Just My Imagination

“Casting down imaginations, and every high thing that exalteth itself against the knowledge of God, and bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ” 2 Co 10:5, KJV.

It has been only within the past few years that I have realized I have a fear of rejection.  If I give my mind over to this fear, it can be so strong that it is sometimes the motivation behind my actions.   At certain times, it prevents me from speaking my thoughts, and other times speaks for me in ways that is unhealthy.  Either way, our imagination can take us on wild adventures that do not even exist.   Anything that we build up or intensify in our thought patterns will determine our actions.  Our actions are the outward expression of our inner thoughts.  Our passage this morning uses the word imagination which translates as stronghold.  ‘A stronghold is anything that exalts itself in our minds, pretending to be bigger or more powerful than God.  It steals our focus and causes us to feel overpowered ...controlled ...mastered.’  Living Free, p. 10.

Any stronghold that we have in our lives other than God will be the threshold where Satan enters.  He will saunter in and make himself at home in our minds.  He will steal what is truth and replace it with lies.  He will light the candles of fear and try to extinguish the lamp of faith.  He is very intentional when dealing with our thoughts so we must fight thought for thought.  Simply put strongholds come from false ideas so our arsenals must be comprised of God’s truth.  Once those lies start to permeate in our mind we must take them hostage before they do us.  We must dismiss them and replace them with the words of God.  It is imperative that we know what God says about everything so we can speak life into our thoughts where death looms. 

Strongholds can be addiction...fear...grief...unforgiveness and a host of many other things.  It is anything that consumes us emotionally zapping our mental and physical energy.  It is something that strangles the abundant life which God desires for all of us. We must fight thought for thought and cast down anything that is contrary to the words of God.  When we feel unloved we must remember that God sent His only Son because He loves us so much (John 3:16).  When we feel fear we must recite that God did not give us a spirit of fear but of power (2 Tim 1:7).  When we feel all alone our battle cry should be that we are never completely alone because God will not forsake or leave us (De 31:6).  When our hearts are broken we must tell ourselves that God is close to the brokenhearted (Psalm 34:18).  The truths go on and on if we will just arm our minds with effective weapons in Christ.

“For the word of God is alive and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart” Hebrews 4:12.