What Does the Bible Mean by Guard Your Heart and Mind?
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All believers in Jesus, at one time or another, experience weakness. It could be that we are tired, sick, experiencing loss of some kind, etc. It is often during these times when the enemy attempts to manipulate those weaknesses. It is during times of weakness that you really need to guard your heart and mind so that you can experience God’s peace and not allow negative thinking to take root. Learn how to set a watchman on the wall to protect your peace!

Guard Your Heart and Mind In Times of Weakness and Weariness
When I had first written this post, I had been experiencing a real lack of sleep. We had our two dogs, one for 7 years and one for 14 years (one was 14 and the other 15 and they have since passed away and we now have a very rambunctious Olde English Bulldog) and all of a sudden, after starting my blog, they had begun waking me up in the middle of the night, every night.
I am a very light sleeper, unlike my husband who sleeps like a rock. So I wake up at even the slightest of noises.
Our older dog was beginning to develop dementia and would move to various parts of the room throughout the night and his nails hit the hardwood floors like tap shoes! Then the other dog had skin allergies and had to lick his paws for what seems like an eternity. He did it so long it woke me out of a sound sleep. I am convinced that is the most annoying sound on the planet!
Once I am awake, my brain thinks it is time to start thinking of EVERYTHING I have been too busy to think about during the day. Next thing I know, an hour has passed and I am still awake!
After this goes on for DAYS, it leaves me mentally exhausted and physically worn down. I find it difficult to focus during the day and even my prayers seem to change.
There are so many times I will be in prayer and just throw up my hands and say “Sorry Lord, I am just wiped out. I’ve got nothing! I don’t even know what to say!”
And although I know the Holy Spirit will intercede for me during those times when I have no words, after some time exhaustion like this can lead to feeling depressed because you feel like you just can’t keep up with life!
You feel like you let everyone down because they want to do things and you just don’t have the energy. You feel like life is just getting away from you. That depressed feeling then just begins to affect everything else and starts this vicious cycle.

Setting a “Watchman on the Wall” to Guard Your Mind and Heart
It is so important during these times that you guard your heart and mind because if not, it leaves you open to negative thoughts which can invade every aspect of your life.
Proverbs 4:23 says:
ESV
“Keep your heart with all vigilance, for from it flow the springs of life.”
The Hebrew word for “guard” here is “natsar” and it means “to keep, observe, guard with fidelity, watchman”.
So how do you set a guard over your heart above all else?

The same way Israel guarded what was important to them and to God. Set a watchman!
The Word of God says out of the abundance of the heart “everything you do flows from it”!
Everything I do flows out of my heart! When I fail to set a guard, a watchman over my heart, I let the enemy storm right in through the walls!! It is like leaving a city unguarded from its enemies!
What are you doing to set a watchman on the wall, a guard, over your heart in all the issues of life? What are you doing to guard your mind and your thought life?
When was the last time you checked your watchman?
Guard Your Heart and Mind Through the Peace of God
Philippians 4:6-7 says:
NKJV
“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 understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.”
The peace of God will guard your heart and your mind IN OUR LORD JESUS CHRIST through prayer, supplication, and thanksgiving!
It is really THAT simple!
We have direct access to God almighty. We can approach Him at any time. Yet so often we sit around and wait for the enemy to attack before we run to Him.
We have failed to stand firm. we have failed to put on the whole armor of God and, many times, we even take on a complaining spirit griping about the situation we are in!
Guard Your Heart and Mind When the Enemy Strikes
We have failed to set a watchman on the wall. We wait until the weakness comes, we wait until the attack comes.
Set a guard and have God’s peace!
Have God’s peace in your family, have God’s peace in your personal life, have God’s peace in your spiritual life! Going to God should be your first line of defense, not your last resort!
I wasn’t doing anything to prevent the attack from coming until AFTER it took place. By then I was exhausted and worn out.
What an ingenious plan for an enemy isn’t it? Wait until the army is exhausted and worn out and then wage the battle! That devil prowls about like a roaring lion seeking whom he can devour! (1 Peter 5:8)
I was exhausted but he didn’t sleep! He prowled!
I need to seek God’s peace before there is a lack of sleep! When we are in ministry of any kind, the enemy is going to attack our weaknesses. Mine is lack of sleep! I knew that but I didn’t cover myself in prayer for it until AFTER it was an issue!
I could feel God telling me ‘You did not keep the mind of Christ and were relying on your own human judgments! You tried to fight the battle once it began instead of keeping the enemy away to begin with!’
The grace of God would have been sufficient for me had I gone to Him to begin with.
Going to God should be your first line of defense, not your last resort! Share on XI Failed to Set a Watchman Over My Spiritual Heart
“The good person out of the good treasure of his heart produces good, and the evil person out of his evil treasure produces evil, for out of the abundance of the heart his mouth speaks.”
Luke 6:45 ESV
My heart and my mind affected everything, especially blogging!
I told a friend I was tapped out! I couldn’t write! Topics were not the problem; I had ideas but the words wouldn’t come! I had a block and nothing I did worked!
Because my writing flows from my heart, the fact that I did not have a guarded heart also affected my mind because it allowed negative thoughts to enter in! I began to think maybe my blogging wasn’t good enough. I thought maybe I really WASN’T called to blog.
You see how that worked?
Because I didn’t recognize the enemy causing those disruptions in my sleep, that then caused me to fail to go to God with it. As that spiraled into exhaustion it then started a thought process that led to me thinking I wasn’t called to the ministry I was in. Wow! The words “well, that escalated quickly” come to mind, but it is SO true!
Satan loves to attack our thinking when we don’t protect our hearts and many times it is because we left our minds and thoughts unguarded! It flows both ways! He can attack our hearts through our thinking and our thinking through our unguarded hearts!
Be sure to always guard your mind and heart each and every moment because the enemy can slip in THAT fast!
Set a watchman on the wall and don’t wait for the attack to act!!
Bible Verses to Help Guard Your Mind and Heart
Romans 12:2 ESV
Do not be conformed to this world but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect.
Psalm 51:10 ESV
Create in me a clean heart, O God, and renew a right spirit within me.
Colossians 3:2 ESV
Set your minds on things that are above, not on things that are on earth.
Matthew 22:37 NIV
Jesus replied: “‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.’
John 14:27 NIV
Jesus replied: “‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.’
Psalm 26:2 NIV
Test me, Lord, and try me, examine my heart and my mind;
Psalm 73:26 ESV
My flesh and my heart may fail, but God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever.
Proverbs 23:26 CJB
My son, give me your heart; let your eyes observe my ways.
Proverbs 3:5 CJB
Trust in Adonai with all your heart; do not rely on your own understanding.
Psalm 19:14 NIV
May these words of my mouth and this meditation of my heart be pleasing in your sight, Lord, my Rock and my Redeemer.
Scripture quotations are from The ESV® Bible (The Holy Bible, English Standard Version®), copyright © 2001 by Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved
Thank you!! I think you are right..it may come with age. I never had this problem before when I was younger!!
Depression is a real side effect when you feel like you can’t keep up with life. Giving it to God and setting a watchman is definitely a great strategy. Putting on the armor of God is the way to set a watchman.
Amen Julie!! So true!!
Thanks for the great post Diane. I’m glad you went into the Hebrew as well. I completely relate to thinking of everything I can possibly think of at night. My mind seems to be permanently active and has trouble switching off. I think for people like that, where we can allow our thoughts to run rampant, it’s especially important to guard our minds and hearts. I know that I can go down a certain path of thinking about something in a particular way, which then allows the enemy to play on those fears or feelings. It’s really easy for him to stir the pot and get caught in a negative mindset. We need to think on whatever is good, true and lovely, otherwise we can allow these negative thoughts to become toxic and build resentment towards others or God.
Thank you Robert!! Yes!!! I know for me, having anxiety makes it tough when I get into thinking at night because I tend to worry about things that typically never happen!! The enemy loves to use those times!!
This is a valuable warning for me in my life right now. laurensparks.net
I am glad you found it helpful Lauren!
Mercy, it is SO TRUE! Coming up with a protection plan AFTER the attack only gets us so far — and we’re always playing catch up. It would be MUCH better if we would think about how to guard our hearts and minds BEFORE Satan decides we’re vulnerable, but we so often think we’re good, that nothing could shake us badly enough to have us questioning our faith. And yet, it does. Something happens that we could never have anticipated, and it brings us to the end of ourselves. Thanks for this reminder, Diane!
Thank you Laura!! I agree!! I think sometimes for me, I get to thinking I need to pray for everyone else and I know other people cover me that I forget I still need to make sure I cover myself!!
You are a trooper for allowing the dogs in your room. I too am a light sleeper. I don’t usually sleep with our dogs, but when we travel, I do. We had one that moves all night long. One night every time she moved I thought she had to go to the bathroom. I was up all night long. One time I was so tired I went out in my pj’s missed the curb, and there I was in the hotel parking lot flat on my back in pj’s I might add grumbling.
Next time I travel with them, I will remember to pray first and guard my thoughts.
I too need my sleep.
Maree
Oh no!!! I definitely feel your pain (literally)…one of mine is 13 years old and basically blind so I seem to get hurt every time I take him out at night…which thanks to my husband isn’t often!! Yes, we let them sleep in our room because they would be at the door all night if we didn’t! They are both rescues so they are a little needy and they are both 13 so they are old now. But if we ever get more dogs when these guys leave us they will NOT be in our room LOL
I love this! It is so important to be alert and pray before we are spent. I have felt convicted in this area with praying for protection for my family and me lately too, as we watch everything break all around us!
Are you developing What you pray as a watchman. I’d love to read that too!
It is VERY important..its funny how we can easily pray for others but we often forget ourselves!!
I am also a light sleeper and get easily frustrated when I don’t get the sleep I need. I find the enemy strikes the hardest on church days or bible study days. Its so important to know that those are from the devil and fight the thoughts of staying home.
Yes!! Amen!!!
Oh I needed this reminder! I have definitely been letting my guard down lately and need to re-focus my heart on Jesus.
I am so glad you found it encouraging Bailey!! We focus so much on others at times, we can easily forget to make sure WE are protected!
Preaching to my heart tonight with this post! Visiting from Lori Schumaker’s link party and so glad I stopped by. Thank you.
Thank you so much and I’m so glad you stopped by!