A Wise Woman Takes Her Thoughts Captive

"We destroy arguments and every lofty opinion raised

 against the knowledge of God,

 and take every thought captive

 to obey Christ..." 

 - 2 Corinthians 10:5

In our modern age where "everything goes" and foolish talk and thinking are considered the norm, a woman of God needs think twice before she jumps on the bandwagon of the popular majority. 

And if we should be careful in how we act and what we say because we represent Christ--then how much more are our thoughts?

I found this quote below the other day and was quite challenged by it:

Because as a society we know that man looks on the outside and how easy it is for all to look "fine" on the outside, but what about what that we allow inside?


Have you been...



mad at your husband?

angry at your children?

grumbling against extended family members?

slandering those in the work place?

thinking adulterous thoughts?

shaking your fist at God about your "situation"?

harboring maliciousness?

judging people at church?


The hard fact is that God knows every thought and every word before we even speak it. We might look clean on the outside but on  the inside we can be dirty.

Remember what Jesus said to the scribes and Pharisees?

"Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you clean the outside of the cup and of the dish, but inside they are full of robbery and self-indulgence. "You blind Pharisee, first clean the inside of the cup and of the dish, so that the outside of it may become clean also. "Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you are like whitewashed tombs which on the outside appear beautiful, but inside they are full of dead men's bones and all uncleanness.…"     - Matthew 23:25-6


I am grateful that while we are sinners that Christ died for us to be forgiven--even our thoughts are forgiven! Praise God! While we can't always prevent an evil thought from coming to mind we can control what we do with that thought --by either entertaining it or taking it captive. 

We don't need to entertain sinful thoughts, we need to do away with them and put a stop to wrong thoughts by purposefully NOT entertaining them, and even more helpful is to replace the sinful thought with God's Word.



If you struggle with taking your thoughts captive, here are FIVE Bible verses to help you:


1. Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect.   -Romans 12:2

2. Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.  -James 4:7

3. You keep him in perfect peace whose mind is stayed on you, because he trusts in you.  -Isaiah 26:3

4. Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things.  - Philippians 4:8

5. Keep your heart with all vigilance, for from it flow the springs of life.  - Proverbs 4:23


And remember that what is inside eventually comes out:

"The good person out of the good treasure of his heart produces good, and the evil person out of his evil treasure produces evil, for out of the abundance of the heart his mouth speaks."  - Luke 6:45



Lord, help us all to take our thought life seriously, that we would act on it, and that it would bring You glory.






Do you struggle with your thought life?

Chime in below!