"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 Corinthians 10:5
Remember being a kid in the arcade running from game to game hoping you could win enough tickets to pick a worthless prize at the end? Oh, the excitement, the noise, the germs, and the giggles! I liked the game Whac-A-Mole. I told the Lord that sometimes taking my thoughts captive is like that game. I bop a few on the head, miss a few, and sometimes they pop up again. It can get a little frustrating.
We have the mind of Christ and we have the Holy Spirit to help us. Paul says, "For who among men knows the thoughts of man except his own spirit within him? So too, no one knows the thoughts of God except the Spirit of God." (2 Corinthians 2:11) The Holy Spirit, our Helper, can show us when it is a lie that we need to replace with the truth of God, when it is a fear we need to replace with His promises, or when it is a temptation we need to run from. When we take thoughts "captive" we can unpack the thought, and with the help of the Holy Spirit we can see the truth to "make it obedient".
The armor of God is so important in this battle. We need our helmet of salvation to protect our mind so we remember we are a child of God. The breastplate of righteousness protects our vital organs because through the blood of Jesus we are clothed in His righteousness. With the belt of truth we discern truth from lies, and our feet are shod in the gospel of peace that Jesus gave us. To fight this battle though we need our sword, His Word, to declare truth and promises, and our shield of faith to protect ourselves from the lies of the enemy.
I pray today you Whac-The-Enemy! We are more than conquerors, we are victorious, we are children of the Most High God! God is for you, He loves you and He has given all of us everything we need to win this battle!
Dig Deeper
Romans 12:2 | Romans 8:6 | Matthew 22:37 | Psalm 139:23-24 | Ephesians 6:10-18