God is full of joy which he shares with us. He designed creation to maximize his and our joy while simultaneously bringing honor to him.

Our experience of God’s joy depends to a great extent on how well we participate in a process the Bible calls transformation through the renewing of the mind.

Paul encourages us to allow the Spirit to transform our thinking by renewing our minds, instead of allowing the world system to conform us to its deadly pattern.

And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, so that you may prove what the will of God is, that which is good and acceptable and perfect. Romans 12:2 (NASB95) —

The New Living Translation says that transformation comes when we change how we think.

The etymological definition of repentance (Greek: metanoeo) is to change our minds or how we think about things.

The devil’s chief weapon against us is deception. When Adam and Eve bought his lie in the garden, their disloyalty to God plunged humanity into darkness and death that comes from separation from God. The first lie they believed was that God is not good or trustworthy and we are better off going it alone. Every deception since then is built on this foundation. Everyone is born into this world with a default proclivity to think sinfully and want to live independently from God. The part of us derived from Adam is called the “flesh” and habitually takes us down thought roads that lead to sin and death.

For the mind set on the flesh is death, but the mind set on the Spirit is life and peace, 7 because the mind set on the flesh is hostile toward God; for it does not subject itself to the law of God, for it is not even able to do so, 8 and those who are in the flesh cannot please God. Romans 8:6–8 (NASB95) —

Satan promises great things, but it all a lie. All he has to give are the temporary pleasures that sometimes accompany our selfish pursuits, but which always end in death

There is only one way to escape the deception death trap. It’s called the new birth. The corrupted part of us called the “old man” has to die so that the “new man” can be resurrected in Christ. (Romans 6:5-9)

Since you have heard about Jesus and have learned the truth that comes from him, 22 throw off your old sinful nature and your former way of life, which is corrupted by lust and deception. 23 Instead, let the Spirit renew your thoughts and attitudes. 24 Put on your new nature, created to be like God—truly righteous and holy. Ephesians 4:21–24 (NLT) —

The decision Adam and Eve made to believe Satan’s lie and suppress God’s truth impacted everything, including our thinking ability. Since then, apart from the intervention of God’s Spirit, we are unable to think correctly and adequately discern truth.

It takes a supernatural breakthrough of revelation of the truth about God and his Word to create faith in the human heart.

And He was saying, “For this reason I have said to you, that no one can come to Me unless it has been granted him from the Father.” John 6:65 (NASB95) —

When we first begin to grasp who Jesus is and what he did for us, we are able to trust in him and are born again. This new birth causes the spirit to come alive again as we are united with God’s Spirit. His life invades us giving us the ability to think again according to truth.

But a natural man does not accept the things of the Spirit of God, for they are foolishness to him; and he cannot understand them, because they are spiritually appraised. 15 But he who is spiritual appraises all things, yet he himself is appraised by no one. 16 For WHO HAS KNOWN THE MIND OF THE LORD, THAT HE WILL INSTRUCT HIM? But we have the mind of Christ. 1 Corinthians 2:14–16 (NASB95) —

This is when our participation in the process of transformation begins. We have been given the responsibility to renew our minds according to God’s truth.

The Bible says we are spiritual beings who have bodies. God breathed his spirit into the body he formed from the dust of the earth and Adam came alive. The combination of spirit and body gave rise to the soul, our mind, will, and emotions.(Genesis 2:7) The mind can exist outside the body, which is what happens after death before the resurrection.

Yes, only God knows whether I was in my body or outside my body. But I do know 4 that I was caught up to paradise and heard things so astounding that they cannot be expressed in words, things no human is allowed to tell. 2 Corinthians 12:3–4 (NLT) —

The mind has a spiritual component and is not limited to the physical brain; although there is a connection. The brain, therefore, is servant to the mind.

God made the human brain with an amazing capacity to renew itself. As we think, our neurons weave themselves together in new pathways. If we habitually think a certain way, those thoughts become physically ingrained in our neurons. How we think will impact our lives going forward. We can think upon that which is from God and renew our minds for good, or we can give ourselves over to thinking on what is sinful and end up with what the Bible calls a reprobate mind, a very dangerous condition.

Since they thought it foolish to acknowledge God, he abandoned them to their foolish thinking and let them do things that should never be done. 29 Their lives became full of every kind of wickedness, sin, greed, hate, envy, murder, quarreling, deception, malicious behavior, and gossip. 30 They are backstabbers, haters of God, insolent, proud, and boastful. They invent new ways of sinning, and they disobey their parents. 31 They refuse to understand, break their promises, are heartless, and have no mercy. 32 They know God’s justice requires that those who do these things deserve to die, yet they do them anyway. Worse yet, they encourage others to do them, too. Romans 1:28–32 (NLT) —

As believers, we can choose to take advantage of our God-given ability to renew our minds and increase our joy by engaging in simple life-giving spiritual habits: worship, prayer (especially in tongues), and reading and meditating on God’s Word.

Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. 7 And the peace of God, which surpasses all comprehension, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. 8 Finally, brethren, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is of good repute, if there is any excellence and if anything worthy of praise, dwell on these things. 9 The things you have learned and received and heard and seen in me, practice these things, and the God of peace will be with you. Philippians 4:6–9 (NASB95) —

As we regularly set aside time to engage in these godly pursuits, we actively renew our minds by training our brains to think in godly patterns.This is not the power of positive thinking, as if we changed ourselves. As we obey the Lord in worship, prayer, and meditation on the Scriptures, the Holy Spirit works with us in the process. We are never left to our own devices. Otherwise, it would be just one more religious activity. If it were ever to become a mere religious exercise, we have missed the point entirely.

We should sense God’s pleasure and joy as we learn to spend more and more time in his presence where there is fullness of joy.

King David wrote these amazing words.

You will make known to me the path of life; In Your presence is fullness of joy; In Your right hand there are pleasures forever. Psalm 16:11 (NASB95) —

According to Dr. Caroline Leaf’s research, it takes three sets of 21 days (63 days in a row) to thoroughly ingrain a new habit and renew the mind. After that, it is a daily exercise in keeping our focus on God.

Satan set up a mammoth operation to saturate our minds with his lies using all sorts of media and government financed schools. Children especially are bombarded with everything from pornography to evolution, inculcating in them a godless and perverted worldview. The power of brainwashing is real. Those who have submitted to the world’s conforming process often cannot recognize truth when they stare it in the face. We cannot afford to be passive any longer.

Those who cooperate with the Spirit in the transformation process will experience amazing freedom. They will begin to think more in line with God’s truth. The Spirit will reveal more and more truth about our amazing God, his love, and his faithfulness. As our minds and hearts gain greater understanding of how amazing God’s love is, our faith in him will enlarge and our joy will overflow.

When I think of all this, I fall to my knees and pray to the Father, 15 the Creator of everything in heaven and on earth. 16 I pray that from his glorious, unlimited resources he will empower you with inner strength through his Spirit. 17 Then Christ will make his home in your hearts as you trust in him. Your roots will grow down into God’s love and keep you strong. 18 And may you have the power to understand, as all God’s people should, how wide, how long, how high, and how deep his love is. 19 May you experience the love of Christ, though it is too great to understand fully. Then you will be made complete with all the fullness of life and power that comes from God. Ephesians 3:14–19 (NLT) —

The renewing of the mind is a huge and perhaps unexpected key to experiencing ever increasing joy. Try it. You will like it.