Your Thought Life

Your Thought Life

In Your Mind.

Fear is inevitable, but we can take control of our thoughts.

The Bible says in Proverbs 23:7, “As a man thinks in his heart so is he.”

We are what we think.  A thought must be in our mind before we can act upon it, but the Bible also instructs us,

 ”For though we live in the world, we do not wage war as the world does. The weapons we fight with are not the weapons of the world. On the contrary, they have divine power to demolish strongholds. We demolish arguments and every pretension that sets itself up against the knowledge of God, and we take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ…”
2 Corinthians 10:3-5

Let’s break this down . . . 

A stronghold in this context is wrong thoughts and perceptions that contradict the true knowledge and nature of God.

It is often hard to let go of thinking that the world values, but God’s power can break down these strongholds.

Here is the problem with our thoughts  . . . our thoughts are unseen.  Nobody knows how we really feel.  You may think that your thoughts are insignificant, however, they are not.  

They affect our relationships with God.

They affect our relationships with others.

They can even affect our health.

Many times, your negative or anxious thoughts are Satan’s way of distracting you from God and the plans he has for you.

Satan will tell you . . . 

• You’re not good enough.
• That it’s ok to sin a little.
• The church is not important.
• Following God’s word is too hard and you’ll never have any fun.
• That you should be perfect, and if you can’t you should just not try.  

Remember your thoughts will become your actions we do what we choose to believe.  

We do not act upon things that we do not believe.

Think about it for a moment . . . why did you choose to sit in the chair that you are sitting in?

Because you BELIEVE that it will hold you up. Right?

There is a lot of power in our thoughts and beliefs. 

Romans 12:2 tells us, 

“Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will.”

Want to know what to do with your thoughts?

Transform them . . . the battle is all in your mind.

The battle is Satan attempting to gain control of your thought life, but you do NOT have to allow him to do so.

You can choose.

When Satan attacks you with negative thoughts you have about 5 seconds to take that thought captive, or that thought is going to take you captive.

The devil knows if he can control your mind, he can control you, because remember, “As a man thinks, so is he.”  

You can fight for your thought life.  The weapons that you need are:

• The Word of God
• Prayer
• The authority we have in Christ
• The Holy Spirit lives in us as Christians.

Remember, “Therefore submit to God. Resist the devil and he will flee from you.”  James 4:7

Think about it.  No one can think two things at a time.  If you’re thinking about what is right, you cannot be thinking about what is wrong.  

You can choose your thoughts, just like you choose your friends.  

Did you know you can refuse to let things in your mind?

The Bible says we have the mind of Christ.  1 Corinthians 2:16

When you are struggling with your thoughts remember . . . Philippians 4:8

So how do you change your thought life?  One of my favorite quotes is – “Change your thoughts, change your life.”  I have seen it attributed to a number of people, so I don’t exactly know who to give the attribution to, but this quote is true.

Changing your thoughts is what the Bible called “renewing your mind”.  How exactly do you do so though?

Have you ever had a thought run through your mind over and over again and you might have felt that you were helpless to stop it?

I’ve had random things pop into my mind before and wondered “Where did that come from?”  Until recently I was not aware that these thoughts can oftentimes be attributed to Satan.  

A book that I have both read and studies twice in the past year, Victory Over the Darkness, author Neil T Anderson puts it this way, “If Satan can place a thought in your mind, and he can – it is much more of a trick for him to make you think it is your idea.  If Satan can get you to believe a lie, you can lose some element of control in your life. Satan has no power of authority over you except what you yield to him when you are deceived into believing his lies.”  

Let’s read John 8:44, which says, “You belong to your father, the devil, and you want to carry out your father’s desires. He was a murderer from the beginning, not holding to the truth, for there is no truth in him. When he lies, he speaks his native language, for he is a liar and the father of lies.” 

Satan is the father of lies.  So how do we determine what is a lie and what is truth?

The Bible is true because the Bible is God’s Holy Word.  If what we think does not reflect the truth, then what we feel does not reflect reality.

Remember at the beginning of today’s episode we talked about strongholds.  A stronghold is a mental habit pattern.

Satan’s strategy is to introduce his thoughts, and ideas into your mind and deceive you into believing that they are yours.  

Know this – since Satan’s primary weapon is the lie, your defense again him is the truth.  

1 Timothy 4:1 – “The Spirit clearly says that in later times some will abandon the faith and follow deceiving spirits and things taught by demons.”

Do NOT be deceived.  Realize that many of your thoughts are Satan’s lies, then read your Bible to identify the truth.

How do you recognize a fake?  By studying the real deal. 

A friend of mine shared with me during a study once that bank tellers study real cash in order to recognize a counterfeit.  If we study God’s word and then Satan tries to trick us we will know which is true.  

In order to renew your mind, you must input the truth.  The best way to do this is through the reading of God’s word.  Renewing your mind must become a daily habit.