Take Your Thoughts Captive
ICS Daily Devotions
2 Corinthians 10:3-4 (NKJV) For though we walk in the flesh, we do not war according to the flesh.For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal but mighty in God for pulling down strongholds,
The strongholds of our minds are built over time when the enemy makes inroads into our minds through lies. We are responsible for pulling them down by subjecting them to the Word of God.
Some strongholds are rational. For example, if someone speaks unkindly to us, and if our stronghold is to retaliate an eye for an eye, we will be unkind towards them, thus destroying our relationships and marriages. However, if we have a renewed mind and pull down the stronghold by bringing it into subjection to the Lordship of Christ, we will walk in love, forgiveness, and grace. If we believe that we are a new creation with God’s nature in us, we can reign in the flesh and choose to walk in the Spirit; we will exercise the fruit of the Holy Spirit towards that person who will witness our redeemed personality. This is how we defeat the devil.
There are also irrational strongholds which are related to unrealistic fears and worries. Examples include abnormal fears of rejection, financial collapse, inheriting a sickness, and premature death. Other examples include thinking that one has to be thin to be beautiful, our marriage is doomed to fail following the patterns of our parents, we will never succeed in life, or God will not love us unless we perform. All these are the flaming arrows of the evil ones to hinder us from enjoying the abundant life.
2 Corinthians 10:5-6 (NKJV) casting down arguments and every high thing that exalts itself against the knowledge of God, bringing every thought into captivity to the obedience of Christ, and being ready to punish all disobedience when your obedience is fulfilled.
To pull down these strongholds, we need to bring down every thought that exalts itself above the truth of the Word. We say “no” to those thoughts and bring them into subjection to what the Word of God says!
For example, if we believe that we can only be beautiful if we are thin, we declare: “I will praise You, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made; Marvelous are Your works, And that my soul knows very well” (Psalms139:14 NJKV).
If we don’t take captive our thoughts, our thoughts will take us captive. However, when we have a renewed mind, it will be perfectly logical to walk in faith. We will be able to obey God with our money and trust Him in every aspect of our lives because we know what God can do and deliver! Walking by faith is the only way to break away from fear. Let’s choose to focus our minds on God and His Word, thereby keeping our peace amidst the barrage of negative thoughts that have created a stronghold in our minds.
Isaiah 26:3 (NKJV) You will keep him in perfect peace, Whose mind is stayed on You, Because he trusts in You.
Sermon Series: The weapon of our spiritual warfare
