The weapons we fight with are not the weapons of the world. On the contrary, they have divine power to demolish strongholds. We demolish arguments and every pretension that sets itself up against the knowledge of God, and we take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ. 2 Corinthians 10:4,5
We would all agree that the Word of God is important for our Christian life and walk with the Lord. But how literally do we take it and how literally do we follow it to gain victory in our everyday life?
In our “woke” society today, there is virtually no firm foundation for people to stand on. There is no absolute truth and therefore they are like a house built on sifting sands that will crumble. God’s Word is the only solid foundation on which to stand and build our life upon. Knowing, understanding, believing and using God’s Word is essential to live a victorious life.
The best advice to keep our minds focused on the truth, and not allowing it to be swayed is found in Psalm 1:2: Blessed is the one…whose delight is in the law of the Lord, and who meditates on his law day and night.
Have you noticed your mind doesn’t always do what you tell it to do? Sometimes our minds “has a mind of its own.” Sometimes our thoughts go off in directions that we don’t intend. When we need to pray, our thoughts stray. When we want to ponder God’s Word, our thoughts want to wander. Why is that? Because our spiritual enemy is active.
The Bible says, when this happens, we need to take every thought captive (2 Corinthians 10:5). What does that mean? The Greek word used in that verse literally means you take thoughts prisoner. You conquer them. You bring them under control.
That’s only possible when you use the two weapons every believer has available to them: the Holy Spirit and the Word of God.
First, we need to recognize the power of God’s Spirit inside us. Without him, we are defenseless. Romans 8:6 says, “Letting your sinful nature control your mind leads to death. But letting the Spirit control your mind leads to life and peace” (NLT).
We need Jesus in our life because, without the Holy Spirit, our sinful nature controls our mind and will always lead us in the wrong direction. But when the Spirit controls us, we have the power we need to take every thought captive. Paul tells us that, his incomparably great power (is available) for us who believe. That power is the same as the mighty strength he exerted when he raised Christ from the dead. Ephesian 1:19,20.
Second, we need the Word of God. Jesus says,
“If you hold to my teaching, you are really my disciples. Then you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.” John 8:31,32.
People like to quote the second part of that passage. But very few people quote the first part, where it says you have to learn and obey God’s Word. People want the freedom without God’s truth. In reality, there is no freedom without truth. And there is no truth without God’s Word. God has given us the direction we need for life, and we can trust every word the Bible says. The more we get to know God’s Word and fill our mind with his truth, the easier it will be to direct our thoughts where we want them to go.
We need to remember that the wars we fight are not against flesh and blood but against invisible spiritual forces (Ephesians 6).
Here are 5 ways to take your thoughts captive:
Accept responsibility for your thoughts.
You have the ability to exercise control over your thoughts. God warned Cain to focus his mind on the right things, but Cain chose to think about the wrong things – anger and jealousy – which led to his murderous actions. Are we willing to admit that we can, with God’s help, regain control of our thoughts, and think enabling thoughts instead of disabling ones?
Your mind – not just your behavior – must change.
God calls us to change sinful behavior that does not honor Him. However, instead of focusing on our outward behavior, we need to work on disciplining our mind – from which the behaviors come. Allow God to transform us by the renewing of our mind (Romans 12:2).
Think through your problems rather than just reacting to them.
Take them captive – stop and think about from where those thoughts may have come. Are they honoring and glorifying to God, or are they purely selfish, self-serving, or even harmful? Do they align with God’s Word? If not, we are to refuse those thoughts and not react or act upon them.
Take your wrong thoughts captive through confession. Paul urges us to “take every captive thought to make it obedient to Christ” (2 Corinthians 10:5). Confront your every thought. (This takes discipline on our part). Turn them over to God and become who He sees you can be. It will take work to take your thoughts captive each time they pop into your mind. But it is possible with the help of the Holy Spirit.
Choose to focus your thoughts on the right things. We are to think about those things that are “true, noble, right, pure, lovely, and admirable” (Philippians 4:8). When we think about those things, God promises to give us His peace. What a contrast that is to the thoughts of millions of people today. Don’t look to a movie, TV show, or a “how-to” formula to accomplish this for you. It takes personal discipline and commitment.
Be of good courage. It is possible. It’s not always easy to control our thoughts or to respond in new Christ-like ways. However, we can take heart in this: As God empowers us to focus our minds on the right things, it will become easier. We can develop a new frame of reference, based on what is true, noble, right, pure, lovely, admirable, excellent, and praiseworthy.