casting down arguments and every high thing that exalts itself against the knowledge of God, bringing every thought into captivity to the obedience of Christ, 2 Corinthians 10:5, NKJV
Hold On to What’s True
Reading Scripture is vital to our intimacy with God. God’s Word is our weapon. It’s alive, active, and sharper than any two-edged sword (Hebrews 4:12). And when we hide Scripture in our heart, it helps us battle with the forces of evil. We have an enemy, and the last thing he wants us to do is trust God and His Word.
Our spiritual enemy wants to keep us in a place of doubt and insecurity. But when we know who we are, we can confidently demolish every lie that distracts us. Just like Jesus did, we can use Scripture to remind ourselves of the truth and fight back against the devil’s schemes.
Think through some of the lies you’ve believed. Maybe it's "I’m a failure, I’ll never do anything right," or "God doesn’t care about me, it’s why these bad things happen." It’s easier to entertain lies when we allow them to become a part of us.
But once you recognize the lies you’ve internalized, you’re halfway to victory. God gave us His Word so that we could know the truth, and it’s His truth that sets us free.
Hold On to What’s True
Reading Scripture is vital to our intimacy with God. God’s Word is our weapon. It’s alive, active, and sharper than any two-edged sword (Hebrews 4:12). And when we hide Scripture in our heart, it helps us battle with the forces of evil. We have an enemy, and the last thing he wants us to do is trust God and His Word.
Our spiritual enemy wants to keep us in a place of doubt and insecurity. But when we know who we are, we can confidently demolish every lie that distracts us. Just like Jesus did, we can use Scripture to remind ourselves of the truth and fight back against the devil’s schemes.
Think through some of the lies you’ve believed. Maybe it's "I’m a failure, I’ll never do anything right," or "God doesn’t care about me, it’s why these bad things happen." It’s easier to entertain lies when we allow them to become a part of us.
But once you recognize the lies you’ve internalized, you’re halfway to victory. God gave us His Word so that we could know the truth, and it’s His truth that sets us free.
https://bible.com/bible/114/2co.10.5.NKJV
Note after sharing the devotional: today’s verse is one that God used in my life in a powerful way during my early years at the Vineyard. Like a lot of people, I’ve struggled with my thought life. Whether it’s thoughts of trying to change my past because somehow I think it will make my present (and future) better, or even trying to change parts of a theoretical future (usually bad) that haven’t come into play yet (and then they don’t happen -- not like that has stopped these thoughts), thoughts of distraction, thoughts of fantasy, thoughts of anger, thoughts of fear, thoughts of anxiety, etc., these are tools that the devil has used to try to get me and countless others off track with God and with our lives.
I was in my mid-twenties in my early years at the Vineyard, and like most eligible bachelors at that age, much of my thoughts were drowned in potential objects of affection. I had a friend who had lent me a book to read titled The Bondage Breaker by Neil T. Anderson. It had today’s verse and it spoke to me. I actually put the verse into practice, repeating under my breath "taking all thoughts captive to the obedience of Christ" over and over. It took a few months but it started working. Now, I’d like to say that this is a success story, but I did eventually stop repeating this verse under my breath. Unsurprisingly, the thoughts that I was trying to get rid of returned. But it was remarkable the things that God had put in front me even then, that I realized to a degree the power of the spoken Word. There was a lot I didn’t understand, including about this verse and the power it had on me.
Even as I was writing this blog post (fresh off reflecting on the above devotional), I was aware of the negative thoughts again (much different these days but still challenging nonetheless). I was actually having writer’s block trying to begin this post-devotional note! It wasn’t until it clicked that I needed to once again put this verse into practice regarding today’s thoughts (and then did so) that space cleared in my mind so as to be able to write something here! This is the power of God at work! It works! Praise God!
Prayer: God, You know everything about me. You know what I’m going to say before I speak it. You know all of my thoughts, desires, and intentions. All that I am, I give to You. Please remove any idea, behavior, or lie that will keep me from becoming the person You created me to be. In Jesus’s name, Amen.