To what are your thoughts held captive?

© 2016 by Tom Boynton (editing by Kathy Boynton)

The TV is on. You watch. Your eyes and ears are immersed in near-pornographic images and arousing music. Even the ads are filled with them. You begin to entertain thoughts you know are wrong. For the moment, you forget God knows what you’re thinking. You’re tempted to contemplate and enjoy the fascinating thrill of these evil enticements.

Are you a Christian? If so, the words of Scripture, through Christ’s Apostle Paul, are for you.

“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 strong holds;) 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 10:3-5).

Do you bring every thought into captivity to Christ’s obedience? How does one do that? To answer this question, we must first understand how Christ was obedient. Scripture clearly tells us about His obedience.

“And being found in fashion as a man, he humbled himself, and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross” (Philippians 2:8).

God the Son, the Lord Jesus Christ, was perfectly obedient to His Father’s plan of salvation. He was even obedient to the death of the cross as He died to save His people from their sins (Matthew 1:21).

If you are a redeemed person, it will be nigh impossible for you to contemplate Christ’s horrendous punishment for your sins while, at the same time, shamelessly entertaining those wicked thoughts for which He paid the punishment.

When your eyes and ears are presented with lust provoking images and sounds, do you stare at them, in fascination, or look away and ask for God’s purification on the basis of Christ’s suffering?

The answer to that question may suggest another serious question. Are you really saved? Scripture encourages us to examine ourselves in the light of this question.

“Examine yourselves, whether ye be in the faith; prove your own selves. Know ye not your own selves, how that Jesus Christ is in you, except ye be reprobates?” (2 Corinthians 13:5).

The presence of Jesus Christ in your heart is inconsistent with shameless contemplation of evil thoughts.

Are you taking each of your thoughts captive to Christ’s obedience?

 

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