Thoughts sail through our minds all day long. And we tend to believe what we think. Did you know that most of the stuff you think are lies? It’s true. We tell ourselves lies all the time. Not only do we lie to ourselves, but the world lies to us. And to top that off, Satan is continually whispering his lies into our minds. Lying is his native language. John 8:44 says that Satan is the father of lies.

Our verse today clearly tells us to “take captive every thought.”

Okay, let’s think about that for a second. What does it mean to take our thoughts captive?

We need to get a lot more aggressive with our thought lives. What if when a thought comes into our minds, instead of immediately jumping into its “Amen” corner, we stopped and grabbed it? Now, I am fully aware that this might take some effort. Some thoughts put up a good fight. Some thoughts really pack a punch.  So we might have to wrestle with our thoughts in order to capture them.

Then what? What do we do with our thoughts after we capture them? We’ve got them tied up and contained. Now what?

Well, now it’s time to put on our detective hats. It’s interrogation time! The next part of the verse tells us what to do with our thoughts–make them obey Christ.

“to make it obedient to Christ.”

How do we make our thoughts obey Christ?

To make our thoughts obey Christ we have to know what Christ says. And in order to know what Christ says, we have to know God’s Word.

The only way to combat lies is with truth. So many of us walk around living defeated lives, and we have only ourselves to blame. We want God to swoop in and deliver us from our struggles when many times God has already sent our deliverance. We just don’t access it. 

He given us this amazing book of deliverance called the Bible.

John 8:32 says the truth sets us free. But we have to KNOW the truth and OBEY the truth if we want to experience that freedom.

Okay, let’s head back to the interrogation room. Good detectives don’t interrogate thoughts without a plan. They have their material ready. They know their questions beforehand. And then when they come up against a menacing thought, they don’t play games with it. They are down to business. They “demolish arguments and every pretension that sets itself up against the knowledge of God.”

They take it captive.

 

What are you struggling with? What kinds of thoughts tend to dominate your mind? Here’s a suggestion: Look up several scriptures that pertain to your specific struggle and write them down on index cards. Put them somewhere where you will see them often—on your desk or in your purse or wallet. You could tape them up in your car, kitchen, or bathroom mirror. Then when you have a thought enter your mind that does NOT line up with what God’s Word says, take it captive. Get out those cards and read them. Say them out loud if you need to (I highly recommend that one). Demolish those thoughts and make them bow their knees in full surrender to Jesus Christ. Combat those lies by declaring the truth, “But God said in His Word…” 

Here’s the beautiful irony: The more you learn to capture your thoughts, the more you will be set free!

Alright detectives, it’s time to interrogate!

“The weapons we fight with are not the weapons of the world. On the contrary, they have divine power to demolish strongholds.” 2 Corinthians 10:4

“For the word of God is alive and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart.” Hebrews 4:12

“Then you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.” John 8:32

“Take…the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God.” Ephesians 6:17