Taking Our Thoughts Captive
When was the last time you paid attention to what you were thinking about? Took an inventory of your thoughts? Separated the lies you’re believing from the truth of God’s Word? Every day, our minds are churning with thoughts. In fact, according to recent research, the average person has anywhere between 5,000-6,000 thoughts per day – 90 percent of which are repetitive.
For years, a lot of my thoughts sounded like: “There’s something wrong with you.” “You’re not good enough.” “You’re too weak.” I wasn’t necessarily aware of them, they were just there – unwelcome guests that kept returning at every perceived failure I made. And because I heard them so often, I started to believe them. And the more I started to believe them, the truer they felt. That’s what makes subtle lies so dangerous. They rarely announce themselves as lies. More often, they should like familiar thoughts – thoughts we have repeated so many times that they begin to feel like facts.
That’s what makes subtle lies so dangerous. They rarely announce themselves as lies.
But here’s a truth that has taken me far too long to grasp: not every thought that comes into our minds is true – let alone ours. Some thoughts are rooted in truth. Some are shaped by our own fears, insecurities, and past experiences. And others are subtle whispers of the enemy – “the father of all lies” (John 8:44) – who tries to get us to agree with lies about God, ourselves, and others. Consider the question that God asks Adam in the garden after he and Eve sinned: “Who told you that you were naked?” (Genesis 3:11) God, of course, already knows the answer to this question, but He’s inviting them to reflect on whose voice they listened to. I think the Lord extends the same invitation to us today:
Who told you…that you’re not enough?
Who told you…that God has abandoned you?
Who told you…that they don’t like you?
Who told you…that you’ll never change?
Who told you…that your mistakes have disqualified you?
Thoughts themselves are rarely problematic. It’s what we do with them that determines their power. And while we might not always be able to control the thoughts that come in, we can determine which thoughts we agree with – and which ones we throw out.
Thoughts themselves are rarely problematic. It’s what we do with them that determines their power.
Scripture gives us a blueprint for this. Romans 12:2 says: “Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind.” 2 Corinthians 10:5 says to “take captive everything thought to make it obedient to Christ.” And Ephesians 4 says to “put off your old self, which belongs to your former manner of life…and to be renewed in the spirit of your minds…”
Notice that none of these verses suggests we should simply ignore our thoughts or allow them to run unchecked. There is an active participation required of on our behalf. We are called to renew our minds, take our thoughts captive, and learn to distinguish what is true from what is not. More often than not, this starts with paying attention to our thoughts: what am I thinking right now? What am I believing about myself? What am I believing about God? What am I assuming about someone else?
When we begin paying attention to our thoughts, we can start challenging the ones that don’t align with the truth of God’s Word. This isn’t always easy; thoughts we’ve grown accustomed to hearing can take some time to uproot. But it’s a discipline worth developing.
As Joyce Meyer has famously said, “Our mind is a battlefield.” It’s time we start fighting back! And today, for you, maybe that looks like taking a moment to ask yourself: what thoughts am I entertaining? What lies am I agreeing with? And whose voice am I actually listening to?
