It's not mind over matter, it's minding what matters.

Colossians 3:1-17

Put On the New Self

3 Therefore if you have been raised up with Christ, keep seeking the things above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God. ² Set your mind on the things above, not on the things that are on earth. ³ For you have died and your life is hidden with Christ in God. ⁴ When Christ, who is our life, is revealed, then you also will be revealed with Him in glory.

⁵ Therefore consider the members of your earthly body as dead to immorality, impurity, passion, evil desire, and greed, which amounts to idolatry. ⁶ For it is because of these things that the wrath of God will come upon the sons of disobedience, ⁷ and in them you also once walked, when you were living in them. ⁸ But now you also, put them all aside: anger, wrath, malice, slander, and abusive speech from your mouth. ^{9   D}o not lie to one another, since you laid aside the old self with its evil practices, ¹⁰ and have put on the new self who is being renewed to a true knowledge according to the image of the One who created him— ¹¹ a renewal in which there is no distinction between Greek and Jew, circumcised and uncircumcised, barbarian, Scythian, slave and freeman, but Christ is all, and in all.

¹² So, as those who have been chosen of God, holy and beloved, put on a heart of compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience; ¹³ bearing with one another, and forgiving each other, whoever has a complaint against anyone; just as the Lord forgave you, so also should you. ¹⁴ Beyond all these things put on love, which is the perfect bond of unity. ¹⁵ Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, to which indeed you were called in one body; and be thankful. ¹⁶ Let the word of Christ richly dwell within you, with all wisdom teaching and admonishing one another with psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with thankfulness in your hearts to God. ¹⁷ Whatever you do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks through Him to God the Father.

The first thing we need to do as we look at this passage is to understand the context. A simple rule of seeking to understand scripture is, when you see the word therefore, look to see what it's there for. Chapter 2 in Pauls letter to the Colossians ends this way.

If you have died with Christ to the elementary principles of the world, why, as if you were living in the world, do you submit yourself to decrees, such as, ²¹ “Do not handle, do not taste, do not touch!” ²² (which all refer to things destined to perish with use)—in accordance with the commandments and teachings of men? ²³ These are matters which have, to be sure, the appearance of wisdom in self-made religion and self-abasement and severe treatment of the body, but are of no value against fleshly indulgence. 

Paul is not saying that we should do or participate in things that are unholy. What he is saying is that not doing things because of man made rules is not the way to become more righteous. The Christian life is not a life of denial. It is rather a life of renewal and transformation. As we delight in God and walk in the new life He has given us the old desires and bad behaviors are no longer natural to us.

Paul encourages us to set our minds on things above not on things of the earth. God has created the human mind/brain with marvelous capabilites. Medical science still only has a limited understanding of our brains function and potential. Our challenge as we walk through this life each day is to keep a portion of our mind set on the things above while we continue to fully function and interact with people and circumstances in this world. This is not possible to do strictly as an act of our will. We need to do more than decide to do all these things Paul encourages us to do in this passage. Keeping our minds on things above is accomplished by our yielding to the Holy Spirit which God has given to us through Jesus completed work of crucufixtion, resurrection and ascension.

We can not accomplish any of the things Paul encourages simply as a matter of our will. 1 John 4:19 gives us a nugget of truth on which evrything else in our lives is based.

¹⁹ We love Him because He first loved us. 

Everything we do everything we say all that we are and are to become is based on the fact that He first loved us. Everything else is a response to His love. Paul lists all the good behaviors and practices we should have within the church, Then he says in verse 14-15 :

 ¹⁴ Beyond all these things put on love, which is the perfect bond of unity. ¹⁵ Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, to which indeed you were called in one body; and be thankful. 

Love, the perfect bond of unity. A love though that must be put on. Like Christ's righteousness that we put on, so too must we put on love, because it is Godly love not earthly love that enables us to walk in unity. It is a love that comes from above, our response to the love of God which He sent from above. It is our spirit yielded to the Holy Spirit.  

 "Whatever you do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks through Him to God the Father."

Heavenly Father, precious Lord Jesus, Holy Spirit, thank You that You first loved me. Jesus You came according to the will of the Father and completed the work of the cross because you first loved me. You gave me the Holy Spirit, Your very indwelling presence in me because You first loved me. May all that I do in word or deed be an appropriate response of love because You first Loved me.