The behavior of people and their actions derive from the mind. Ary noho izany, the mind determines the behavior and actions of people. Before someone does something, a lot has already taken place in the mind. Hoy ny Baiboly, that the mind can be controlled and dominated by the flesh; which is controlled by the kingdom of darkness or by the Spirit; Who is being controlled by the Kingdom of God. Therefore the mind has a choice to do the will of God or the will of the devil.
The carnal mind
Before you believed in Jesus Christ and nibebaka, your mind was carnal and was being controlled by the world; Ny fanjakan'ny maizina. Your mind was fed and formed by the knowledge, wisdom and the things of this world.
But when you believed in Jesus Christ, nibebaka, ary lasa teraka indray Ao amin'ny Fanahy, Nafindra tamin'ny fanjakan'ny haizina ho ao amin'ny Fanjakan'Andriamanitra ianao. You were set apart from the world. You didn’t belong to the world; Ny fanjakan'ny maizina, INTSONY, but you belonged to the Kingdom of God. You were no longer the old creation but you had become a famoronana vaovao; Zanak'Andriamanitra (Mihatra amin'ny lahy sy ny vavy izany.), but your mind was still the same.
The renewing of the mind
Although you became a new creation, your mind was still the same. Your mind was unchanged and your mind was still conformed to the world. Ary noho izany, it was necessary to renew your mind with God’s Word, so that you would find out the sitrapon’Andriamanitra ary mandeha araka ny sitrapony.
It’s so important, that your mind is being conformed to the Word of God. Satria vao avy eo, will you have the mind of Christ. When you have the mind of Christ, you will speak and act like Jesus and live according to God’s will in holiness and righteousness.
Ary aza manaraka ny fanaon'izao tontolo izao: fa miovà amin'ny fanavaozana ny sainareo, mba hozahanareo toetra izay tsara, ary azo ekena, ary tonga lafatra, sitrapon’Andriamanitra (Romana 12:2)
Ary havaozina amin'ny fanahin'ny sainao; Ary napetrakanao ilay lehilahy vaovao, izay aorian'ny namoronana ny fahamarinana sy ny fahamasinana marina (Eph 4:23-24)
Fa raha mbola, as you don’t Havaozy ny sainao Miaraka amin'ny Tenin'Andriamanitra, your mind will stay unrenewed and therefore you will stay the same as before your repentance. Your mind will stay carnal and you will keep walking as the fahariana taloha after the flesh. You shall be controlled by your flesh and shall be led by your senses, fihetseham-po, eritreritra, fihetseham-po, hevitra, will etc. As long as you are being controlled by the flesh, you will sow in the flesh and shall reap corruption and death.
Ny fahafatesana no atao hoe saina araka ny nofo; Fa ny saina ara-panahy dia fiainana sy fiadanana. Satria ny saina ara-nofo dia fandrafiana an'Andriamanitra: fa tsy manaiky ny lalàn 'Andriamanitra izany, na ny tena mety. Ka izay ao amin'ny nofo dia tsy afaka mampifaly an'Andriamanitra (Rom 8:6-8)
IREO, who are continuously dominated by the flesh (Ny toetra manota) shall also put their mind on the things of the flesh (Ny toetra manota) and shall do what the flesh wants to do. Fa ireo, who are continuously being dominated by the Spirit, shall also put their mind on the things of Spirit and the Kingdom of God.
The old man blames others
Many times believers, who misbehave or have made a mistake often say: ”the devil made me do it, he made me sin”. ny lahy antitra always hides and blames others for his behavior and mistake(s) and never takes responsibility for the mistake(s) he made.
Rehefa nanota i Adama, he hid himself from God. When God asked him, if he had eaten from the forbidden tree, Adam immediately blamed Eve for his Tsy nankatò an'Andriamanitra. Eve acted the same way and blamed the serpent for her disobedience.
Mazava ho azy, the serpent tempted Eve, but Eve and Adam were responsible for their own actions. When Eve was tempted by the devil, a thought of curiosity and temptation entered her mind and instead of commanding that thought to leave, she allowed the thought into her mind and conceived that thought.
Before she acted and ate from the forbidden fruit, she already made the choice in her mind to eat from the forbidden fruit. Adam did the same thing, and also gave in to the temptation.
Noho izany, they were both responsible for their own actions. They were the ones, who sinned and not the devil.
The devil still tries to tempt people in the flesh, satria izany no faritaniny. He shall always try to tempt you by putting evil thoughts into your mind, that will cause you to misbehave, make a mistake and do or say something that is against the will of God. ENY, the devil tries to tempt people by putting thoughts into their mind that may cause them to sin. That’s what he did with Adam and Eve, KAINA, Lot’s wife, Samson, Saoly, David, Solomon etc. ENY, he even tried to tempt Jesus, Zanak'Andriamanitra, but Jesus loved God above all, Fantany ny Sitrapon'ny Rainy and His nature, therefore He overcame the devil by using the Word of God in the right context.
The devil can tempt you, nefa tsy afaka manota ianao
The devil can tempt you, but he cannot make you sin. Ianao no iray, who is responsible for your sins. You decide to do something that goes against God’s will and sin or not. You are responsible for your behavior and your actions. And it all starts in your mind. Your mind is a breeding ground for good or evil.
Indrisy, the devil still has control in the mind of many believers. That’s mainly because many believers don’t manavao ny sainy Miaraka amin'ny Tenin'Andriamanitra. Ary noho izany, they don’t get to know the sitrapon’Andriamanitra. They keep feeding their mind with the knowledge, wisdom and the things of this world. Noho izany antony izany, their mind belongs to the world; Devoly, and they walk according to Ny sitrapony.
Noho ny zava-misy, that the devil controls the mind, he also controls the lives of many believers. He determines their behavior, speech, and actions. ENY, he controls them by controlling their mind; their thoughts. He puts thoughts into their mind that go against the will of God, and as long as they are carnal and they are being led by the flesh, they shall obey these thoughts. They shall walk and live according to what their thoughts tell and command them to do. Just like the Word says, that before you repented you lived like the world, in the lusts of your flesh, fulfilling the desires of your flesh and of the mind.
Ary ianao no hatsangana, izay maty tamin'ny fanitsakitsahana sy ota; Izay fotoana lasa dia nandeha araka ny lalan'ity tontolo ity ianao, Araka ny andrianan'ny herin'ny rivotra, Ny fanahy izay miasa amin'ny zanaky ny tsy fankatoavana: Anisan'ireny koa ny resaka nifanaovantsika nandritra ny fotoana niresaky ny nofontsika, Ny fanatanterahana ny fanirian'ny nofo sy ny saina; ary natoraly ny zanaky ny fahatezerana, na dia tahaka ny hafa aza (Efesiana 2:1-3)
Fanitsakitsaham-bady
A person doesn’t commit adultery, just like that. Although some believers, who have committed adultery, LAZAIN'NY, that they couldn’t help it and before they knew it they committed adultery. But that’s nonsense! Accidentally infidelity and adultery do not exist. Because before a person commits adultery, all kinds of unclean sexual thoughts have already entered the mind of the person. They brought up the idea of committing adultery. The person can mislead many people, who are carnal and are being led by their emotions and feelings, by taking a victim role, so that others will feel sorry for the person and have compassion. Fa ireo, who are led by the Holy Spirit, and are not led by carnal feelings and emotions, don’t fall for that. They will discern the spirits, including the spirit of self-pity.
But before a person commits adultery, an unclean sexual thought of lust and desire already entered the mind. This thought came forth out of the lusts and desires of the flesh. Izany dia mampiseho, that the flesh is not nohomboana tao amin’i Kristy, but is still alive and reigns in the person’s life. If the person had taken authority over this thought, by commanding it to leave his mind, the person would not have committed adultery. But the person didn’t do that and allowed that thought. The person not only allowed the thought but also meditated on this thought. In the mind, the person already committed adultery and has connected himself/herself with the other person. Ankehitriny,, these unclean sexual feelings of lust will only become stronger.
Olona iray, who commits fornication or adultery, has done this with premeditation. After committing adultery, this unclean spirit of sexual lust and desire shall reign in the person’s life. Because the person has obeyed this spirit by committing adultery and has given access to his/her life. This spirit shall manifest himself from time to time. That’s why many times when someone commits adultery it isn’t just one time, fa rehefa afaka kelikely, it happens again.
I’ve given this example of adultery, but there are so many examples to mention, about thoughts that cause behavior and actions, mifanohitra amin’ny sitrapon’Andriamanitra izany. Like gossip, manipulation, ny lainga, fahatanjahana, ahiahy, mitaraina, hurting other people, scams, halatra, fanodinkodinana vola, tax evasion and so on. All these actions are being done with premeditation because they all derive from the mind of a person.
Manana safidy ny saina
Manana safidy ny saina. As long as a person stays carnal and is not able to control his flesh, the person shall be dominated by his flesh; Ny toetra manota. The person shall be led by his thoughts instead of taking authority over his thoughts.
Every person makes his/her own decisions to allow thoughts, and conceive thoughts and sin, or to reject thoughts and not sin. Every person is responsible for his/her mind, behavior and actions. Therefore you can’t blame others for your behavior or actions.
Izany no antony, it’s so important and necessary to Havaozy ny sainao with God’s Word, instead of feeding your mind with the things of this world. Because your mind determines your behavior and your actions.
Your way of life proves, if you have a carnal mind and being led by the flesh or that you have the mind of Christ that is conformed to the Word and are led by the Spirit. If you have the mind of Christ and are led by the Holy Spirit then you shall live according to Sitrapon’Andriamanitra and serve Him.
Serve him with a perfect heart and with a willing mind: for the Lord searches all hearts, and understands all the imaginations of the thoughts: if thou seek Him, He will be found of thee; but if thou forsake Him, He will cast thee off for ever (1 Tantara 28:9)
‘Aoka ho fanasin’ny tany’
