reciting Psalm 23 & 7 keys to captivating thoughts

 

1. Expose the Lies

Throughout our lives, we are constantly trying to make sense of our relationships and circumstances. Our brains are made to fill in gaps of missing information. Consequently, we make many assumptions.Unfortunately, this is where the lies can sometimes make their way into our hearts.

It is critical to constantly be vigilant to evaluate what we are believing about ourselves, the world around us, and even God. Lies have no power until they are believed. Read that again. Once a lie takes root, our thoughts, emotions, and actions will follow suit.

How do we expose the lies? We set it next to the Truth. When our beliefs don’t align with the truth of Scripture we must take thoughts captive! In other words, trade the lies for the Truth!

2.Guard Your Heart and Mind

Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. Philippians 4:6-7

I recently did a word study on the phrase “will guard your hearts and minds” from Philippians 4:6-7. Our heart is the control center of everything. As a result, passions, emotions, actions, desires, will, and thoughts all flow from the heart. Imagine the power lies have in our lives if it makes their way into our heart.

Above all else, guard your heart, for everything you do flows from it. Proverbs 4:23

The mind is how we perceive the world and circumstances around us. Perception is based on our five senses. Ironically, Scripture tells us not to lean on our own understanding. Rather, trust in the Lord. As we trust in the Lord, the peace of God guards our hearts and minds. 

Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; Proverbs 3:5

All of this means we can be proactive to take thoughts captive while depending on God to powerfully work in and through us. How do you guard your mind? How do social media, news, television, and music allow lies into your heart and mind?

3. Practice Gratitude

Gratitude is one of my favorite ways to take thoughts captive. Research shows it is impossible to think negative thoughts at the same time we are practicing gratitude. Additionally, research points to the practice of gratitude resulting in increased happiness. This only reveals what God’s Word has always said, and everything flows from the heart. How will you begin to practice cultivating gratitude in your life?

4. Pray

…pray without ceasing, 1 Thessalonians 5:17

Philippians 4:6-7 specifically tells us how to access the peace of God, which guards our hearts and minds. We are instructed to pray with gratitude. Prayer is powerful! Share your heart with your Heavenly Father. Ask Him to help you take thoughts captive and thank Him for the work He is faithful to complete in and through you.

5. Renew Your Mind

Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Romans 12:2a

God‘s Word is one of our divine weapons to take thoughts captive. We must carve out time to be renewed in our minds. This creates more clarity about who we are and who God is. Renewing your mind will better equip you to expose the lies that have made their way into your heart. I read a quote once, “The best time to plant a fruittree is 20 years ago. However, the second best time is now”. The same principle applies to renewing your mind with the Word of God. It’s never too late to begin sharpening your Sword of the Spirit.

6. Fix Your Thoughts on Jesus

… fix your thoughts on Jesus, whom we acknowledge as our apostle and high priest. -Hebrews 3:1b

We always have a choice to steer our thoughts in a direction that is beneficial. Choose to fix your thoughts on Jesus, His Truth, and His character. Meditating on Christ rather than the things that are hard or not going well renews hope and draws peace. Consequently, it’s another way we can take thoughts captive.

7. Worship

Similar to fixing our eyes on Jesus, we can take thoughts captive through worship. Worship can be done in so many ways – obedience, praise, serving, praying, thanking, and so much more. When we worship, we are intentionally shifting the focus to thoughts that bless and encourage rather than thoughts that weigh us down.

What Is an Unbiblical Thought?

Before we form a plan for conquering our unruly and stubborn thoughts, we need to be able to recognize them. These thoughts are tricky—they know how to twist God’s Word and make what is dark appear as light (2 Cor. 11:14). This is how Satan gets us; in Eden, Satan led Eve to doubt God’s command and then twisted it (Gen. 3). We need a discerning filter to run our thoughts through to see if they line up with the truth. Philippians 4:8 is this filter.

Finally brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable—if there is any moral excellence and if there is anything praiseworthy—dwell on these things (CSB).

This is our command from God: dwell on these things. If a biblical thought is true, honorable, just, pure, lovely, commendable, excellent, and praiseworthy, then an unbiblical thought is the opposite. It’s false, shameful, unfair, impure, detestable, appalling, inferior, and blameworthy. An unbiblical thought seeks to tempt, corrupt, and ruin. It distorts the truth. It blasphemes God. It calls into question that which God has promised and proclaimed. It would hurt others if they heard it. These are the kinds of thoughts we want to capture and destroy.

What Is a Godly Thought?

As we capture each of our thoughts to examine and test with God’s Word, we can use Philippians 4:8 as our “thought filter” or “glasses” through which to consider each thought. If a thought can’t pass through, it isn’t to be dwelled on. And what does Philippians 4:8 call us to dwell on? That which is . . .

• True: honest, real, correct, and truthful, the opposite of myths and lies. Though the world says truth is something you can determine, we know that God alone is the source of all truth.

• Honorable: respected, dignified, moral. “Paul is saying, Get your mind off of low and base things. Get your mind out of the gutter. Get your attention off frivolous things. Focus on the honorable.”¹

• Right: just, righteous, upright, and faultless. That which is obedient to God’s law or approved by Him. 

• Pure: sacred, chaste, innocent, clean, and untainted by sin. Separate from evil and sin.

• Lovely: acceptable, pleasing, or amiable.

• Commendable: well-spoken of. “That which is highly regarded or thought well of. It refers to what is generally considered reputable in the world, such as kindness, courtesy, and respect for others.”²

• Excellent: morally excellent or virtuous, or pure.

• Worthy of praise: to be admired, approved, or praised.

If you are thinking on that which is true, honorable, right, and pure, there’s no room for the unruly and stubborn thoughts to get a foothold. We can’t simply banish the unruly thoughts—we need to replace them with something better.

Practical Steps for Taking Our Thoughts Captive

How do we apply this practice of filtering our thoughts through Philippians 4:8? How do we dwell on those heavenly things? 

Keep a thought journal. 

In either a physical journal or a note on your computer or phone, keep a log of those unruly thoughts when they pop up. Take note of the following:

• What was the thought?
• What provoked the thought? This may help you determine what triggers these unruly thoughts so you can catch them earlier.
• Why was it unhelpful or sinful? (Use Scripture to back it up.)
• What is a right and godly thought to replace it with? (Use Scripture to back it up.)

Eventually you will get into the habit of doing this without using a journal.

Philippians 4:8 thought list. 

Make a list of things you can think on based on Philippians 4:8. Whenever one of those unruly thoughts pops up, refer to your list.

Listen to content throughout the day that fits Philippians 4:8.

If you’re struggling with unruly thoughts, try listening to Scripture, audiobooks on Christian living, or worship music and hymns.

Memorize Scripture. 

What better thing to fill your mind with than Scripture itself? Like the psalmist, let’s store up God’s Word in our hearts so that we might not sin against Him (Ps. 119:11).

Strength in the Holy Spirit.

The practical means nothing if we aren’t filled with the Holy Spirit. When we are saved, the Holy Spirit comes to reside inside us and change our hearts and minds to love God. The nonbeliever might be able to implement some of these practical tips and change their thought life, but what good is that without salvation from sin and death? Where is their hope? They are hopelessly going forward in their own strength. But we have the same Spirit that raised Christ from the dead empowering us to obey and love God (Rom. 8:11). If we want to take our thoughts captive and make them obedient to Christ, we need to be changed by Christ first. We need to be people who have trusted by faith in Christ’s sacrifice on the cross for the forgiveness of their sins. 

Those unruly thoughts that seem to rule our minds? They can be taken captive. In the power of the Spirit, we can recognize them, take them captive, and fill our minds with that which is true, honorable, just, pure, lovely, commendable, excellent, and praiseworthy. Unruly thoughts don’t need to rule us anymore.

We know that ideologies can be used as weapons, so it’s no surprise that the enemy has been using them to wage war against us. Our entire Christian walk is based on faith and belief. If the enemy can get us to believe a lie, he can shake the foundations of our faith. The thing is, he doesn’t often come with one gigantic blow. He comes little by little and builds his lies in our hearts, crippling us before we ever knew what happened. The sum of those lies become spiritual strongholds in our minds, or a safe place for the enemy to hang out and control us from. 

Taking thoughts captive means that we refuse to let any lie from the enemy build a spiritual stronghold in our mind. 

I know it sounds scary, but this is why God has given us tools to overcome and destroy these strongholds. 

Related: How to Overcome Anxiety By Standing on God’s Word

How do our thoughts shape our reality?

Watch your thoughts, for they become words. Watch your words, for they become actions. Watch your actions, for they become habits. Watch your habits, for they become character.

LAO TZU

According to Dr. Athena Staik of Psych Central, an independent mental health information and news website, our thoughts create “inner standards” that spark neurochemical dynamic processes that govern our choices and actions. 

Thoughts spark emotions and drive decisions to take action or no action at all. Whether we realize it or not, our thoughts are very much linked to our reality. 

Every thought we have causes neurochemical changes in our brain. There’s no such thing as a random thought. Even the smallest thought is a big deal. 

This is an actual war. The enemy wants to use our thought-life to negatively impact our reality. 

Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things. 

PHILIPPIANS 4:8 ESV

This may be why Paul told us to think of “true”, ”honorable”, ”pure”, and “lovely” things. We fight back in the Spirit by allowingour minds to be transformed by Christ. (Romans 12:2) We think of Christ, his word, and his truth to war against the enemy. 

Related: 7 Reasons Why You’re Secretly Unhappy With Life

Spiritual warfare begins in our minds

I recently read Get Out Of Your Head: Stopping the Spiral of Toxic Thoughts by Jennie Allen. It was an amazing read overall but she said one thing that stood out to me. 

The greatest spiritual battle of our generation is being fought between our ears. 

JENNIE ALLEN

I mean, isn’t that so true? We often think that spiritual warfare is somewhere out there waiting to be fought. But, what if it’s within us? What if we fight the enemy and pull down his tactics best by allowing our minds to be renewed daily? 

We’re showing up to the wrong battlefield for a fight that’s taking place in our minds. Instead of addressing what is going on within us, we try to control everything around us. The truth is, we can only control ourselves. We would be so much more victorious if we used God’s spiritual weapons to fight the enemy attacking our minds.

Spiritual warfare requires spiritual weapons

For the weapons of our warfare are not of the flesh but have divine power to destroy strongholds. 

2 CORINTHIANS 10:4 ESV

Let’s go back to 2 Corinthians 10 and look at what’s taking place in more detail. The Corinthian Church is questioning Paul’s Apostolic authority because he appears to be “meek” and “humble” face to face but bold in his letters. In essence, he doesn’t look like he should be a leader. 

So Paul responds by saying, “even though we walk in the flesh, we do not wage war according to the flesh.” (2 Corinthians 10:3) We’re human, we’re physically weak and frail sometimes but we do not have to be weak in the spirit. The spiritual weapons we use in warfare have “divine power to destroy strongholds.” 

The arguments he spoke of were potentially from a false apostle who had gained influence by speaking against Paul. But, instead of using carnal weapons to fight against this person, Paul chose to use spiritual ones.

David Guzik explains this really well: 

The carnal weapons Paul refuses were not material weapons such as swords and spears. The carnal weapons he renounced were the manipulative and deceitful ways his opponents used. Paul would not defend his apostolic credentials with carnal weapons others used. 

DAVID GUZIK

We’re often guilty of trying to use carnal weapons to fight the war that’s taking place in our minds. We may not be using manipulative and deceitful methods but maybe we’re using coping mechanisms such as drugs, sex, and alcohol. Maybe we’re numbing our struggle by binge-watching TV. Instead of picking up our Bibles, maybe we fight by complaining endlessly to our circle of friends. 

But, if we want victory over our struggles, we have to renounce our carnal weapons and pick up spiritual ones.

What are the spiritual weapons we should be using?

So we spoke about using spiritual weapons instead of carnal, or earthly ones. So, what are these spiritual weapons and how do we use them?

Ephesians 6 tells us about the “whole armor of God,” which helps us to stand against the schemes of the devil. Here Paul reiterates that we do not fight against “flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers over this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places.” (Ephesians 6:12) 

We’re not fighting against ourselves, or our neighbors, or our coworkers, or our frenemies, or our siblings, or our parents, we are fighting against the devil. He is our only enemy. We’re not putting on our armor to go to war against ourselves or other people. We put on our armor to go to war for ourselves and our people against the enemy. 

Therefore take up the whole armor of God, that you may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand firm. Stand therefore, having fastened on the belt of truth, and having put on the breastplate of righteousness, and, as shoes for your feet, having put on the readiness given by the gospel of peace. In all circumstances take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming darts of the evil one; and take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God, praying at all times in the Spirit, with all prayer and supplication. 

EPHESIANS 6:13-18 ESV

Based on these verses, we wage spiritual warfare with the belt of truth, the breastplate of righteousness, the readiness of the gospel of peace, the shield of faith, the helmet of salvation, the sword of the Spirit, and last but not least, prayer and supplication. 

How do we take our thoughts captive and destroy spiritual strongholds

So, let me take you back to my experience that I mentioned in the beginning of this article. I told you about my anxiety, negative thoughts, nightmares, and lies from the enemy. How did I overcome? 

It started with realizing that I am not fighting for victory but instead, fighting from victory. Christ had already won the battle for me. The enemy knew he couldn’t come against me and win, so he got me to fight against myself. He told me lies and I believed them. He plagued my mind with horrible dreams and I rolled over and took them. I, already a victor through Christ, was backed against a corner and pleading for help. 

But the truth is, the enemy couldn’t rob me of the promises of God. Yes, he could still send lies and negative thoughts my way, but I could choose to reject them. So, I put on the whole armor of God and prepared myself to fight the right way.

While there are 6 weapons in the armor, I want to focus on the belt of truth, the shield of faith, the sword of the Spirit, and prayer and supplication.

The enemy fights us by speaking lies. We first need truth as our foundation if we want to win the battle against him. If we don’t have truth, no other weapon in the armor will be able to help us in our fight. 

Next, we must take the shield of faith. We must choose to trust God even when we don’t have all the answers. 

Then, we need the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God. Interestingly enough, the sword of the Spirit is the only offensive weapon in the armor. 

For the word of God is living and active, sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing to the division of soul and of spirit, of joints and of marrow, and discerning the thoughts and intentions of the heart. 

HEBREWS 4:12

The word of God is powerful enough to break down the most fortified strongholds. We take our thoughts captive and destroy strongholds by having the right foundation of truth, walking in faith, and standing on the word. 

There is no place for lies in a heart filled with God’s truth. When the enemy throws lies at us, we wield the sword of the Spirit and stop his attacks. 

We ask ourselves, what is this thought? Why am I believing it? Is it true? What does the Word say about this? What does God want me to believe about this?

If the thought is not of God, we submit it to him in prayer. We ask God to help us believe the truth about our situation. 

We simply repeat this process for every negative thought we experience. The thing is, strongholds take time to come down. A well-fortified wall doesn’t just come down in a day. But we remain persistent in believing God, consuming his word, and submitting our thoughts in prayer. 

Well, you’ve come to the end of this article and I pray that it was helpful for you. I hope that you feel motivated to fight. You are a victor through Christ. Believing that will change everything for you. Learn how to use the spiritual weapons God has given you. Go to war on behalf of yourself, your family, and your friends. This battle is not an easy one, but remember, you already have victory. Believe the word of the Lord and reject the lies of the enemy. 

How to Take Every Thought Captive

This may sound like a daunting task but it doesn’t have to be. The Bible tells us that we can do all things through Christ because He strengthens us (Phil 4:13). His promises are true. 

If you truly believe that God can help you do anything then you can do this.  It takes a bit of discipline but once you get the hang of it, it will happen more naturally.

I’m going to break this down in steps to make it easier.  Please keep in mind that I’m starting from scratch. You may be able to bypass a few of these steps if you are already doing them.

1. Read Your Bible

If you are going to take your thoughts captive, you need to be able to recognize the Truth from a lie.  The only absolute Truth is the Bible (2 Tim. 3:16).

Coming from a worldly view has shown me that the world is the complete opposite of what the Bible teaches.  We need to commit to a solid foundation in order to sort through our thoughts properly.

The only solid foundation is the Bible. Everything else is a rocky foundation.  Once you make the commitment to make the Bible your only authority, then you will be able to bring every thought captive.

Reading your Bible and gaining wisdom from the Bible takes time.  Don’t be discouraged if you don’t have a lot of Biblical knowledge yet. It will come.

The good news is if you are born again, the Holy Spirit will work within you so you can start taking your thoughts captive right away.

2. Pray 

Learning how to discipline your mind is a big job. Inviting the Lord to help you recognize and keep you accountable for this is a must.

Our flesh is weak and Jesus came to save us from ourselves.  God knew we couldn’t do it on our own so He sentJesus to die for our sins.

The Bible tells us to ask and we will receive (Matt. 7:7).  If we don’t ask, then we will be operating on our own strength and that will always fail us.

Take the time to pray and surrender this battle to the Lord.  He will give you the knowledge you need to take every thought captive.

3. Get in Tune with Your Thoughts

Bringing every thought captive can only happen if you are in tune with your thoughts.  When I first started tuning into my thoughts, I couldn’t believe how many thoughts I had every day.

There had to be thousands of them.  Some of them were thoughts I didn’t want to think about.  Some of them were ideas that came out of nowhere.

I was amazed at how my mind was running on its own all day.  The scary thing is, I would “think” about all the thoughts that came in. As a result, my emotions responded and my mood would change constantly just because of those thoughts.

This is exactly why the Bible says to hold every thought captive.  Thoughts basically run our lives and they can run us in the wrong direction.

God wants us to have determined minds. We are to set our minds on things above and not on this earth (Col. 3:2).  Since we are living in the world, we are subject to sin. Sinful thoughts and ideas will make their way in.

Start paying attention to the thoughts coming into your mind. You will be amazed at the garbage that makes its way in.

4. Capture Your Thoughts

Now that you are aware of the thoughts that come into your mind. STOP those thoughts before you think about them.

One thing you need to understand is, just because a thought comes into your mind doesn’t mean you are guilty of that thought. Thoughts will come out of your control but what you do with those thoughts will determine if you are guilty.

If we don’t capture our thought and we allow ourselves to act on it, we can get ourselves into a lot of trouble.  Having a mind like Christ means we need to think like Him.

I can tell you that most of the thoughts that come to my mind are not in line with the Bible. Sometimes the thoughts I think are scary. Thankfully, I can ask the Lord to protect my mind and I trust that He will.

God doesn’t give us the spirit of fear. Fear is a liar and it will try to make you doubt God. Don’t believe it.

“For God gave us a spirit not of fear but of power and love and self-control.” 2 Tim. 1:7 ESV

5. Line Up Your Thoughts Against the Knowledge of God

Once you have your thought captured, you need to line it up against the knowledge of God. This is the ultimate test to see if you should accept that thought or reject it.

Philippians 4:8 NKJV says:

“Finally, brethren, whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report; if there be any virtue, and if there be any praise, think on these things.”

Now take that thought and ask yourself if it passes all the things that Phillippians 4:8 mentions. If it doesn’t,  you need to take that captive thought and reject it.

I realize that sometimes this is easier said than done.  I usually replace that thought with something good to get it off my mind. If it’s a struggle to reject, pray, and ask the Lord to remove it from your mind.

Sometimes I find myself worrying about not getting rid of the thought (I know this sounds silly) but I have to remember that once I surrender it to the Lord, He is faithful to protect me and my mind.

As you get better at controlling your thoughts, this process will become easier.  The Lord will guide you and help you take those thoughts captive and reject them.

6. Make Your Thought Obedient to Christ

If you have a thought that comes into your mind and it doesn’t pass the Philippians 4:8 test, you may still be able to make it obedient to Christ.

You may be able to change that thought and make it honorable and pleasing to the Lord. This is where reading your Bible comes in. If you don’t read your Bible, you won’t know God’s Word.

If you don’t know God’s Word, you won’t know how to make that thought obedient to Christ.  Part of taking every thought captive is to be a student of the Bible.

One important thing to remember is our body is the Temple of the Holy Spirit (1 Corin. 6:19). We have the ability to feel convicted and corrected because the Holy Spirit lives within us.

This is very helpful when it comes to holding your thoughts captive and making them obedient to Christ. The hard part is that we have free will and we want to go on our own path at times. Keep your mind on Christ and He will help you.

• How to use the Sword of the Spirit

Take Every Thought Captive Scriptures

There are multiple Bible verses about our mind and protecting it. The battles we face are not between flesh and blood, they are against the spiritual forces of evil (Eph. 6:12).

Hopefully, these scriptures will help you understand how important it is to take every thought captive.  Keep your eyes on Him. These Bible verses are from the KJV.

“Keep thy heart with all diligence; for out of it are the issues of life.” Proverbs 4:23

“Thou wilt keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on thee: because he trusteth in thee. Trust ye in the LORD for ever: for in the LORD JEHOVAH is everlasting strength:” Isaiah 26:3-4

“And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God.” Romans 12:2

“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

“That ye put off concerning the former conversation the old man, which is corrupt according to the deceitful lusts; And be renewed in the spirit of your mind; And that ye put on the new man, which after God is created in righteousness and true holiness.” Ephesians 4:22-24

“Finally, brethren, whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report; if there be any virtue, and if there be any praise, think on these things.” Philippians 4:8

1. Name the Thought

Awareness is key. Filter your thought through scripture. Is it true? Is it a lie? Once you notice the thought, name the thought’s source. 

When I was first discipled, I remember a graphic with a picture of a chair in the middle of a heart. It was a reminder of the choice we make to put either ourselves or God on the chair. It is either “carnal man” or it is God. 

I think of the thought as a “carnal man” thought. Or as the “old me” thought. Some people name the thought something like “Judge” or “Negative Nellie”

I say it aloud: “Oh, there is “carnal me” saying, ‘I always mess up.’”

2. Notice God in the present moment.

The next step is to notice God right where you are. Clean your mind from the unuseful thought, and the feeling it produces, by coming into the present moment.

To do this you could…

• Rub your fingers together noticing how intricately God made the ridges.
• Notice the rising and falling of your chest with each breath. He thought of everything!
• Label His creation you see around you (trees, my cat, the clouds).
• Listen to the farthest sound and then the closest sound.

Noticing God and who He is in the present moment, will help you take the thought captive. He is ALL around you! He is IN you. 

3. Invite God In and Renew Your Mind 

Now that your mind is clear of the unuseful thought, invite God in. Turn TO Him. 

It can be as easy as saying, “God I invite you in.” 

You could also…

• Meditate on a scripture verse you’ve memorized. Recite it aloud. 
• Pray. 
• Confess. 
• Claim a promise. 
• Turn praise music on and sing or say the words to a worship song. 
• Be still and listen. 
• Open your Bible. 
• List what you are grateful for.

These three steps will help you take your thought captive, renew your mind, and think on things that are true and lovely. Enjoy the benefits as you continue to practice moving from thoughts running free to thoughts honoring to God.

In His Word

Therefore, I urge you, brothers, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God–this is your spiritual act of worship. Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Romans 12:1

In Your Life

What about you? Are you filtering your thoughts and taking them captive? Or letting them run wild?

This week, be encouraged. One thought at a time, name the thought, notice God in the present moment, and invite God in. 

Combine a few scriptures, a promise, and a song together and put them in a convenient place like the notes app on your phone. Here is a thought set for remembering who we are in Christ:

• Psalm 139:14
• Psalm 59:17
• Romans 8:15-17
• Galatians 4:4-7
• This song. (I have believed these lies for the very last time.)

1. God asks us to take captive thoughts which are contrary to His Word.

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

If our thoughts are lies or not in alignment with Scripture, then there is likely to be a negative consequence. For example, the thoughts may not give God glory.

2. They dilute faith and therefore hinder God’s plan in our life.

The Bible tells us that ‘Without faith it is impossible to please God’ Heb 11:6  I don’t know about you, but I really want to please God with my faith.

As Joel Osteen says, we can’t expect victory if we’re speaking (or thinking) defeat! He wants to do immeasurably more in our lives but we limit him with our unbelief.

3. They cause stress, hurt, anger, distraction…….

If we ruminate long enough on toxic thoughts, unhealthy hormones like cortisol will drip into our bodies.

Life can be difficult enough without believing lies causing us distress. The Bible invites us to seek peace, which is near impossible if we’re listening to thoughts contrary to God’s Word.

4. They can contribute to sickness and disease, or hinder the healing process.

These are lies and cause toxicity to the nervous system. Our cells are listening to our thoughts all the time. Mind-body doctor Kim d’Eramo says this

“…the root cause of imbalance and disease begins in your thoughts and beliefs” Kim D’Eramo, The Mind/Body Toolkit.

If thoughts are stressful, then we’re operating within the survival states, like fight/flight

“The inflammatory stress state is a chemical war against our own cells…..Limiting ‘negative’ thoughts destroy you at the level of your cells and your DNA” Kim D’Eramo

5. If we don’t overcome our programmed thoughts, we will never be who we are created to be. In essence, the real us will never exist. How sad.

I’m sure you can think of your own reasons why sorting out our thought life is essential, not just to Christian living, but to the healing journey itself.

The scary thing is, that I’m not really referring to thoughts involved with unforgiveness, hatred, jealousy and the like (or though that may be relevant for some)

There are thoughts which appear ‘harmless’. Thoughts like ‘People are better than me…..I’m not good enough……I must be nice for people to love me…..’

5 STEPS TO TAKING

EVERY THOUGHT CAPTIVE

Hearing the Word of God repeatedly will help in taking every thought captive.

If these thinking patterns started in childhood, please remember self-compassion. They will not disappear overnight.

Neuroscientist Caroline Leaf says it takes 21 days to form a new habit, then 63 days to consolidate the new thought. (3 cycles of 21 days).

NEUROPLASTICITY:

“the change in neural pathways and synapses that occurs due to certain factors, like behavior, environment, or neural processes. The brain engages in synaptic pruning, deleting the neural connections that are no longer necessary or useful, and strengthening the ones that are.” Caroline Leaf

Take a read of STANDING ON GOD’S PROMISES VERSES JUST PRAYING

1.  EXPLORE THE THOUGHT

I keep a journal to track how my thinking or belief shows up in my life and look out for the specific triggers that cause me to engage with the thinking pattern.

Does the thought cause me anxiety, anger or depression?

Do I say and do things that don’t align with my inner truth due to the thought?

It is so important to remember that our thinking often follows our state. So if you’re already feeling stressed, the thought is more likely to appear.

Often we can’t stop the thought from coming, but we can choose to not engage in it. This is maybe the most challenging part of taking every thought captive.

Traditionally, CBT therapists teach that our thoughts determine our emotions. On one level this is accurate.

In Polyvagal theory, we recognise that there is something going on at the body level even prior to the thought. (See mind-body loop above).

There is a trigger – the nervous system responds by evaluating the trigger against past experiences – the mind translates this into a thought – we listen to the thought – reinforcing the emotions – behaviour

Knowing how the thought impacts my life helps me catch it.

Avoiding triggers isn’t helpful in the long run, but understanding the trigger and the thoughts give insight into where to seek God for help and healing.

And if my thoughts are a result of a trigger (and they usually are), I know I need to practise self-care and engage in nervous system regulation.

When I am calmer, I am in a position to tackle the thought.

2. REGULATE YOUR NERVOUS SYSTEM

This means, doing something to nourish your system. It could be sitting in nature, deep belly breathing or doing a mind-body exercise.

Remember, stress and trauma are sometimes stored in the body so working at the body level makes sense.

When I talk about a bottom-up approach, this is what I’m referring to, as opposed to the top-down approach which is what talk therapists would use.

(I believe we need both).

When we are in a survival state, our pre-frontal cortex tends to shut down. This makes it difficult to take our thoughts captive and replace them with the truth.

Developing a relationship with your body stops us from reinforcing those toxic unhelpful thoughts.

Image credit

3. CHALLENGE THE THOUGHT

Taking every thought captive involves a degree of self-awareness

I believe it’s best to work on just one thought at a time. Which is the most destructive or the most obvious?

Before making any intentional changes, it’s important to identify and understand what needs to be changed.

I ask myself the following questions when taking a thought captive:

1. Is the thought true?
2. What evidence is there that the thought is true?
3. Could there be a more realistic or opposing thought?
4. What is the evidence of the new opposing or realistic thought?

The idea is that I show my brain that the thought I’m believing is distorted and that there are other options available to me.

The Work by Byron Katie is helpful here.

Image credit

4. FIND RELEVANT BIBLE VERSES

With God’s guidance, find appropriate scriptures as you renew your mind. There are plenty to choose from.

Caroline Leaf suggests immersing yourself in God’s Word several times a day, allowing it to deeply penetrate your heart.

See THE 2 STEP FORMULA FOR HEALING IN THE WORD OF GOD

I have Scripture cards I sometimes use. They’re handy to put in my handbag or to scatter them around the house.

As I’m sure you know, the Bible tells us that we renew our minds by the washing of the water of the Word.

For me, selecting one verse a day to focus on is realistic. Whenever I find myself spiralling down into depression or anxiety, this is my cue to focus on Scripture.

I can’t say I do this every time, but I am much better now than ever before.

I heard someone once say, that when you’re in a dark room, you don’t get rid of the darkness, you turn on the light.

You may have heard about the power of visualisations. Visualising myself present during the miracle often helps me here.

For example, I picture touching the hem of His garment, being a fly on the wall when He raised Jairus’ daughter, or being the leper who Jesus touched.

5. ACT AS THOUGH THE NEWTHOUGHT IS TRUE

Or in other words, step out of the programming. Ask Holy Spirit for His help.

For example, I’m in recovery from people-pleasing so I am now choosing to say no to things I always say yes to, not saying what people want to hear and voicing my opinion and needs far more.

This behaviour is a result of believing the lies ‘I must earn love…others are more important…I”m not good enough’

It’s really uncomfortable because the neuropathways aren’t well-established. Alan Gordon talks of deliberately taking the path less travelled which takes conscious effort.

Taking every thought captive is a commitment and a life-long process so keeping a journal or diary of progress is helpful for me.

and that you put on the new manwhich was created according to God, in true righteousness and holiness.

Eph 4:24

As believers we have the mind of Christ, but we must choose to step into this identity.

Every time we choose the new thought, look for new evidence and step into new behaviour, we are aligning with our real identity in Christ.

See ARE YOU CLOTHED IN CHRIST OR CLOTHED IN SICKNESS?

If we do not see ourselves in Christ, our true identity, then we will continue operating from the Old Man. Taking every thought captive means deliberately choosing to deny those old thinking patterns.

THE RESULTS

As time moves on, the new evidence and behaviour will sink into your system and begin to override the former thoughts.

When we alter the script, it affects everyone around us. It’s like watching a play where one actor changes their lines; it has a ripple effect on all the other actors.

In my experience, healing causes us to change beyond all recognition. God loves us so much He wants our real authentic true selves to shine through.

 

Healing begins on the inside. If we see ourselves healed, we’ll believe we’re healed and our actions will follow. We’ll relate more to our identity in Christ, than to the natural world around us.

For as he thinks in his heart, so is he

Pro 23:7