Mental Blocks (3): You Are Not Your Thoughts
Your mind wants to protect you and keeps you captive in the process. Why the spirit in you is stronger than the logic of fear.
2 Corinthians 10:5
A thought comes. And you believe it is you.
Right here, in this unremarkable moment, it is decided whether a block rules you or whether you become free. That’s why this part is the most important.
Two Voices Within You
Two forces live in you. The mind, which calculates, protects and warns. And the spirit, your wakeful awareness, the place where God speaks to you.
If you can’t tell the two apart, you get caught in a chain that always runs the same way:
A thought shows up. You take it for yourself. You judge it. You react. A feeling rises. And in the end, your body answers: a racing heart, trembling, flight.
With my calls, exactly this chain played out. A thought: They’ll be rude anyway. I took it for the truth. And my body was trembling before I had even dialed.
The way to freedom looks different:
A thought shows up. You listen to it. You don’t make it your self; you take it as information. Then you act. And your body stays calm.
“… and take every thought captive to obey Christ …”
2 Corinthians 10:5
Taking a thought captive doesn’t mean suppressing it. It means looking at it before it rules you. Testing it before you obey it.
What the Mind Is
The mind is closely tied to stimuli and impulses. Much of it is ancient. The fear of rejection, for example, comes from a time when being cast out could mean death.
When the mind alone is in charge, it follows its own logic:
- Fear of rejection leads to avoidance.
- Fear that it won’t pay off means you don’t even begin.
Fear is nothing other than the mind’s logic for keeping you from acting. It means well. But it keeps you captive.
“Watch and pray that you may not enter into temptation. The spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak.”
Matthew 26:41
The Spirit Is Stronger
The mind provides the foundation, the biological framework of your life. But it doesn’t have the last word. Your spirit, your wakeful awareness, can override its logic.
Not by its own strength. But because your spirit is connected to him who is greater than any fear.
“For to set the mind on the flesh is death, but to set the mind on the Spirit is life and peace.”
Romans 8:6
The next time a thought comes and tells you not to do it, pause. Listen to it. And ask: Is this fear speaking, or is this God speaking?
“And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.”
Philippians 4:7
The next part is about how the spirit overrides the logic of fear in very practical terms.
In short
Frequently asked questions about “Mental Blocks (3): You Are Not Your Thoughts”
What does it mean to take every thought captive?
In 2 Corinthians 10:5, Paul speaks of taking “every thought captive to obey Christ.” That doesn’t mean suppressing your thoughts. It means looking at a thought before it rules you, and testing it before you obey it. You listen to it and take it as information instead of making it your self.
Am I my thoughts?
No. A thought shows up, but it is not your self. If you identify with every thought, you get caught in a chain of judgment, feeling and physical reaction. If you listen to it and take it as information, you can act calmly.
What is the difference between the mind and the spirit?
The mind calculates, protects and warns. It is closely tied to stimuli and impulses, and fear is its logic for keeping you from acting. The spirit, your wakeful awareness, is the place where God speaks to you, and it can override the logic of fear (Romans 8:6).
