside of us.  The Bible always shows it coming from the outside.  It can enter into us, but from the outside, even describing the Devil throwing fiery darts at us to penetrate.  Because we are in these flesh bodies, we have a weakness, called the 'carnal mind.'  The 'carnal mind' is literally the purposes and inclinations of the flesh--or what one could call the ' mind of the flesh.'

Carnal mind= sarx phronema [Rom 8:7]

But we have been given a sound mind by God.

Sound mind= sōphronismos [2 Tim 1:7]

[Nathan]

Yeah, we've been "given" a sound mind, but it's up to us to exercise that.  Adam had authority, but he didn't use it.  I have a sound mind, we all have sound minds, but having one, and walking in one are two separate issues.  I find that certain areas of my everyday life actually accomodate the exercising, and other areas in my everyday life seem to hinder me exercising it.  It's a process of maturity I guess.

[Molly]

1 Corinthians 2:16
For who hath known the mind of the Lord, that he may instruct him? but we have the mind of Christ.

"mind" [of Christ]

G3563
νοῦς
nous
nooce
Probably from the base of G1097; the intellect, that is, mind (divine or human; in thought, feeling, or will); by implication meaning: - mind, understanding. Compare G5590.


13Brethren, I count not myself to have apprehended: but this one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind, and reaching forth unto those things which are before,

14 I press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus.

15Let us therefore, as many as be perfect, be thus minded: and if in any thing ye be otherwise minded, God shall reveal even this unto you.

--Phil 3


"reaching forth" [unto those things which are before]

G1901
ἐπεκτείνομαι
epekteinomai
ep-ek-ti'-nom-ahee
Middle voice from G1909 and G1614; to stretch (oneself) forward upon: - reach forth.