To Control Your Conduct, Control Your Thoughts – Part Two

Romans 7: 22 – 25

Improper thoughts are illustrated as being two strong fortresses. These fortified positions crumble before the weapons of the Spirit.

They are spoken of as “arguments” and “high thing(s).”

“Arguments” refers to intellectual pretension or human conceit. It is a deceptive fantasy.

The expression “high thing” refers to improper pride.

In summary the two refer to any barrier of pride that is erected against the knowledge of God.

Then follows the appeal to bring “into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ…”  The New English Bible translates this, “we compel every human thought to surrender in obedience to Christ.”

That great theologian Barney Fife: “I don’t have time to deal with those trivial trivialities.” Neither do we.

Therefore, when you have a deceptive fantasy or improper pride rethink the subject and superimpose a thought you are confident Jesus would have if thinking on the subject. That is what is meant by bringing our thoughts into captivity.

We do well to memorize and practice Psalm 19: 12 – 14:

“Cleanse me from secret faults. Keep back Your servant also from presumptuous sins; Let them not have dominion over me. Then I shall be blameless, And I shall be innocent of great transgression.

“Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be acceptable in Your sight. O Lord, my strength and my redeemer.”

Preempt improper programming.

Chris Craft, former head of our space program, was asked, “When is the best time to make a decision?”

His answer is classic: “Before you have to.”

In reality that is when we make most of our decisions. He continued to explain that before every space flight it is programmed in detail with every possible alternative considered. In that way if something goes wrong they don’t have to try to figure out what to do under the pressure and emotion of the moment. That is true in the spiritual realm also.

An aid in guarding the mind is to guard your eye. Resolutely affirm with the psalmist “I will set nothing wicked before my eyes…” (Psalm 101: 3). The eye is a primary portal to the mind. What you view determines your view of things. Technology makes it easy to access catalysts for carnality.

Not only avoid the negative, search for wholesome material that encourages Jesus, pleasing action.

Establish a Bible study and Bible memorization program that you may have in store at the fountain head of your heart Jesus’ pleasing principles as a result of being able to say “thy word have I hidden in my heart.”