Bringing Into Captivity Every Thought

In 2 Corinthians 10:3-5 we read:
For though we walk in the flesh (added by author for explanation of flesh----5 physical senses of seeing, hearing, smelling, touching, tasting), we do not war after the flesh.
(For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal, but mighty through God to the pulling down of strongholds.)
Casting down imaginations and every high thing that exalteth itself against the knowledge of God, and bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ:

Here is our the way we defeat satan. Every imagination and every high thing that he sends into our thoughts against God’s ways, we bring into captivity to the obedience of Christ, the Anointed One and His anointing. That means EVERY THOUGHT. We are to cast down every thought that is contrary to God’s thoughts. For example: A thought comes that you are not going to make it. Bring that thought into captivity to the obedience of Christ. And say out loud (if you are not at work or in a public place): That is not my thought. My thought is (a scripture that you are pondering).

Here’s a common thought. "This Word stuff, this faith stuff may work for other people, but it doesn’t work for me." Bring that thought into captivity. Cast it down. And say: "Faith comes by hearing and hearing by the Word of God. I am hearing God’s Word so faith comes because God is no respecter of persons. And faith is working in my life because faith works by love and I am walking in love." And you may be thinking: "I don’t feel like I have any faith. I don’t feel like I am walking in love." My answer to that is this: "This is not about feelings. This is about what God's Word says. Mark 11:22-24 says that whosoever speaks, whosoever prays, whosoever believes. I am a whosoever, so I keep on believing God’s Word works for me."

Or here is another common thought. "You know what the doctor’s report says. You know you don’t have that kind of faith to overcome this. Why, look at so and so and look what happened to them when they tried this faith stuff. You better be careful. This is serious. You better do something about it." And your answer is this: "Jesus bore my sicknesses and diseases and carried my pain. My Father sent His Word and healed me and delivered me from destruction. The Holy Spirit dwells in me and gives life to my mortal body. Thank You, Father, that you give me Your wisdom in this situation and I will be led by You."

Or here is another common thought. "You know that you have never been able to live any other way than from paycheck to paycheck. What makes you think you can live any other way? You will never be financially debt free. You can’t give your tithe this month or you’ll go belly up. And you especially can’t give that extra offering that the Lord is prompting you to give." And your answer is this: "I hear the voice of the Good Shepherd and the voice of a stranger I do not follow. This is a stranger’s voice and I don’t follow you. My God has said that He will supply all my needs according to His riches in glory by Christ Jesus. He has said that He will open up the windows of heaven and pour me out such a blessing I cannot contain it because that is His promise to tithers."

Do you see how you practice doing this scripture in 2 Corinthians? It is a practice daily because contrary thoughts will be sent your way all the time. What you and I must do is to take them captive immediately to God’s Word and not even give then any consideration or ponder them. What we think on is what we become.

Just a word here about strongholds before we wrap it up for today. A stronghold is a care that enters in and chokes the word. It is a house constructed of thoughts and it develops a pattern of thinking. That is satan attempting to establish in our lives a pattern of thinking. And that pattern of thinking becomes a stronghold that has to be torn down. In Psalm 28:8 we read that the Lord is the stronghold of salvation for us. He is the Anointed One who is our house constructed of Godly thoughts in line with His Word which is our salvation, our deliverance, our prosperity, our health, our security, our shelter, our place of victory and success.