POWs

POWs

In reading the Word, we quickly discover that we are in a war.  Our spirit daily wars against our flesh.  We war against principalities and powers, rulers of darkness, and spiritual wickedness in high places.  (Eph. 6:12)

Of all the wars I fight in my Christian walk, I have found that the war against my thoughts is one of the most intense battles I face.

We are always thinking about something.  Our mind has this incredible capability to drift.  Before we know it, we are thinking about someone who offended us, then setting out a very fleshly plan to put them in their place, or get even with them.  If our husband has ticked us off, we may start mulling over the idea of giving him the silent treatment.  After all, look at how many times he’s done that to us!  If we begin to rehearse all of our tasks for the week, it can cause our stomach to become knotted up because our thinking quickly turns to worrying and fretting.  If our mind starts to ponder on the news of all of the terrorists plans, we may be setting ourselves up for panic attacks.  What can we do?

We are told in II. Corinthians 10:5 that we have the power to demolish all arguments and pretensions that go against God’s ways and enter our minds.  We are to take them captive.  In other words, any wrong, untrue, ungodly thoughts need to become our POWs.  When we take them captive, we are to treat them in the most inhumane way, starving them and letting them die of thirst.

To be a good soldier, we not only need a good offense, but a good defense.  Once we use our defense to take POWs, we must go on the offensive.  It is critical to have a plan in place, ready to be put into action. For our thoughts, our best plan is to have God’s Word hidden in our heart so that we have His powerful, life-changing truths deep within us.

When thoughts of what terrorists may do assail us, we can tell ourselves that we don’t need to fret because of evil men, for they will soon wither.  (Ps. 37:1) When we begin to rehearse what we want to say to the one who offended us, we can remind ourselves that we are to love our enemy and pray for them.  (Mt. 5:44) When our mind wants to rehearse the list of perceived wrongs by our husband, we can remind ourselves that love doesn’t keep a record of wrongs. (I Cor. 13:5) When we begin to feel overwhelmed by the multitude of errands, tasks, meetings, and appointments that must be done this week, we can tell ourselves to commit our ways to the Lord because God will establish our thoughts.  (Pr. 16:3) We can pray, trusting in God, leaning on Him, and acknowledging Him, knowing that He will make our path straight.  (Pr. 3:5-6) We can ask God for wisdom to help us see if there are some things on our list that we need to just let go for now.  (Jas. 1:5)

We don’t have to let our thoughts take us captive and make us their POW  We are to be the ones taking POWs.  How about you?  Do you need to change tactics and begin to capture some POWs?
© 2004, Stacy R. Miller