When was the last time you had a spiritual EKG?  Doctors give their patients EKGs to test for certain heart conditions such as irregular heartbeat, congenital heart defects, coronary artery disease, or even heart failure.  We should all check our hearts for spiritual defects from time to time.

Proverbs 4:23 (NASB)
²³  Watch over your heart with all diligence, For from it flow the springs of life.

Just like with the physical body, our spiritual lives revolve around the condition of our hearts.  In referring figuratively to our spiritual hearts, Jesus said, “The eye is the lamp of the body. So, if your eye is healthy, your whole body will be full of light, ²³  but if your eye is bad, your whole body will be full of darkness. If then the light in you is darkness, how great is the darkness!” (Matthew 6:22-23).  The eye Jesus is referring to is our spiritual heart, that is, the intellectual part of our being, or our mind.  If you allow your mind to be corrupted by sin, spiritual death is sure to follow.

Be careful about what you allow to occupy your mind.  Think about what you think about.  If your thoughts are constantly on the material things of this world, it could be a sign that you have developed a heart defect known as materialism (Matthew 6:19-24), or, even worse, the disease of carnality.  Paul warns us to give some consideration about what we allow into our minds.

Philippians 4:8 (ESV)
⁸  Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things.

A high percentage of what is in our hearts comes through the avenue of our eyes.  As someone has said, our eyes are a gateway to our minds.  Be careful about what you watch on T.V., the books that you read, and especially, the websites that you visit online.  While there is nothing wrong with those things, in and of themselves, they can become sources of great evil if used carelessly, making us vulnerable to the attacks of the devil.

Never forget that our minds are the first place the devil attacks when he is trying to devour us.  As he begins to check us out and size us up, he attempts to make inroads into the heart.  He wants to control our minds by influencing the way we think, the emotions that we feel, and the attitudes that we have.  He knows that if he can influence our thinking, he will win the battle for our souls.  So, the first step toward spiritual victory over the devil is protecting our minds.  As someone has said, “the territory of the uncrucified thought-life is the center of satanic assault in our lives.”  In other words, if Satan can have his way with us, it is because he has been able to infiltrate our hearts.

Every now and again, perform a spiritual EKG on yourself.  Test your heart to be sure no defects or diseases are trying to take over and cause you to have heart failure.  If our spiritual heart is weak, so are we, “for from it flow the springs of life.”   

As you wind down for the night, think about these things.