Overcoming destructive thoughts—i.e. taking every thought captive—is not as daunting an endeavor as one might think. The ‘every’ here is not literally every thought—it’s only the thoughts that run contrary or in opposition to God’s Truth. For example, if you experience a setback in your business or ministry, the voice inside your head may say something like, “Well, I did it again. I failed. I blew it. I will never get these things right.” Notice the voice sounds like your own and even communicates in first person. This voice uses “I”, not “you.” Using “I” reinforces the immediate acceptance of the thoughts.
However the truth is that you are not a failure. You may have missed the mark this time, but doing so does not diminish who God says you are. And who does God say you are? You are a child of God, dearly loved, chosen for His purposes before the foundation of the world (Ephesians 1:3-5; 1 Peter 2:9). He loves you with an unfathomable, unconditional love based on the shed blood and redemption of Jesus Christ (1 Thessalonians 1:4a).
For the Believer, failure is merely discovering one way not to do something! It’s merely an opportunity to learn and grow. It’s a step on the pathway, a part of the journey God takes us on as we become more like His Son Jesus. But the enemy of God (namely satan) does not want you to focus on your identity in Christ. He wants you to focus on the failure, but not just this failure; he wants you to focus on this failure heaped on top of all the failures you’ve ever experienced. He wants to beat you up, drag you down, discourage you, distract you, and derail you.
When these thoughts come into your head, ask yourself, would God speak to me this way? If the answer is no, single that thought out and then rout it out! Such deceptive, discouraging, disparaging, and demeaning thoughts have no place in the heart or mind of the Child of God.
To sum it up: Be aware of the presence of a negative thought or response. Identify the negative statement and determine whose voice it is. Refute it based on your identity in Christ*, and repent of ever agreeing with the enemy on this issue in the past. Then declare that those thoughts are in full subjection to Jesus your King. Finally, praise God for His Truth, His Power, and His Provision in giving you freedom from the enemy’s lies. This is one way to “demolish arguments and every pretension that sets itself up against the knowledge of God, and … take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ” (2 Corinthians 10:5). Rinse and repeat as necessary. 😉
Stand firm upon God’s Truth that says, “The weapons we fight with are not the weapons of the world. On the contrary, they have divine power to demolish strongholds” (2 Corinthians 10:4). This simple process is your weapon; wield it with strength and confidence as a Child of God and with the boldness of the Lion of Judah! Unlike weapons of this world, the more you use this one, the sharper its blade becomes! The more you practice this demolition process, the more it will become natural to you.
If you are struggling with thoughts of defeat, failure, or discouragement, I can help. Email me at christianlifeandleadership(at sign)gmail.com.
Blessings on the journey!
mary
*Who God Says I am:
- Chosen by God: 1 Thessalonians 1:4-5
- Dearly loved: Colossians 3:12
- Forgiven: Psalm 103:12
- His treasured possession: Deuteronomy 7:6
- His joy and delight: Isaiah 65:18; 62:4 (“Hephzibah” means, “My delight is in her”)
- One whose name is engraved on His hands: Isaiah 49:15
- One over whom He dances wildly and with thanksgiving: Zephaniah 3:17
- One so precious that He treasures my tears: Psalm 56:8
Copyright Mary Comm 2014. All rights reserved.
