I had something happen in my life a few years ago that was shocking to my system.  It shook my entire foundation and I found myself trying to balance — arms stretched out to the side — teetering back and forth in the wind.  

After seeking the Lord (and I MEAN REALLY SEEKING) I received a lot of healing concerning that event, HOWEVER … (you knew that was coming) I found that when I would mow our grass my mind would race along with the blades spinning around.  Perhaps it was a time when my mind didn’t have to be fruitful (just zooming around in familiar patterns on the mower), so like clockwork I would hear, “She said _____.  Do you remember how he said _______.  And now they ______.”  Several minutes would have passed before I even realized what I was thinking and what was happening!

2 Corinthians 10:4-5
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. (Emphasis mine.)

Do you feel the struggle in the scripture?  When you take something CAPTIVE, implies that the thing being captured isn’t going easily, right?  The scriptures ahead of “take captive every thought” explains that we are to use weapons that are NOT of the world.  You only need weapons in a battle.  

Seriously y’all.  EVERY TIME (and probably to this day) when I started mowing grass (even though I’d start off in prayer) my mind would eventually float over to that area.  I’m not so thick-headed that I didn’t finally figure out what was going on.   

If that happens now, I begin to pray blessings over those people and I speak out loud, “I forgive ____.  I release _____ and bless ____.”  I capture those thoughts and reverse them!  It totally puts a wet blanket on satan’s plans!

Philippians 4:8
Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things.

Sometimes it must be a conscious decision to think on GOOD things.  

If we entertain unhealthy thoughts that don’t line up with the Word of God, before we know it our thoughts will grow into something worse.  If it can, it will be become an ACTION!  An obvious example of that would be lust.  If you allow yourself to entertain lustful thoughts about someone, it is only a matter of time before you take the next step — no matter how wrong it may be.  You become desensitized over time in your thought life.  At first the thoughts were shocking to your senses and offensive to you (you felt the conviction of the Holy Spirit).  As the thoughts were entertained more, they didn’t seem so shocking (because you made the decision to ignore the promptings from the Lord).  Eventually the thoughts were just the “norm” — no longer “wrong” in your mind — so why not act on them?   That is how affairs and any perverted act starts.  With a thought.  Do thoughts seem so innocent now?  

Doesn’t the bible say that if a man (or woman) looks with lust in his heart he has already committed adultery? (Matthew 5:28.)  THOUGHTS are powerful.

I believe stinkin’ thinkin’ can also create demonic strongholds in our lives.

According to the Merriam-Webster online dictionary, a STRONGHOLD is a fortified place.  I believe we build those strongholds (or allow them) in our minds by believing the negative thoughts that we entertain.  Even about OURSELVES. 

Come on women.  How many of us verbally tear our images apart?  Even you we don’t verbalize — are our thoughts positive when we look in the mirror?

Proverbs 23:7a 

For as he thinks in his heart, so is he.

THOUGHTS.  Thoughts can become …

Romans 1:28
And even as they did not like to retain God in their knowledge, God gave them over to a debased mind, to do those things which are not fitting;

Again … the results of not thinking correctly.