Take Your Thoughts Captive.

2 Corinthians 10 3-5

3-4For although we live in the natural realm, we don’t wage a military campaign employing human weapons, using manipulation to achieve our aims. Instead, our spiritual weapons are energized with divine power to effectively dismantle the defenses behind which people hide.  5We can demolish every deceptive fantasy that opposes God and break through every arrogant attitude that is raised up in defiance of the true knowledge of God. We capture, like prisoners of war, every thought and insist that it bow in obedience to the Anointed One. 6Since we are armed with such dynamic weaponry, we stand ready to punish any trace of rebellion, as soon as you choose complete obedience. 

Paul spent a lot of time in prisons for his ministry so, him using this experience for teaching makes perfect sense. Captivity in that time was far different than today. Today we have giant fences topped with barbed wire. Guards that are sharp shooters ready to take the shot should anyone make it through their defenses. Prisoners have luxury accommodations compared to Paul’s time. The old phrase for prison as being, “three hots and a cot.” Did not exist in the first century.

In those days it was not uncommon to be kept in chains, a term Paul used often to describe his situation. Prisoners would be shackled to a wall. They could move a couple of feet and that was it. If you were in a nice prison, you would be behind bars. This is the exception not the rule. Prisons took time and resources to build and maintain. Cementing chains in a wall was far cheaper and more efficient than building a room for a couple of people. In chains you could put far more people in the same size room They could not fight because they were chained to the wall. In short captivity was no joke. The picture above is supposedly Paul’s prison cell in Rome.

Here is the real point Paul is making. In order to eat and survive in a first century prison, someone had to bring you food. Paul talks about all the people who, “attended” him. These people brought food, wine, and the necessities of life, as well as communications with the rest of his churches and co-workers. Without them he would have starved and died alone and, that’s his point.

When we take our thoughts captive, we do two things.

1. We take away their authority to influence our thought process. They are in chains cemented together to the walls of our mental prison.
2. They starve because we no longer feed them. They fade away from lack of food. Our negative thoughts and imagination are the driving force, the food if you will for these thoughts.

Then what happens if you are successful? Paul has a very important message as to that point.

Romans 12:2

Stop imitating the ideals and opinions of the culture around you, but be inwardly transformed by the Holy Spirit through a total reformation of how you think. This will empower you to discern God’s will as you live a beautiful life, satisfying and perfect in his eyes.

How you think is as important as what you think

I thank you God for your excellent words and the way you lead us to ever greater understanding of how and why we do what we do and think what we think.