Just as physical food nourishes our bodies, Scripture nourishes our minds and spirits.
God’s Word has the unique ability to cut through lies, doubts, and fears, filling us with truth and strength. Hebrews 4:12 (NIV) tells us, “For the word of God is alive and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates even to the dividing of the soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart.”
By immersing ourselves in God’s Word, we invite His truth to replace our fears, doubts, and anxieties. Rather than letting our minds be shaped by the world’s worries, we can be transformed by the unwavering truths of Scripture. When our thoughts align with God’s promises, we are no longer vulnerable to every fear and anxious thought. Instead, we find ourselves grounded in faith, strengthened by hope, and anchored in the peace that only comes from knowing God is in control—when we allow Him control of our lives.
The Israelites, Moses, Noah, Abraham, and so many more in the Bible built altars to God after a victory. We can do the same. Our altars today might look a little different but the idea is the same. The Israelites crossed the Red Sea and built an altar to remember what God did for them. Renewing your mind can be the same as building an altar. When God does something in our life, big or small, we need to remember it. We need to think about it.
When a spirit of fear comes on us because we don’t know what’s going to happen next or we can’t see the light at the end of the tunnel, we need to look back in our past at the altars and remember all the things God has already done for us. Maybe your altar looks like a Post-it note on your mirror. Maybe your altar looks like a reminder in your car or on your phone. Your altar needs to be wherever you are going to see it and then remember His faithfulness.
Scripture talks about, “as he thinks in his heart, so is he” (Proverbs 23:7 NKJV). This is why controlling your thought pat-tern is very important.
Finally, brethren, whatever things are true, whatever things are noble, whatever things are just, whatever things are pure, whatever things are lovely, whatever things are of good report, if there is any virtue and if there is anything praiseworthy—meditate on these things. The things which you learned and received and heard and saw in me, these do, and the God of peace will be with you (Philippians 4:8-9 NKJV).
We see that we are to meditate on things that are true, noble, just, pure, lovely, of good report, and have virtue. Meditate on what is praiseworthy! Instead, we listen to what someone says at work or school and then let that negativity play through our mind. Or a family member calls with well-meaning intentions, but we take it negatively and run it over and over again in our head.
Many youth I pray over have told me that someone at school or even at home tore them apart verbally, and it’s all they can think about. That is what is considered renewing your mind—but not in a good way. When you meditate on the nasty things in life, that spirit of fear will come upon you and will turn into anxiety, depression, and ongoing destruction of your spirit.
Now I, Paul, myself am pleading with you by the meek-ness and gentleness of Christ—who in presence am lowly among you, but being absent am bold toward you. But I beg you that when I am present I may not be bold with that confidence by which I intend to be bold against some, who think of us as if we walked according to the flesh. For though we walk in the flesh, we do not war according to the flesh. For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal but mighty in God for pulling down strongholds, casting down arguments and every high thing that exalts itself against the knowledge of God, bringing every thought into captivity to the obedience of Christ, and being ready to punish all dis-obedience when your obedience is fulfilled (2 Corinthians 10:1-6 NKJV).
Paul tells us that we do not wrestle against flesh and blood. Most of the time when people say stupid things, they are just being used by the enemy to get at you. Paul tells us that the weapons of warfare we need to fight these attacks are not carnal. We use the spiritual weapons I’m talking about to take our thoughts captive and bring them into obedience. We don’t let our thoughts control us; we control our thoughts! We punish all disobedience, meaning those thoughts that run wild, by bringing those thoughts into the obedience of the Word of God. We take all thoughts captive to see if they line up with the Word of God or not. If they disagree with Scripture, we take them captive and throw them out. If they line up with Scripture, we take them captive and meditate on them.
Rejoice in the Lord always. Again I will say, rejoice! Let your gentleness be known to all men. The Lord is at hand. Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God; and the peace of God, which surpasses all under-standing, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus (Philippians 4:4-7 NKJV).
Philippians 4 says rejoice in the Lord always! Whatever is just, pure, of good report, and so on; meditate on those things. Rejoice in the Lord always means to keep what God has done for you at the front of your mind (building an altar). Then it says to be anxious for nothing. Our tendency is to be anxious over everything. If we can keep anxiety out and think about the things of God, there is a promise in Philippians. If we pray and stay in prayer, the peace of God that we cannot comprehend will protect our heart and mind.
We have been looking at Philippians 4:4-7. Let’s focus on verse 7: “and the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus” (Philippians 4:7 NKJV).
Paul says that the peace of God will guard your heart and mind. That’s so much better than the peace you can muster. Your peace can change often, but the peace of God is on a whole new level. That peace of God that Philippians is talking about is translated from the word shalom. The shalom of God will guard your heart and your mind. There was a time I didn’t really know what shalom meant, but now it’s one of my favorite topics to preach on.
Some of our team took a group to Washington, DC, to help serve at an event. There were a lot of leaders from Israel at the conference. As the leaders at the event would pass by they would say, “Shabbot Shalom!” I wondered what in the world that meant. I thought maybe it was like Hakuna Matata, which means no worries for the rest of your days. But, no. Shabbot Shalom is a greeting, but unlike what is a common greeting in the United States. We walk by with a quick “Hi,” and are gone before anyone has a chance to respond. Shabbat Shalom is a blessing on your family, your health, and everything that surrounds you.
If we meditate on this promise from Jesus the Messiah, we can get rid of anxiety before it gives birth to fear and depression. When we receive His shalom and we receive Him, what does that mean? He put His Holy Spirit inside you! And what comes with the Holy Spirit? The fruit of the Spirit!
But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control. Against such there is no law. And those who are Christ’s have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires. If we live in the Spirit, let us also walk in the Spirit (Galatians 5:22-25 NKJV).
This is all part of that process of renewing your mind. Training yourself to think correctly. We meditate on the good things and get rid of that spirit of fear. We go from trying to find our peace to entering into His peace; His shalom.
Meditation can be a scary word for Christians because there is so much weird and various types of meditation out there in the world. Meditation in itself is not bad at all. It means to deeply think about or concentrate. If you are talking about the Bible and things of God, meditation is great. Just don’t get into all the strange New Age stuff. Meditation isn’t just reading a verse once and moving on. It’s about deeply considering the words and their meaning; asking God to reveal insights and applications. A helpful practice is to focus on one verse at a time, repeating it quietly and thinking through each phrase.
As you’re contemplating a verse, ask questions such as:
What does this verse say about who God is?
How does this verse speak to my fears or anxieties?
What is God asking me to do or believe through these words?
Embrace A New Mindset
God’s Word is a powerful tool for breaking free from cycles of fear and anxiety. By meditating on His promises, praying through His Word, and filling our minds with His truths, we allow the Holy Spirit to transform us from the inside out.
As you journey through renewing your mind with Scripture, remember that this is not about perfection, but progression. God is patient and compassionate, working in you to build resilience and strength one day at a time. Hold on to His promises, trust in His faithfulness, and let His Word be your constant source of hope and peace.
Break Free from Fear and Step Boldly into Faith.
Have you ever felt trapped by fear, unsure if what you’re hearing or sensing is truly from God? Do anxiety, confusion, or overwhelming circumstances keep pulling you out of peace and into panic? You want to trust God—but fear keeps speaking louder than faith.
What if the battle you’re facing isn’t just emotional—but spiritual?
Through years of ministry, leadership, and firsthand encounters with the pressures of culture and faith, Ryan Edberg reveals how fear subtly shapes decisions, distorts perception, and keeps believers from walking in their God-given authority. This breakthrough resource exposes the real source of fear and equips you to rise above it with clarity, discernment, and unshakable faith.
In From Fear to Faith, you’ll discover how to:
Discern the true source behind fear, anxiety, and confusion
Strengthen your ability to hear God clearly in uncertain seasons
Develop spiritual discernment to test what you hear and feel
Walk confidently in God’s plan without being driven by fear
Break agreement with fear and realign your thinking with God’s truth
You were never designed to live under fear’s control. The enemy uses fear to confuse, distract, and silence—but Jesus has already given you victory. As you apply these truths, you’ll step into a life marked by clarity, boldness, and unwavering trust in God.