Taking every thought captive…getting your mind to line up with the Word
From the very beginning, in the Garden of Eden, the devil has been torturing and teasing the minds of God’s people. He meddled in Eve’s mind until she doubted God’s words and ate the forbidden fruit. He tortured Saul’s mind until he went mad in his rage to murder David and then he offered stray thoughts of desire and lust to King David until he committed sin with Bathsheba. The list is endless. Men and women of God from Genesis to Revelation have been sucked into the mind games that Satan plays to draw us into disobedience and sin. But we’re not left to flounder. God has provided us with countless scriptures on how to deal with the enemy.The Bible talks a lot about standing against the enemy. God’s Word also defines “the enemy” in I Peter 5:8 as our “adversary.” We are told up front that Satan is after us and that we are to withstand him. It’s really that simple…but unfortunately…when he launches an attack, things that are simple become complicated in a hurry.
First Peter 5:8 issues a serious warning regarding the devil and one that Christians should heed. “Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour.”
Pastor Larry Kaufman, of Grace Mennonite Church, reminds us that one of Satan’s main weapons is deception and that his favorite battlefield of all is definitely the mind. If you become defeated in your mind, then it’s pretty easy for you to become defeated in your life. Kaufman believes the enemy uses negative or worrisome thoughts to invade minds, cause fear and defeat lives.
“Satan’s number one goal is to take you out,” Kaufman said. “He doesn’t care how he does it and will stop at nothing. He will use anything, good or bad, to do it. If you are a Christian, you have a bull’s-eye on your chest. But your chest isn’t where the battle will start. Many of the battles that take place for victorious Christian living begin in a person’s mind.”
The mind can be a powerful playground for nagging concerns, bad thoughts, worries and fears, and the devil is well aware of this. Fortunately, God is well aware of this, too, and prompted Paul to write II Corinthians 10:5 so Christians would know how to deal with the mind games of Satan.
According to II Corinthians 10:5, we are “to bring into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ.” But this bit of advice is easier said than done. Kaufman has seen Christians that fail to bring situations and thoughts into captivity and the result is never good.
“I have observed that many Christians today no longer like to think with their minds,” he said. “Many just want an experience. ‘Give me something that will make me feel good.’ Emotion is a very real part of our Christian experience. However, when Christianity isn’t rooted in objective truth and rational thought, people begin to allow experience to define their understanding of who God is and how he works. I believe it is much easier to take every thought captive when our minds are actually engaged and critical thinking is actually taking place. Keeping your mind on Christ is the key to taking every thought captive.”
When thoughts do become a burden or a distraction from what God would desire for our lives, Kaufman suggests finding the real reason or root cause for the disturbing thoughts and then facing it.
“I find it helpful to trace negative or disturbing thoughts to a root cause,” he said. “Most causes can be traced to a fear of something, which means the antidote or cure is to face your fears.”
Staying in God’s presence every day is another great way to keep your mind on Christ and face any fears the enemy puts in your way. Kaufman said that “victory can be found in Christ alone.”
“I love the little devotional booklet by Brother Lawrence titled Practicing the Presence of God,” he said. “It teaches us how to converse with God every moment of every day about every detail of life. I think when we live with a constant awareness of His presence, then we position ourselves not only for victory against the enemy, but for upward living as well.”
Taking thoughts captive isn’t easy, but it’s necessary for victorious living in Christ. If a thought comes into your mind that doesn’t line up with God’s word, then immediately take it captive and kick it out. Replace your worries with memorized scripture or take Paul’s advice and “pray without ceasing.” Keep your mind occupied with God’s desires and there will be less and less available space for any of Satan’s ploys.