The sower soweth the word. And these are they by the way side, where the word is sown; but when they have heard, Satan cometh immediately, and taketh away the word that was sown in their hearts. And these are they likewise which are sown on stony ground; who, when they have heard the word, immediately receive it with gladness; And have no root in themselves, and so endure but for a time: afterward, when affliction or persecution ariseth for the word’s sake, immediately they are offended. And these are they which are sown among thorns; such as hear the word, And the cares of this world, and the deceitfulness of riches, and the lusts of other things entering in, choke the word, and it becometh unfruitful. And these are they which are sown on good ground; such as hear the word, and receive it, and bring forth fruit, some thirtyfold, some sixty, and some an hundred.

Mark 4:14-20

Four Seeds

This parable has always interested me. Everyone seems to focus heavily on the last seed that produces. Yet, I challenge you to turn your attention to the other three. Working backward, we come to the seed that is sown among thorns. This seed did not have a nourishing environment. Instead, it was surrounded by people who steal joy, desire material things more than the Kingdom, and, in turn, soon become unfruitful as they follow the ways of their peers. This seed had roots, but they were in corrupted soil. The next are the ones who have roots but are short-lived. They grow and carry the name of Christ until the cross gets heavy until the climb gets rocky and steep. They go through the fire, but instead of becoming purified, they end up burnt. The final seed is thrown on the wayside and is picked up by the devil before it ever has a chance to take root. If you notice, he waits til they hear and steals it before they know. Satan doesn’t mind if the seed is planted, as long as it is never buried in your thoughts. When it becomes buried, it is a threat.

The Wayside

The first seed that Christ explains is sown on the wayside. Now what is so important about the imagery Christ uses? Perhaps you’ll like me to explain. The Greek word for the phrase means a traveler’s way. Now what does that have to do with the seeds? Think about it this way. Where is one place things travel? In your mind. Your mind is where the seeds of thought are placed. It is where we are first convicted. God calls us to reason with Him (Isaiah 1:18). Satan hates the intellect because it is the gift God has given us. The devil uses education and blinds us with pride. The devil steals the seed while it is still in the mind before it goes to the heart. The battleground is not against flesh and blood but principalities and the powers of darkness (Ephesians 6:12). This is why the first piece of armor we are to use is the helmet of salvation. We are to remind ourselves of the promises of salvation. The focus of spiritual warfare is the mind, the wayside of our thoughts.

Taking Charge

Given this information, we are charged to take captive every thought in the power of Christ.

For though we walk in the flesh, we do not war after the flesh: (For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal, but mighty through God to the pulling down of strong holds;) 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 10:3-5

We are equipped in the armor of Christ to take down every stronghold of thought and any devious seed in our waysides. The Greek for stronghold paints a literal picture of a fortress of thought, an argument with a solid foundation and good defenses. A stronghold that is armored and defended with logic and facts and any other thing under the sun useful for its destructive purposes. We are given the call to bring into captivity every evil-designed thought into the obedience of Christ. Submit to God, resist the devil and he will flee from you. What seeds are you allowing your mind? They will grow fruit. Maybe they won’t show til later, but they will come up at some point. Be careful what you let grow…