Hindrances to Meditation

Pastor Martin addresses the first great hindrance to meditation: the indisposition of the flesh. He establishes from Galatians 5 and Romans 7 that the flesh wars against every spiritual activity, and the more spiritual the activity, the more violent the opposition. He then identifies the second hindrance: the competition of the world for the mind of the believer, showing from 'The Hidden Persuaders' and Scripture how advertising, media, and cultural forces deliberately target the mind to inject desires that crowd out meditation. He urges conviction of necessity, systematic exposure to the Word, disciplined time and mind, and reliance on the Holy Spirit.

Pastor Martin continues examining the indisposition of the flesh as a hindrance to meditation, explaining from Galatians 5:17 and Romans 7:21 the irreconcilable warfare between flesh and spirit. He identifies four specific ways the flesh wars against meditation: weariness of the body, the call of other duties, the suggestion of substitute spiritual activities, and promises of greater diligence at a more convenient time. For each he provides practical scriptural remedies: buffeting the body, prioritizing the one thing needful, refusing to substitute one duty for another, and seizing the present moment.