‘We destroy every proud obstacle that keeps people from knowing God. We capture their rebellious thoughts and teach them to obey Christ. ‘ 2 Corinthians 10:5(NLT)
‘O Jerusalem, cleanse your heart that you may be saved. How long will you harbor your evil thoughts?’ Jeremiah 4:14(NLT)
‘Do not be mean-spirited and refuse someone a loan because the year for canceling debts is close at hand. If you refuse to make the loan and the needy person cries out to the Lord , you will be considered guilty of sin. ‘ Deuteronomy 15:9(NLT)
Resist negative thoughts, assist positive thoughts.
Positive thoughts are not going to stay, they need to be assisted. Negative thoughts are not going to leave, they need to be resisted.
The first parable of Jesus about the seed, soil, and the sower in Matthew 13 shows that bad things like weeds need to be pulled out and good seeds need to be planted. All good seeds need nurturing for them to sprout. For the bad seed to grow, you need to do nothing. It grows on its own. Good seeds, unfortunately, do not grow like that. The same goes with thoughts. Bad ones will not leave; good ones will not stay.
We must assist the Word of God by making room for it in our hearts, and resist the evil thoughts of the enemy by taking them captive and bringing them into submission to Christ..
The Bible describes the mind as a ship looking for harbor. You cannot keep bad ships from sailing back and forth on the ocean, but you can refuse them from docking privileges in the harbor of your mind..
You cannot stop birds from flying over your head, but you can stop them from building a nest in your hair. Bad thoughts come, but do not have to stay if we speak against them with the truth of God’s Word.
from 7 Ways to Renew Your Mind