Main Lesson Scripture: II Corinthians 10:5
“Casting down imaginations, and every high thing that exalts itself against the knowledge of God and bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ.”
I am going to start this chapter right away with a song link, for I want you to hear the song, Capture Every Thought, and then I’m going to teach a little and elaborate with scripture on some of its questions, okay? I went ahead and typed the lyrics below so you won’t miss out if you have no internet or sound.
Here is the link:
Capture Every Thought – Elizabeth Ann Smith – Receive From Me
Here are the lyrics:
Listen to the still small voice,
The Spirit, within.
Does He bear a witness?
That the thought has come from Him.
Or does the Spirit grieve
Giving you “a check” within?
Capture every thought that does not
Witness to “conscience”.
Does the thought bring Christ’s acceptance?
Or bring His rejection?
I’m going to take you in a couple directions as we contemplate this song from the Lord.
First you may have noticed, a key phrase, the Holy Spirit emphasizes. (I’ve bolded it above in the song. But let’s have a look-see, what is meant…for perhaps you wondered, upon hearing it sung.)
This key phrase holds THE KEY. It interprets three different ways:
1. Would Christ reject your thought if it were in HIS mind? Or Would Christ accept that thought if it were in HIS mind?
I Corinthians 2:16
“For who has known the mind of the Lord, that he may instruct him? But we HAVE the MIND of CHRIST.”
Matthew 5:19a..
“For out of the heart proceed evil thoughts, murders, adulteries, fornications, murders, thefts, false witness, blasphemies…these things that defile a man…”
You will have “evil thoughts” that defile, coming from within, as your carnal nature rises up on occasion, or externally as Satan’s voice is loudly heard spilling out its vileness upon you.
But remember, just because you “have” a thought, it doesn’t make it “yours”! Just take those thoughts captive immediately by taking them into the obedience of Christ.
2. Is your thought telling you God accepts or rejects you? When you abide In Christ you ARE righteous…you ARE accepted… NEVER rejected.
John 6:37 (Jesus’ own words)
…“him that cometh to me I will in no wise cast out.”
Ephesians 1:6
“To the praise of the glory of his grace, wherein he has made us accepted in the beloved.”
THE ACCUSER is who you need to silence in your mind. Don’t side with him against yourself or against another person. It will worsen. If you are experiencing accusation, simply repent. Condemn the sin, as Christ does; but remember, God doesn’t condemn you, the repentant son or daughter…He forgives you… for your righteousness remains by Grace due to Christ’s death for you.
THE STRONGEST BATTLEFIELD upon the believer in this hour is Satan’s ACCUSING them endlessly, and they are interpreting it as God’s REJECTION of them, leaving them with a sense of abandonment. They hear within “you’ve missed it” … and ”you aren’t accepted any more… and ”you’re just getting what you deserve”. IT IS A BIG LIE. Take any thoughts in this area CAPTIVE immediately. They are not to be “entertained” for a second.
Yes, God will convict of sin and continues to discipline his true sons, out of love, yet it is his kindness that “leads us” to repentance, and His aim is always to “bring forth righteousness”. He is a loving father even as he disciplines.
If the fruit of what you’re receiving thought-wise is not bringing forth “righteousness”, you can be sure your thoughts are “not of God”.
If thoughts leave you defeated, discouraged, oppressed, and depressed it is NOT of God.
Take the thoughts captive. Be Alert. Don’t be devoured, or devour others, by receiving the lies of the Accuser of the Brethren.
Usually if we feel condemned, we condemn. This is not a “fruit of righteousness.” In fact, Isaiah 58 tells us to quit “pointing the finger”, remove “yokes of condemnation on ourselves or others” and to “stop criticizing and speaking forth Satan’s thoughts”.
If any of your thoughts are siding with the Accuser, against yourself OR OTHERS, take them captive! For your thoughts will turn into “weapons” of speech. You will be consumed.
Gal 5:15 says:
“But if you bite and devour one another, take heed that you be not consumed by one another.”
3. Always look at “the fruit” of the thought…not only the thought itself. Does it “produce” something Christ would approve? OR reject?
Hint: If suddenly you’re being bitchy, or withdrawn, or argumentative, or overindulging in anything… seeing unrighteous fruit in attitude or behavior… it’s probably “a fruit” of a “wrong thought”. Discover and identify what the thoughts are that just led to “that sin”. Address the lie “aloud” with a scripture that “counters” it… and choose to believe “the truth”. This then gets to the roots of your behaviors!
Below are some verses I have gathered from the Word that will help you to see that God has given you the Spirit and a conscience that both enable you to take your thoughts captive:
John 14:17
“Even the Spirit of Truth… whom the world cannot receive, because it sees him not, nor knows him… But YOU know Him, for He dwells WITHIN you, and shall be IN you.”
John 14:26b
“He will TEACH YOU all things, and bring all things TO YOUR REMEMBRANCE, whatsoever I have said unto you.”
I John 5:10
“He that believeth the Son of God has the witness IN himself…”
Romans 8:14
“For as many as are LED by the Spirit of God, they ARE the sons of God. For you have not received the spirit of bondage again to fear, but have received the Spirit of adoption, whereby we cry ”Abba (Daddy) Father”.
John 3:6
“That which is born of the flesh is flesh; that which is born of the Spirit is spirit.”
Eph 4:30
Grieve not the Holy Spirit of God, whereby you are sealed unto the day of redemption.
Romans 2:15
“Which show the work of the law written in their hearts, their conscience also bearing witness, and their thoughts the mean while accusing or else excusing one another..”
I Timothy 3:9
“Holding the mystery of the faith in a pure conscience.”
The Importance of Capturing Our Thoughts:
Capturing Your Thoughts gives you the Ability to HEAR God
As a believer, the Spirit of Christ dwells within you, and you will hear the Lord as you “tune in” to the right frequency. Yet thoughts not of God, bombarding our minds, that aren’t taken captive, produce “static” … just as a transistor radio will receive “static” until it is tuned into station’s frequency. Until our thoughts are taken captive one by one to the obedience of Christ, we won’t be able to hear Him clearly. Static dominates! … then confusion, anxiety, and sinful thoughts circulate freely. Thoughts not of God come in so many forms: rejections, vain imaginations, false judgments, whisperings of the enemy that don’t originate from us at all, condemnation of ourselves and others, doubts, fears, false belief systems, criticisms, compromises, etc. Yet all thoughts that don’t line up with “obedience to Christ” must be taken captive if we are to walk in the perfect will of the Father. If you will “still yourself” and “examine a thought”, the Holy Spirit will be faithful to reveal whether it is of Him.
Capturing Your Thoughts Requires Spiritual Discipline
Most believers are not aware that this takes a “conscious” effort: A choosing to exercise this spiritual discipline, and purposefully becoming totally reliant on the Holy Spirit’s assistance in doing so.
Capturing Your Thoughts Removes Sin from your Life
The results will be amazing! Sin and iniquities will be removed from our lives, and a crooked path will be made straight, due to “corrected” thinking. Clarity in hearing God’s voice” will be given us in place of “static”. Hallelujah!
Capturing Your Thoughts enables you to Listen to your Heart
Proverbs 23:7 declares: “As a man thinks in his heart, so is he.” It is important that we, as believers, listen to our hearts and not our heads. You see, the Spirit within us dwells not in the mind, but in the center of our being… within our true self… our heart. Much of our spiritual warfare is fought in our own minds, because until those thoughts are taken captive we can’t hear from within our heart. As believers we have received the divine nature of Christ. We are one with Him; therefore, our “heart” is more dependable than our mind if in disagreement. This may be what we call “a check in our spirit”. All logic may point to one conclusion, but our heart tells us different. Agreement between our hearts and our minds will only be realized through obedience to Christ.
Capturing Your Thoughts requires “knowledge of God”
I believe the Lord realizes many of his children just don’t know HOW TO take their thoughts captive. The lyrics of this song were given by the Holy Spirit to aid you in examining your own thought life, so you can be freed from lies that destroy you and others. Consider this song a “beginning” checklist. The verses given are not exhaustive; they are just the ones the Spirit brought to mind to share with you. I encourage you to meditate on these verses and look up others too, that you might establish yourself in the Knowledge of God. It is with the Word that we triumph… just as Jesus did when capturing thoughts given him by Satan.
What If I Don’t Capture My Thoughts?
Thoughts NOT in obedience to Christ, that are NOT taken captive will “grow” into a STRONGHOLD. Satan always progresses with his lies. If he can get away with one, he will add another, and another, and another. He is the Father of Lies, and these LIES rob from us, kill and destroy us. He has no other way to entrap us but through lies.
If only you just took “each THOUGHT into captivity” you yourself could have avoided captivity. If you feel “trapped”; you are most likely in a stronghold. Most of us are aware of our strongholds, for the Holy Spirit within us convicts of sin. Good News: A stronghold can be undone by exposing the lies that weren’t taken captive in the first place. The Spirit of God and the Word of God do this “exposing”.
Why put forth the effort?
Strongholds are NOT pleasant to live with, and they hurt others around us.
They grieve the Spirit, and they keep us from close intimacy with our Lord.
The choice to discipline our minds is ours.
I exhort you to do this.
GLORIOUS FREEDOM…. IS POSSIBLE.
Peaceful minds… Peaceful hearts… Peaceful relationships…CAN BE a reality.
Peace is possible in Christ.
Victory over sin…Ours to enjoy.
Almost all sin is the result of a thought not taken captive.
As you take thoughts captive to the obedience of Christ—Sin is removed from your life. The Holy Spirit is within you to help you.
—— You can stop reading this chapter here…
But if you’d like to have a few “insightful” verses that go “with” the song’s questions to ask yourself, you can read on, and be totally blessed, I’m sure.
Maybe underline these in your bible! And maybe even put some to memory!
Does the thought bring faith?
Hebrews 11:6
“Without faith it is impossible to please Him; for he that comes to God must believe that he is (God), and that He is a rewarder of them that diligently seek Him.
Or does it bring you doubt or fear?
II Tim 1:7
“God has not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind.”
I John 4:18-19
“There is no fear in love; but perfect love casts out all fear; because fear has torment. He that fears is not made perfect in love. We love him because he first loved us.”
Does your thought lead you into temptation?
Matt. 6:13
“Lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil: for thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, forever.
James 1:13-16
“Let no man say when he is tempted, I am tempted of God; for God cannot be tempted with evil, neither tempts he any man: but every man is tempted, when he is drawn away of his own lust, and enticed. Then when lust has conceived, it brings forth sin: and sin, when it is finished, brings forth death. Do not err, my beloved brethren.
Capture every thought that questions the goodness of God:
Psalm 31:19
“Oh, how great is thy goodness, which thou hast laid up for them that fear thee; which thou hast wrought for them that trust in thee before the sons of men!”
Romans 2:4b..
“knowing that the goodness of the Lord leads you to repentance?”
Thoughts that doubt his love or truthfulness of what He says:
Psalm 68:19
“Blessed be the Lord, who DAILY loadeth us with benefits, even the God of our salvation. Selah.”
Numbers 23:19
“God is not a man, that he should lie; neither the son of man, that he should repent: Hath he said, and shall he not do it? Or hath he spoken, and shall he not make it good?”
Does it line up with the Word?
Proverbs 19: 27
“Cease, my son, to hear the instruction that causes you to err from the words of knowledge.”
Proverbs 21:30
“There is no wisdom or understanding or counsel against the Lord.”
Gal 5:7,9
You did run well; who did hinder you that you should not obey the truth? A little leaven leavens the whole lump.
Is it bringing peace within?
Isaiah 26:3-4
“You will keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on thee…because he trusts in thee. Trust in the Lord forever, for in the Lord is everlasting strength.”
Is it bringing you fresh truth and revelation?
II Timothy 3:15
“From a child though has known the holy scriptures, which are able to make thee wise unto salvation through faith which is in Christ Jesus.”
Psalm 119:97-99
“Oh how I love thy law! It is my meditation all day. Thou through thy commandments have made me wiser than my enemies (for they are ever with me). I have more understanding than my teachers, for thy testimonies are my meditation.”
These are just a few that came to my remembrance from the Spirit. You will do well, to ponder them until they become deep within your heart, to draw upon, when needing to take your thoughts captive to the obedience of Christ.
I know the Lord may have shown you much more on this subject of capturing your thoughts, so I will close by just saying this. It was important enough for the Holy Spirit to give me both a song on it, and a chapter about it, so I believe “He finds it a matter of importance!” So, in closing, why don’t you listen to the song one more time, having been alerted now to “what it means”, and perhaps its truth will penetrate even deeper on the second listen. Amen?! Isn’t that the way the Word of God works too? (smile) We see things we never saw a first time or hear things we never heard before. I love that really, for it means we are “ever-discovering” how incredibly awesome our God is, and how He “unfolds” truth so we can live by it.
May God bless you, from this day forward, with His Ability in you, to aid you in taking all your thoughts captive to the obedience of Christ; above all, giving you a fresh awareness of your need to do that. Amen.