2 Corinthians 10:4-5 For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal but mighty in God for pulling down strongholds, casting down arguments and every high thing that exalts itself against the knowledge of God, bringing every thought into captivity to the obedience of Christ.
Our mind is like a construction site. The foundation of our future is laid by the thoughts that we mull over in our mind. Belief systems are built by revisiting ideas, principles and concepts over and over again. Unhealthy strongholds are built by accepting and believing wrong notions and perceptions. For example, a wrong view such as “This is a corrupt world so we cannot live a clean and holy life”, is an erroneous concept that will soon brick by brick, layer by layer, build a stronghold of unethical lifestyle of lies, deception and manipulation. Both ‘safety shelters’ as well as ‘self-imprisoning strongholds’ are constructed by the thought patterns of our mind.
“In the construction world, tools are important. But the greatest tool you have is your mind”. An architectural design must be visualized in the mind before it can be sketched on paper and constructed with bricks and mortar. Similarly, the mind is the construction field of precepts, concepts and discepts. Prideful precepts, corrupt concepts and dissensions will imprison a person in the illegitimate stronghold of their thoughts.
The Word of God gives us strategies to be successful in the construction field of our mind. Capture and cast ungodly, prideful and lethal thoughts. Create thought patterns based on God’s Word and construct a safe stronghold on the Word of God.
Construction and deconstruction Strongholds:
1. Cast: “Think about what you are thinking about!” Cast futile, filthy and formidable thoughts and crush them with the Word of God. Unholy thoughts will corrupt and poison our mind. Ask yourself WWJD (What would Jesus do?). Would Jesus engage in fruitless, fearful and fickle thoughts? Cast down unproductive thoughts and destroy them with the promises of God.
2. Capture: The Lord is our only secure stronghold in the storm as well as in the calm. When our security is shifted to our wealth, work or net worth, the storms of life will wear-out the worldly and worthless strongholds and leave us trembling in dread and desperation. Capture fear and foreboding; pride and self-pity; envy and irking dissensions and surrender the futile thoughts to Jesus.
3. Construct: Don’t let your mind wander. Meandering will make a lazy mind fall into mediocre or even malicious or mean thinking. “Daytime thinking is a building process, whereas nighttime thinking is a sorting process” – Caroline Leaf. If your mind says, “I can’t”, replace it with “I can do all things with Christ Jesus”. When your mind says, “You’re good for nothing”, replace it with, “I am a royal priesthood, holy nation, God’s chosen”. Construct your future with godly thoughts.
Capture and cast demeaning and derogatory thoughts and take shelter in the unshakable stronghold, the rock, Jesus Christ.
Psalm 62:5-6 Rest in God alone, my soul, for my hope comes from him. He alone is my rock and my salvation, my stronghold; I will not be shaken.
Prayer: Dearest Lord Jesus, I cast down demeaning, belittling and offensive thoughts at your feet. I will hide in the shelter of your stronghold. Amen
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