If we are to take thoughts captive that are not pleasing to God we have to be capable of identifying and judging them. This judgment is enabled and made possible by conviction of the Holy Spirit coupled with the truth of scripture. Consider this:
Heb 4:12 For the word of God is living and active and sharper than any two-edged sword, and piercing as far as the division of soul and spirit, of both joints and marrow, and able to judge the thoughts and intentions of the heart.
In my carnality I resist the judgment of my thought life as sin. In my flesh I justify my thoughts as reasonable. After all, when another person wrongs me, is it not normal to be angry with them and think of all the things I might do to get even with them? What could be wrong with imaginary conversations in my mind about how I will confront my adversaries and gain victory over them? My carnal nature tells me this is acceptable and it revels in the fantasy of experiencing victory over those who have wronged me. Such fantasy is captivating and emotionally satisfying. I resist judging these kinds of thoughts as being unpleasing to God. I want to hang on to these wonderful visions of revenge and triumph. My carnality defends using the standards of the flesh. The following scripture seems to acknowledge that:
There is a way which seems right to a man, but its end is the way of death. Proverbs 16:25
The way that seems right to a man is his carnality. A simple way to understand carnality is to see that it involves getting what we want when we want it. I have previously discussed carnality in some detail at this blog, but we must understand that the thoughts we think which are not pleasing to God are the thoughts that spring from our carnality. The desire to get or do what we want in our flesh triggers all the thinking that leads us into behavior that is not pleasing to God. These are the thoughts to be taken captive and brought into obedience to Christ.
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