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Protecting Your Peace and Freedom From Harmful Thoughts and Feelings


weighing out truth from lies

In this post, I want to expand on a part of repentance that I do not think we talk about enough. Repentance, as you may or may not know, means changing direction or changing your mind. Changing your mind, though, is not like looking in the mirror and deciding you would rather wear the green shirt. It is a training process that will help you with your repentance, build discernment, be on guard for spiritual attacks, and provide more mental stability and freedom.


take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ.  2 Corinthians 10:5

In looking at the above Scripture, it is clear to see that taking a thought or a feeling captive requires us to view the situation objectively. We must not assume that we are at the mercy of our thoughts and feelings. I suggest you view your mind as your home and that feelings and thoughts are people knocking on your door. They come from many places like memories, things you see or hear, conversations you have, the Holy Spirit, and from our enemy. The key question is: which of visitors will you allow to stop and occupy your mind, and which ones will you deny access?


Sometimes being objective requires outside help to get things started. This is when a small group of loving friends can help you. Tell them some thoughts that are going through your mind and let them speak truth into your life. You may feel as though you need even more help, in that case, I recommend seeing a Christian counselor.


We are called to be discerning gatekeepers of our minds. In order to do this properly, we need a source of truth. For us, that is the Bible. Study your Bible so you can discern truth from lies and help others when they need it.


This biblical guidance stands in contrast to much of today's cultural message, which often promotes the idea that our feelings and inner voices are true and by following them, we can be happy. We know this is foolish because we all know people who have found themselves in a regrettable or destructive situation by following harmful thoughts or feelings. The path to wisdom and a fulfilling life isn't found in blindly accepting every visitor, but in discerning which ones align with truth and lead to genuine well-being. As Proverbs 14:12 warns, "There is a way that appears to be right, but in the end it leads to death."

 

Feelings and thoughts that provide medicine and growth.

 Some thoughts and feelings are truly welcome visitors! Philippians 4:8 tells us to focus on what is true, noble, right, pure, lovely, admirable, excellent, or praiseworthy. These are the thoughts that align with God's character and His Word, bringing peace, joy, and helping us grow spiritually. We should invite them in, dwell on them, and allow them to shape our perspective and actions. They truly build us up and honor God.


In addition, we need to encourage more of these thoughts and feelings by doing our spiritual disciplines like reading the Bible, praying, listening, seeking God's Presence, worshiping, praising, and serving others. You can also listen to Scripturally accurate music and read uplifting stories from other believers.


Feelings and thoughts that poison

 On the other hand, many visitors arrive carrying harmful messages like pride, fear, worry, lies, bitterness, unhealthy desires, anger, or doubt. These feelings or thoughts can shrink our faith, distract us, tear us down, or bloat our egos. They will try to take focus from God and put it on us and our situations. This minimizes God. Just as you would if you saw a criminal outside your door, we must firmly tell these thoughts, "There's no room for you here." We don't entertain them, dwell on them, or let them unload their negativity into our minds. Instead, we actively reject them. We then fill that space with God's wonderful promises, knowing that "God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound mind" (2 Timothy 1:7).


How your peace and freedom can be disrupted

The danger in allowing an unwanted thought to linger, especially one that presents itself as a "truth" (like "I'm not good enough" or "things will never change"), is that by agreeing with it, we hand it the power to become a guiding principle in our lives. As long as we accept its premise, even subtly, it influences our decisions, colors our emotions, and shapes our entire outlook. It becomes a false compass, steering us away from God's true north and keeping us stuck in cycles of anxiety, despair, and sin. This is why vigilance is crucial—we must constantly compare every incoming thought to the unchanging truth of God's Word. As Proverbs 4:23 wisely states, "Above all else, guard your heart, for everything you do flows from it."


It might sound like these lies will be easy to spot. That is not always going to be the case because the world has been suggesting some of them to you for a long time. Some of them sound reasonable.

We also have to be on guard for ones that are subtle but influential. They will encourage you to do things like second guess doing something good or procrastinate. Our enemy might like big wins, but they will settle for slowing us down or encouraging us to do so much we suffer from busy sickness.

 

As you work through this process, you may begin recognizing that you seem to deny some visitors more often. You might even feel that as soon as you deny one thought or feeling, there is another one right behind it. If so, you need to look at your life and see what might be feeding those thoughts. Perhaps you are feeling anxious or envious because of some of the social media feeds you watch. If so, you need to cut them out. Maybe you struggle with hateful thoughts or judgments of other people. If you take part in gossip (even listening), you are specifically inviting those thoughts.


You are either feeding the Spirit or you are feeding your flesh. When you feed the flesh, it gets stronger, and you will have more unwanted mental traffic. In Romans 13:14 it says, “But put on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make no provision for the flesh, to gratify its desires.” You will not catch every lie that tries to invade your life, so you must reduce the traffic as much as you can by keeping as much separation as you can between you and the influences of the world. Creating separation is how we pursue holiness.

If we go back to the metaphor of keeping unwanted visitors out of your home, it should be obvious that you do not want to feel surrounded by dangerous visitors. I cannot stress this enough, if you want greater freedom and peace, you must censor things like music, books, media feeds, TV shows, movies, and 24-hour news cycles. It is not that you can’t handle it, it is that no one can.

 

Modern neuroscience backs Biblical wisdom. Both perspectives suggest that the more we accept and dwell on certain types of thoughts—whether positive or negative—the more frequently those thoughts will appear. It's almost as if a visitor finds a nice home they will call their friends and say, "Hey, this is a favorable spot! Come on over!" Our brains literally form stronger neural pathways for the thoughts we consistently entertain. As Proverbs 23:7 puts it, "For as he thinks in his heart, so is he." This means that by choosing to welcome thoughts that are true and good, we are not only obeying Scripture but also actively rewiring our minds for greater peace and spiritual alignment.

 

This practice of "taking thoughts captive" isn't a one-time event; it's an ongoing spiritual exercise. It requires constant awareness and a reliance on the Holy Spirit. Romans 12:2 reminds us: "Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind." By intentionally evaluating each thought against the standard of Christ, we actively participate in this important transformation. We ensure our minds become a safe, holy place for God's truth and a launching pad for His purposes. It's a daily, even hourly, commitment to spiritual discernment.

 



Scripture used or referred to in the writing of "Protecting Your Peace and Freedom From Harmful Thoughts and Feelings" By RD Montgomery

Psalm 19:14

Psalm 119:11

Psalm 139:23-24

Proverbs 4:23

Proverbs 13:20

Proverbs 14:12

Proverbs 23:7

Isaiah 26:3

Matthew 5:29-30

Matthew 6:33

Matthew 7:24-27

John 8:31-32

Romans 6:1-11

Romans 7:13-24

Romans 8:6

Romans 12:2

Romans 13:14

2 Corinthians 10:5

Ephesians 4:23

Philippians 4:7-8

Colossians 3:1-2

2 Timothy 1:7

 


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