“Take your thoughts captive” is a widely used phrase in Christian circles taken out of 2 Corinthians. My Sophomore year of college was the first time I realized how much trouble my thoughts could get me in. In my thoughts, I began to see the true desires of my flesh. Like many believers, I realized in my life, I forget the second half of the verse.
“We take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ.” 2 Corinthians 10:5
Ultimately—the only way to take your thoughts captive is to make them obedient to Christ. There is no other option for the believer. To not make your thoughts obedient is disobedience. So, therefore, when we believe the lies of the enemy and do not take those thoughts captive and align them with Christ we are being disobedient.
The enemy loves to try and kill, steal, and destroy our minds. It is an area many of us have allowed him to win. We have three options when it comes to our thoughts. We can either be:
- Proactive
- Reactive
- Passive
Proactive Thinking
As a believer we are called to put on the armor of God. When we put on the armor of God we are able to fight the schemes of the enemy. We know the enemy wants to destroy us and we know in this world we will experience troubles. Because we know these things, we must be proactive to prepare ourselves to fight against and take our thoughts captive. Memorizing scripture is a good way to be proactive.
Reactive Thinking
As a believer, when we see our thoughts are opposed to the ways of Christ, we must react and make them obedient. Our reactions to our situations will show who we believe Christ is. Preaching scripture over yourself and being vulnerable with people who hold you accountable are good ways to be reactive in taking your thoughts captive.
Passive Thinking
As a believer, passivity is not an option. We can not be passive and allow our thoughts to get the best of us.
As we take our thoughts captive to make them obedient to Christ, we will see our desires and affections change and align with His.
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