Before Jesus came to this earth, He set His mind. He determined beforehand and set a predetermined course of action to do the will of God. Jesus knew He would be rejected, despised, and crucified, yet He set His mind to do the will of God regardless of what He had to endure. He did not allow anything to divert Him from completing the work He came to do. He set His mind on winning the war!

You must set your thoughts upon Christ, the Word, God's will, and His plan and purposes. In order to live in one-hundred percent victory in our minds and win the war against Satan, we too must set our minds that we are going to walk in the victory God has provided for us. We must take authority over our thoughts, desires, and intentions and focus them on Christ, the Word, and upon fulfilling God's will.

Paul told the Romans:

For they that are after the flesh do mind the things of the flesh; but they that are after the Spirit the things of the Spirit. (Romans 8:5)

He told the Colossians:

If then you have been raised with Christ (to a new life, thus sharing His resurrection from the dead), aim at and seek the (rich, eternal treasures) that are above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God. And set your minds and keep them set on what is above — the higher things — not on the things that are on the earth. For (as far as this world is concerned) you have died, and your (new, real) life is hid with Christ in God. (Colossians 3:1-3, TAB)

To “set your mind on things above” is to desire and seek after those things. You must see to it that your interests and desires are centered in Christ. “Setting the mind” means that a person fills his thought life and sets a thought pattern upon Christ, the Word, God's will, His plan and purposes. You must make a predetermined effort to program your thoughts and keep them centered upon Christ and things above instead of allowing them to be constantly filled with the cares of this life, your selfish desires, fear, unbelief, worry, doubt, or temptation.

Paul told the Philippians to think on things that were pure, lovely, gracious, excellent — things worthy of praise (Philippians 4:8, TAB). There are Christians today who have programmed themselves for failure and defeat by focusing on their circumstances instead of setting their minds for victory. You don't have to be one of them!

Today, I will think only on things that are true, worthy of reverence, honorable, seemly, just, pure, lovely, virtuous, and excellent.