Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 3:00 — 4.1MB)
PROGRAM D-7368
God’s mind control, is 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.
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 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 a war with your enemy. So, don’t give up; just replace the wrong thought with the right thought, as many times as necessary.