I love this verse. I love it because it is a prayer. It is a request of God to guard those things which are sometimes the most difficult for us to control--our tongue and our thoughts. What's the difference between a sincere follower of Christ and a hypocrite? Often there is nothing outwardly visible that one can point out to expose a hypocrite. Often, the difference is in our heart and in our thoughts. The only one who can know these things, other than ourselves, is God.
“…for the Lord searches all hearts, and understands every intent of the thoughts...” (1 Chron. 28:9)
We might be able to fool other people--even people who are close to us--but we cannot fool God. He knows the motives of our heart. He sees the mental battles we wage against hatred and bitterness and envy. He hears the unspoken curses we hurl at those around us. God knows that faith and love and obedience begin in the heart and in the mind... deep within those secret, hidden places, where only we and God can reside. Satan knows this, too, and he is desperate to conquer your mind. He will wage war against you in every way in order to gain control of that vital piece of territory--your thought life.
When tempted, no one should say, "God is tempting me." For God cannot be tempted by evil, nor does he tempt anyone; but each one is tempted when, by his own evil desire, he is dragged away and enticed. Then, after desire has conceived, it gives birth to sin; and sin, when it is full-grown, gives birth to death. (James 1:13-15)
But we do not have to relinquish ground to the enemy. The Bible tells us: If God is for us, who can be against us? (Romans 8:31) and "You, dear children, are from God and have overcome them, because the one who is in you is greater than the one who is in the world." (I John 4:4)
It is so important for us to preserve our thoughts for things that are worthy of God. It is our first act of worship each day and our first line of defense against temptation. When we are tempted to let our thoughts linger on impure ideas or on unkind thoughts, we should instead say, "I refuse to let my mind go there. Instead, I will think of a way to offer God praise at this moment." And then, let the praises flow. Your thoughts are your own. You must learn to take them captive if you ever want to develop self-control in other areas of your life. God offers His help.
"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." (2 Corinthians 10:5)
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