"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 Cor. 10:5)
As Christians we are given the mind of Christ, and yet, our fleshly filter appears to be the default. So the challenge is, how do we switch from our natural way of thinking to access God's thoughts?
Here's the way our minds naturally work: We receive information into our brains and we process it through our life experiences. Satan is always there to add pain, anger and torment through memories, old offenses, insecurities, perceptions and other unfair means. If we allow these thoughts to persist, they literally become obsessions in our minds. We can't stop thinking about the situation, and because Satan is involved, the obsession grows and negative thoughts fester.
For those who have a propensity for addictions, these obsessions always lead to relapse. And in most cases, these obsessions will take the most devout Christian to very dark places. Many people spend days, weeks and even months and years cornered in the dark recesses of their fleshly minds.
We can avoid obsessions if we learn to take our thoughts captive as described in 2 Cor. 10:5. To do this, you must first become aware of how Satan traps your mind. And there's a simple test you can take to see if you're heading away from God's light. Compare the acts of the sinful nature with the fruits of the spirit in Galatians 5:16-26. You'll know where you stand.
If your thoughts have fallen into the "acts of the sinful nature" category, your job is to grab all your negative thoughts together and throw them out like garbage. You must also wield the sword of the Spirit, which is the Word of God. If you can't think of any scriptures that fit your situation, simply recite 2 Corinthians 10:5, especially the portion that reads, "we take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ." It's best to actually personalize this scripture by repeating, "I take captive every thought and I make it obedient to Christ."
Be persistent in your spiritual battle against the enemy of your soul. Satan is determined to have your mind, so you must be even more determined to have the mind of Christ. If you have been diligent to counteract the negative obsessions, but are unsuccessful, don't give up. Instead, call your leader, pastor or faith-filled friends to help you work through it.
You will be set free. You will have the victory. God said!
Jamee Rae Pineda has co-authored a Christian recovery book called Follow The Solid Rock Road: Pathway to Radical Recovery. You can also find her on Twitter at www.twitter.com/solidrockroad
some good thoughts
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