TAKE EVERY THOUGHT CAPTIVE
Greetings church family!
If you survey a group of people and ask them “What is your favorite Christmas movie?”, you’d likely get an array of responses. Miracle on 34th Street. It’s A Wonderful Life. Elf. Maybe even Die Hard (is this a Christmas movie?)
One that I distinctly remember enjoying as a teenager was Home Alone. This 1990 film was a comedy about an 8-year old boy named Kevin McCallister. Kevin’s family and relatives are preparing to leave for a trip to Paris for Christmas. On the night before the departure, Kevin is experiencing so much ridicule and derision by his siblings and cousins, that he lashes out. This results in him being sent to the attic for punishment. The next morning, the family rushes to the airport to fly to Paris, and to their horror, they realize mid-flight that they’ve forgotten Kevin.
Kevin is actually enjoying his freedom before eventually encountering a couple of burglars, Harry and Marv, at his home on Christmas Eve. Little do Harry and Marv know that Kevin has rigged a series of booby traps in defense of his house. In the end, Kevin, with the help of his neighbor and of his booby traps, is able to overcome the failed burglars in time for the police to arrest Harry and Marv.
2 Corinthians 10:3-5 says, “For although we live in the flesh, we do not wage war according to the flesh, since the weapons of our warfare are not of the flesh, but are powerful through God for the demolition of strongholds. We demolish arguments and every proud thing that is raised up against the knowledge of God, and we take every thought captive to obey Christ."
That last phrase, “...and we take every thought captive to obey Christ” is our call to be just like Kevin McCallister!
The battlefield of the Christian life is not primarily fought in the arenas of politics, culture, or even church life — it is fought in the mind. Paul, writing to the Corinthians, makes it clear that spiritual warfare is deeply connected to what we think and believe. When Paul talks about demolishing arguments and pretensions, he is addressing the lofty ideas, false philosophies, and self-centered worldviews that oppose the truth of God. And his solution? Not just to argue louder, but to take every thought captive and make it obedient to Christ.
Our thoughts, left unchecked, can become rebels — sneaking around our souls, setting up little strongholds of pride, fear, envy, bitterness, and doubt. One unexamined thought can quickly grow into a habit; a habit can grow into a lifestyle. This is why taking thoughts captive isn’t optional for the believer — it’s critical.
But how do we go about doing this? First and foremost, it is important that we take the time to recognize the false beliefs and invalid thoughts that linger in our mind. We can pray the prayer David prayed in Psalm 139:4-5 - “Search me, God, and know my heart; test me and know my concerns. See if there is any offensive way in me; lead me in the everlasting way.” This avoids the dangerous option of ignoring our invalid thoughts, and instead allows the Holy Spirit to reveal them so that they can be captured.
Second, once captured, it is important to examine these thoughts against the truths and promises of Scripture. John 8:31-32 says, “Then Jesus said to the Jews who had believed him, ‘If you continue in my word, you really are my disciples. You will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.’”
Finally, after recognition and examination comes transformation. Through the power of the Holy Spirit, surrender to the exchange of the lies for the truth. This process will likely not be a one-time act, but a daily discipline - one well worth the undertaking!
This Sabbath, May 3 begins our 5-part sermon series entitled “Taking Every Thought Captive” We will be using personality types as a way to examine 9 sets of false beliefs, one or more of which likely beset all of us. To engage in the sermon series ahead of time, I encourage you to complete a personality test at https://www.gospelenneagram.com/assessment, and keep track of your results. The good news of this sermon series is that the Holy Spirit is beyond capable of helping us to tear down the strongholds that any false beliefs may have in our mind! That’s right, this is more evidence that God is for us, God is with us, and God loves us!
Blessings!
Pastor Chris
