Take Your Thoughts Captive

Taking thoughts captive 

We hear, take your thoughts captive, but what does that mean in intercession and spiritual warfare? Well what does captive mean? A captive is someone who has been taken as a prisoner. What happens to a prisoner? They are taken away from the general public and put into confinement and will face judgment and punishment. So how does this relate to our thoughts? We need to be rooted in the Word of God. When we are rooted in the word of God we know what is from God and what is from the enemy. The Lord says his sheep know his voice. So therefore you will know If it is the voice of the Lord or the voice of the enemy. 

When you are going through an attack of anxiety, depression, hopelessness, despair, discouragement, unbelief, we know that all of these things are of the enemy. He will attempt to attack us with thoughts that are the opposite of God. His tactics never change. It all started in the garden of Eden, where he gave Eve thoughts that were opposite of what God had said. The enemy said to Eve, “has God indeed said, ‘you shall not eat of every tree in the garden’ (Genesis 3:1)?” 

What God actually said to Adam was,”of every tree of the garden you may freely eat.” But there was more. After God said that he said, “But of the tree of knowledge of good and evil you shall not eat, for in the day that you eat of it you shall surely die.” (Genesis 2:16-17) Satan is a liar and a master manipulator. So he will take God's word and twist it, usually ever so slightly, to try and get people to question and believe the lie. So with Eve, he gave her the first part of what God said but twisted it and left out the last part. Then Eve thought on it, questioned what God really said and well, we know what happened next. 

Satan still tries those tactics with us. He will say things like, is that really what God wants you to do? Did God really speak that to you? Maybe that was in your own accord and not really God. Has God really called you to that? Are you really a child of God, are you really saved? Will God really heal that? There's so many other things that he's busy with why would he take the time for you?  Does he really hear your prayer when there's so many others out there praying at the same time? Other people haven't been healed, other people died, why would you be special? You might as well just give up and have no hope. Those are the attacks he will send, the questions he will send along with a host of others.  When we accept those attacks, then in comes anxiety. In comes fear. In comes doubt and unbelief. In comes lack of knowing our identity in Christ and all sorts of negative thinking and emotions. 

But those are the lies of the enemy! Those are what need to be taken captive, cast out from you and placed into judgment of the Lord! 

So how do you do that? For starters, you have to know the word of God. You have to be spending time with him daily. In his word, in his presence, in worship. You have to know your identity in Christ, and know what the word of the Lord says. For every lie of the enemy there's a truth from the Word of God. So you take that thought captive, you take up the armor of God place it upon yourself, cast that thought out of you and place it in judgment of the Lord by using the Sword of the Spirit and speaking the truth to come against the darkness that is creeping in around you. We take up our authority to fight back against the darkness. The Sword of the Spirit is how we do that. 

So when you feel anxiety and fear creeping in. Take those thoughts captive and place them in judgment casting them away from you. You can say something like, it is written that God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of love of power and of sound mind. So I rebuke all thoughts of anxiety and fear and place you in judgment of the Lord most high. I command you off of me now by the word of the Lord that says I do not have a spirit of fear. I plead the blood of Jesus and as it is written the Lord will send angels charge over us, so heavenly Father I ask you to send angels to fight against any attacks of the enemy that are approaching, in Jesus name Amen. 

Or whatever it may be that you are going through. This is how we fight our battles! For it is written we do not fight against flesh and blood but against principalities, against powers, against rulers of the darkness of this age, against spiritual hosts of the wickedness and The heavenly places. Therefore, take up the whole armor of God that you may be able to withstand in the evil days and having done all to stand (Ephesians 6)! 

So my friends, put on your armor daily and fight with the authority that Jesus has given you using the sword of the spirit. Darkness has to flee at the light.