2 Corinthians 10:5 We 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.

Lately the Lord has taken something I’ve known for a while and made it much more real.   I wanted to share it with you in the hope that it can become more real for you, too.  He’s been revealing to me that the most destructive war known to mankind is not Russia v the USA or North Korea v South Korea or any such thing.  The most destructive war we face is the one between our own two ears.   We are a culture that has chosen to wage war on ourselves and this is not God, this is the enemy.   

It’s one thing for the Lord to bring conviction and rebuke for the purpose of transforming us into his likeness.  I’m not saying that any of us have arrived or that we don’t all need refinement.  We most certainly do.  Unless we are completely transformed into perfect Christlikeness, there is work to be done.  I think that qualifies 100% of the human race for being open to conviction.  If we are too comfortable with who we are then perhaps we have another problem and that is pride.   Ugh.  You know what comes next, right?  Yup, falling.   

I believe, more common though, is the nagging voice, the mocking voice, the demeaning and deflating voice that accuses us in our own minds and depletes our joy, depletes our energy and robs us of, well, almost everything that is valuable in this space we occupy on Planet Earth currently.  Sometimes it’s a loud voice and sometimes it’s just so quiet and in our subconscious that we don’t even notice it anymore.  It can be stealth.

The Lord has been telling me, teaching me to stop warring against myself.   I know some of it is the enemy but some of it is, well, in fact, me.   And His direct instruction to stop beating myself up-  about my body, about my parenting skills, about my lack of productivity, about my home needing work, about my “job”, etc- has come from the heavy hand of my Father, not the gentle touch.  He has once again made it known that when He says things, it’s not that they are sweet and cute.  It’s that He MEANS them!   Dadgummit!  He really MEANS them.   We have to DEMOLISH arguents and EVERY pretension that sets itself up against the knowledge of God!  What does God say about us?  We are fearfully and wonderfully made.   We are loved with an everlasting love.   We are never left, never forsaken, we are ACCEPTED in the beloved- just the way we are.   

So, how many thoughts have we had today about ourselves that have “set themselves up” against the truth?  And have we taken them captive to the obedience of Christ?   

Well if you haven’t, don’t beat yourself up.  (Hahaha)   Be FREE in the knowledge that you do NOT have to, any longer, tell yourself anything that depletes your emotional energy.  Even God’s rebukes give energy!  They don’t deplete it!  This is one case in point! If you read this and feel ashamed, then kick the enemy’s butt and tell him to be gone!  Be energized that you do NOT have to tell yourself how you don’t measure up anymore.   Picture who. you. are. in Christ, which is typically exactly who He’s called you to be, and stick with that picture. Refuse anything else.   If you see yourself as lazy, stop it!  See yourself as energetic, LIVE there,  and hold onto that because in Christ, it IS real today!  You’re not lying to yourself.  You are demolishing what is not of God and believing what IS of God.

If you see yourself as too fat or too thin, STOP it.   Picture yourself as God sees you- fit  and healthy!   Refuse any self destructive thoughts that you are not who God says you are!   Get that picture in your mind of the body you want to be and see yourself, fully, as that person right now, today-  not when you get there or you may never get there.   (I’m talking to myself here, folks.)   If we focus on what is not of God, then that focus brings it into being.  

If you picture yourself as unworthy of whatever- a job, a spouse, a fill-in-the-blank, then ask Him to reveal His truth about you and for you in those things and live there!

Whatever we focus on more than Jesus-   all the shoulds- I should be this or I should be that- is our idol and that means we are exercising FAITH in it.  And guess what faith does?!  It brings things to pass.  Yup.   Just think on that one a bit.

Bottom line is this.  If we could stop all the wars that go on between a person’s ears, then we would have a different world.  It would be transformed.   Completely.  People would be more joyful and less desirous of argument, relationships would be improved, productivity would increase, and mostly there would be freedom.  Let there be peace on earth and let it begin with me, and in me, about who I am. 

Takeaway:  We tend to wage war against ourselves, in our own minds- either in subtle fashion or in direct hits.  And that war is the most destructive war on the planet.  We must take all warring thoughts captive and call them into obedience to the word, to the Lord.  We must see ourselves through God’s lens and walk in that freedom.  We must take God’s word so, so seriously and be free to live and love as a result of it.

Prayer:  Lord, Lord-  thank you so much for Your word!    Please take your two edged sword and divide my internal words so that  I can take captive all of them that do not line up with Your truth!   Reveal to me what my own thoughts are, which ones are of you, which ones are of me and which ones are of the enemy and help me to eliminate all that speak against Your truth!  Help me to see myself through Your eyes and Your eyes alone.  Grant me the humility to accept Godly rebuke and to continue to transform more and more into the person that You see in me. Give me Your vision.  I love you, Jesus!