8 Bible Verses About Renewing Your Mind

I recently set out on a slow walk down our country road as the sun set behind the barren maple forest. I had no way of knowing that the walk was going to be a lesson in renewing my mind. Today, I’ll share my reflections from the road. Then, we’ll explore eight Bible verses about renewing your mind. Be sure to read to the end of today’s post for a free devotional eBook to help you renew your mind by spending time in God’s presence.

Bible Verses About Renewing Your Mind

As I walked down the road, I noticed that the tree line had turned gray with winter.

I’m not ready for these long, dark winter months, I thought.

I cringed at the thought of long evenings inside the house and whiteouts rolling in from the west.

Later that evening, I read the words of Dr. Caroline Leaf: “Change in your thinking is essential to detox the brain. Consciously controlling your thought life means not letting thoughts rampage through your mind. It means learning to engage interactively with every single thought that you have, and to analyze it before you decide either to accept or reject it.”

Neuroscientists like Dr. Leaf have been studying the human brain for decades. Their research shows that our thoughts form matter in our brains. Intentional thinking triggers the release of amino acids, which form proteins that look like trees in our brains.

We can choose to build healthy trees in our brains, or we can choose to add branches to the toxic trees of negative thinking.

Research also suggests that we can renew our brains from negative thoughts—essentially tearing down the unhealthy trees in our brains. This is the process of renewing our minds.

Renewing Your Mind

Since reading Dr. Leaf’s words, I’ve been changing the way I think about winter.

Instead of succumbing to dread, I’ve been naming the benefits of this slower, quieter, inside season: more time close to my family; a less frantic pace; time to read good books and play board games; time to step back and see if the rhythms of our lives are still working for us; time for rest.

Renew Your Mind By Shifting the Way You Think

Maybe there’s a habitual thought pattern that is stripping the joy from your life as well. It might be something like this:

I’ll never measure up.

I can’t do this.

I’m never going to make it.

I’ll never get over this.

My dream will never come to fruition.

God doesn’t care.

I’ll never break free from this behavior.

I’m helpless in this situation.

I just want this to be over.

No one cares.

I’m always left out.

I’m not spiritual enough.

Breaking the Grip of Toxic Thoughts

Most of us have negative and toxic thoughts floating around in our minds. Meanwhile, God wants to renew our minds and heal us.

We hold the power to break down toxic thoughts and replace them with the Truth of God’s Word. According to brain research, it takes 21 days to build a thought and 63 days to create a new habit.

How do we renew our minds and overcome these toxic thoughts?

We renew our minds with God’s Word.

First, we specifically identify our toxic and negative thoughts. Using the list above might be helpful.

Next, we open our Bibles and search for Scripture to combat the lies hidden beneath our toxic thoughts. We write these verses, commit them to memory, and speak them when we are tempted to believe negative thoughts. This is the process of taking our thoughts captive and renewing our minds.

How to Renew Your Mind From Negative Thoughts:

Let’s look at some common negative thoughts and Bible verses about renewing your mind to replace these thoughts:

Thought: I give up. I cannot go on. Truth: But they that wait upon the LORD shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles; they shall run, and not be weary; and they shall walk, and not faint. (Isaiah 40:31)

Thought: My life is awful, and no one cares about me. Truth: Taste and see that the LORD is good; blessed is the man who takes refuge in him. (Psalm 34:8)

Thought: Food (or fill in this blank with your go-to escape: social media, sex, work, perfectionism, codependency, etc.) is my source of comfort. Truth: My flesh and my heart may fail, but God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever. (Psalm 73:26)

Thought: Why is God allowing me to suffer? Truth: For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worth comparing with the glory that is to be revealed to us. (Romans 8:18)

You Are in a Battle

If you are feeling stuck in some area of your life, or if discouragement has crept in, pause to realize that you are in a battle.

The battle is for your mind. You hold the power to rewire your brain and take back the mental real estate that has been overtaken by toxic thoughts.

The battle is for your mind, and you hold the power to rewire your brain and take back the mental real estate that has been overtaken by toxic thoughts. Share on X

May today be the first step toward a new beginning.

Bible Verses About Renewing Your Mind

Here are eight more Bible verses about renewing your mind.

We can overcome sinful cycles when we speak and soak in the following truths.

1. 2 Timothy 1:7, ESV

For God gave us a spirit not of fear but of power and love and self-control.

If you are a follower of Christ, he lives in you. God has given you a spirit of power and self-control. Speak this truth when you feel tempted to return to the negative cycle.

2. James 1:14-15

But each person is tempted when he is lured and enticed by his own desire. Then desire when it has conceived gives birth to sin, and sin when it is fully grown brings forth death.

Remind yourself that sin gives birth to death.

Indulging in your habit might feel good in the moment, but it will not lead to the life you desire.

3. 1 John 1:9

If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.

At times, we fall into sinful cycles because we tell ourselves, “I’ve already messed up. I might as well continue.”

Instead of indulging in sinful behaviors after moments of failure, we find freedom when we confess our sins and ask God for the power to rise above temptation.

4. Romans 12:2

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.

We rise above unhealthy cycles as we allow God to renew our minds.

God’s primary tool for renewing our minds is his written Word. Speak the verses I am sharing with you today. Memorize them. Stand on them when you feel weak. In the process, God will renew your mind.

5. 1 Corinthians 10:13

No temptation has overtaken you that is not common to man. God is faithful, and he will not let you be tempted beyond your ability, but with the temptation he will also provide the way of escape, that you may be able to endure it.

God promises not to let us be tempted beyond what we can bear.

Do you feel tempted? Look for a way out. God has made the way.

6. James 4:7

Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.

Satan tempts us to sin because he comes to steal, kill, and destroy.

Sinful behaviors are enticing, but they always cause destruction in our lives. Remind yourself that when you resist temptation, Satan will eventually flee.

7. 1 Timothy 4:12

Let no one despise you for your youth, but set the believers an example in speech, in conduct, in love, in faith, in purity.

God has called you to set an example in the way you speak and act.

Remember this: Someone is always watching. Are you representing Christ well?

8. 1 Corinthians 6:19

Or do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit within you, whom you have from God? You are not your own.

Never forget that God has given you a body to care for and steward. Meanwhile, your body is not your own. You are a temple in which the Holy Spirit dwells. Are you honoring God with your body?

Calling all moms and daughters—and parents of boys!

As the parent of two sons and a daughter, I have a heart for helping parents develop deeper relationships with their children and with God. Our kids, ages 6, 11, and 14, share this vision. They have helped me write three family devotionals for parents or grandparents to read with the children they care about.

God’s Warrior: Devotions for Boys Who Want to Grow in Courage and Strength is for boys ages 5-13. Now, more than ever, our world needs men who are willing to courageously carry God’s love into the world. Written with input from our two young sons, Aiden and Caleb, ages six and eleven, this book will help the boys you care about find courage and strength in God. Find this life-changing devotional book here.

Devotionals for Girls

Girl to Girl: 60 Mother-Daughter Devotions for a Closer Relationship and Deeper Faith is written for girls ages 7-12. It includes 60 devotions with Scripture, conversation starters, and a shared journaling section for moms and daughters after each devotion. I wrote this book with the help of our daughter, Bekah, when she was eleven. Find this one-of-a-kind shared devotional here.

Heart to Heart: A Mother-Daughter Devotional With 50 Devotions for Teen Girls is for teenage girls ages 13-20. It includes 50 devotions, each with a shared journaling section to help moms and daughters connect through writing. This is a great book for moms who want to communicate about awkward topics—like dating, sexuality, peer pressure, and more—but don’t know where to start. Bekah and I will help you right here.

All three books are available in print and eBook form here on Amazon. They are also free on the Kindle Unlimited plan, which you can enjoy with a free three-month trial! These books make great gifts, and you don’t need to be the parent of young children to read them. Share them with your grandchildren, nieces, nephews, or the young ones you love.

Learn Why Willpower Doesn’t Work and Experience God’s Deliverance and Healing

God wants to work in your life to accomplish what you’ve been unable to do through willpower alone. Lean Into Grace: Let God’s Grace Heal Your Heart, Refresh Your Soul, and Set You Free shares practical ways to experience God’s freedom, healing, power, and presence in your life. Find this life-changing book as a free eBook on Kindle Unlimited or for 12.99 in print right here. (If you do not have Kindle Unlimited, you can try it out with a free three-month trial!) This book will transform your life and revitalize your relationship with the Lord!

A Free Devotional to Help You Apply These Bible Verses About Renewing Your Mind

If these Bible verses about renewing your mind were helpful, I have a gift for you today. Set Free: Let God Do What You Cannot explores ten realms in which most of us need God to work in our lives and bring deliverance. We’ll talk about finding freedom from fear, worry, insecurity, bad habits, emotional pain, and more. This short online devotional will bless you as you let God accomplish what you’ve been unable to achieve through willpower. Get your download for free with promo code GRACE right here.