As a therapist I like to use a Cognitive-Behavioral approach to work with my clients. This is because as a Christian, I know that the battle is for the mind and if we can be deceived in our minds, we will believe whatever comes at us. Satan knows this and if he can keep our minds deluded we can be rendered ineffective for the sake of Christ.

How we think (T) affects how we we feel (F) and our behavior (B). Also how we feel (F) affects what we think (T) and how we behave (B). How we behave (B) can affect what we think (T) and how we feel (F) and finally, how we behave (B) affects how we feel (F) and what we think (T). Its a cyclical effect no matter how you lay it out. Just imagine a circle with all 3 of these interacting a cause and effect between them.

As human beings we feel. You can’t get rid of your feelings. You can change how you think about them or how you behave with them, but otherwise, they just “are” and it is important to validate them. But feelings can’t be trusted, because they have potential to lead us astray. So it is always important to check your feelings. To not make rash decisions during times of intense emotions. The two places where we have power in Christ is through our thoughts and our behavior. But the thoughts truly trump everything.

This is why it is so important to remember, “For though we live in the world, we do not wage war as the world does. The weapons we fight with are not the weapons of the 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 Cor 10:3-5 (NIV)

So, take captive your thoughts. You have the Holy Spirit within you as a believer to help you in this. Are they godly thoughts or are they thoughts that are destructive or have potential to be destructive? Could they lead you astray? Read your Bible and pray. Take your thoughts to the word of God and see if there is any truth that would refute that thought. Ask God to show you those scriptures. Memorize that scripture that tells you what is true and say it out loud whenever those wrong thoughts come to mind.Write that scripture out and put it on a 3 x 5 card to put on your bathroom mirror or wherever you need to see it. In prayer time, ask Jesus to help you to be mindful of your thinking and to help you correct it towards the truth of His word. This is how we can hold our thoughts captive to the obedience of Christ and demolish the places where there are strongholds in our mind. It is the truth that will set us free!