A thought entering your mind is not the same as giving it permission to live there or permission for us to act upon it.
Thoughts are like seeds.
What we continue to water can eventually become a belief, and those beliefs can begin to shape our heart, our actions, and ultimately who we are becoming.
1. Take Captive Every Thought
2 Corinthians 10:3–5 “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 was confronting thoughts, arguments, and ideas that opposed the truth and knowledge of God.
The same principle applies to us:
We need to take our thoughts captive and submit them to Christ
- Not every thought deserves to stay.
- Not every thought deserves to be believed.
- Not every thought deserves to become an action.
Prison: Meant to keep people in
Fortress: Meant to keep people out
Stronghold: Can mean one / the other / or both
Stronghold Thoughts Examples:
- I am not enough
- I am a failure.
- Nobody really loves me.
- I have to earn love.
- I can’t trust anyone.
- I’m too broken for God to use.
- God can forgive other people, but not me.
- My worth comes from what I accomplish.
- This temptation is just who I am.
- Because I feel this way, it must be true.
Strongholds can also develop around sin:
When that happens we can use the excuses...
- “It’s not that big of a deal.”
- “Just this once.”
- “I can stop whenever I want.”
- “God will forgive me anyway.”
- “Everyone else does it.”
- “I’m not hurting anyone.”
- “I don’t need accountability.”
- “If it feels right, it must be okay.”
- “I know what Scripture says, but my situation is different.”
A repeated thought can eventually become a deeply rooted belief.
Thought: “They rejected me.”
Repeated thought: “People always leave me.”
Stronghold belief: “I am unlovable.”
Hebrews 4:12“For the word of God is alive and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart.”
God’s Word has the power to confront the lies, arguments, and strongholds we have allowed to develop/grow.
Metacognition = thinking about your own thinking.
Instead of automatically believing every thought that crosses our mind, we can step back and examine it.
We can ask:
- Where did this thought come from?
- Is this true?
- Does this agree with Christ and His Word?
2. Test the Thought Against Truth
Romans 12:2“Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will.”
From the beginning of Scripture, Satan has tried to introduce doubt into what God has said.
To Eve: “Did God really say that?”
The enemy uses UFO's: Untruths, False narratives, and Overreactions to pull us away from what God says is true.
So how do we fight back?
Look at Jesus.
Matthew 4:1–10 “Then Jesus was led by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted by the devil. After fasting forty days and forty nights, he was hungry. The tempter came to him and said, “If you are the Son of God, tell these stones to become bread.” Jesus answered, “It is written: ‘Man shall not live on bread alone, but on every word that comes from the mouth of God.’” Then the devil took him to the holy city and had him stand on the highest point of the temple. “If you are the Son of God,” he said, “throw yourself down. For it is written: “ ‘He will command his angels concerning you, and they will lift you up in their hands, so that you will not strike your foot against a stone.’” Jesus answered him, “It is also written: ‘Do not put the Lord your God to the test.’” Again, the devil took him to a very high mountain and showed him all the kingdoms of the world and their splendor. “All this I will give you,” he said, “if you will bow down and worship me.” Jesus said to him, “Away from me, Satan! For it is written: ‘Worship the Lord your God, and serve him only.’””
What did Jesus repeatedly respond with?
“It is written.”
Jesus fought temptation with the truth of God’s Word.
Titus 1:2 in the hope of eternal life, which God, who does not lie, promised before the beginning of time
- God cannot lie.
- His Word can be trusted.
John 17:17“Sanctify them by the truth; your word is truth.”
- Jesus does not simply say God’s Word is true.
- He says: “Your word IS truth.”
- God’s Word is our final standard of truth.
That means we need to know Scripture well enough that when a thought comes, we can test it against what God has actually said.
3. Replace the Lies With What God Says
Philippians 4:4–9“Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice! Let your gentleness be evident to all. The Lord is near. Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things. Whatever you have learned or received or heard from me, or seen in me—put it into practice. And the God of peace will be with you.”
Paul gives us a filter for our thoughts.
Ask:
- Is it true?
- Is it noble?
- Is it right?
- Is it pure?
- Is it lovely?
- Is it admirable?
- Is it excellent?
- Is it praiseworthy?
If the answer is no, replace it with what God says.
DIG UP THE ROOTS AND REPLANT IT WITH TRUTH.
Neuroplasticity: The brain’s physical and structural capacity to adapt, learn, and reorganize its neural connections in response to experiences.
Repetition matters.
The things we repeatedly practice can become easier and more familiar.
That applies to the way we think too.
Instead of repeatedly rehearsing lies, we can intentionally fill our minds with truth.
“We need the truths of heaven to excavate the lies of hell.”
We cannot fight deeply rooted lies with a tiny shovel.
We need the truth of God.
We need His Word.
We need to:
- TAKE THE THOUGHT CAPTIVE.
- TEST IT AGAINST TRUTH.
- REPLACE THE LIE WITH WHAT GOD SAYS.
Because if we don’t, our thoughts do not just stay thoughts. They begin to form us.
Who Is Forming You?
Your identity is not whatever thought happens to be the loudest in your head.
Your identity is grounded in what God says is true about you.
You are created by God and made in His image.
Genesis 1:27
You are known by God.
Psalm 139:1–4
You are loved by God.
Romans 5:8
You are a child of God.
John 1:12
You are chosen and set apart for a purpose.
1 Peter 2:9
There are so many more.....
Get into God’s Word, Learn it, Study it, Memorize truth. So when the lies come, you know what God has actually said.
