For though we walk in the flesh, we do not wage battle according to the flesh, for the weapons of our warfare are not of the flesh, but divinely powerful for the destruction of fortresses. We are destroying arguments and all arrogance raised against the knowledge of God, and we are taking every thought captive to the obedience of Christ.
Most of us value speaking our mind or saying the thought that comes off the top of our head. But the call to take our thoughts captives requires that we think before we speak. Even our thoughts should be under obedience to Christ and formed by His likeness. All our external efforts to do better or say the right thing will be short-lived if we lack the supernatural, transformative power of Christ.
Romans 8:3-4 says, “For what the Law could not do, weak as it was through the flesh, God did: sending His own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh and as an offering for sin, He condemned sin in the flesh, so that the requirement of the Law might be fulfilled in us who do not walk according to the flesh but according to the Spirit.” Only through Christ are we equipped with the Spirit who gives us the self-control we need when we want to give someone a piece of our mind or the patience to take a thought captive before it reaches our lips. When we live according to the Spirit, we are free from sin, but we are also free to live for God and tell the ultimate truth—proclaiming His excellency in every moment.
- When was a time you spoke your mind but later regretted it?
- What would it look like to take every thought captive in obedience to Christ?
- Pray and ask God to give you self-control that honors Him regarding your speech.
