Taking Every Thought Captive To The Obedience of Christ

“Bringing every thought into captivity to the obedience of Christ” is a vital aspect of a Christian’s life. Our mind must be obedient to God.

The taking of every thought captive means to keep your mind on things above, to watch over your heart with all diligence, and to take down the strongholds of evil thoughts.

Christians must keep their mind on things above. Philippians 4:8 says, “Finally brethren whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are of good report; if there be any virtue and if there be any praise think on these things.” Psalm 1 says, “But his delight is in the law of the Lord; and in his law doth he meditate day and night.” The Christian is to train himself to fill his thoughts with the things of God. The Christian ought to lay up the word of God in his heart that he might not sin. “Wherewithal shall a young man cleanse his way? by taking heed thereto according to thy word.”[Psalm 119:9]

The Christian should also watch over his heart with diligence. Matthew 15:19 says, “For out of the heart proceed evil thoughts…” If a Christian is thinking evil thoughts willingly, then his heart is not right with God. A Christian must pray to the Lord that He would allow for the sword, which watches the way of the tree of life, to watch the way of his heart. Evil thoughts will come, but he must take them down with the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God. He must lay hold on eternal life. To be a proven warrior ready for the battle, his heart and mind must be tuned against the Devil, his flesh, and the world.

Finally, wicked thoughts are strongholds that must be brought down. When the Christian thinks evil thoughts, he must immediately go to Scripture. If he sees wickedness he ought to remind himself that he is to set no worthless thing before his eyes.[Psalm 101:3] So, every thought that the Christian thinks ought to be taken and bound with the cords of Scripture and prayer.

The Christian must pray for the Lord’s strength to accomplish the task of “taking every thought captive to the obedience of Christ” and he must have faith that the Lord will give him the strength required.

Bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ is very important for the Christian to walk in obedience in Christ. “For to be carnally minded is death, but to be spiritually minded is life and peace.