Weapon #2: God’s Word (this post is a continuation of my MARRIAGE series)

“The weapons we fight with are not weapons of this world. On the contrary, they have divine power to demolish strongholds. 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.” 2 Corinthians 10: 3-5

Did you ever want to get away from your own thoughts about yourself, your husband or a circumstance in your life? I have! I’ve caught myself so many times dwelling on thoughts that are not positive, helpful, productive or true. If I spend too much time with my thoughts, they can steal my joy, peace, and good judgement. They can paralyze me to the point of not being able to relate well with others. They prevent me from feeding blessing into another’s life. Our key scripture today tells us to “take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ.” This is a powerful strategy used to demolish that stronghold in your life.

Do you remember our definition of a stronghold? It is anything that exalts itself in your mind, pretending to be bigger or more powerful than our God. Bible teacher, Beth Moore says, “When Satan wages war against us, the primary battlefield is the mind. The goal of our warfare is to steal back our thought lives and instead take them captive to Christ. The enemy’s chief target is the mind because the most effective way to influence behavior is to influence thinking. Our minds are the control centers of our entire beings.”

Satan is a liar and deceiver. He knows where you are vulnerable and the things you struggle with. His greatest desire is to steal, kill and destroy the life Jesus died to give you (John 10:10). He will come at you from every angle and try to pull you off the beautiful path God has blazed for you. The only way you can keep Satan from successfully knocking you down is to be firmly rooted in God’s Word. The Bible is TRUTH AND LIFE. God is your ROCK AND FIRM FOUNDATION. Growing your roots deep requires time, perseverance and a thirst for daily nourishment, which comes from spending time with God and reading His Word. The more truth you have in you, the more artillery you’ll have to use against each lie and negative thought that creeps into your mind.

The more you speak and think TRUTH, the more you’ll believe it. It will transform you. Speak and pray scripture over your husband, and it will begin to transform him as well.

I like to keep note cards handy, so when I read a scripture that applies to my current struggle, I can easily write it down and refer back to it throughout my day. Speaking, thinking and praying scripture out loud was challenging for me, at first...and a little awkward at times. But, now, it has become the only sure way to keep my mind fixed on truth. I’d like to mention, too, that listening to Christian music (like K-LOVE radio) has helped tremendously. When my thoughts start moving in the wrong direction, I just start singing whatever song is playing and it takes my thoughts right back to Christ. When our thoughts are fixed on him, we will find freedom, peace joy and VICTORY!

To help you get started, I recommend reading and working through, “Power Thoughts,” by Joyce Meyer.