Our focus is a simple one, yet one that I consider to be of great importance. It is necessary for every Christian’s spiritual health and well-being to possess the ability to bring every thought into captivity to the obedience of Christ as Paul wrote. Necessary because this will protect us from the evil one, the devil. Necessary because God’s word clearly teaches that what we think, makes us what we are.
“As a man thinks, so is he.” (Proverbs 23:7) What we think about is crucial to who we are. Each and everyday thousands of thoughts come into our minds. Some Good, some bad. Who we are and more importantly who we become is shaped moment by moment by the thoughts we choose to let into our minds. But how can we manage to control the thoughts that enter our mind each day? What do we do with the thoughts that are not pleasing to God, and would tear us down?
As Christians every thought must be made subject, whether it be our own understanding (human reasoning) or impure thoughts. They all must be subject to God’s will for us, via His thought which is better and higher than ours as Isaiah wrote of God saying, “For My thoughts are not your thoughts, nor are your ways My ways,” says the Lord. 9 “For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are My ways higher than your ways, and My thoughts than your thoughts” (Isaiah 55:8-9). Jeremiah wrote, “O Lord, I know the way of man is not in himself; It is not in man who walks to direct his own steps” (Jeremiah 10:23). So, left to our own thoughts and ways, we will surely fall victim to and become captive to the devil. James wrote, “13 Let no one say when he is tempted, “I am tempted by God”; for God cannot be tempted by evil, nor does He Himself tempt anyone. 14 But each one is tempted when he is drawn away by his own desires and enticed. 15 Then, when desire has conceived, it gives birth to sin; and sin, when it is full-grown, brings forth death” (James 1:13-15).
The fact is that evil thoughts will come into our minds from time to time for varying reasons, and when they do they must be brought into subjection to the will of Christ…