The Control Center of Your Life

“For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal but mighty in God for pulling down strongholds.” 2Corinthians 10:4 (NKJV)

by Alexandra Copeland

There are certain truths that we hear so much, we run the risk of dismissing the impact of the revelation without allowing it to really sink into our souls. One such truth is that pertaining to the quality and content of our thoughts. Our minds are the control centers of our lives. This is the absolute truth, yet many of us will go on about our days, thinking about whatever pops into our heads. 2Corinthians 10:5 tells us to capture our rebellious thoughts, and teach them to obey Christ, but so often we don’t stop to confront our negative thought patterns, and this can cause us to be out of alignment with God’s Word. 

One of the things that we see happening today on a very widespread scale is the abdication of responsibility and accountability. Taking responsibility for our actions and being accountable for them is the defining characteristic of maturity. It marks the difference between a child and an adult. We can’t afford to get it twisted, because there are many fully grown individuals that behave in some instances like toddlers. This is because they are always looking to blame others rather than taking a good long look in the mirror at themselves. 

Being responsible and accountable will force us to examine 'self'. Proverbs 23:7 (NKJV) tells us, “For as he thinks in his heart, so is he.” Wherever we are in life, whatever our station or stature, we can be assured that it is the sum total of our thought life. Our past thoughts were the paintbrush that completed the portrait we see of ourselves right this very moment. Many of us attempt to blame others; our parents, our bosses, the system; some of us will even try to blame Heavenly Father, but in truth, the buck stops with us. We must be mature enough to accept the responsibility.

You might question this, because so often it feels as if many people are conspiring and working against our efforts to get ahead. This is not a secret. Jesus Christ told the disciples in John 15:18-19(NLT), “18 If the world hates you, remember that it hated me first. 19 The world would love you as one of its own if you belonged to it, but you are no longer part of the world. I chose you to come out of the world, so it hates you.” We are new creations through Christ, and we are no longer a part of this world. Yet, so often we look to individuals in the world for approval, as if they hold the key to our success and victory in their hands. They do not, and we should not give them this kind of power over our destinies. 1Corinthians 15:57 (NKJV) tells us, “But thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.”

God does not give His children substandard gifts. He has given us spiritual blessings that cause us to stand with our footing on the solid foundation of Christ. The enemy and his tricks are beneath our feet when we put on the mind of Christ and stand in the authority and power he has made available to us.

2Corinthians 10:4 (NKJV) affirms, “For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal but mighty in God for pulling down strongholds.” God’s thoughts are the highest thoughts imaginable. They are powerful and not only cast down strongholds, they eradicate them. So it stands to reason that this is why He is so adamant that we renew our minds and put on His thoughts. Doing so will extend to us the very power and authority that He has made available to us.

The definition of a stronghold is exactly what it says. It’s a pattern of behavior that we’ve practiced for so long that it has wrapped its tentacles around our consciousness. Its grip is so tight that it is now very challenging to break away from it. A stronghold has an aroma of bondage, and the enemy can sniff it out, for he knows bondage oh so well. But make no mistake about it, a stronghold can be broken. God has given us the power to break away from anything that seeks to hold us back or keep us down, but our thoughts must come into alignment with the mind of Christ in order to break free and walk in liberty.

God has given us the gift of free-will. Romans 11:29 (NLT) says, “For God's gifts and his call can never be withdrawn.”  Heavenly Father is not going to do a take-back. Free-will is ours for all eternity. How we use this gift is incredibly consequential. God is not going to control the way we think. He’s not going to pull our chairs away from the television, or make us sit down and study His Word. He’s left this completely up to us.

He assures us in Romans 11:29 that His gifts or His call can never be withdrawn. Well, we’re pretty clear on His gifts, what about His call? 1 Peter 2:9-10The Message (MSG) tells us, “9-10 But you are the ones chosen by God, chosen for the high calling of priestly work, chosen to be a holy people, God’s instruments to do his work and speak out for him, to tell others of the night-and-day difference he made for you—from nothing to something, from rejected to accepted.” This is our call. Our goal as believers is to be instruments to do God’s work. We are His mouthpieces; therefore, our minds should be filled with His thoughts.

What are God’s thoughts? He gives us a snapshot summary in Philippians 4:8(NLT). This verse tells us, “Fix your thoughts on what is true, and honorable, and right, and pure, and lovely, and admirable. Think about things that are excellent and worthy of praise.” What a beautiful portrait of the mind of Christ! It must also be a mirror reflection of the way we think as well, because when we begin to think the positives of God’s Word, we will build a life that is abundant in every way. It will be pleasing to Him and fulfilling to us as well. ■

Scripture quotations marked (NLT) are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Wheaton, Illinois 60189. All rights reserved.