Guarding Your Heart Study
Lynne Suszek

" Guard your heart more than anything else, because the source of your life flows from it. "   Pro 4:23 

We guard our hearts by being alert and sober-minded, 
evaluating the spiritual forces and thoughts that knock 
on our heart’s door. Sober means serious, sane, alert, 
on guard  [so-fron-eeo]

1Pe 5:8  Be sober, [greek: nay'-fo] {calm, temperate,}  be vigilant; 
because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, 
seeking whom he may devour

1Th 5:6  Therefore let us not sleep [greek: kath-yoo-do], {be indifferent/slothful}  
as do others; but let us watch and be sober. [greek: nay'-fo] {calm, unemotional, 
even-tempered, level-headed}

1Th 5:8  But let us, who are of the day, be sober, 
putting on the breastplate of faith and love; and for an helmet, the hope of salvation. 

1Tim 3:2  A bishop then must be blameless, the husband of one wife, vigilant, sober [so'-frone ] 
{sound mind, sane, curbing desires and impulses}, of good behaviour, given to hospitality, apt to teach

Tit 1:8  But a lover of hospitality, a lover of good men, sober, just, holy, temperate; 

Titus 2:2  That the aged men be sober [nay-fal'-ee-os] {abstaining from drunkenness 
and intoxication by alcohol}, grave, temperate, sound in faith, in charity, in patience. 

Titus 2:4  That they may teach the young women to be sober [so-fron-id'-zo]  
{restore someone to his senses, to discipline}, to love their husbands, to love their children, 

Titus 2:6  Young men likewise exhort to be sober minded [so-fron-eh'-o] {sound mind, self control, right-minded}. 

1Pe 1:13  Wherefore gird up the loins of your mind, be sober, [nay-fo] {watchful} and …. (be ready! Be prepared!)

1Pe 4:7  ... be ye therefore sober {sane} and watch unto prayer.   

Things that keep us from Guarding our hearts

In Galatians 5:20, the greek word pharmakia  is translated as “witchcraft.”  
Vine's Dictionary says "pharmakia" means: medicine, drugs, spells, poison, sorcery, witchcraft. 
 “It is used in sorcery to desensatize the patient to the demonic; to impress or deceive”

Obviously substances that make us high and drunk cause us to become passive,
 therefore allowing us to become desensitized to demonic forces and lies. People 
who get high or drunk often are opening their hearts to demonic influences by
 being in a passive, hypnotic state of mind… unable to guard their hearts

That’s why it says in 

Luke 21:34  "Make sure that you don't become drunk, hung over, 
and worried about life...  Then that day could suddenly catch you by surprise 

Passivity to anything potentially ungodly 

Hypnosis is a means to influence the mind by the gateway of the 
unconscious or subconcious (by the ears or eyes), to brainwash, 
to cause one to believe through passivity - be it through drugs, alcohol,
 medicine, sleep, sleep-deprivation, worry, anxiety or extreme 
fear & through music and media

(On my audio/video,   examples are given here  of what happens during hypnotism
 – physical changes can happen by influencing the subconscious. example:  paralysis)

In my opinion, we can be hypnotized or subconsciously influenced during: 

•	Sleepy States of Mind, exhaustion, sleep depravity
•	Trauma/Accidents
•	Unconscious states either by trauma or drug induced 
•	Anesthesia during surgery
•	Painful moments physically or emotionally
•	fantasizing or meditating on sinful or fearful activities
•	TV, BOOKS, MOVIES
•	Fear Anxiety & Worry are dangerous --- GOD WARNS US 365 x to  “FEAR NOT!”

references
Job 4:12 Now a thing was secretly brought to me, and mine ear received a little thereof. 
Job 4:13 In thoughts from the visions of the night, when deep sleep falleth on men, 
Job 4:14    Fear came upon me, and trembling, which made all my bones to shake. 
Job 3:25  For the thing which I greatly feared is come upon me, and that which I was afraid of  is come unto me. 
Romans 1:21 we conceive sin through "Vain Imaginations” 
Luke 21:34  "Make sure that you don't become drunk, hung over, and worried about life...

Godly Trances/Passive States

Even though passive states of mind can be very dangerous, we must realize that in order to hear the Holy Spirit speak to us, we must actually become sensitive to that "still small voice" by spending time focused on Him while "listening" or being passive to God!  The gifts of the Hoy Spirit operate through our allowing God to flow through us. So in the same way we should guard our hearts to resist evil, we must not shut God out! Sometimes painful experiences can cause us to unknowingly build a wall around our hearts that hardens us. We can successfully become numb to new pain, but in the process also numb ourselves to God's voice, love, relationships, joy and even peace. In extreme cases, some people ultimately numb themselves to reality, causing mental illnesses and dysfunctions. So while you are learning to guard your heart, don't shut everything out. Choose to soften your heart to God, by spending time in some healthy passive states.

•	Worship...is a trance-like state
•	"soaking" in the spirit
•	meditating and pondering God's word
•	positive imaginations is hopefulness
•	visions
•	 journaling
•	painting during worship
•	 worship music
•	 positive daydreaming 
•	 fmeditating on the things you are thankful for, thanking God

References
Num 24:4  He hath said, which heard the words of God, which saw the vision of the Almighty, falling into a trance, but having his eyes open: 
Num 24:16  He hath said, which heard the words of God, and knew the knowledge of the most High, which saw the vision of the Almighty, falling into a trance, but having his eyes open: 
Act 10:10  And he became very hungry, and would have eaten: but while they made ready, he fell into a trance, 
Act 11:5  I was in the city of Joppa praying: and in a trance I saw a vision, A certain vessel descend, as it had been a great sheet, let down from heaven by four corners; and it came even to me: 
Act 22:17  And it came to pass, that, when I was come again to Jerusalem, even while I prayed in the temple, I was in a trance; 

How to guard your heart against evil

1.	feed yourself the Word
2.	1 thess 5:8 
3.	be alert
4.	test everything
5.	don’t listen to untested music