Every Thought Captive

During a recent discussion with a couple of close friends of mine, the question was raised: Has there ever been a commandment of God that you've heard and then made the conscious decision to disobey it? That's one of the many things I love about hanging out with godly men; men who aren't afraid to bare their souls, drop their pretenses and be real. Talk about soul searching! The question isn't whether I ever have disobeyed, but rather how many different commands and how many times have I disobeyed. Where do I begin?

After spending some time mulling over this question, a Scripture verse (2 Corinthians 10:5) came to mind--We destroy arguments and every lofty opinion raised against the knowledge of God, and take every thought captive to obey Christ. I believe this verse explains as well as any why we fail to keep God's commands--we don't take our thoughts captive. Our thoughts, as well as our words, come from the wellspring of our hearts--which are deceitful and wicked (Jeremiah 17:9). The battlefield in spiritual warfare is in our minds. Because of our rebellious nature, our thoughts are often going to lead us away from God and our toward own sinful desires. Taking every thought captive means examining every thing we think in light of what God has revealed to us in His Word.

Listen to the proclamation delivered in Psalm 119:11--I have stored up your word in my heart, that I might not sin against you. The psalmist cannot possibly say this without being immersed in Scripture; seeking to know our Lord's will and practically applying it to his life. Taking every thought captive and making it obedient to Christ is not possible any other way. And the best part of doing this is that pride, greed, envy, lust, bitterness, malice and hate lose their place in our lives.