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That a believer's mind and words can be activated by the evil one is clear from what
the Lord said to Peter in Matt. 16: 22, 23. One moment Peter's words expressed the
revelation of the Father (17); a moment later Satan was directing his thoughts and his
words! (23). This is solemn indeed. So many keen Pentecostalists seem to be very
ignorant of Satan and his wiles (Eph. 6: 11, 12) and the warning that Scripture gives the
believer of this great enemy and his deception, which is going to be world-wide at the
time of the end, inasmuch that, if possible, the very elect will be deceived (Matt. 24: 4,
5, 11, 24). Hence, the importance of the Divine gift of discernment in the Acts which
separated the true from the false (I Cor. 12: 10). Where is this gift today without
controversy or argument?
The Apostle Paul insists, therefore, that the believer's mind must be actively engaged
either in prayer or praise (I Cor. 14: 15). He goes on to argue that if a Corinthian
believer utters a blessing and someone who is a simpler listener (unlearned A.V. and
R.V.) hears it, how can he respond intelligently with an Amen? for he does not
understand what is being said. It is therefore perfectly clear that Paul expected the
Corinthian assembly as a whole, to hear, understand, test and control all that took place in
their gatherings and this would be impossible without words being spoken that could be
understood by all. He continues:
"For thou verily gives thanks well (in a tongue), but the other (man) is not edified
(built up)" (14: 17).
The whole value of the gift was not what it did for the one who uttered it, but what
benefit it conferred upon others. Even with himself Paul, who could speak in tongues
more than any of them, states most definitely:
"Nevertheless, in church I would rather speak five words with my mind, in order to
instruct others, than ten thousand words in a tongue" (14: 19 R.S.V.).
In other words, the employment of the mind was essential for fruitful witness and was
infinitely of more importance than the act of speaking in a tongue.
We cannot help but note the insistence of this context that the renewed mind must be
employed with the spirit. "I will pray with the spirit, but I will pray with the mind too.
I will sing praise with the spirit, but I will sing praise with the mind too" (I Cor. 14: 15,
100: K. Barret), and also verse 19 "I had rather speak five words with my mind than ten
thousand words in a tongue". Keeping this in the forefront we are amazed to read in a
booklet entitled Speaking in Tongues by Larry Christenson, a pastor of a Californian
Lutheran church:
". . . . . what possible value can speaking in tongues have, if a person has no idea what he
is saying? According to the Bible even though one does not understand what he is
saying, his spirit is in a state of prayer (I Cor. 14:14). In other words, for the person
himself, speaking in tongues is praying not with the mind, but with the spirit" (page 4
italics ours).
"One speaks with tongues, for the most part in his private devotions. This is by far its
most important use and value . . . . . Although one does not know what he is saying as he
prays in tongues, he does have a clear sense that he is praying to God" (page 8).