Being spiritually minded is key to living a victorious Christian life. Yet many believers struggle to consistently walk in the Spirit. Why does this happen? Mainly because we don’t fully understand how deep spiritual truth is and all that’s available to us in Christ. We also don’t realize that experiencing spiritual reality is more than just falling under the anointing when your man of God lay hands on you. Rather, it means every part of our lives needs the influence of the Holy Spirit daily.
The word of God gives an amazing promise in Romans 8:6, saying “to be spiritually minded is life and peace.” This means a lifestyle aligned with the Spirit gives you access to God’s zoe life – a superior quality of life bringing victory even when surrounded by chaos.
However, for many believers, such triumphant living seems impossible, like a pipe dream. They have become used to ongoing crises, inability to walk in everything the Spirit gave them, and powerlessness against repeated attacks of the enemy.
Why does this happen when Romans 8:6 paints such a glorious picture for the spiritually minded? We need to properly understand how to develop a strong spirit man that sees invisible Kingdom realities. I believe that’s where this teaching is most useful for the body of Christ today. In this post, you’ll discover what I believe are the most important yet practical ways to nurture your spirit man. You’ll learn tips to shift from shallow spirituality into deep fellowship with the Holy Spirit daily. Ultimately, these Spirit-inspired keys when consistently applied will renew your mind and empower you to display God’s Kingdom in everyday life!
What Does It Mean To Be Spiritually Minded?
To be spiritually minded simply means to be governed and influenced by the Holy Spirit in every area of your life. It goes beyond having occasional spiritual experiences. Being spiritually minded is a continual way of life where you view reality from God’s perspective and rely on the Spirit’s guidance in all you do.
The word of God says in Romans 8:6 that “to be spiritually minded is life and peace.” This means a spiritually minded life will be filled with the zoe life of God. You’ll walk in health, wholeness, and tranquility even when surrounded by chaos.
Key Signs of A Spiritually Minded Life
How do you know if you’re spiritually minded or still carnal in your thinking and living? Here are some key signs:
1. You Understand Spiritual Realities
You have proper insight into the spirit realm. You don’t deny or ignore the existence and activities of angels, demons, and the mysteries of the Kingdom. Like Apostle Paul said, you “discern all things” yet you are not ignorant of the enemy’s devices (1 Corinthians 2:15, 2 Corinthians 2:11).
2. You Walk By Faith, Not Just Your Senses
You fix your eyes on unseen spiritual realities instead of just natural circumstances (2 Corinthians 4:18). You understand principles like “walk by faith, not by sight” (2 Corinthians 5:7). Your life illustrates Proverbs 3:5-6 about trusting the Lord and not leaning on your own understanding.
3. You Manifest the Fruit of the Spirit
Your character and disposition exemplify the fruit the Holy Spirit produces – love, joy, peace patience kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control (Galatians 5:22-23). It’s evident you are being led by the Spirit who grows this fruit in you.
4. You Display Gifts of the Spirit
If you are filled with and led by the Holy Spirit, scripture clearly states He will distribute spiritual gifts to you for ministry (1 Corinthians 12:7-11). The power gifts, revelation gifts etc. will be regularly manifested in your life.
5. You Have An Emphasis on the Word
You have a strong appetite for studying scripture, doing what it says, and experiencing its power actively at work in you. The word of God and prayer are your vital spiritual food.
6. You Have Divine Encounters
Consistently experiencing God’s manifest presence and having encounters with Him is a trademark of one who fellowships with Holy Spirit. You have visitations, visions, trances, angelic appearances and other supernatural experiences.
If most of these signs describe your daily experience, then you are indeed spiritually minded! If not, you can stir up greater spiritual reality using the practical steps below.
Practical Ways To Be Spiritually Minded
1. Consciously Fellowship With the Holy Spirit
Don’t relegate your interaction with Holy Spirit to church worship alone. Develop an awareness of His presence daily, whether at home, work etc. Talk and listen to Him always like you would a friend. The more conscious you are of the Spirit, the more He influences your life.
2. Study and Act on The Word
Be a student of the Bible, continually exposing yourself to its mysteries. But don’t just accumulate revelations alone. Apply the word to your mind, speech, decisions and lifestyle. The word spiritually nourishes and renews your mind to think like Christ (Romans 12:2).
3. Yield To His Leading
Allow the Spirit have full direction over every area of your life – relationships, career etc. Don’t quench or grieve Him through stubbornness and disobedience (Ephesians 4:30, 1 Thessalonians 5:19). As you submit to the Spirit’s leadership, you’ll walk in supernatural intelligence and victory.
4. Become Addiction-Free
Don’t allow anything have control over you apart from Holy Spirit and the word. Break free from habits, enslaving mindsets and emotional dependencies that quench spiritual fire. You can’t be spiritually minded with competing loyalties in your soul.
5. Pursue Spiritual Encounters
Crave to personally encounter spiritual phenomena like visions, trances, angelic visitations, heavenly realms etc. Press into God for such experiences. Read biographies of revivalists. This creates hunger and lures you into deeper spiritual dimensions.
6. Connect With Moves of God
Research past revivals and moves of the Spirit. Read books, watch videos and associate with people mightily used by God today. This stirs your spirit, imparting graces for fresh fire on your life. You’ll begin walking in revived spiritual reality.
7. Develop Your Prayer Life
Prayer is communion with the Spirit that launches you into spiritual realms. You may start with one hour a day, then increase as you’re able. As you pray in the Spirit and build intimacy with God, your spirit man becomes stronger while carnality dies.
8. Mortify Your Flesh
Your unrenewed senses and sinful nature will keep eclipsing spiritual reality. Therefore crucify fleshly appetites and tendencies by God’s grace so your spirit can rise unhindered (Galatians 5:24, Romans 8:13). The superiority of spirit over flesh allows you manifest God’s life.
Practice Constant Communication with God
Praying without ceasing (1 Thessalonians 5:17) keeps our minds centered on the spiritual realm versus the natural. Communing with the Holy Spirit through prayer, praise and worship orients our thoughts towards heavenly things. Prayerful communication spiritually recalibrates us.
Limit Intake of Worldly Influences
While we’re in the world, we must be cautious about input from worldly sources. Set filters on media content to limit intake of immorality, violence, crudeness and negativity. Replace those with edifying, uplifting influences that turn your eyes towards God.
Fellowship Regularly with Other Believers
Spending quality time with other spiritually minded Christians fortifies your walk with God. Their testimonies and encouragement provide accountability and inspiration. According to Hebrews 10:24-25, meeting together strengthens spiritual passions.
Serve God and Others
The mind set on the flesh is self-consumed. But practicing selfless service directs your focus outside yourself unto godly things. Look for ways to minister to others, serve in church, meet needs and further God’s purposes. This develops spiritual mindfulness.
Be Quick to Repent
Ask the Holy Spirit to reveal any areas of thought or behavior displeasing to God. Be quick to repent, which means changing your mind to agree with God’s perspective. Maintaining a repentant heart keeps your mind spiritually vigilant.
Walk in the Spirit
This means following the Holy Spirit’s leading in every decision and suspending your own agenda. Be constantly listening to His voice and stepping out in obedience. Walking in the Spirit practically reorients all your thoughts around God’s desires.
Set Your Mind on Eternal Things
Reject obsession with the temporal. Colossians 3:2 says, “Set your minds on things above, not on earthly things.” Evaluate your thought life. Are your thoughts focused on temporary things or how your choices impact eternity? Aim for an eternal mindset.
Being spiritually minded requires vigilance and continual reliance on the Holy Spirit. But the benefits are incredibly worth it – life, peace, power, purpose and victory!
Here are some key verses about cultivating a spiritual mindset:
- “The mind governed by the flesh is death, but the mind governed by the Spirit is life and peace.” (Romans 8:6)
- “Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will.” (Romans 12:2)
- “Since, then, you have been raised with Christ, set your hearts on things above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God. Set your minds on things above, not on earthly things.” (Colossians 3:1-2)
- “For those who live according to the flesh set their minds on the things of the flesh, but those who live according to the Spirit set their minds on the things of the Spirit.” (Romans 8:5)
- “Blessed is the one who does not walk in step with the wicked or stand in the way that sinners take or sit in the company of mockers, but whose delight is in the law of the Lord, and who meditates on his law day and night.” (Psalm 1:1-2)
Transforming Your Spiritual Reality
Mere mental acknowledgement of spiritual truths without active participation will not make you spiritually minded. But as you apply the practical steps above by God’s grace, your spiritual transformation will be visible to all.
The word of God in 2 Corinthians 3:18 gives an assurance:
“But we all, with unveiled face, beholding as in a mirror the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from glory to glory, just as by the Spirit of the Lord.”
As we implement these keys by the help of the Spirit, our lives will exemplify the glory, character and power of Christ on a greater dimension every day. People will see and feel His tangible presence on us. And best of all, our spirit man will be renewed to walk in consistent victory!
I believe these teachings have been a blessing to you. Do let me know any other practical ways you’ve found helpful to grow your spirit man by leaving a comment. Don’t forget to share so others can be stirred up to pursue deeper fellowship with Holy Spirit too!
Being spiritually minded means being focused on and controlled by the desires of the Holy Spirit versus our own fleshly desires. It results in spiritual life and peace. Here are practical tips for developing a spiritual mindset:
Spend Time Reading God’s Word
Reading the Bible renews our thinking and reveals God’s perspective. Psalm 1:2 says the spiritually minded person meditates on God’s Word day and night. Make daily Bible reading a priority. Studying it devotionally and asking the Holy Spirit for revelation will transform your mindset.
FAQs about Being Spiritually Minded
What are the benefits of being spiritually minded? Some benefits are freedom from sin and addiction, power over the enemy, purpose and meaning, ability to discern God’s will, intimacy with God, and eternal rewards.
What happens if I’m not spiritually minded? You will be dominated by fleshly desires, making worldly decisions that lead to defeat and death. Lacking a spiritual focus leads to carnality, fruitlessness and missing out on God’s best.
What does it mean to “walk in the Spirit”? Walking in the Spirit means following the leading of the Holy Spirit in every decision, relying on His power to obey God’s Word, and being continuously filled with the Spirit.
How can I take every thought captive? Evaluating every thought against Scripture, rejecting negative or ungodly thoughts immediately, meditating on truth, renewing your mind through God’s Word, and asking the Holy Spirit to control your thought life.
What should I do when my mind wanders in prayer? Gently return your focus to God in prayer, confessing distractions and asking the Holy Spirit to settle your mind on Him. Refuse condemnation, recognizing wandering thoughts happen to everyone.
In Summary:
Being spiritually minded requires a constant intentionality. The key is relying on the Holy Spirit to align your thoughts, values, priorities and decisions with God’s desires versus fleshly or worldly interests. It’s a daily battle that produces life and peace as you continually offer all your thoughts up to Christ and set your mind on things above. With consistent practice, you’ll cultivate a mindset that brings great spiritual fruit.
