Updated:- Wednesday, November 22nd, 2023
What Does It Mean To Guard Your Heart?
Today, I’m going to talk about how to guard your heart as a Christian. As Christians, if we fail to guard our hearts, could we lose our salvation? How do we guard our hearts, and why is it important to guard our hearts?
The Devil doesn’t want me to make this video today. I just recorded an entire video and didn’t turn on the sound. So, having finished, now I realize the sound is off, so I have to go re-record my video. But the Devil is a liar and I’m victorious through Christ in everything that I do.
Hi students of the word, welcome to our Book of Acts Bible study, we’re actually at Acts Chapter Five. Over the past weeks, we have been looking at chapters one through four.
Up to Chapter 4, the First Century Church was growing daily and the Apostles were operating in the great power of the resurrection of Jesus Christ.
In Acts 4, Barnabas sold his land, then he placed the total sales price at the Apostles’ feet. I did a video on that, and I’ll leave a link in the description below this video.
How to Guard Your Heart Against Strange Thoughts!
Two other brethren, members of the First Century Church in Jerusalem, noticed this. They were Ananias and his wife Sapphira.
When this husband and wife team saw what Barnabas had done, they had an idea.
The plan, they also owned land, and they decided that they were going to sell their land too, but they planned to retain a portion of the sales price and not tell the Apostles about it.
Reading now from Acts five verse one.
“But a certain man named Ananias, with Sapphira his wife, sold a possession.”
Acts 5:1
And here the Scripture didn’t tell us up front that it was land, it says “possession”. But as we continue, we will realize that it was land.
They wanted to prove to themselves whether the Holy Ghost was operating through these Apostles. As a result, they agreed together to sell their land also.
So, they thought out their plan and then executed it.
Why Did This Man Die?
Let me continue reading from the Scripture.
“And kept back part of the price, his wife also being privy to it,” [that means she knew about it], “and brought a certain part, and laid it at the apostles’ feet.”
Acts 5:2
To guard your heart you must not do as they did. They didn’t examine their thoughts. The idea came to them and immediately they ran with it.
You must never do this! Instead, examine the thought of making a major decision, at length, from every angle before you make it!
But Peter said, Ananias, why hath Satan filled thine heart to lie to the Holy Ghost, and to keep back part of the price of the land?”
Acts 5:3
So in verse three here, it tells us that the possession in verse one is really land.
Peter continues,
”[While] it remained, was it not thine own[;] and after it was sold, was it not in thine own power[;] why hast thou conceived this thing in thine heart[;] thou hast not lied unto men, but unto God[?]”
Acts 5:4
“And Ananias hearing these words fell down, and gave up the ghost: and great fear came on all them that heard these things”.
Acts 5:5
“And the young men arose and wound him up and carried him out and buried him.”
Acts 5:6
Is It From The Lord?
After Apostle Peter revealed to Ananias the error of his ways he died. He died right there as soon as Peter finished speaking, that is power; that is power.
So, what is the source of our information? Every piece of data we encounter originates from a source. Now, our job is to determine what is that source?
What is the source of the information that you allow into your heart?
Ananias and Sapphira didn’t realize that this idea, that their idea didn’t originate with them.
Consequently, their plan wasn’t their plan either, because the idea for the plan didn’t come from them; therefore, the plan wasn’t their plan.
How Do You Guard Your Heart?
Listen, as Apostle Peter explained that they have been ensnared.
“But Peter said, Ananias, why hath Satan filled thine heart to lie to the Holy Ghost, and to keep back part of the price of the land?”
Acts 5:3
How did Apostle know this; where did he receive all this information? This couple didn’t share their secret with anyone!
So, at what point did Satan fill Ananias’ heart to lie to the Holy Ghost?
When he accepted the idea to lie about the sale price.
It wasn’t when he decided to sell the land you know, because there is no error in that, there is no problem with that.
Actually, it was when he and his wife decided to lie about it.
Four Sources of Information
However, there are four sources of information that we need to be aware of. They fall into two broad categories.
They are external and internal sources.
The internal sources have two components. The first one is thoughts or ideas through our own spirits, and thoughts from the Lord through the Spirit of the Lord.
Those are internal, but they’re separate.
Examples of Internal Source of Information
Now, examples of internal sources are, and I’m going to read from the Scripture,
“For God hath put in their hearts to fulfill his will” (Revelation 17:17).
Note that, God has placed in their heart. See, so I tell you that that is an internal source, because it’s through His Spirit.
Yeah, it originates from the Lord, and He puts it into our hearts through His Spirit,
Why Guard Our Hearts?
Another scripture tells us that God placed things in our hearts.
“This is the covenant that I will make with them after those days”, saith the Lord, “I will put my laws into their hearts”.
Hebrews 10:16
Yes, the Lord places stuff into our hearts and this comes from Hebrews 10:16.
External Source of Information
Now, let’s look at the external sources. One, thoughts, ideas, inputs from the Devil, and thoughts, ideas from our environment and other people.
These two categories of sources present us with the sensory perceptions that impact our choice.
When both Ananias and Sapphira accept their idea to lie about the sales price of their land, they unwittingly accepted an input into their minds from Satan.
Guard Your Heart Because Emissions From It Control These!
You see, it’s very important to distinguish and it is so hard to do, if you don’t know how to do it, then it’s difficult to determine that this idea didn’t originate from you.
Because it so much appears like your own idea. And that’s what happened with Ananias and Sapphira, they couldn’t distinguish that this wasn’t their thought.
And that’s why you have to really be careful of your thoughts. You should not allow your thoughts to be running all over the place you know. You need to control your thoughts because your thoughts determine your actions.
So whatever you put into your heart determines what you do. It determines your life or lack of it thereof.
We Are The Keepers Of Our Hearts
Now, earlier I told you that one of the external sources of our thought is the Devil and he does this through people too.
Actually, we receive inputs from so many sources every day.
But let’s look at the Devil’s input in presenting thoughts to us right?
Example Of External Source of Info
“And supper being ended, the devil having now put into the heart of Judas Iscariot, Simon’s son, to betray Him”.
John 13:2
Him” above meaning Jesus, John 13:2, and Acts 5:3.
So I told you that the devil presents stuff to us.
This is how it works! He doesn’t actually place it into your heart, you know, the devil presents a thought, an idea, information, or data that we receive or we perceive.
It could be music, it could be something we read, could be something we see or hear. Or it could be a thought, but he presents it to us.
Now, it’s not in our hearts yet, it’s just presented. It’s when we accept whatever is presented, then it goes into our hearts.
Why Do You Need To Guard Your Hearts?
If we reject it, it cannot enter into us. And that’s so beautiful about the Lord, how he makes us.
We are the keepers of our hearts. The Scripture says, “keep thine heart with all diligence.” Proverbs 4:23.
This is keeping it, you’re being vigilant about the perceptions and the stimulus, or the stimuli that you receive every day, from all sources, from ads, from movies, from music, from conversations with peers, from things you hear, things you see, things you read.
Why do you need to guard your heart? Our hearts are under constant attack!
We are bombarded at all times with information that we need to scrutinize to determine its source. Is it from the Devil?
Reject it. Is it from the Lord? Accept it!
But in order to do this, we need to know the Word of God, or we cannot be effective in this area.
Be Watchful For Illegal Transactions
But let us read what Matthew says about this same incident.
“Then one of the twelve, called Judas Iscariot, went unto the chief priest,”
Matthew 26:14
“And said unto them, What will ye give me, and I will deliver him unto you? And they covenanted with him for thirty pieces of silver.”
Matthew 26:15
“And from that time he sought opportunity to betray him.”
Matthew 26:16
The idea came to Judas to exchange Jesus for money. And that idea wasn’t his.
The Devil presented the thought to him and he accepted it, then it became his.
Learn From Judas How to Guard Your Heart?
Don’t do as Judas did!
Learn from Judas, how to guard your heart!
Now he didn’t even realize, and he couldn’t even determine that that was not his idea.
Later on, he’s going to realize. But at that time it’s going to be too late.
When he came to himself, later on, and said, I have betrayed the innocent blood. He realized at that point that that thought wasn’t his.
It’s Too Late To Worry About Your Thoughts After This Happens!
But it was too late because he had already acted on the thought. So the thought bore fruit.
And that’s why we must be vigilant about guarding our hearts, and what we put into our hearts.
Because everything that goes into our heart, we act on it; it becomes who we are. It defines us!
The Scripture says, keep thy heart with all diligence; for out of it are the issues of life. Proverbs 4:23.
We could learn from Judas how to guard your heart. He entertained the sinful thoughts but he should have rejected them.
“Keep“, in this context here means to protect, maintain, and don’t lose. “All diligence” means with all constancy with all earnestness, and you never let up on it, you’re constantly doing this.
To Keep Our Hearts With All Diligence Means
So, “keep thy heart with all diligence” means that we should protect and maintain the nature of the information that we allow into them with constancy and earnestness, and never let up.
Because what comes from our heart defines us. Anything that goes into our hearts, is who we become, and it’s what we do. It defines our very nature.
So Christians should be continuously vigilant about what they allow to enter into their hearts because from them emanate all our conflicts and problems in this life.
Those are the issues. The conflicts and the problems are the issues of life the Scripture spoke about in Proverbs 4:23.
And from them emanate life also.
How To Determine What To Allow Into Your Heart?
Now, how do we know what to accept or reject when we are presented with information? How do we know what data is right or wrong or where is it coming from?
How do we know what to accept or reject?
We assess all inputs, against what the Bible says about the inputs.
All right. This means that we compare all our inputs from all our experiences and from our environment, including our thoughts, with the Word of God.
Accept Or Reject!
We do this to determine whether this input is from God or not.
We should only accept and allow information from the Lord into our hearts. This is how we assess stuff that comes to us.
And I’m going to read from the Scripture.
“For though we walk in the flesh, we do not war after the flesh.”
2 Corinthians 10:3
(For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal, but mighty through God to the pulling down of strong holds;)
2 Corinthians 10:4
“Casting down imaginations, and every high thing that exalteth itself against the knowledge of God, and bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ;”
2 Corinthians 10:5
I just love this Scripture.
Casting Down Every Imagination
I want to go back to Second Corinthians 10:5 and it says,
“Casting down imaginations, and every high thing that exalteth itself against the knowledge of God, and bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ;”
2 Corinthians 10:5
“Casting down imaginations“, remember that our hearts produce imaginations. And when we talk about the heart, we’re not talking about this muscular pump here.
Where Is The Location Of The Heart?
Most people when they say “heart”, they touch their chest. But that is not where our heart is. The spiritual heart that we talk about – It’s in our body, and most likely, it’s in our head.
Yeah, head. So that is where the heart is, not here, or in our chest.
This is the heart of love or, you know, natural love that we talk about. No, this is not the heart we’re talking about.
So, the heart or the spirit is not in the chest but in our head.
Why Should You Control Your Thought Life?
“Casting down imaginations“. So you see what this scripture is telling us, when we think of something, when we imagine something, and it’s not according to the Word, we capture it, “and every high thing that exalts itself against the knowledge of God.”
When something is presented to us, if it exalts itself, if it tries to rise above who God is, you capture that too because that’s what Lucifer did. He tried to be God.
“And bringing into captivity, every thought,” that’s why our thought life is so important. We can’t just be thinking everything, you know, and allowing our minds to be wandering all over and doing all sorts of things.
No, we need to control our thought life! Because what we think on, we will do. And what we think on, is who we are.
So “bringing into captivity, every thought to the obedience of Christ” means you scrutinize every thought and you compare it with the word.
Guard Your Heart Utilizing This Unique Method!
Then you decide, it’s from God, you accept, if not then you reject.
And this we do with everything that we encounter. It might seem, that’s why we are such beautiful computers, that’s why. The computers are modeled off humans, you know.
You might not realize that you’re doing this as a Christian. But we do this as a Christian because everything I hear I measure it against the word, everything.
And I reject or accept, reject or accept. Earlier on when I was in the earliest stage of my Christian life, whenever time a thought would come, even now sometimes I do this, and I realize that when I assess the thought and realize it’s not according to the word, I’ll say aloud, Satan, I reject this thought, and I cover it under the blood of Jesus.
That’s how I used to deal with that in the earliest stage of my life, rejecting these thoughts that are not from God.
The Lord Recommends This Method To Guard Your Heart!
So a thought will come to me and I… One day, I was driving to work, this is back in Jamaica, and I was going up a steep incline.
There was this woman jogging up the incline before me on the left, and I was like looking at her and just started to lust and the Scripture just popped up in my heart, look not on her beauty and lust after her.
And I was like, wow! Where did this scripture come from?
It’s so important that we scrutinize every piece of information that we come in contact with. Whether you do it audibly, or you consciously do it in your mind.
These days, I hardly ever voice it, but I reject it instantly.
Don’t Hesitate To Implement This To Guard Your Heart!
I will be talking to someone and the person is telling me something that’s contrary to the Word, and as the person say that I just reject it in my mind, I just discard it.
And I just accept, discard, accept, discard, and this is how you need to treat everybody, and everything that you read, that you experience.
Whether it’s something you see something you hear, something you read, or any thought that pops up in your mind, these thoughts don’t always originate with us, they have external sources. So to do this effectively, we must know the Word of God.
Conclusion
I could continue this video, but it will be too long. I promise I’ll explore this some more in other aspects, right. So I’m going to conclude.
So in conclusion, every day and every hour of the day and night, we are confronted with information. There are four sources of information, our spirit, the spirit of the Lord, the devil, and our environment.
Okay, as Christians, it is our responsibility to correctly identify the source of every piece of data we encounter and guard our hearts against it.
In the instance we see, hear, or think it, we should determine, is this from the Lord or not? If it is not, we should reject it, but if it is, we should accept it.
We accomplish this by comparing it against the word of God.
Guard Your Heart By Continually Doing This!
In the USA today, they use ads to present us with choices, in an attempt to influence our hearts to accept lifestyles and ideas that are contrary to the Word of God.
These ads display the homosexual lifestyle as normal and acceptable, but it is not. It is the exact opposite lifestyle from the one the Lord approves, so reject it.
They also attempt to blur the line between the genders, they are attempting to present homogenous roles.
But if the Lord wanted a woman to perform as a man or a man as a woman, he would not have made the man distinct from the woman and vice versa.
Reject these attempts to influence your choices, and thus impact your decision of what enters into your heart.
We should only allow information from the Lord into our spirits. Our spirit defines us and determines whether we serve God or the devil.
It also determines how we live, what we do, what we believe, and what we speak.
“For as he thinks in his heart, so is he: eat and drink, saith he to thee; but his heart is not with thee.”
Proverbs 23:7
How Could The Word of God Help To Guard Your Heart?
So finally, I want you to make a conscious effort to scrutinize everything that comes before you, against the word of God.
But to do this, I want you too, to start memorizing a Scripture every week.
You see, by ourselves, we are no match for the Devil. The scripture said that he is wiser than Daniel, but he is not wiser than the Word of God.
If you have the Bible, the physical Bible, the Word of God, you have to read it, in order to access it. But if you memorize that verse, it drops down into your heart.
And when you need it, you can pull it out on-demand, and it will help you to make decisions and choices. And this will change your life.
It will help you to organize and control your thought life. And this will define you.
In closing, thanks for your time. God bless you. I bless you in the mighty name of Jesus.
The blessings of the Lord are on you as you take your thought life into control.
