The Freedom of a Captive Mind

[Laela]

The Freedom of a Captive Mind
written by Mary Whelchel
March 5, 2012

There is a principle from God's Word that is frequently overlooked, and yet it holds the key to your success in being the person God has planned for you to be. For those of you who are willing to apply this principle in your everyday life, it offers you great freedom: The freedom of a captive mind.

Did you know that there is a great battle going on to capture your mind and your thoughts? The god of this present age, Satan, is doing everything possible to control your mind. He is well aware of what Scripture clearly teaches us-that what you think is what you are, and if he controls your thinking, he controls you.

In 2 Corinthians 10:5 Paul says we are to "bring into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ." Being open-minded is not God's way. He tells us that our thoughts should be captives, that we should put limits on our thinking, strange as that sounds to our modern ears.

Well, how do we do this? Philippians 4:8 reads: "Finally, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable - if anything is excellent or praiseworthy - think about such things."

The secret to controlling our thought life is for us to agree to these limits and to bring our thoughts into these parameters. It could be illustrated in this way. Many of you have skated on a lovely frozen pond in winter time. You can go anywhere you like on that frozen surface with freedom and pleasure.

But if you decide you want to skate further than the pond extends, you'll find it a little difficult. Once you leave the frozen surface, your skates will bog down, and you will lose all the freedom you've had on the pond. So, you decide to stay within the boundaries of the frozen pond, knowing that any other decision is foolhardy.

Do you get the picture? God has set boundaries for our thinking, and within those boundaries we have tremendous freedom. When we refuse to stay within those restrictions, we lose our freedom because we become victims of our own thinking.

 

[LucieLoo12]

Laela


This is soooooooo on time!!!

I've been praying for God to help me to gain my control of my mind. Sometimes I can get so caught up in thinking of my daily routine, that I can not keep my mind in Him. i dont like that. Sometimes I have to "steal away" to regain focus. This article just reminds me that I do have control over mind through His spirit!!! The number one trick of the enemy is to get us distracted, but the devil is a liar!! David said "In your word do I meditate night and day"..I want that testimony, I WILL have that testimony is Jesus name!!

 

[Laela]

Your post hit my spirit, chica. I feel you on this... it is a timely post for me as well and I was just sharing.... I look forward to that testimony....whoohoo!

God bless!

@Laela


This is soooooooo on time!!!

I've been praying for God to help me to gain my control of my mind. Sometimes I can get so caught up in thinking of my daily routine, that I can not keep my mind in Him. i dont like that. Sometimes I have to "steal away" to regain focus. This article just reminds me that I do have control over mind through His spirit!!! The number one trick of the enemy is to get us distracted, but the devil is a liar!! David said "In your word do I meditate night and day"..I want that testimony, I WILL have that testimony is Jesus name!!

 

[sidney]

@Laela


This is soooooooo on time!!!

I've been praying for God to help me to gain my control of my mind. Sometimes I can get so caught up in thinking of my daily routine, that I can not keep my mind in Him. i dont like that. Sometimes I have to "steal away" to regain focus. This article just reminds me that I do have control over mind through His spirit!!! The number one trick of the enemy is to get us distracted, but the devil is a liar!! David said "In your word do I meditate night and day"..I want that testimony, I WILL have that testimony is Jesus name!!

Yes, girly yes! But it's definitely not automatic. I was reflecting on the heart thing [mentioned in the other thread] and I realized you have to be very INTENTIONAL about geting a clean heart and a right mind. The word says, GUARD(Proverbs 4:23) your heart because it is the wellspring of life. All of the issues of life with flow out of how well you keep your heart. Of course, he says in Romans 12:1 that you have to RENEW your mind. We "Got's to" do this thing daily! It's like that toon with the garbage Iwantheathyhair67 posted...

 

[loolalooh]

When we refuse to stay within those restrictions, we lose our freedom because we become victims of our own thinking.

So true, especially the quoted. Thank you for sharing!

 

[Laela]

he Freedom of a Captive Mind
written by Mary Whelchel
March 6, 2012

Did you realize that being open-minded can be the worst possible thing you could do? As Christians we need to learn to bring our thoughts into captivity and learn to think within biblically prescribed limits, because what we think is what we are.

In Philippians 4:8, we are given clear boundaries for our thought life. Let's look at each one of those limitations:

The first one is TRUE. Untrue thoughts are not allowed, and that includes the untrue speculations and imaginings that we often indulge in. For example, do you imagine the worst, and worry about things that have not yet occurred? You are not thinking true thoughts when you do.

The second boundary for our thought life is NOBLE, which means honorable, dignified, and excellent. You know, it's possible to think something that is true, but not honorable. For instance, thinking "gossipy" thoughts about others, even if the facts are true, is not honorable thinking.

There's a third limit set on our thinking, and that is RIGHT. All of us dislike unfair treatment. And yet how often do we allow ourselves to think unfair, unjust thoughts about others. We have prejudiced thinking toward people, and some of us have prejudiced thinking toward other races and cultures. That kind of thinking is not right.

Then, our thoughts must also be PURE. This covers immoral thoughts and sexual fantasies. No one is immune to these thoughts, and our society certainly promotes it. It is necessary to make certain our thoughts are pure.

Next comes LOVELY. Is your thought life full of love, inspiring love or affection? Many times our thoughts may pass all the other tests, but they'll fall short on this point.

In addition to true, noble, right, pure and lovely, our thoughts must be ADMIRABLE, or worthy of praise. If we could read what you were thinking, would we admire your thoughts?

So, the parameters are clear.

 

[Laela]

The Freedom of a Captive Mind
written by Mary Whelchel
March 7, 2012


Mind control - God's mind control, as given to us in Philippians 4:8. We are to bring every thought into captivity so that our thoughts are true, noble, right, pure, lovely and admirable. How do we begin that process?

You begin to have God's mind control by testing your thoughts, by literally stopping and examining individual thoughts, one by one to make sure they fit within the Philippians boundaries. Every thought has to meet all the criteria: true, noble, right, pure, lovely and admirable. If it fails in one point, it is not acceptable.

I can testify that captive thinking becomes more attractive the more you practice it. I remember once starting to get into some self-pity thoughts. And as I realized it, I said to myself, "I don't want to be depressed. I don't want to be blue or down. I will not think these self-pity thoughts." So I brought those specific self-pity thoughts into captivity, refusing to let them intrude my mind, and I then was free from the burden of self-pity.

I now had enough experience at changing my thinking to realize how much better it is not to indulge in self-pity thinking. Isn't it amazing! God really knows what he's talking about. Applying his principles, as difficult as they may appear at times, is always for our good.

Now, once you screen and test those individual thoughts, the question is, "How do I stop thinking the wrong thoughts? I can determine they're wrong, but I can't stop thinking them!" You have to use what I call the Replacement Theory. Replace the wrong thought with a right thought.

Isaiah 26:3 tells us "Thou wilt keep him in perfect peace whose mind is stayed on Thee, because he trusteth in Thee." We have a replacement thought as Christians that is guaranteed to work every time. And that replacement thought is Jesus Christ. When in doubt, think about Jesus!

You may have to replace wrong thoughts every minute or two. But don't let that discourage you. Just keep replacing. You're changing habits that are ingrained, and you're in warfare with your enemy. So, don't give up; just replace the wrong thought with the right thought, as many times as necessary.

 

[Iwanthealthyhair67]

We can not loose our minds if it's stayed on HIM.

Being transformed by the renewing of your mind = the mind of Christ


For me these scriptures are very timely, very timely indeed...

The Freedom of a Captive Mind
written by Mary Whelchel
March 7, 2012


Mind control - God's mind control, as given to us in Philippians 4:8. We are to bring every thought into captivity so that our thoughts are true, noble, right, pure, lovely and admirable. How do we begin that process?

You begin to have God's mind control by testing your thoughts, by literally stopping and examining individual thoughts, one by one to make sure they fit within the Philippians boundaries. Every thought has to meet all the criteria: true, noble, right, pure, lovely and admirable. If it fails in one point, it is not acceptable.

I can testify that captive thinking becomes more attractive the more you practice it. I remember once starting to get into some self-pity thoughts. And as I realized it, I said to myself, "I don't want to be depressed. I don't want to be blue or down. I will not think these self-pity thoughts." So I brought those specific self-pity thoughts into captivity, refusing to let them intrude my mind, and I then was free from the burden of self-pity.

I now had enough experience at changing my thinking to realize how much better it is not to indulge in self-pity thinking. Isn't it amazing! God really knows what he's talking about. Applying his principles, as difficult as they may appear at times, is always for our good.

Now, once you screen and test those individual thoughts, the question is, "How do I stop thinking the wrong thoughts? I can determine they're wrong, but I can't stop thinking them!" You have to use what I call the Replacement Theory. Replace the wrong thought with a right thought.

Isaiah 26:3 tells us "Thou wilt keep him in perfect peace whose mind is stayed on Thee, because he trusteth in Thee." We have a replacement thought as Christians that is guaranteed to work every time. And that replacement thought is Jesus Christ. When in doubt, think about Jesus!

You may have to replace wrong thoughts every minute or two. But don't let that discourage you. Just keep replacing. You're changing habits that are ingrained, and you're in warfare with your enemy. So, don't give up; just replace the wrong thought with the right thought, as many times as necessary.

 

[PinkPebbles]

Amen!

I told myself this morning as I wait on God's promises to manifest in the natural I have to keep mind stayed on Him. When my mind is stayed on Him there is no room for fear or doubt but peace, joy, hope, and faith!!! He is JEHOVAH. Thank you Lord!!!

 

[VictoriousBrownFlower]

Thank you so much for this. It needs to stay in my mind that we should keep our eye on what god tells us not the devil. We can be captives in his mental pergatory or gods mental peace. Its our choice.

 

[Laela]

Yes, the mind (soul) can be a danger to the body and the spirit, which is why it's best to subject it to the Holy Spirit. Doing this will remove all fear, doubt, anxiety, confusion. Of course, we also have "free will" and can choose to operate outside of God's Will or without His Guidance. He will respect that and not force Himself on us. It is a choice...

 

[Baggettcindy]

@Laela


This is soooooooo on time!!!

I've been praying for God to help me to gain my control of my mind. Sometimes I can get so caught up in thinking of my daily routine, that I can not keep my mind in Him. i dont like that. Sometimes I have to "steal away" to regain focus. This article just reminds me that I do have control over mind through His spirit!!! The number one trick of the enemy is to get us distracted, but the devil is a liar!! David said "In your word do I meditate night and day"..I want that testimony, I WILL have that testimony is Jesus name!!

Yessss....this is def on time!!!!

 

[Laela]

The Freedom of a Captive Mind
written by Mary Whelchel
March 8, 2012


You've heard the phrase that our computer age has generated: Garbage in, garbage out. Well, it's not only true of computers; it's also true of our minds. How can we bring our thoughts into the guidelines of Philippians 4:8.

One important element in creating a right thought life is to carefully guard what you put into your mind. If you put garbage into your mind, your thought life will reflect that input.

What do you read? Trashy novels, trivial magazines, secular newspapers? Do you spend more time reading God's Word and good Christian material than you do reading the world's literature, even if it's not necessarily evil? You will never change your thinking if you're reading trash, or failing to read the Bible consistently with top priority over all other reading. It's a fact.

What do you look at on television and movies? Those soap operas and situation comedies are full of immorality and non-Christian lifestyles. If you're pouring that stuff into your mind, forget having a good thought life. It won't happen.

What do you listen to? Are you soaking up the world's music? Much of the lyrics are absolutely evil. Those lyrics get into your mind. What kind of conversations do you listen to? Do you subject yourself to off-color conversations, gossipy conversations, critical conversations? Your thinking won't change with that kind of input going into your mind.

Reprogramming your mind requires careful screening of all that enters. Think of your mind as a large container with a filter over it called "true, noble, right, pure, lovely and admirable." As long as you keep that screen tightly fit over the entrance to your mind, you will screen out the wrong thoughts. But when you lift that screen, even for a moment, you invite trouble.

If you will change the input into your mind, you'll be amazed how your thinking will change. Of course, an essential is the Word of God, poured into your mind regularly and systematically. Scripture memorization is a fantastic way to program your mind correctly. Good reading has helped me immensely.

I simply can't over-emphasize the importance of guarding your mind closely. The world we live in is full of garbage, and we've become desensitized to it. Remember, garbage in, garbage out.

 

[InVue]

Thanks for sharing Laela. This is good practical teaching.

Our thoughts become our words; words become actions; actions become habits; habits become character; character it becomes our destiny.

 

[Laela]

^^ My pleasure, sis... Hugz to ya and do enjoy your day!

 

[Laela]

The Freedom of a Captive Mind
written by Mary Whelchel
March 9, 2012

Great benefits come to us when we learn the biblical mind control of Philippians 4:8.

For right thinking we are promised two wonderful things in Romans 8:6.

"The mind set on the flesh is death, but the the mind set on the Spirit is life and peace."

Life and peace. You can't buy them, you can't earn them, and you can't manufacture them. They come to you as a result of having a mind set on the Spirit of God, having a thought life that stays carefully within the boundaries of true, noble, right, pure, lovely and admirable.

Tired of the ups and downs of your life? Hungry to know freedom from sins and attitudes that weigh you down? Weary of being overcome with depression and loneliness? Looking for a way out of dreariness and boredom?

A captive mind, controlled by the Spirit of God, is the answer, the only answer. Don't be fooled by the world's false promises. Don't be swayed by the humanistic thinking of our day that says, "Think what you like. Be open-minded and flexible. Everything's relative."

If your mind is so open that you allow thoughts that are not true, noble, right, pure, lovely and admirable, you will discover that instead of bringing you freedom, you will relinquish your freedom.

Paul says we are to fight to bring every thought into captivity, and it is a fight. Your enemy will do everything possible to possess and control your thought life, but we can win this fight through Jesus. And it's a fight worth winning because the trophies are life and peace.

I hope and pray that I've been able to help you s*ee how you can have great freedom in your life through a thought life held captive by Jesus Christ. I can testify to you, as one who is still learning this principle, that it makes wonderful differences in your life. It's well worth the price you pay.

 

[Rainbow Dash]

Thanks @Laela for another good series. Good practical everyday teachings. The body of Christ needs every member.

 

[Shimmie]

Ooooo, thanks so much Precious Laela...

I have a lot of 'catching up' to do. Gonna' get my cup of my favorite , sit here and relax while reading...