I’ve been thinking some more about last week’s message and especially about “taking every thought captive.” For a lot of people this subject is not one they think much about. Yet as I listen to people I hear quite often things that are not Biblical and are not the truth. Many believe what the devil tells them, rather than what the Lord says. Things like “God has abandoned me”, “ God doesn’t love me”, “God doesn’t hear my prayers”, “God doesn’t answer my prayers”, “God doesn’t speak to me”, “God doesn’t care about me”. Does any of this sound familiar? Jesus teaches about this in John 8. “Jesus said to the people who believed in him, ‘You are truly my disciples if you remain faithful to my teachings. And you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free’.” (v. 31-32) “So if the Son sets you free, you are truly free.” (v. 36) Jesus makes it pretty clear, we have to know the truth, we have to remain faithful to Jesus’ teaching and the truth will truly set us free. Jesus also teaches us that the devil, “has always hated the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he lies, it is consistent with his character, for he is a liar and the father of lies.” (v. 44) We need to realize that the devil is so good at lying that we don’t realize that’s a lie, that it is coming from him because it seems to be the truth.
We need to know the truth, what the Bible says, and when something doesn’t line up with the Scripture, we need to be able to recognize it. It is so easy for a thought to take us captive, to keep us in bondage. Only the truth can set us free. We need to take those thoughts captive, we can only do that with God’s help. No where is this more clear than in Jesus’ temptation by the devil. Three times Satan lies to Jesus, and each time Jesus didn’t believe it. Jesus told Satan what the Scripture says. And Jesus didn’t just quote the Scripture, He believed it. I believe we need to do the same. Don’t let the devil lie to you, don’t let him take you captive. Let the Son set you free!
In Christ,
Mike
We need to know the truth, what the Bible says, and when something doesn’t line up with the Scripture, we need to be able to recognize it. It is so easy for a thought to take us captive, to keep us in bondage. Only the truth can set us free. We need to take those thoughts captive, we can only do that with God’s help. No where is this more clear than in Jesus’ temptation by the devil. Three times Satan lies to Jesus, and each time Jesus didn’t believe it. Jesus told Satan what the Scripture says. And Jesus didn’t just quote the Scripture, He believed it. I believe we need to do the same. Don’t let the devil lie to you, don’t let him take you captive. Let the Son set you free!
In Christ,
Mike