This kind of worry (imaginations) is a tool of the devil , a stronghold, that he binds us in and uses to get us to step away from faith and trust, into a spiral of fear and worry with no basis in reality as we feed the scenario by getting into agreement with it, always allowing it to take root.
This is a tool the enemy uses to get us to step away from faith and trust and into a spiral of fear and worry as we feed the scenario by getting into agreement with it. Click To Tweet2 Corinthians 10:4-5 (5 in some translations) says:
We demolish arguments and every arrogance that raises itself up against the knowledge of God; we take every thought captive and make it obey the Messiah.
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So what does casting down imaginations mean?
It means taking those thoughts, those worries, those whisperings that the enemy plants in our minds that can grow and take root if we allow them to, every high thing, every proud thing, every lofty thing, every diminishing lie, and we “demolish” them, much like “casting down” a plate to the floor and smashing it into bits.
We take those imaginings, those first rumblings of “you can’t do that” or “you’re not good enough” or “this is going to be bad news” and you send it to the ground with the Word of God that replaces it with His truth!
We demolish it and then take those rebellious thoughts that the enemy tried to plant inside of us captive to the obedience of Christ.
2 Corinthians 10:4-5 (5 in some translations) says:
We demolish arguments and every arrogance that raises itself up against the knowledge of God; we take every thought captive and make it obey the Messiah.
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Those little “arguments” that creep in, that corrupted thought that the enemy plants? Those are the enemy working in us to tell us that God can’t possibly have it under control or worse, that He is setting us up for a huge fall. He is busy writing that work of fiction for our minds to read.
Tearing down strongholds and casting down imaginations and taking every thought captive takes that novel off the best sellers list and into the trash heap where it belongs!
Casting Down Imaginations & Tearing Down Strongholds
So we have mentioned tearing down strongholds but what is a stronghold?
Lexico.com defines a stronghold as “place that has been fortified so as to protect it against attack.” “a place where a particular cause or belief is strongly defended or upheld”.
I feel like these two definitions combined make up a fairly reasonable definition of a stronghold as we are using it with regard to faith.
A spiritual stronghold is a habitual process built into your thought life. It is believing and repeating the same old tapes people have played to you that you now embrace as your own.
Now, these processes can be for good, such as when we memorize scripture and develop godly habits!
Or it can be the opposite and allow ourselves to absorb the words or thoughts the enemy keeps repeating to us.
It is when the enemy can make you take a thought, a lie, and make you digest it and absorb it so much that it becomes who you see yourself as.
Strongholds are tougher to tear down than imaginations are to stop because strongholds are the result of imaginations, and they can build up and strengthen over time.
How to Cast Down Imaginations
Prayer and studying the Word, having God’s Word seep into every fiber of your being and redefine for you who you are, is the best way to tear down strongholds! These are at the core of spiritual warfare.
When the enemy comes at you and tries to plant those lies in you that grow into strongholds, shake it off!
He wants to ruin your day! Shake it off! He is trying to make you say oh, last year was SO bad for me. Shake it off!! Does he try to make you think last year was an absolute disaster? Well, focus on every good thing God has done, think on the perfect love of the Messiah, and shake it off!
Shake off the tendency to believe what he tells you about you!! Be like Paul and shake it off!! Shake off the vain reasonings and the evil reasonings, the attempts at focusing on either lack or what you have gained in your OWN power. Shake off the anxious thoughts and put them under the obedience of the Holy Spirit and the authority of Christ.
Do not let the devil’s twisted, corrupted imagination plant negative thoughts in your mind and take them captive in the Name of Jesus and praise God for the spiritual victory that is already yours! It has already been won.
I know it sounds flippant as though you can just rid yourself of it like snapping your fingers, but read more about the way Paul did this below! You will learn what ‘shake it off’ truly means.
It begins with the true realization that it is not our battle to fight. When we say “It’s just not that simple” it is usually because we are trying to fight the battle ourselves.
To Learn More, Read more about Paul and the viper in this post!
Let’s look at what the Word says about tearing down strongholds and how to cast down imaginations!
2 Corinthians 10:3-5
For though we walk in the flesh, we are not waging war according to the flesh. For the weapons of our warfare are not of the flesh but have divine power to destroy strongholds. We destroy arguments and every lofty opinion raised against the knowledge of God, and take every thought captive to obey Christ (ESV)
2 Corinthians 10:4
For the weapons of our warfare are not of the flesh but have divine power to destroy strongholds. (ESV)
John 8:32
And you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free. (ESV)
Romans 12:2
Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect. (ESV)
1 Corinthians 10:13
No temptation has overtaken you except what is common to mankind. And God is faithful; he will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear. But when you are tempted, he will also provide a way out so that you can endure it. (NIV)
Isaiah 25:12
He will bring down your high fortified walls and lay them low; he will bring them down to the ground, to the very dust. (NIV)
Nahum 1:7
The Lord is good, a refuge in times of trouble.He cares for those who trust in him (NIV)
Tearing Down Strongholds Knowing He is a Liar
The enemy likes to make me feel I have to take action on my own to fix this situation that hasn’t even happened! He is a liar and the father of lies.
John 8:44:
“You belong to your father, Satan, and you want to carry out your father’s desires. From the start he was a murderer, and he has never stood by the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he tells a lie, he is speaking in character; because he is a liar — indeed, the inventor of the lie!”
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So then, as a result, we don’t turn a situation over to God as we should and so we feel we have to control it ourselves.
When something happens that takes that control away from us (another person or situation is a trigger for something to happen) we start to formulate scenarios in our minds.
Proverbs 28:26 says:
“He who trusts in himself is a fool, but he who lives by wisdom will escape.”
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Worrying about something that is of our own imagining is trusting in your own mind and what it concocts, rather than having the wisdom of trusting in God.
Casting down imaginations and, thereby taking every thought captive, involves getting in line with what God and His Word says about us or our situation versus believing the lies the enemy wants you to believe.
Start Seeking God in Prayer
I cannot stress enough the importance of seeking God in prayer! You do not have to struggle through these false worries alone. God is there to take your cares from you and give you peace!
1 Peter 5:6-7:
“Therefore humble yourselves under the mighty hand of God, so that He may lift you up at the appropriate time. Cast all your worries on Him, for He cares for you.”
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Worry is trusting in your own mind and what it concocts, rather than having the wisdom of trusting in God.
If we just glance away from that “novel” long enough to look at God’s book, taking captive every thought that has no place in our lives, we could escape the trappings of our mind and the enemy who seeks to control it.
Let God be the author of your story, tearing down strongholds and destroying imaginations and filling you with a faith that allows you to rest in the knowledge that no matter what happens, God has you!
Let God be the author of your story, casting down imaginations and filling you with a faith that allows you to rest in the knowledge that no matter what happens, God has you!
Casting down imaginations, and every high thing that exalteth itself against the knowledge of God, and bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ” 2 Corinthians 10:3-5 (KJV).
When we first read Paul’s phrase “casting down imaginations,” we might wonder if God is encouraging us to not use our imaginations. Although it’s true our imaginations can be misused, Paul is emphasizing a different spiritual concept for every Christian to prevent believing in lies.
Paul’s phrase is encased in three very important verses in 2 Corinthians 10:3-5: “For though we walk in the flesh, we do not war after the flesh: (For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal, but mighty through God to the pulling down of strongholds;) Casting down imaginations, and every high thing that exalteth itself against the knowledge of God, and bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ” (italics added KJV).
As we’ll see, the weak Christians located in Corinth have adopted certain ideas that have captured their “imaginations”—their thinking. These wrong ideas have been accepted into their belief system as if they are true. But the ideas are against everything Paul introduced to them and taught them. They are of the world, not God.
Context of 2 Corinthians 10:5
One of the primary purposes of Paul’s letters (yes, there were two or three) to the Corinthians is to fight against the wrong thinking of the false teachers who are spiritually harassing the believers in that pagan city. Being at a physical distance from his spiritual brothers and sisters, Paul is determined to convince them they are cooperating with a destructive influence that is tearing down their faith in Jesus Christ. He also knows the false teachers have been critical of himself as God’s appointed messenger.
Since the weak believers are easily swayed by these false doctrines, Paul is firmly and yet gently reminding them of the truths he taught them while he was with them. He is wondering, since they trusted him then, how they could be influenced against him now. He is shocked. Paul writes this letter to remind them of the spiritual doctrines he taught them while with them.
Paul is treading on dangerous ground. He doesn’t want to seem mean-spirited or critical. He wants to come across with the meekness of Christ. Yet he also passionately desires to shake the Corinthians free from the stronghold of falsehoods the other teachers have heaped upon them. Paul is limited to handwritten letters being personally delivered by his trusted helpers. He is walking a tightrope of showing love and yet speaking the truth.
That’s why he begins this section of his letter (2 Corinthians 10:1) referring to “the meekness and gentleness of Christ.” He is reminding them that in person he represented Christ’s nature and neither he nor Jesus have changed. Because of his concern for them, he must teach them how to examine the wrong beliefs—the “imaginations”—the false teachers are throwing at them. Those ideas represent the way the world thinks, not the way Paul taught them that God thinks.
What Does Casting Down Imaginations Mean?
The Greek words making up the phrase “casting down imaginations” is kathaireo logismos. “Kathaireo” is defined as "demolish" and bring down. God prompts Paul to use the concept of bringing down since many unbelievers worshipped their gods in “high places” which were elevated areas where altars were built. Paul continues his instruction, writing, “Casting down imaginations, and every high thing that exalteth itself againstthe knowledge of God,” (2 Corinthians 10:5, italics added).
Each of us “exalts” or “lifts up” our preferences by making choices we consider most beneficial for us. We choose that which we think will meet our needs. But if we are Christians, the ideas we “exalt” above others should be God’s perspective and how He wants us to think and act.
Paul taught the Corinthian believers from the beginning of their salvation to lift high the value of Jehovah God, find salvation only through His Son Jesus Christ’s death and resurrection, and obey God’s principles. But because of the influence of the false teachers, they have now replaced their high value of Christ with incorrect ideas. These ideas include questioning Paul’s authority as an apostle, believing they can live immoral lives and have a division between believers.
The second Greek word of the phrase for “imaginations” is logismos which is defined as arguments, thoughts, and reasonings. Just as Satan questioned Eve’s perceptions, challenged God’s words, and reasoned with her to confuse her in the Garden of Eden (Genesis 3:1-6), Satan was using the deceptive reasoning of false teachers to cause the Corinthians believers to question who God is and how He defines salvation and walking in the power of the Holy Spirit.
Thankfully, Paul’s letter to his beloved people was effective. The large majority of the Corinthian believers stayed true to the message of the Gospel claiming only Jesus could save them from their sins. They also turned away from the ungodly and immoral choices they had begun accepting. To Paul’s great relief, they kept their allegiance to Paul as God’s official messenger of the Good News.
How Can Christians Cast Down Imaginations?
In II Corinthians 10:5, Paul continues his thoughts with how to cast down imaginations by urging his readers adding “and bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ.”
Every day, every one of us has thousands, even millions, of thoughts which could be identified as a variety of goals, plans, questions, ideas, conclusions, and analysis of circumstances. Like arrows being flung toward our minds and hearts, we are bombarded. Many of those arrows are truth. Many of them are lies. The truths foster trust in God and acknowledgment of his Lordship in our lives. The lies create doubt, confusion, wrong conclusions, and ultimately questioning God’s nature—his goodness, motives, faithfulness, and many other attributes.
Ephesians 6:16 tells us, “Above all, taking the shield of faith, wherewith ye shall be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked.” Those “darts,” our inner dialogue, come from many sources, including our own analysis, our hearts’ desires, the opinions we hear from others, what we read, watch, and hear. Without being viewed through the filter of truth, the influence of the darts turns us toward worry, hate, lack of self-control, criticism, discontent, and many other responses which are the opposite of the fruit of the Spirit (Gal. 5:22-23). When we use the filter of the truth of Scripture and who God is, we experience the fruit of the Spirit: love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness, and temperance.
Of course, when Paul wrote God’s words down, he was referring specifically to accepting the godly “imaginations” he taught the Corinthians and to reject ungodly lies from the false teachers. He wanted the believers to take their thoughts into “captivity.” But the concept Paul envisioned for the Corinthian believers is a spiritual practice necessary for all of us.
Think of it this way. We are going about our day and different ideas arise within us or we hear something said. In our “imagination,” we can grab a particular thought as if it were a dart, and ask, “Is this the truth?” Or, “What does the Bible say about this?” Or, “Am I thinking the truth about who God is?” When we ask any questions like that and then reject the lies and accept God’s truths, we are “casting down imaginations.”
Here's a practical application. You could wear a rubber band on your wrist and when you notice it throughout your day, ask, “Where is my mind going? To truth or to ideas ‘that exalteth itself against the knowledge of God’?”
This is a life-long process. We might determine to do this and not question our thoughts all day. But several times the next day, we notice a thought which seems correct but upon examination is actually a lie about God or how He works. Within days and then weeks, we are more often alert about whether our ideas are biblical. Then we will be more diligent to choose casting down imaginations that are not of the Lord.
Prayer for Casting Down Imaginations
Almighty God of the Universe, thank you for wanting to empower me to be casting down imaginations that plague me and draw me away from you. You are worthy to be trusted because you are wise, gentle, and yet strong. You know the lies destroying me. Thank you that you want to set me free so that I can exalt you. Open my eyes to the truths of your Word. Strengthen my heart to resist Satan’s questioning of your worth and value. Deliver me from the sinful strategies plaguing me. Only you offer everything truthful, worthwhile, and good. I’m so grateful that you are my God and are empowering me to cast down wrong imaginations. In Jesus Name, Amen.
God led the Apostle Paul to empower the Corinthian believers with a very practical spiritual discipline that was effective for them and is effective for us. Many of the ideas of every Christian’s inner dialogue and the messages reaching them from “outside” their minds are attempting to be a kind of “false teacher.” God, on the other hand, is strengthening His child with truth from the Holy Spirit to fight Satan’s lies. The believer can call upon His help to receive truth and cast down lies. How blessed we are that God does not leave us defenseless. The God of truth is with us.
IMAGINATION, A conception or imagining of some event; a scheme, plot, or project, especially of evil.
“And God saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth, and that every imagination of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually” (Genesis 6:5).
“An heart that deviseth wicked imaginations, feet that be swift in running to mischief” (Proverbs 6:18).
“Because that, when they knew God, they glorified him not as God, neither were thankful; but became vain in their imaginations, and their foolish heart was darkened” (Romans 1:21).
“Casting down imaginations, and every high thing that exalteth itself against the knowledge of God, and bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ” (2 Corinthians 10:5).
Many have vain and wicked imaginations. They ponder evil and the ways of sin. They love sin and wallowing in it. As God’s children, we cast down ALL vain and wicked imaginations and dwell on God’s Truth instead. We aren’t fearful but trust fully in God our Savior. We love goodness and purity. We walk on the narrow path that leads to life.
How can one masturbate without having wicked and vain imaginations? It may be possible but not probable.
False teachers have vain imaginations about God talking to them and giving them a new and special revelation. Avoid them! They are trying to deceive you with vain words (Ephesians 5:6). Everything we need for life and godliness are in His Word.
Fearing for the future and fretting what may be coming is delving into vain imaginations. Stop! Trust God with the future! He promises to never leave nor forsake us. He is a promise keeper. We have nothing to fear, so kick those fearful, vain imaginations out as soon as they come into your mind.
Don’t have vain imaginations of what may happen to your children in the future. Give all of your concerns and anxieties to the Lord and leave them there. His mercies are new every morning! Great is His faithfulness.
God wants His people to walk by faith and walk in love by being transformed with the renewing of our minds with His Word (Romans 12:1,2). As we live as new creatures in Christ, we are salt and light to a wicked generation. God has created everything and holds the whole world in His hands. Live lives that glorify Him in everything.
Be ye therefore followers of God, as dear children; and walk in love…For ye were sometimes darkness, but now are ye light in the Lord: walk as children of light.
Ephesians 3:1,2,8
Some of the things we do or experience in our lives are the products of our thoughts and imaginations. This is because, prayers are not only answered when we ask verbally; our thoughts or imaginations are also answered. Ephesians 3:20 says, “now unto him that is able to do exceedingly abundantly above all that we ask and think, according to the power that worketh in us”. This proves the importance of guarding our hearts and minds diligently. In our text for today, Apostle Paul addresses a wrong thought pattern whereby, the believer goes about with a wrong mindset, fighting wrong and unprofitable battles with wrong weapons. Apostle Paul says in 2 Corinthians 10:3-5, “For though we walk in the flesh, we do not war after the flesh: for the weapons of our warfare are not carnal, but mighty through God to the pulling down of strongholds”. Paul was telling us that there is no other power in this world oppressing us except some strongholds in us. Your brothers, sisters, uncles, aunts, mother, father, neighboursand friends are not the enemies of your life. The battle is that of the mind – your mind!
To understand the strongholds, Paul went ahead to identify and explain them as ‘imaginations’ and ‘thoughts’ in verse 5 of 2 Corinthians chapter 3. It reads, “casting down imaginations, and every high thing that exalteh itself against the knowledge of God, and bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ”. This means that you cast down those wrong imaginations by changing your thought patterns and subjecting every thought to the thought of God for you and the power of the Spirit of the Christ in you. See the picture that God sees about you. Allow God to sit on your mind. Never allow the pictures the devil brings your way to form an image in your mind. The devil can only stay outside and try to control your mind. But God dwells in your inside. He sits on the inside of your mind and expresses Himself in your thought patterns and action. Once your thinking is right, your actions will also be right. Praise the Lord!
Then Paul tells us the root of these stronghold
#1 – KJV calls “Imaginations” NIV “Arguments”
the word is loismos = false reasoning, conclusions, plans, life not reckoned as life
One of the roots of the strongholds of carnality in our life is logismos, false conclusions, reasoning that causes us to believe things that are not true
How do we come to “arguments” or “imaginations”?
1) not Knowing the Word of God
2) Not Believing the Word of God
3) Not believing it Applies to me
#2 “Pretensions” KJV “High Things”
the word is hypsoma = world above, arrogance –
We pretend that we are above the Word, we are above the command, we are above the revealed will and plan of God. I can play, I can pretend, that I am superman, but I cannot fly. I am not faster than a speeding bullet, more powerful than a locomotive, nor am I able to leap tall buildings in a single bound, because I Am NOT Superman. It is arrogant for me to assume that position. In like manner, I cannot take the place of Christ to Rule and Be Worshiped.
“High places” were placed throughout Canaan in ancient days where people worshiped false gods. It goes back to Babel, when they tried to “reach” God. Why did they try to reach God? It was to try and “bring him down” but you can’t
High Places in our lives are
1) anything that pretends to be equal with God
2) anything that we worship (objects of affection)
3) things that cause us to take our gaze away from Christ
He is the only one given a name above every name, to whom every knee bows and tongue confesses.
When we say “I would do this for God, but my kids need …” That is Pretense, it is a High Place
When we say “I would worship him with my resources, but I want … I need …” that is Pretense, a High Place
Instead I should take those things to the Lord and say “God, what do you want me to do, and how do I need to prioritize my resources, my family, my schedule?”
How can we easily tell if something is a “High Place”?
1) Does it set itself against the Word of God?
2) Does it cause a conflict of obedience to the revelation of God in Christ Jesus, in his living word or written word?
Those things have then “set themselves up against the knowledge of God”. They are pretend sovereigns in our lives, they are falsely exalted idols in our lives. I cannot ignore them, I cannot pretend they do not exist. They will not go away. They will not leave me alone if I pretend they are not there … No … I must DEMOLISH or CAST them DOWN
Whey they found high places of idol worship in the Old Testament, they destroyed them …
So, How?
“Take Captive” … Lay your hands on offender. Speak to it, speak about it, admit it, that is what it means for a Christian to Confess our sins. YES, all of our sins are covered in the Cross of Christ, but in the daily living of our salvation, they are set up as strongholds. When we don’t admit the struggle and that it is sin we are missing the teaching of 1 John 1:9. 1 John 1:9 is John speaking to the CHURCH, to Christians. Count how many times he says “we”. Read 1 John 1:9 in context, “if WE confess our sins”. In other scripture he tells us to confess our sins to each other”? Why? It is so we don’t let them run loose, exalted in our lives.
We are not to let them be strongholds, no, we are to take hold of them. Them them to the word of God. Speak it. Does it sound contrary to the Word? Then make it obedient say “no” to pretenders. Say, “no” to false reasoning, and say “yes” to Christ.
Worship Him with Obedience
Worship the only wise God, our Sovereign Lord Jesus Christ
Take Captive Every Thought and Make it Obedient to Christ
Spiritual warfare has been dramatised as an epic fight between a believer and the forces of evil. What comes to mind is a Christian facing a mean-looking fire-breathing creature with horns and a tail. This mindset has caused some to ignore the simplicity with which the scriptures define spiritual warfare.
Our theme scripture points out one of these simplicities which is that spiritual warfare involves the casting down of imaginations.
When the Bible says that the enemy is subtle, it means that he is not in the habit of appearing to us surrounded by fumes of burning sulphur. Rather, he plays, most times unseen and undetected, in the arena of our imaginations by planting seeds of ungodly thoughts.
Here are some examples; you may be driving and a thought crosses your mind that you are going to crash into another car. You may be sitting at home and the devil brings to your mind the thought of sliding on a wet floor and hitting your head. That is the enemy planting seeds in your mind.
The mistake many believers make is to grab these thoughts and add flesh to them. The believer who imagines themselves crashing into a car goes ahead to enact and play an entire road accident scene with them as the tragic victim. That is spiritual conception and it is all the devil needed from you to complete his evil plans.
Spiritual warfare demands that the moment the thought flashes across your mind, you dig it up by the roots and cast it down! You declare to yourself, “I cannot be in an accident!”
In the art of spiritual warfare, victory must always begin in the mind. Tame your thoughts by never allowing any seeds of the enemy to blossom into reality. Hallelujah!
FURTHER STUDY: Philippians 4:8, Hebrews 4:12
GOLDEN NUGGET: In the art of spiritual warfare, victory must always begin in the mind. Tame your thoughts by never allowing any seeds of the enemy to blossom into reality.
PRAYER: My Father, I thank You for this great truth. This word imparts in me the wisdom of true spiritual warfare. Because I have this understanding, I consistently stand guard at the door of my mind. Any ungodly thoughts are arrested and brought down to the obedience of Christ. In Jesus’ name, Amen.
In our battle against evil, we use the spiritual weapons of God that enable us to know the truth and the freedom that the truth brings. The devil's greatest tools are deception and death. God's grace allow us to see through the deception and demolish its falsifying grip on the minds of men and women. God's power has broken through the barrier of death and given us victory in Jesus Christ. Our task in this victory march? To obey our Lord and help others to do the same, finding his grace and power sufficient to help us overcome all that we face that could defeat us.
The Bible tells us to take every thought captive. (2 Corinthians 10:5) That means that I have a chance to do something about all thoughts that are not well-pleasing to God, before they enter my heart and become a part of me!
“As a man thinks, so is he.” Proverbs 23:7. What we think about is crucial to who we are. Scientists don’t agree on how many thoughts we have each day, but all agree there are thousands of them. Who we are is shaped moment by moment by the thoughts we choose to let into our mind and heart. But how can we control the thousands of thoughts that enter our mind each day? What do we do with the thoughts that are not pleasing to God? How can we, in reality, take every thought captive?
Taking every thought captive – a battle
Often, our thoughts have to be focused on the regular tasks we must accomplish that day. However, as we go through the day, we can catch thoughts and attitudes that are contrary to God’s will and keep them from gaining control of our mind and heart. Paul explains how this is possible: “For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal but mighty in God for pulling down strongholds, 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.’’ 2 Corinthians 10:4-5. It is written that we need to battle to keep our thoughts pure, but it is also written that we have weapons to fight with!
Let’s consider a typical daily situation where I would have the opportunity to take my thoughts captive: Perhaps my supervisor at work gives me a task I hate, and negative, complaining thoughts come into my head. These thoughts are temptations – and I have a chance to do something about them before they enter my heart and become a part of me. It is these types of thoughts we need to take captive by instead choosing to obey words of God such as Philippians 2:14: “Do all things without grumbling or complaining.”
Such a choice requires a real battle in our thought life, but the weapons of our warfare – the Word of God and the power of His Holy Spirit – are mighty to help us. By praying to God in the moment when we sense we are being tempted, we can receive power to keep our thoughts pure. Then I have taken the thought captive!
Prepare for war
We must also strengthen ourselves for this warfare beforehand by following Jesus’ example when He was tempted by the devil to turn the stones into bread: “But It is written, ‘Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceeds from the mouth of God.” Matthew 4:4.
The Word of God and the power of His Holy Spirit are mighty to help us take captive our thoughts. Jesus had armed Himself by reading and meditating on the Word of God that could help Him in the trials of His life. If we notice there are areas of our thought life that we find difficult to overcome, we can find specific Scriptures that can help us to get victory over them, and believe in a God who is mighty to save!
God's Word is our weapon!
example, if we know we are easily tempted to impure thoughts about the opposite sex, we can take Jesus’ words to heart: “But I say to you that whoever looks at a woman to lust for her has already committed adultery with her in his heart. If your right eye causes you to sin, pluck it out and cast it from you; for it is more profitable for you that one of your members perish, than for your whole body to be cast into hell.” Matthew 5:28-29.
Is it even possible to keep my thoughts pure? Click here for the answer!
If we are prone to anger, we can arm ourselves with James’ exhortation: “So then, my beloved brethren, let every man be swift to hear, slow to speak, slow to wrath; for the wrath of man does not produce the righteousness of God.” James 1:19-20. These words of God are our weapons, and will give us power to take all impure thoughts captive!
Read also: 20 Bible verses to use as a sword against impure thoughts
Transformation – by the Holy Spirit
By the Holy Spirit we can get grace and power to bring the thoughts into captivity to the obedience of Christ, and in this process, we become transformed into the person He wants us to be. We have the wonderful hope that by overcoming sin in our thought life, we can become a little more like Christ as each day progresses. In this way, we become valuable tools in God’s hands. Allowing this inner work of God to take place in us is the greatest task we can take on in life.
Take a closer look at verse 4. I’m going to summarize it like this: as Christians, we have powerful tools that can demolish strongholds. Did you know that a stronghold is a “firmly held belief”. What happens if our firmly held beliefs are lies we are believing? When we believe lies – we will experience unnecessary pain in our lives. Additionally, we will miss out on a greater experience of joy and peace.
Our enemy is called the “father of lies”. He does everything in his power to mislead Christians into believing they are insignificant, worthless, not enough or disappointing. None of which aligns with the truth of Scripture.
The truth of Scripture is our best divine weapon when we take thoughts captive.
Take Thoughts Captive: 7 Ways to Do it With God's Help
Take Thoughts Captive: 7 Ways to Do it With God's Help
It’s important to remember that in everything God calls us to do (i.e. take thoughts captive), He will help us to do His will through the power of His Holy Spirit. Additionally, we are invited to participate in the process. Let’s dive into seven ways to take thoughts captive!
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