Conquering the Mind: Taking Thoughts Captive in the Name of Jesus

Growing up, I used to have trouble sleeping. I would lay awake with my thoughts while everyone else was asleep. Over time, I started to develop a fear of someone breaking into my house while my family was asleep. I have myself to blame for this because I probably watched too many Criminal Minds episodes. I began to jump at every creek or noise I heard downstairs, convinced someone was inside. I remember one night, I kept hearing noises downstairs. In my petrified state, I ran to my parent's room and told them I thought someone was in our house. My parents listened for a few minutes and informed me that I was just hearing the ice machine in the fridge.

Our thoughts can be so powerful in our minds. They can cause us to imagine things, behave in weird ways, or panic over ice machines. The reality is that our thoughts can take authority over us, but it is a choice we get to make. I once heard a saying that said, "Don't let your thoughts become the Devil's playground". When the enemy wants to attack, our thoughts are the easiest place to start.

2 Corinthians 10:3-5 says, "For though we live in the world, we do not wage war as the world does. The weapons we fight with are not the weapons of the world. On the contrary, they have divine power to demolish strongholds. 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." Paul reminds us that thoughts are constantly going to come about that cause us to question God. This isn't a new concept. Remember, Paul is speaking to the Christians and churches in Corinth. Even the best Christians who have given their lives to God are going to have times when they are wrestling against the truths about Him. It's really easy to devote all our time trying to correct our actions, but we must remember thoughts drive our behaviors. Looking more like Christ comes down to fighting the battle of the mind. When thoughts arise, we must ask ourselves where it came from. Did it come from me, the enemy, or God? If it is from me or the enemy, it likely isn't the truth, and I need to arrest it. We need to put these kinds of thoughts into bondage so that they don’t have room to bear fruit in our lives.

Why doesn't Paul say to kill the thought? Why does it say "take captive"? It's not enough to just shut down a thought because soon other similar ones will follow. We need to cross-examine and determine where this thought comes from. Just like a captured soldier still has other soldiers roaming free somewhere, the same can be said for our thoughts. When we take our thoughts captive and search out the root of them, we can break down whatever strongholds bind us. For many of us, the root of our thoughts is shame, guilt, pride, hurt, rejection, or abandonment. We are called to be courageous and work diligently to stop every negative thought from having power over us.

We cannot believe everything we think because not all of our thoughts are from God. There's a story in Isaiah 7 that talks about King Ahaz receiving a report that he would be conquered. King Ahaz believed and feared that report deeply. However, God stepped in and told him not to fear. God said it would not come to fruition. King Ahaz chose to believe God's truth, and no longer let the report worry him. Take every thought captive. Ask the Lord if this thought is something that you should give time, energy, or concern to.

It can be really hard to take every thought captive when they are really loud. Sometimes our thoughts are right in front of us, screaming. The thoughts may be all we see and hear. 1 Peter 5:8 tells us, "Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour". Yet, we read in 1 Kings 19 that God came to Elijah in a gentle whisper. So, let me encourage you. Just because a thought is loud, that does not make it the truth. Just because something is loud, doesn't mean we should give it any attention or authority over us. Sometimes that thought is the very thing trying to rob us of our truth and peace.

While it is true that you cannot control every thought that comes into your mind, you can control what you decide to give attention to. We are called to meditate on scripture day and night. Why? Because whatever we give authority and attention in our minds, we will start to reflect in our actions. We have the choice to let God's word be a filter for our minds. We have the choice as to what thoughts get authority in our lives, and if those thoughts are in alignment with God's word, then we begin to reflect Him more and more each day. Paul tells us that as Christians, it's not enough to just try to be a good person. It's about training your mind to think, talk, and act in a manner that aligns with God's word. Only you can talk to yourself that will help you overcome the negativity in your brain.

My friends and I are going through a book on prayer right now. The other day, we were discussing the power of praying out loud. The power of speaking, "In the name of Jesus, I ask all anxiety to leave my spirit. I welcome peace through the Holy Spirit". There is power in taking your thoughts captive. Perhaps the greatest way you can do this is by speaking the name of Jesus. You see, when we decide to speak the name of Jesus, we have to stop thinking. Why? Because the authority in our mouth is greater than the authority of our mind. When we speak the name of Jesus, our mind stands in submission because God is now speaking in its place. At the name of Jesus, demons stand in submission and bow. At the name of Jesus, the demons run and flee. Jesus is the name that is above all names. He is above your thoughts, above your deceit, above your sin, and above your shame. Jesus has power over it all. So, next time those thoughts creep in your mind, take them captive in the name of Jesus and watch how He will transform your life.

May your roots run deep, and your faith remain strong! As always, Stay Rooted, my friends! <3