We can demolish every deceptive fantasy that opposes God and break through every arrogant attitude that is raised up in defiance of the true knowledge of God. We capture, like prisoners of war, every thought and insist that it bow in obedience to the Anointed One.
Fear is our innate ability to respond to danger or a threat. Many of us understand that concept when it comes to a dangerous situation like an unwelcome encounter with a bear. Park Rangers instruct us to back up quietly, or if approached, make loud noises to make yourself look bigger than the bear. Oh, I forgot, they also tell you to remain calm – I know, hard to fathom that would be our first instinct.
About the animal world, scientist Thierry Steimer stated “animals may learn to fear situations in which they have previously been exposed to pain or stress”. I find it interesting how similar that is to the way humans react. Past hurts or suffering often causes us to fear a repeat of those very same events. The result can turn into a life of avoidance, judgment, or conflict.
When we allow past hurts and fear to dominate our thoughts we build a sense of resentment, like a wall meant to protect us, but that actually keeps us from living the life God intended for us. We claim ownership of those thoughts instead of recognizing them as another attack from Satan. He knows the hurt we felt, and he wants us to remain in that pain.
However, those are lies and not how God wants us to respond. He wants us to let go of past offenses and give them to Him. He is far more capable of handling Satan’s attacks than we are. How do we do that? The Bible tells us to take captive every thought that is not of God and give it to Him. The next time you feel the hurts of the past creeping up on you, pause and ask yourself if they make you feel sad, angry, or judgmental. If so, capture them and give the burden to God. He is eagerly waiting to protect you from the danger.
