Taking Thoughts Captive

Taking every thought captive is definitely not something I have mastered. I still have times where I question my thoughts. I wonder: how did I allow this to happen again?

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It’s so easy to say we should do this or that to combat the enemy, but when we come face to face with his dirty deeds, we realize how much we truly rely on the Lord to get us through this life.

We do those devotions, get pumped up at church on Sunday and maybe even Wednesday, and we are feeling like we can tackle anything because we have a full spiritual belly. Then, because we are so busy relishing in our feelings, we don’t even notice the sleight of hand from the enemy pulling out one of his old tricks. One of the oldest tricks in time. The mind games.

The enemy knows what makes us tick. He knows what buttons to push. It’s like he is saying, “Oh, rejection worked on you last time and the time before. Yes, I think I’ll go with that one again since it’s proven to be so effective.” Why do we fall for it every time?

One theory is we are still growing and maturing spiritually and some of us are still trying to find our legs. I know that I get so excited when I hear from the Lord and I feel like I’m finally on the right path to understanding what it is He is calling me to. Sure, I’m reading my devotions and listening to my praise music and maybe even prayed a few times during the day. Did I really put the Armor on, though?

We can easily get distracted with work, family, and other people’s issues and forget to take every thought captive. We think we are, but truthfully, when the lies start flooding in, we panic. We then begin to try to dissect where it has come from, if it is legit, if it is true, and how we are to get rid of it.

Taking every thought captive is definitely not something I have mastered. I still have times where I question my thoughts. I wonder: how did I allow this to happen again? I thought I was on top of it, but clearly, I have not been paying close enough attention.

Completely saturating ourselves with God’s truth is utmost paramount to making sure we have the full armor of God on daily. I am guilty of taking off a piece of armor or two by the time Thursday rolls around. The Bible tells us to put on the full armor of God.

By Thursday, if I am missing a few pieces of that armor, I have left that part of myself exposed. And we know that the devil is patient and is lurking in every dark corner just waiting for that moment to pounce and bring us down.

1 Peter 5:8, SB – Be sober-minded and alert. Your adversary the devil prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour.

The devil has a way of turning us against ourselves. Why should he exert too much energy when all he needs to do is whisper one small lie into our ear and wait for us to implode on ourselves? If we know who we are in Christ and we have done some self-reflection and make it a point to walk with the Lord and be in His presence throughout the entire day constantly, we have a much better chance at deflecting the enemy.

Spend some time reflecting on some of the lies you have believed that have either caused you to stumble or maybe even damaged relationships with those you love around you. Can you identify the root of the thoughts? Can you identify where you let your guard down? What steps can you take going forward if this thought should come up again?

 

 

Featured Image by Rosalind Chang

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About the Author

Valerie Close has a passion of encouraging others with the truth from the word of God and her own personal experiences. She is faith-driven and a seeker of truth with a real heart and compassion for other people to come out on the other side with a new hope and revelation of Jesus Christ.