Capture Those Wayward Thoughts

​Are you excited about the divine weapons God has given us to destroy strongholds?  Are you feeling more victorious in your daily battle against evil?  Or do you feel inspired by the fact that we can destroy strongholds, but don’t believe that you personally can do it?

​Whether we’re veterans at this divine war or newbies, Paul gives us an important key to becoming successful soldiers of Christ and victors in this battle against Satan.  This nugget of truth is found in Paul’s defense of his ministry and testimony of how he operates his life and actions.  In the verse directly following the passage on demolishing strongholds, Paul tells us this insight into how he wins and becomes victorious in divine warfare.

“We destroy arguments and every lofty opinion raised against the knowledge of God,
​and take every thought captive to obey Christ.”
~II Corinthians 10:5

​In this verse, Paul shares that he and his team not only destroy the spiritual strongholds of enemies, but also their intellectual strongholds, such as lofty opinions and convincing arguments.  But how are they able to do this?  How did Paul and those ministering with him become seasoned veterans of war and successful battle warriors?  What’s their secret?
 
Obviously, it is God who gives the strength and ability.  However, I believe that the secret to Paul’s success as a kingdom warrior is found in the last half of II Corinthians 10:5.  He took every thought captive to obey Christ.  He did not let his mind wander or dwell on evil things, but reined in his thoughts and subjected them to Christ’s lordship. 
 
This is what I believe made him able to become a powerful warrior for God’s kingdom.  It made him available to God and wholly devoted to the cause of Christ.  Paul stood out because he was on fire for the things of the Lord and passionate about what God was doing among the Gentiles, and he was able to participate in that work and defend it when the time came because he took every single thought captive.
 
Before we can win the spiritual battle around us, we must first have victory over the sinful nature within us.  We cannot control our actions without complete control of our mind and surrendering it to Christ.  And if we are unable to control our actions, we will be ineffective as soldiers in God’s army and no threat against the strongholds of evil.
 
Do you want to be a strong warrior for the cross?  Would you like God to use you to demolish the strongholds you see around you? 
 
Then capture those wayward thoughts and bring them under complete obedience and submission to Christ!