“For though we walk in the flesh, we do not war after the flesh: (For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal, but mighty through God to the pulling down of strongholds;) Casting down imaginations, and every high thing that exalteth itself against the knowledge of God, and bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ…”
2 Corinthians 10: 4-5
A major part of achieving the victory in our faith walk has to do with how we manage our thought life. As we can see in the above verse, not every thought we have is of God. In fact, often the enemy throws thoughts at us to bring discouragement and get us off course. To have the victory in life we must learn to check our thoughts against the word of God. If it is a discouraging thought of defeat or fear, it is not a God thought. Therefore, we must cast it down and replace it with the word of God. It is vitally important to check our thoughts through the lens of God’s word. If it does not line up with what God says, then it is not a thought we should be thinking. A well-known pastor once said: “You can’t keep the birds from flying over your head, but you can keep them from nesting in your hair.” This is true of our thoughts. We can’t always control what thoughts come into our minds. However, we can control whether we are going to allow them to “nest” or whether we will throw them out and replace them with a God thought.
Negative thinking is one of the devil’s subtle weapons that he tries to use to get us to self-sabotage our walk of faith. Therefore, we must be very diligent to constantly monitor our thoughts and make sure they are God thoughts of encouragement and victory, not thoughts of defeat, anger, offense, or any other fleshly thing. Galatians 5:19-21 says: “Now the works of the flesh are manifest, which are these; Adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lasciviousness, Idolatry, witchcraft, hatred, variance, emulations, wrath, strife, sedition, heresies, evyings, murders, drunkenness, revelings, and such like of the which I tell you before, as I have also told you in time past; that they which do such things shall not inherit the kingdom of God. But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness, temperance: against such there is not law.”
All the actions above begin as a thought, which if meditated on long enough becomes words. The words eventually become actions. As Jesus declared: “…out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaketh.” Mathew 12:34
Jesus even tells us that our breaking of the commandments of God occurs not just when we act, but when we meditate on certain thoughts. For instance, in Mathew 5 He states that we are breaking the commandment of adultery if we look on someone with lust. We are breaking the commandment to not murder if we hate someone in our heart. Jesus is letting us know how important it is that we keep our thought life in line with God’s word. Thoughts become emotions, emotions become words and words have the power to create. “Death and life are in the power of the tongue; and they that love it shall eat the fruit thereof.” Proverbs 18:21
The devil understands that he has no power on this earth other than what people give him. He was defeated by Christ and anyone who is in Christ has authority over the devil and his works. Therefore, the devil does his best to get us to agree with him instead of God, so that he can have his way. The only power he has is the power of agreement that we can give him with our words.
In James 1:5-7 the word declares: “If any lack wisdom, let him ask of God, that giveth to all men liberally, and upbraideth not; and it shall be given him. But let him ask in faith, nothing wavering; For he that wavereth is like a wave of the sea driven with the wind and tossed. For let not that man think that he shall receive any thing of the Lord.” When we pray and ask God for anything, we must remain in faith. Being double minded means that you believe and say one thing, however later you say the opposite. Many people allow their thoughts and feelings to guide them instead of the word of God. The successful person allows God’s word to take up residence in their hearts and minds and they refuse to doubt or entertain any thought that goes against God’s promises.
You might feel it’s a struggle to cast the negative thoughts out. If so, it may mean that you need to immerse yourself in God’s word. Cut out those things in your life that cause stinking thinking. Keep your eyes and mind fixed on the word of God. In addition, don’t simply try to battle thoughts with thoughts. Instead speak out loud to the thoughts. If a negative thought tries to take root, speak out loud to yourself what God says about that situation so that your ears can hear it. As Romans 10:17 says: “So then faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.” As you do, His WORD will take up residence in your mind and heart. Eventually it will become easier and easier to take control of those thoughts. Philippians 4:8: “Finally, brethren, whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report; if there be any virtue, and if there be any praise, think on these things.”
Further Reading: Mathew 13:1-23, 1 Corinthians 13: 4-8a, James 3
