"Heavenly Father, I confess that I have allowed my mind to be
controlled and to control me, instead of me controlling my mind. I take back any
ground I may have given by doing this in the past. I destroy any
hindrances or patterns of thought that are based on my past consent. I choose
to aggressively take every thought captive to the obedience of Christ.
Help me, Lord, as I begin this study. May You be glorified as I become
more and more like Christ. In the name of my Lord and Savior, Jesus
Christ, AMEN."
TAKING EVERY
THOUGHT CAPTIVE
By Alaine Pakkala
Chapter 1
Workout #1 – Drawing Near to God
All Christians are told to exercise control over their minds. Scripture
paints a clear picture of the warfare we are all engaged in – a
struggle between living a life consistent with the truth of who we are in
Christ, or living a life based on subtle (and not so subtle) lies and
deceptions
Scripture also pinpoints the battlefield. Like a general tapping his pointer on a map in the war room, God’s Word zeros in on the site of the
heated battles, both big and small. The battlefield is the mind (2 Cor.
4:4; 11:3). These battles determine how we live out each day. Our
thoughts are the starting points for our actions as well as our reactions.
Is it any wonder then, that our enemy Satan hurls his well-placed darts not generally at our physical body, or at some external focus. He
sends them to the control center of our life – our mind. Thoughts:
fleeting thoughts, well-entrenched thoughts, enticing thoughts, harassing
thoughts, accusing thoughts, vague thoughts, confusing thoughts, bizarre
thoughts, distracting thoughts, lustful thoughts, condemning thoughts.
But God is at work too. Through His Holy Spirit, He plants thoughts in our minds also – truths from His Word: good thoughts, uplifting
thoughts, comforting thoughts, strengthening thoughts, convicting thoughts,
life-giving thoughts, encouraging thoughts.
Also, from the moment we are saved (transferred out of Satan’s kingdom, and brought into God’s kingdom) the Lord, through His Holy Spirit,
begins a process of renewing or re-patterning our mind, changing the way
we think (Col. 3:9-10; 2 Cor. 4:16). We have the bold promise in Romans
12:1-2 that as our mind is renewed, our life will be transformed (like
our word “metamorphosized”). Similar to how a caterpillar amazingly
becomes a beautiful butterfly, our lives too take on a completely new
form.
The change isn’t simply an outward, cosmetic “getting our act together.” Instead, the picture we are given by Paul in Romans is one of a
drastic, deep, inward change that is reflected in how we act outwardly.
What causes this change? The agent is the Holy Spirit and the tool is the truth found in God’s Word – the truth about us, about God, about
others. God tells us He desires truth “in the innermost being” (Ps.
51:6), the very core of our lives. All of us, however, to one degree or
another, have misconceptions, distortions or lies that control our feelings
and actions.
How do we dislodge them? What is our part in this renewal process? We are told to “gird your minds for action” (1 Peter 1:13) and to “bring
every thought captive” (2 Cor. 10:5). How, practically, do we do that?
Quite simply, by practicing it.
Too long, many of us have allowed our thoughts to come and go, to run unchecked through our minds. We need to first see where the lies are
and then replace them with the truth. We CAN and NEED to take charge!
Those who have by God’s power and grace, survived severe abuse, also have another factor to consider. The numbing power of overwhelming
violence against them has silenced their will to resist. The feelings of
helplessness, powerlessness, and vulnerability they have experienced over
and over again shuts down something inside of them, something God now
wants to revive. Like a muscle that has atrophied because of lack of
use, their will needs to begin to be exercised in agreement with God’s
truth.
To sum up:
The mind is the battlefield.
I need a renewed mind.
My mind is renewed by the truth.
My part in the renewing is to know and act on the basis of the truth.
My will needs to be reactivated.
Exalting God Through His Word
One of the best ways to begin renewing your mind is to fill it with Scripture verses that lift up or focus on the Lord. Reading His Word back
to God is an excellent way to exalt Him. Copy the following verses on
3x5 cards and read them aloud.
Rev. 5:12-13Psalm 113:1-3Psalm 34:1-3Before you say the verses, read this statement aloud:
“I choose to exalt Christ who is my Lord and my God through these
verses of praise. I bind anything that would hinder me from reading,
hearing, remembering, or believing them. I activate my will in agreement with
these truths.”
Resisting The Enemy
Besides drawing near to God, we also need to resist the enemy. Read aloud the Daily Commitment Prayer that follows:
Daily Commitment Prayer
Father, I come to You in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ. I claim the blood of the Lord Jesus as my protection during this time of prayer.
I address only the True and Living God. I refuse any involvement of
Satan in my prayers.
In the name of Jesus Christ, I command Satan to leave my presence with all his wicked spirits, and I bring the blood of the Lord Jesus between
us.
Father, I ask that You help me during this time of prayer. I thank you that the weapons of my warfare are not carnal, human, or fleshly but
are mighty through God to the pulling down of strongholds, imaginations,
and every high thing that exalts itself against the knowledge and
experience of God and brings every thought into obedience to Christ.
In the name of the Lord Jesus Christ, I resist and cancel every plan. I smash and break every stronghold that has been formed against me and
my priesthood. I bind Satan’s work in this area and loose his hold upon
my priesthood. I submit my priesthood to You, dear Lord.
I take authority over all wicked spirits in and around the house that have been assigned to hinder me and my priesthood today. I bind you in
the name of the Lord Jesus Christ. I command all wicked spirits in the
house to leave and I bind you outside the house. I submit those bonds
to You, heavenly Father.
I resist and cancel every plan. I smash and break every stronghold against me for this day. I bind and destroy all the enemy’s work against
my mind, my emotions, my will, my body, my nerves, my spirit and its
functions, and against the work of the Holy Spirit in my life. I resist
all counterfeits, hindrances to my ministry and calling, my spiritual
gifts, my prayers, and my authority in Christ.
Father, I thank and praise You for Your salvation and deliverance so rich and free. I praise You that while I was yet a sinner, Christ died
for me and ransomed me from the fall. I now claim the blood and
righteousness of Christ as my only hope for salvation. I thank you that I was
justified, sanctified, given eternal life, and made an heir of God and a
co-heir with Christ. I claim all the blessings that are mine because of
it.
I claim my union in the crucifixion where I was placed in Christ and, as He died for sin, I died to sin. I put off the dead old nature with
all its deceitful lusts. I reckon myself now dead indeed to sin.
I claim my union in Christ in the resurrection where I was raised to new life, and I put on the new man created in righteousness and true
holiness and claim the resurrection power in my life.
I thank You for my union in Christ in the glorification where Jesus was seated at the right hand of God the Father. You have placed me there
in Christ. I claim my place there where all principalities, powers, and
wicked spirits are put under the feet of Jesus and thus under me. I
therefore declare that all principalities, powers, and wicked spirits are
subject to me because of this.
I thank You for my union in Christ in Pentecost where I was baptized by the Holy Spirit. I claim the filling of the Blessed Holy Spirit, all
His ministry, and His fruit in my life for this day.
I thank you for my union in Christ in the promises; that in Jesus they are all yea and amen. I claim my place as an adult son by the adoption
of the Spirit where I now have all the inheritance and authority as an
heir of God and co-heir with Jesus Christ. I claim_________(any
promises God has given you personally as well as Phil. 4:19, John 7:38, Eph.
1:3, etc.).
I reject and resist all the endeavors of Satan and his wicked spirits to rob me of the full will of God. I claim God’s full will for me. I
surrender myself to You, Lord, as a living sacrifice. I choose not to be
conformed to this world, but transformed by the renewing of my mind so
that I may know the full and complete will of God in experience. If the
enemy has any ground or hold in my life that robs me of God’s will, I
pray You will push it out and expose it that I may be totally Yours. I
refuse to believe my feelings but place my faith completely in You for
victory.
I thank You for Your full provision for victory. I put on the full armor of God: the breastplate of righteousness, the girdle of truth, the
sandals of peace on my feet, the helmet of salvation on my head, the
sword of the Spirit in my hand, and I cover myself from head to foot with
the shield of faith.
I claim all the victory the Lord Jesus Christ has provided for me where He made a show of principalities, powers, and wicked spirits, leading
them in a victory procession, triumphing over them by His cross. I
reject them out of my life, all their insinuations, accusations,
condemnations and temptations, hindering, lying, counterfeiting and distorting of
the truth. Keep me aggressive in prayer mentally, physically, and
spiritually to withstand the enemy in all things.
I choose to please You, Lord, in all things, to obey Your Word, and to live in harmony with You. I choose all the work of the Lord Jesus
Christ in my life – His crucifixion, resurrection, and glorification, and
all the work of Pentecost (the ministry, fruit and filling of the Holy
Spirit). I refuse to be discouraged. You’re the God of all hope. I
surrender myself to You completely.
I resist and reject every endeavor of Satan to rob me of the full will of God. I claim God’s will. I now resist and reject all the forces of
Satan that are active in my life today. I do all this in the name of the
Lord Jesus Christ. AMEN.
Daily Practice Habits
1)Pray the “Daily Commitment Prayer” aloud every morning.
2)Read aloud the “Drawing Near” verses at least twice a day (perhaps
morning and evening). Check off all the days you do these “habits.”
This Week’s Spiritual Re-conditioning Record
Day 1Day 2Day 3Day 4Day 5
Day 2Day 3Day 4Day 5Day 6Day 7
Day 7
