Are you being held captive by something? A bad habit? A frustrating attitude? A troublesome, devastating sin?
Do you you try to do better? Promise yourself, "that was the last time I am ever doing that?"
Then - there it is again! In spite of your best efforts! Friend, you have a stronghold working in your life. Personally, I don't believe these frustrating habits, sins, and attitudes are that hard to change! The reason I don't think they are that hard is that I have read the Bible!
Here is what it says: 3For though we live in the world, we do not wage war as the world does. 4The weapons we fight with are not the weapons of the world. On the contrary, they have divine power to demolish strongholds. 5We demolish arguments and every pretension that sets itself up against the knowledge of God, and we take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ. 2 Corinthians 10:3-5
Somehow, we Christians seem to have accepted the concept that every habitual sin must have weeks, months, even years of therapy and self-help to overcome - and then you are not really well - you are just maintaining freedom by the slightest of margins. Come on - read the scripture!
1. We live in the world - but we do not wage war as the world does! I hope that is true for you! I live here! I see the same mess - listen to the same junk - and am exposed to all the darkness that Satan can muster. I live in the same world as everyone else - but PRAISE GOD - I do not have to deal with it in the same manner as people without Christ!
2. The Weapon we fight with are not weapons of the world! Well, they aren't if indeed we are walking in the Spirit of God! I don't have to try "self-help!" I don't have to submit to "secular methods" to be free from bondage and strongholds in my life. If I just "try harder" I will just "fail larger!"
3. On the contrary, they have DIVINE POWER to demolish strongholds. Friends, those are very strong terms. Demolish! I like that! Just say you are having trouble with being a closet "potty mouth!" You cuss a lot! Well, you have a heart problem. What comes out of that mouth came from your heart! You will not correct that with putting money in a jar when you cuss, or pinching yourself real hard, or denying yourself dessert every time you cuss. You will only resolve it when you use weapons of divine power to demolish it! Prayer, confession, genuine repentance, followed by FILLING UP on the Word of God and Spirit of God in your heart!
4. We demolish arguments and every pretension that sets itself up against the knowledge of God! Wow! Sounds like Christ set loose in the believer's life can DEMOLISH all the arguments, traps, and snares of the pretense Satan uses against us! And against our knowledge of God. Doesn't sound to me like we are helpless in dealing with Satan!
5. And we take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ! Ah! A key point at the end. In order to take captive our thoughts, where temptations germinate, we have to desire to be obedient to Christ! Jesus asked, "Do you want to get well?" Seems like anyone who is sick or sin-sick would want to be well - but that is not always true. Do you like your porn more than you love Jesus? Do you love living fast and loose more than living fully for Christ? Do you like your wagging tongue and the thrill of gossiping against others more than exalting Christ with your speech? The only way to take captive these behaviors is fully give yourself to Christ! Then, the power of the Spirit to enable you to truly take these thoughts captive and turn them to obedience is present.
Do you want to get well? Do you really desire to overcome? Then one must FILL UP on Christ! And use His weapons of warfare - the buckle of truth (the word of God) the breastplate of righteousness, the shield of faith, the helment of salvation, the foot protection of the gospel of peace.
Get free - and stay FREE!