Take Captive Every Thought - by Jeff Byerley
Our Bible tells us not to be afraid but take every thought captive to obey Christ. As with Adam and Eve, Satan tries to deceive us, telling us that God does not really love us and that we should not believe him but take matters into our own hands, like taking the forbidden fruit in the Garden of Eden. This has been the world's response to God. And often Satan will tempt each one of us to disbelieve God and take matters into our own hands, whether it be disputes with our neighbours or family members or those who seem to be attacking our rights.
How should we respond to the Devil's deceptions? I think Paul sums it up well in 2 Cor 10:5. “We take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ”. When Paul was writing his first and second letters to the Corinthians, he was very conscious of the spiritual warfare that had been going on. The Corinthians had been deceived into thinking that they could use the communion meal as an excuse to get drunk. Worse than this, some had been misled into believing that sexual immorality could be tolerated. No, said Paul, you must separate yourselves from those going down that path and they did. An important warning for churches today!
There had been one problem that had not been addressed and that was division over leadership. False leaders had even attacked Paul claiming that he was bold in his letter writing but weak when present, that he was stealing the collection raised for believers in Palestine and that he was not a true Apostle!
So Paul defends himself and instructs them how to not be deceived. He says that our weapons as Christians are not worldly but have power to destroy strongholds. So Paul urges the Corinthians not to accept false ideas and accusations but to challenge these ideas with the mind of Christ. This is how we too must examine ideas put before us. Our response must be to capture our thoughts to obey God and not let our fears or Satan’s deceptions rule our minds and hearts. Some people and whole churches even are being deceived to follow worldly views of morality and throw away God’s laws.
Years ago I was at a men’s meeting discussing worldly matters. At one stage a man attacked my view of things. He said; “You always answer referring to God or the Bible. Don’t you have any thoughts of your own?!” Well of course I had, but I had taken these thoughts captive to obey Christ. So this is how Paul urges us to respond. I was describing this at another meeting when someone said “You are asking people to track the pattern of their thinking! This is well known in the medical world but you cannot expect ordinary people to understand that or practice it!”. Yet that is what our Bible tells us to do. What are you thinking and what is the direction of that thinking? Interrogate yourself! If it is unreal and dark, pull yourself up and say, “No that is not true and going down that path does not honour the Lord!” Let us take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ!
Prayer:
Heavenly Father, we give thanks that you have saved us through Jesus’ sacrifice on the cross and sent the Holy Spirit to help us in spiritual warfare. Grant us your strength, wisdom, and clarity of mind that we may trust and obey you and fight against deceptions from Satan and the world.
Amen.