To be carnally minded is to prioritize temporary, worldly matters over eternal, spiritual truths. The Bible warns about the consequences of this mindset and offers wisdom for living a Spirit-led life. Today, we’ll uncover what God’s Word says about guarding our thoughts and hearts.
Also Read: What Does The Bible Say About Carnal Christian
What Does The Bible Say About Carnal Minded
Romans 8:6
“The mind governed by the flesh is death, but the mind governed by the Spirit is life and peace.”
This verse emphasizes the consequences of having a carnal mind, which is being spiritually dead. A mind consumed by worldly desires and pleasures leads to spiritual death. In contrast, having a mind influenced by the Holy Spirit leads to life and peace.
It is important for believers to continually renew their minds and align their thoughts with the Spirit’s guidance, rejecting the temptations and distractions of the flesh.
Galatians 5:19-21
“The acts of the flesh are obvious: sexual immorality, impurity and debauchery; idolatry and witchcraft; hatred, discord, jealousy, fits of rage, selfish ambition, dissensions, factions and envy; drunkenness, orgies, and the like. I warn you, as I did before, that those who live like this will not inherit the kingdom of God.”
This passage lists the various manifestations of a carnal or fleshly mind. The desires and actions stemming from living according to the flesh are outlined here, highlighting the destructive nature and consequences of such behavior.
Believers are encouraged to walk in the Spirit and not fulfill the lusts and desires of the flesh. By allowing the Holy Spirit to transform their minds, they can experience the fruit of the Spirit instead, which is life-giving and pleasing to God.
1 Corinthians 3:1-3
“Brothers and sisters, I could not address you as people who live by the Spirit but as people who are still worldly—mere infants in Christ. I gave you milk, not solid food, for you were not yet ready for it. Indeed, you are still not ready. You are still worldly. For since there is jealousy and quarreling among you, are you not worldly? Are you not acting like mere humans?”
This passage highlights the carnal mindset of the Corinthians and their immaturity in the faith. Instead of living by the Spirit, they were still governed by worldly behaviors such as jealousy and quarreling.
As believers, we are called to grow and mature in our faith, renewing our minds and aligning our thoughts with God’s. This involves letting go of worldly attitudes and embracing the Spirit’s transformative work in our lives.
Philippians 3:19
“Their destiny is destruction, their god is their stomach, and their glory is in their shame. Their mind is set on earthly things.”
This verse describes those who have a carnal mind, focused solely on earthly desires and pleasures. Their ultimate end is destruction, as they prioritize satisfying their fleshly cravings over spiritual matters.
Believers are warned against being entangled in such a mindset, but rather to set their minds on the things above, pursuing godly virtues and heavenly treasures instead.
Colossians 3:5-6
“Put to death, therefore, whatever belongs to your earthly nature: sexual immorality, impurity, lust, evil desires and greed, which is idolatry. Because of these, the wrath of God is coming.”
This passage urges believers to put to death their carnal or earthly desires, which are rooted in the flesh. Actions such as sexual immorality, impurity, lust, evil desires, and greed are listed as examples of what should be eliminated from our lives.
The consequences of indulging in the carnal mind are made clear – the wrath of God. Therefore, believers are called to constantly renew their minds and allow the Holy Spirit to guide them in living a life that is pleasing to God.
James 4:4
“You adulterous people, don’t you know that friendship with the world means enmity against God? Therefore, anyone who chooses to be a friend of the world becomes an enemy of God.”
This verse emphasizes the conflict between having a carnal mind that seeks friendship with the world and having a mind that is surrendered to God. Choosing to conform to worldly values and desires results in enmity against God.
Believers are called to prioritize their relationship with God and to resist the temptations and influences of the world that lead to a carnal mindset. By cultivating a mindset that is focused on God and His will, we can avoid becoming enemies of God.
1 Peter 2:11
“Dear friends, I urge you, as foreigners and exiles, to abstain from sinful desires, which wage war against your soul.”
This verse highlights the ongoing battle believers face between their spiritual nature and their carnal desires. Sinful desires are depicted as waging war against the soul, seeking to hinder our spiritual growth and relationship with God.
As foreigners and exiles in this world, believers are called to resist succumbing to carnal temptations and to instead live in a manner that honors and glorifies God.
Ephesians 2:3
“All of us also lived among them at one time, gratifying the cravings of our flesh and following its desires and thoughts. Like the rest, we were by nature deserving of wrath.”
This verse reminds believers of their past lives when they lived according to the flesh, indulging in its desires and thoughts. This way of living is described as deserving God’s wrath.
However, through God’s grace and redemption, believers have been saved from the consequences of their carnal minds and are now called to walk in the newness of life, guided by the Holy Spirit.
Romans 13:14
“Rather, clothe yourselves with the Lord Jesus Christ, and do not think about how to gratify the desires of the flesh.”
This verse encourages believers to intentionally clothe themselves with the character of Christ and to resist the pull of their fleshly desires. The focus should shift from gratifying the flesh to living in a way that reflects the nature of Christ.
By constantly renewing their minds and surrendering their desires to the leading of the Holy Spirit, believers can overcome the temptations of the carnal mind and walk in alignment with Christ’s teachings.
1 Corinthians 2:14
“The person without the Spirit does not accept the things that come from the Spirit of God but considers them foolishness, and cannot understand them because they are discerned only through the Spirit.”
This verse highlights the inability of a carnal mind to comprehend or accept the things of God. Without the Holy Spirit’s guidance, the things of the Spirit are deemed foolishness.
Believers, on the other hand, have been given the Holy Spirit to guide their thinking, enabling them to understand and embrace the truths of God’s Word.
Matthew 6:24
“No one can serve two masters. Either you will hate the one and love the other, or you will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and money.”
This verse serves as a reminder that having a carnal mind and being devoted to worldly pursuits is incompatible with serving God. It emphasizes the need to choose between the two, as one cannot serve both God and worldly desires.
Believers are called to prioritize their commitment to God, seeking His kingdom and righteousness above all else, and trusting Him to provide for their needs.
Romans 12:2
“Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will.”
This verse encourages believers to break free from the grip of the world’s influence and instead allow their minds to be transformed by the renewing power of God’s Word and the Holy Spirit. This transformation enables them to discern and align their lives with God’s perfect will.
Living with a renewed mind involves intentionally replacing worldly thoughts and desires with godly ones, shaping one’s actions and decisions according to God’s values and purposes.
1 John 2:16
“For everything in the world—the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life—comes not from the Father but from the world.”
This verse highlights the three fundamental ways in which the world tempts individuals with a carnal mindset: the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life. All these temptations originate from the values and systems of the world, not from God.
Believers are called to resist and overcome these carnal desires by relying on the strength and guidance of the Holy Spirit, setting their minds on what is above instead of being entangled in worldly pursuits.
Titus 2:12
“It teaches us to say “No” to ungodliness and worldly passions, and to live self-controlled, upright and godly lives in this present age.”
This verse highlights the transformative power of God’s Word in molding believers’ minds and enabling them to resist ungodliness and worldly passions. It emphasizes the importance of living self-controlled, upright, and godly lives, even in the midst of a fallen world.
By saturating their minds with God’s Word and relying on the Holy Spirit’s guidance, believers can develop a mindset that aligns with God’s principles and live as a reflection of His holiness.
Romans 8:9
“You, however, are not in the realm of the flesh but are in the realm of the Spirit, if indeed the Spirit of God lives in you. And if anyone does not have the Spirit of Christ, they do not belong to Christ.”
This verse draws a clear distinction between those who have the Holy Spirit indwelling them and those who do not. Believers are identified as belonging to the realm of the Spirit, no longer bound by a carnal mindset, but rather living in the power and guidance of the Holy Spirit.
This verse emphasizes the necessity of the Holy Spirit’s presence and influence in believers’ lives, enabling them to break free from the bondage of the flesh and live as children of God.
2 Corinthians 10:3-5
“For though we live in the world, we do not wage war as the world does. The weapons we fight with are not the weapons of the world. On the contrary, they have divine power to demolish strongholds. We demolish arguments and every pretension that sets itself up against the knowledge of God, and we take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ.”
This passage acknowledges that believers live in a fallen world but are not to fight battles using worldly methods. Instead, they are equipped with divine power to tear down strongholds and confront arguments and knowledge that oppose God.
This verse emphasizes the importance of taking every thought captive and making it obedient to Christ, guarding against the infiltration of carnal thinking and conforming one’s thoughts to the truth of God’s Word.
Romans 7:14
“We know that the law is spiritual; but I am unspiritual, sold as a slave to sin.”
This verse captures the inner struggle of the apostle Paul as he recognizes the conflict between his carnal nature and the spiritual law of God. Despite the law being spiritual and holy, Paul acknowledges his own inclination towards sin.
This verse highlights the ongoing battle believers face due to the remnants of their fallen nature, underscoring the need for continued reliance on the Holy Spirit for transformation and victory over sin.
1 Peter 1:14
“As obedient children, do not conform to the evil desires you had when you lived in ignorance.”
This verse exhorts believers to resist conforming to the evil desires that characterized their lives before coming to faith. With the knowledge of the truth, believers are called to walk in obedience, rejecting their former carnal ways.
Through the power of the Holy Spirit and the truth of God’s Word, believers are empowered to live victoriously over their carnal desires, embracing a new way of life that brings glory to God.
Proverbs 6:18
“A heart that devises wicked schemes, feet that are quick to rush into evil.”
This verse portrays the mindset of one who is driven by carnal and wicked thoughts, always seeking to devise evil schemes and quickly engaging in sinful behaviors.
In contrast, believers are called to guard their hearts and minds against such tendencies, filling them with godly thoughts and virtues that produce actions pleasing to God.
1 Corinthians 6:9-11
“Or do you not know that wrongdoers will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived: Neither the sexually immoral nor idolaters nor adulterers nor men who have sex with men nor thieves nor the greedy nor drunkards nor slanderers nor swindlers will inherit the kingdom of God. And that is what some of you were. But you were washed, you were sanctified, you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and by the Spirit of our God.”
This passage highlights the consequences of living with a carnal mindset and engaging in various sins. It reminds believers of the transformative power of the gospel, as they have been washed, sanctified, and justified by the Lord Jesus Christ and the Holy Spirit.
Believers are encouraged to not return to their former sinful ways but to live righteously, allowing the Holy Spirit to renew their minds and enabling them to inherit the kingdom of God.
1 John 2:15-16
“Do not love the world or anything in the world. If anyone loves the world, love for the Father is not in them. For everything in the world—the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life—comes not from the Father but from the world.”
This passage serves as a reminder to believers to guard their hearts against developing a love for the temporary, worldly things that are contrary to God’s nature and values. The desires of the flesh, the desires of the eyes, and the pride of life are not of God but of the world.
Believers are called to pursue a deeper love for the Father and to detach themselves from the allurements of the world, fixing their gaze on the eternal and seeking God’s kingdom above all else.
Romans 8:13
“For if you live according to the flesh, you will die; but if by the Spirit you put to death the misdeeds of the body, you will live.”
This verse emphasizes the importance of crucifying the actions and desires of the flesh through the power of the Holy Spirit. Living according to the flesh leads to spiritual death, while putting to death the misdeeds of the body through the Spirit leads to true life.
Believers are encouraged to yield to the Holy Spirit’s transformation, allowing Him to produce genuine change, and to actively cooperate in mortifying the deeds of the flesh.
2 Peter 2:14
“With eyes full of adultery, they never stop sinning; they seduce the unstable; they are experts in greed—an accursed brood!”
This verse describes those who have succumbed to the carnal mindset, continuously engaging in sin and ensnaring others through their deceptive ways. They are characterized by greed and are referred to as an accursed brood.
Believers are warned against being influenced or enticed by such individuals, recognizing the destructive nature of their actions and the importance of remaining steadfast in living according to God’s will.