“…taking every thought captive to the obedience of Christ.” These words are so important in our quest to bear His presence consistently. Have you ever noticed that if you open the door to a sin and just let it into the narthex (foyer) of your spiritual life, before long it has moved in and taken over the whole sanctuary. Take gossip or being critical for an example; if you entertain a critical thought it will soon pop out of your mouth, and then you find yourself involved in a conversation where all kinds of people get thrown into the conversation. This is the way sin works. You can’t flirt with it; the real battle is won or lost in your thought life. It’s like popcorn, you can’t just eat one piece. Once you start, you just keep on eating.
In our reach to live an obedient life, as an expression of loving Him with all of our heart, soul, mind, and strength (a first commandment life), it always starts in the mind, soul, and heart. People think that obedience is all about things you do or don’t do, but according to this verse it is first and foremost about what you think. If your thoughts are brought into obedience, then your actions will always follow. Jesus made this really clear in the Sermon on The Mount. He said things like murder and adultery happen in the heart and mind, even if you haven’t committed the act. The front line of spiritual warfare is between our two ears. Win that battle and true victory is yours.