January 17, 2023: Philippians 4:8 - Meditate on These Things

January 17, 2023  /  Stephanie Klepacki

“Finally, brethren, whatever things are true, what 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.” - Philippians 4:8

The enemy - the devil - wants us distracted and full of worry and fear. In our high-tech world, this is easily done with 24/7 media coverage. I do not think it’s any coincidence that “media” is the plural of “medium,” which relates to psychics and seers. This coincides with television and “tell-a-vision” and the usage of “programming” and “channels.” All of these terms relate to setting your mind on the darkness and not on the light. These things are the opposite of what God calls us to listen to and to meditate or think on. God tells us in Colossians 3:1-8:

“If then you were raised with Christ, seek those things which are above, where Christ is, sitting at the right hand of God. Set your minds on things above, not on things on the earth. For you died, and your life is hidden with Christ in God. When Christ who is our life appears, then you also will appear with Him in glory. Therefore put to death your members which are on the earth: fornication, uncleanness, passion, evil desire, and covetousness, which is idolatry. Because of these things the wrath of God is coming upon the sons of disobedience, in which you yourselves once walked when you lived in them. But now you yourselves are to put off all these these: anger, wrath, malice, blasphemy, filthy language out of your mouth.”

Notice in Philippians 4:8 that the apostle Paul is addressing his “brethren,” those who are called children of God, those who have put their faith and trust in Jesus Christ as their Savior. He is not addressing unbelievers, those who have not accepted Jesus as their Savior. As Colossians 3:1-8 reminds us, before we got saved by grace through faith in Jesus, we once walked in disobedience and did those filthy things that mankind has been doing since Adam and Eve.

When we watch the news or TV shows, what are they focusing on? Is it anything that is considered good and acceptable in the eyes of God or is it of the darkness? I would venture to say that nearly all of it focuses on the darkness. Why? Because we are being programmed by the enemy - the devil - to focus on him and not God.

Being a believer in Christ is not a passive life but an active life in a spiritual war that will remain with us until we are finally with our Savior. Though we are saved by the blood of Jesus, the enemy still wars against us. Our enemy is not made of flesh and bone but is spiritual. As Paul wrote in Ephesians 6:12, “For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this age, against spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places.” Paul wrote about his own struggles with this in Romans 7:13-25. “For what I am doing, I do not understand. For what I will to do, that I do not practice; but what I hate, that I do.” (Romans 7:15) In this passage, he acknowledges that he is a sinner, that he cannot be saved by the law or by anything that he can do, but it is only by his faith in Jesus Christ that can save him.

So, how do we fight against this spiritual war? We put on the whole armor of God that Paul described in Ephesians 6:10-20. Part of that whole armor is to “Take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God.” The helmet and the sword of the Spirit protect our brains, our minds, our thoughts, from the enemy. We do that by meditating not on the world, but by meditating - putting our thoughts - on Jesus.

Paul listed the things that we are to meditate on - things that are:

  • True

  • Noble

  • Just

  • Pure

  • Lovely

  • Are of good report

  • Virtue

  • Praiseworthy

Look at the list again. Do these things describe the world or do they describe Jesus? They are all used to describe Him. The world, if we let it, gets us down. The media, etc., are there constantly reminding us of this, replaying bad news over and over again, running ticker-tape style messages at the bottom of the screen to keep it constantly in your view, so that not only do you hear it but you see it. Let us actively fight against this by doing this instead: turn it off and let us meditate on Jesus:

  • Jesus is the truth; He is Emmanuel - God with us;

  • He is just and will righteously judge the world when He comes the second time;

  • He is pure, holy and without sin;

  • He is altogether lovely;

  • He is the way, the truth, and the life - the only way to salvation - a good report;

  • He sets the standard for the virtues we seek to reflect Him in our own lives; and

  • “Worthy is the Lamb who was slain to receive power and riches and wisdom, and strength and honor and glory and blessing!” (Revelation 5:12)

Finally, I leave you with these words from Paul:

“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 disobedience when your obedience is fulfilled.” (2 Corinthians 10:3-6) ✝️