The Best Defense Is a Good Offense
Overall, I received great feedback from the post, but I also got an email that indicated I didn't do a very good job of explaining myself. The point of the devotion was paying attention to our thoughts and turning them over to God before they created a stronghold in our minds. I discussed the defense of our minds.
But as one reader pointed out, the best defense is a good offense. If we are continuously filling our minds with God's Word, there will be little room for other thoughts to enter our minds. This is a very good point that I failed to mention. Meditating on the things of God, reading or quoting Scripture, and keeping an open line of prayer are excellent ways of keeping negative thoughts at bay. The fewer evil thoughts we have, the easier it will be to defend against them and place them in the captivity of Christ.
That being said, it seems I may have also given the impression that the process of "standing up" to our thoughts can be done in our own strength. If that is the case, I sincerely apologize. By no means was that my intention. The Bible makes it clear that without God, we can do nothing. However, we can do all things through Christ because He gives us strength. It is only through His power than we can win the war against negative thoughts.
I believe the main point the reader was trying to get across was that the best battle is one that never has to be fought. In the case of our thoughts, our best defense is the proper offense of keeping our minds focused on God's Word. Give thanks. Offer praise. Quote the Scriptures. Stay in constant communication with the God of the universe. As Philippians 4:8 tells us, "Think on these things." If we do that, we won't face as many enemies in the form of negative thoughts. Instead, we'll destroy them before they ever take shape.
I hope that has cleared things up, and I appreciate the reader who took the time to point out the omission in my devotion. The last thing I want to do is to lead people astray by not having a clear message. So, if anything is ever confusing to you, or if you feel I left something out, please don't hesitate to contact me. I'm here for you, and it's vital that I be faithful to God's Word and that the message is always clear. If it's not, I want to know. Remember, iron sharpens iron!
Iron sharpeneth iron; so a man sharpeneth the countenance of his friend. - Proverbs 27:17