Take Every Thought Captive (Part 2)
2 Corinthians 10:4-5 KJV
Two weeks ago, in my last post I detailed why our imagination matters. I hope I conveyed that message well. And now you are thinking more about your thought life, imagination and how important they are. There is a practical way to take your thoughts captive to be obedient to Christ and have the mind of Christ. I will illustrate this.
When we pray and read the Word of God. The Holy Spirit will give you new insight, understanding and revelation. This new revelation that is given will transform you and renew your mind to have a mind like Christ. Which will then make you aligned with the Father’s will.
Proverbs 18:2"A fool takes no pleasure in trying to understand; he only wants to express his own opinion” CJB version.
Our thoughts must measure up to the Word of the Lord, not our own opinions. And who is the Word? Jesus Christ. John 1:1 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.
When we measure our thoughts up to Jesus Christ, who he is and what he taught, our opinions will fall short. If you are arrogant and prideful you will not see that. Instead, you will think you’re right and leave still being the fool you were before you read the text. Whatever thought that does not measure up to the word of God must be taken captive.
What does the word captive mean? Prisoner, confined, locked up
I hold back my thoughts and opinions and replace it with the truth of the Lord. You can only know the Lord’s truth if you read His Words. Not only do you read it, but you must also gain understanding and wisdom from it. Then allow that wisdom to become your new way of thinking. This will then transform you because what we think becomes who we are and what we do. The Word of the Lord will transform your thinking, to think the way Christ thinks.
In CBT therapy one technique discussed is to put our thoughts on trial. Write down your negative thoughts and list what you think is evidence for and against it. The thoughts used to go against it in secular therapy are just words you make up. This is what the world calls affirmations. Affirmations are basically positive statements you say to yourself.
· I am capable
· I am loved
· I am smart.
More times than not I have people tell me they do not work. Mostly because they feel like they are lying to themselves. The words feel empty and of course you will feel this way. You have been repeating the negative belief for so long, that is why it sounds true. Even though it sounds and feels true, it does not mean it is. Feelings are not facts. Another issue is that some create affirmations that are unrealistic, such as “I will not fail”. That’s false and unrealistic because you will fail. A better affirmation would be “I will not quit”. This is more realistic and allows you to face the fact that failure will come but I will choose not to quit when it does. You must choose phrases you “know” is true even if it doesn’t feel true”.
For believers, I instruct them to put their thoughts on trial against the Word of God. Because we believe God’s words are true, not empty or void and will not return to the Lord in vain. Every thought and pattern in your mind should be put to the test. Put it on trial and let it prove itself worthy by the word of the Lord. If the Word of the Lord says it is false, then I must believe that what I think is false. Even if it feels true.
What we feel is irrelevant. What God said is true, is what’s true. Yes, emotions should be validated but validating does not mean I must agree with your thoughts on it. There is a misconception that if I validate someone’s emotions I must agree with the thought as well. That is not the case. I can empathize with how you feel while also not agreeing with it. Just because you feel worthless does not mean you are.
Emotions are information. That is what I teach. Your emotions give you information on what you need to heal and focus on. Which you should then do and not bury it. Ask yourself “Why do I have this feeling of worthlessness?” “Who made me feel this way?” “When was my first experience feeling this way?” Investigate the feeling. Do not blindly believe them. Take the information from it, learn, grow, and solve problems.
When it comes to struggles with sin or who God say we are, these thoughts must also be put to the test. This will show the difference between a Christian who truly repents and feels convicted. As opposed to a Christian who doesn’t and keeps living according to his flesh, living lukewarm. The importance is knowing what God said is true because that is how we then get convicted to change. But if we do not even believe what God says then the change will never come until we do.
If I come to faith with a thought that goes against the word of God, I must take that thought captive. I must lock it up and find what does the word of God say. I am going to read the scripture, break it down, look up what the words mean and study it. Whatever it says that is what I meditate on until my mind is renewed and I think like Christ.
To meditate means to rehearse repeatedly. So, if I have a hard time believing something God said, I will rehearse it in my mind. Because faith comes by hearing and hearing the word of God. So, I am going to read it repetitively. Read it out loud and listen to it audibly. If you have a thought that you are not sure how it measures up to the word of God, then go find it. Find what is the truth regarding this area of your life you are putting to the test. Then that is the thought you meditate on day and night until that new thought encodes into your brain.
How many of us struggle with meditating? I bet that you all already do it though. I bet you that everybody reading this already meditates. How? Have you ever had something bad or maybe good happen and you thought about it repeatedly. Thinking about how you could have said or done something differently. Yea, that’s meditating. When we rehearse thoughts, it is a form of meditation. We often think meditating is sitting on a pillow, Indian style, humming quietly or being in silent. Yea that’s one way people meditate but that is not the only way or the way the Bible instructs us to meditate.
The same way you can think about that incident repeatedly is the same way you can think about God’s word. Instead of meditating on how I am going to get revenge on whoever hurts me. Let me meditate on what it would look like to practice what Christ did. What does it look like to forgive, show love and let go of the anger. How about we meditate on that instead. Meditate on that long enough and it will become your new thinking pattern. Then when we have a mind like Christ, we will be like Christ. Now your old thoughts are captive. And your new thoughts are made to be obedient to Christ.
This can be done with any thought or unhelpful belief we have. Here are some common ones. Belief: “I do not think God will forgive me”, “I am worthless”, “If I lose this job, I don’t think I will be able to take care of myself”.
1. I do not think God will forgive me. 1 John 1:9 "If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness"
2. I am worthless 1 Peter 2:9 But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, God’s special possession, that you may declare the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light.
3. If I lose this job, I don’t think I will be able to take care of myself. Deuteronomy 8:17-18 New King James Version (NKJV) “And you shall remember the LORD your God, for it is He who gives you power to get wealth, that He may establish His covenant which He swore to your fathers, as it is this day.
All these statements are false when you put them up against the word of God.
This is another reason I encourage people to write journals. This is much easier to do when you write it out and see it in front of you. It makes it easier to see the patterns. Once the negative thoughts you have are written down, look to see what the word of God says about it. Read the verses that comes up and write that bible verse next to your negative thought. Compare the two and ask yourself is this a God thought and can be held onto? or an unhelpful or sinful thought and must be held captive. Find scripture to lock it up and replace it with what God said. I have a free simple Thought Journal that shows you exactly how to do this.
After you challenge the thought. Let the word of God become your new way of thinking by meditating on it and allowing it to change the way you behave. Then eventually the emotions will catch up with this new belief you wired into your brain. Invite the Holy Spirit to work in you what Romans 12 verse 2 says “Do not be conformed to this age, but be transformed by the renewing of the mind, so that you may discern what is the will of God—what is good and acceptable and perfect.”
We will then transform and have the ability to discern what is the will of God and fulfill the will of God. Remember what we do and create comes from our thoughts.
Eshon Burgundy once said, “before the truth can set you free, you need to recognize which lie is holding you hostage”. Before any of us accepted Christ as our personal savior, our thoughts and lies were holding us captive. When we are struggling with anxiety and depression, our negative and unhelpful thoughts are holding us captive. After we accept the gift of salvation from Jesus Christ and Jesus sets us free, our eyes are opened, open to see the lies. This makes it easier to know what we need to take captive as 1 Corinthians chapter 10 says. Put the thoughts on trial against the word of God. See, understand and hear the Lord’s truth. Believe and receive the Lord’s truth that will set you free from the lie and its consequences. John 8:32 KJV And ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.
I leave you with this scripture found in Philippians 4: 8. "Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is pleasing, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence and if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things.
