2 Corinthians 10:5
NKJV
5 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,
We shouldn’t allow and entertain anything that comes to our mind. My mother once explained that thoughts can come into your mind, thoughts you know are wrong, but you make a decision whether to act on them and entertain them.
We make the choice whether or not we will accept and allow something to linger. Many of us can relate to how after an argument, and you begin to mediate and reflect on it. We think of all the words we could’ve said, how the person is wrong, and how the person hurt us. Soon, you start having anger, bitterness, and growing unforgiveness.
Many can also relate to allowing one lustful thoughts to linger. Then it becomes a mediation where you allow your mind to ponder and think about someone.
Many can relate to starring at someone else’s achievement. It turns from admiration to jealousy as you start thinking of how they don’t deserve to be there and how you work more or how you deserve it more. You begin to ponder on their flaws.
Or maybe it’s the opposite. Maybe you see others’ achievement and ponder on yourself. Soon, the voice of insecurity comes, and you begin looking down your gifts. You compare your talent to theirs and discourage yourself.
Many of us can relate to having many worries, and instead of going to them to God, we begin to think scenerio after scenerio, worry after worry, and anxiety on top of anxiety. We begin to imagine what if situations and overthink everything, leading us to depression and dispear.
All these are the thoughts that we ignore or allow to linger that if we aren’t careful to hold them captive as the Bible says, they can be seeds the enemy plants that can bring about action that we will regret in future.
Joseph brothers had envy, but it led to them giving their brother for slavery. Cain had envy and anger, but it led to murder. David must have allowed his mind to think lustfully, and it led to adultery. All these Biblical examples speak of those who had thoughts but because they didn’t hold them captive, go to God and recognise that by entertaining these thoughts or leaving them to linger it can lead to long lasting consequences. If we allow any thoughts to linger on and don’t recognise, hold them captive and replace them with truth we will find oursleves in places we didn’t need to be.
Genesis 4:6-7
ESV
6 The Lord said to Cain, “Why are you angry, and why has your face fallen? 7 If you do well, will you not be accepted? And if you do not do well, sin is crouching at the door. Its desire is contrary to you, but you must rule over it.”
Do you see how our mind is such a battlefield. A simple look can cause so much. Mediation can lead to so much, and pondering can cause so much.
But we are encouraged by scripture to mediate on whatever is true, noble, and kind (Philippians 4:8). When we mediate and think on these things, our hearts are purified. Your heart can be thinking of blessing others but also cursing those same people. Your heart can be thinking of encouraging someone but also seeing their downfall. We are encouraged to mediate on whatever glorifies God and whatever you know doesn’t glorify God, whatever you know is filled with sin or can lead to sin, hold that thought captive in obedience to Christ, replace it with truth and reject them.
Some might say that they have already tried this, but those thoughts still come back. Those thoughts can come back because we live in an imperfect world with sinful bodies that we will always keep fighting against. Your holding thoughts captive doesn’t end, but it’s a continual fight. We shouldn’t think because God gave us victory that we won’t ever face those battles again. If God helped you overcome anxiety, it doesn’t mean you’ll never feel that anxiety come back. If God helped you overcome lust, it doesn’t mean you’re immune to lust. You’ll keep holding thoughts captive because our flesh is always at war with our Spirit.
If you rejected an hour ago and those thoughts came back, reject again, pray again, submit to God again but dont stop resisting the devil because he is will flee from you (James 4:7). This is a promise you can declare over yourself because the enemy must obey this word, that he must flee. You need to develop the faith to believe that when the Bible writes he will flee from you, that as you’re declaring that the enemy really is fleeing from you. Place your trust in scripture and not what you feel or see. You can feel nothing is happening but trust God’s word. You need to keep resisting, keep declaring scripture, keep worshipping because what you’re doing is not in vain but spiritually the kingdom of darkness is backing away and those chains are being loosed.
When these thoughts come to mind, hold them captive, see the source and replace it with the truth of God and chose that your action will reflect what you know as truth and not what your flesh desires to do.
Chose to ponder on whatever is true. Shake your head at those thought or boldly speak saying how you won’t entertain these thoughts.
Say you won’t be filled with envy but you’ll be filled with love
Say you won’t be filled with insecurity but with Godly confidence.
Say you won’t be filled with anger but with forgiveness and grace.
Say you won’t be filled with lust but with selfless.
We need to replace truth and resist the lies.
-etty
