Casting down imaginations, and every high
thing that exalteth itself against the knowledge of
God, and bringing into captivity ever thought to
the obedience of Christ;
+ 2 Corinthians 10:5
“You
are so stupid. How does anybody put up with
you? Nobody really loves you. I don’t know how
anybody can be so ugly? Look at how fat I am. God
must hate me sometimes. I’m such an idiot!”
Did I
just read your mind? Maybe not what you think ALL
of the time, but definitely your thoughts? After
many years in the ministry and talking with people
about their inmost thoughts, it never ceases to
surprise me how many of us think like this. And
I’ll be honest, it’s me as well – I am my most
harshest critic and you wouldn’t believe how
terribly I hack myself down with a mental machete at
times!
Sometimes these thoughts are a demonic attack. If
you hear accusing thoughts saying “you”, it is
likely a spiritual attack by a devil, while critical
thoughts that that start with “I” are more apt to be
your own critical thoughts. Regardless, it’s
important to be mindful when these moments come and
to stop them. If the devil, rebuke him out loud
saying, “I hear your lies, devil, but I choose to
listen to what God says of me as His child over
anything what you say. In the name of Jesus, go
away from me”. (Ephesians 6:12)
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Other times, our thoughts are like a cancer attacking our own body,
and these too must be brought into check by God’s Word. Scripture
says we have to “cast down” these thoughts in our imagination. This
means that when harmful lies try to rule the throne of your mind,
topple them from that throne quickly. If you are in Christ, you are
a new creation (2 Cor. 5:17). You are no longer condemned by past
sins. If God is for you, who can be against you? (Romans
8:31). Not even you and your damning thoughts can stand up to God’s
love for you at the cross! So if the Bible says “bring every
thought into captivity to the obedience of Christ”, it means arrest
those lying thoughts and jail them for good, every time they
come! Then take those thoughts to the Judge! Jesus is not just the
Judge, but He is also the Lawyer who defends us, and the Bailor who
pays our fine of sin. Jesus Christ was obedient even unto death So
when our thoughts say “I’m not good enough”, we take those thoughts
to Jesus and what Jesus did in our place. We then say, “It is true
that I am not good enough, but Jesus was and is good enough. My
life is in Jesus!”
Sometimes we are our own worst enemy. Nail those lying thoughts to
the cross and let God’s Word be the nails that hold them there.
Daily devotion by Pastor Dan McQuality
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