Every Single One!

We are in a war!  You may not think about often.  Some don't even realize it.   I don't mean with foreign forces on foreign fields against terrorism and such. I have heroes that are fighting in such wars so that we don't have to on our homeland.  However, there is a bigger war on our homeland.  There is a bigger war in our HOME.  There is a bigger one even in our mind.  If we don't realize and win victory in it, we will be defeated in too many ways.  In 2 Corinthians (www.lifejournal.cc) Paul is talking to a war torn church.  They have battles within as well as battles outside their walls.  They live in a thinktank society that always loves to fight and argue about which way is right.  They have battles in their own mind, their own lifestyles, and their own circumstances. Paul is addressing all these matters.  In 2 Corinthians 10 he gives a great summary of the battle that is at hand:  ³For though we walk in the flesh, we are not waging war according to the flesh. ⁴For the weapons of our warfare are not of the flesh but have divine power to destroy strongholds. ⁵We destroy arguments and every lofty opinion raised against the knowledge of God, and take every thought captive to obey Christ, ⁶ being ready to punish every disobedience, when your obedience is complete.- v.3-6
In v. 5 he gives a wonderful statement that just speaks volumes.  First he speaks of the arguments and the lofty opinions of the world that needs Christ yet argues furiously against the things of God.  He then speaks of the attack that he puts forth: He takes captive every thought.  Now when he says that, he is speaking to debating the arguments from others but he is also speaking of winning the debate of the mind....his own mind.  He simply does not allow ungodly thoughts to take root.    He does not allow himself to speculate, to be discouraged, to be downtrodden, to be negative, to be unclean, to be caught up, to be envious, to be covetous, to be jealous, to be backbiting, to be critical, to be flippant tongued, to be...of this world.  He will not let it stick.  It is not that those things don't come up.  When they do, he takes them captive.  I saw a mouse in my house one time years ago.  I tried to throw a clothes basket on him (what would I have done then!) When I realized I could not catch him, I bought a mouse trap and the next morning he was dead.  I took him captive.  Another way to phrase that is "I spear every thought."  It is a full-fledge attack all the time.  Never let your guard down.  Do not put it off.  How?  He puts it this way in Romans 12:2: instead of conforming to the ways of the world, be transformed by the renewing of your mind.   In Philippians 4:7 he tells us to let the peace of God guard our hearts and minds.  Ephesians 4:32 tells us to renew the spirit of our minds.   That is a daily battle that is worth the fight.  Spear out every single one today!  Honor God with your thoughts! Do it all day long!  It is worth the fight!!