Being spiritually minded isn’t something that just happens. You don’t drift into it, and it ain’t likely to happen overnight. You’ve got to choose it.
Every single day, you decide what’s going to lead you—your flesh or your spirit.
Let’s be real: the world is loud. Your phone, your job, the news, and your own thoughts—they all pull hard on your mind.
But if you’re a believer, you weren’t made to live from the outside in. You were made to live from the inside out.
From the Spirit of God in you.
And that’s being Spiritually Minded.
For to be carnally minded is death; but to be spiritually minded is life and peace.
—Romans 8:6
Don’t miss that. Life and peace. That’s what’s waiting on the other side of a spiritually-minded life.
Start by Setting Your Affection in the Right Place
You can’t be spiritually minded while your heart’s still tangled up in this world. The Word commands you to
Set your affection on things above, not on things on the earth.
—Colossians 3:2
What are you loving? What are you chasing? If your affections are set on comfort, money, approval, or anything else—you’re aiming too low.
Spiritually minded people aim higher. They lift their eyes. They focus on Jesus.
They train their heart to care more about eternity than the temporary.
That doesn’t mean you become a monk. It means you put things in their proper place. And that is putting Jesus at the very top of your list.
Feed Your Spirit—Starve Your Flesh
Here’s a hard truth:
you can’t walk in the Spirit while feeding your flesh three meals a day and giving your spirit a crumb once a week.
What you feed will grow.
Feed the flesh with entertainment, gossip, lust, fear, anger- and it’ll rule over you.
But feed your spirit with Scripture, worship, and time alone with Jesus—and watch what happens.
Meditate Until the Word Owns You
You don’t just read the Bible—you soak in it. You let it read you. You stop, you reflect, you pray over it. You chew on it like it’s the only thing keeping you alive—because it is.
But his delight is in the law of the Lord; and in his law doth he meditate day and night.
—Psalm 1:2
When the Word is rooted deep in you, it begins to shape how you think, speak, and act.
That’s the transformation that marks a spiritually minded life.
Choose the Spirit Over Your Feelings
Your emotions scream. The Holy Spirit whispers.
When anger flares up, or fear grips your chest, or temptation knocks hard—you’ve got a choice.
It’s easy to forget the choice when emotions are high. For me, it’s been close to impossible. I think the keys to remembering that I have a choice, is
1st, remembering to ask God over and over again to remind me (when I’m not in the grips of emotion) that I have a choice to choose what my flesh demands or what walking in The Spirit is.
2nd, memorizing and actually meditating on these verses:
He that hath no rule over his own spirit is like a city that is broken down, and without walls.
—Proverbs 25:28
That paints a vivid picture. When your emotions run wild, it’s like your defenses are gone—you’re wide open to attack. But when you walk in the Spirit, He builds those walls back up. You’re guarded, steady, not swayed by every feeling that blows through.
Which leads to this:
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
That’s a good strategy. Every emotion, every racing thought—you don’t let it run free. You take it captive. You hold it up to the truth and say, Does this align with what Jesus says? If not, it goes.
And it takes, wanting it with all of your being, time, and the Holy Spirit.
Will you obey your flesh, or will you submit to the Spirit?
“This I say then, Walk in the Spirit, and ye shall not fulfil the lust of the flesh.”
—Galatians 5:16
This isn’t about being perfect. It’s about walking close enough to hear His voice and humble enough to obey when He speaks.
Stay Battle Ready
If you’re after the prize, you’re in a war whether you realize it or not.
The enemy wants your mind cluttered, distracted, anxious, and carnal. Why? Because a spiritually minded believer is dangerous.
Put on your armor (Ephesians 6). Keep the sword of the Spirit sharp.
Don’t just know the truth—declare it. Stand on it. Live it out loud.
Talk With God All Day, Not Just in the Morning
Spiritual people don’t keep God in a corner of their day. He’s in the center. They pray when they’re driving, folding laundry, walking into a meeting, or sitting in traffic.
You don’t need fancy words. Just talk to your Father. Tell Him what’s on your heart. Ask for help. Thank Him for grace. Cry out when it hurts. Listen when He speaks.
Walk With People Who Stir Your Spirit, Not Your Flesh
You become like the people you stay close to.
So ask yourself—do the people around you push you closer to Jesus or pull you further from Him?
Spiritually minded people need fellowship with others who are hungry for God, grounded in truth, and unashamed to follow Christ with all their heart.
One Simple Daily Pattern That Keeps You Spiritually Minded
1. Start with surrender.
Before anything else, say, “Lord, this day belongs to You.”
2. Open your Bible.
Even if it’s just one chapter, a half a chapter, a verse—read it slowly. Let it breathe life into you.
3. Keep talking to God.
Little prayers all day long. That’s how you walk in step with the Spirit.
4. Guard your mind.
What you allow in will either feed your spirit or stir your flesh. Think about that when you’re kicked back in your reclinner watching TV?
5. End with reflection.
Ask, “Where did I obey today? Where did I fall short? Lord, make me more like Jesus.”
This isn’t a formula. It’s a mindset. It’s a heart posture.
It’s a way of living that says, “I don’t want to just survive—I want to walk in the Spirit, think like the Spirit, and live like I belong to another Kingdom.”
You do.
So set your mind there.