Taking Captive, EVERY Thought!

 Shabbat Shalom, if you are reading this study on Shabbat, and Shalom, if you are not. The other day, I was listening to one of Brother Joel Batson's "Thoughts From The Road" snippets, on kmsr1700am.com. If you have not heard them on the radio, or seen them on YouTube, I highly recommend that you visit Joel's YouTube Channel. There is a lot of Elohim Fearing Wisdom in this amazing man. Joel's Music reflects the exact same Wisdom, from Yah. This study was sparked from one of the "Thoughts From the Road", Video's Titled: "If You Always Do What You've Always Done". Please take some time to view the short video. It is only 3 minutes and 7 seconds long, and worth every second. 

As we start this study, if you are watching this, Brother Joel, Thank you for the inspiration. 

We would also like to mention that Parental Discretion is advised, as some of this study is of a sensitive nature. 

Title: "Taking Captive, EVERY Thought!"
Now, Let's get into it. First, let's visit Paul's thoughts on taking our thoughts captive, as we read here in: 2 Corinthians, 10:1-6.

• 2 Corinthians, 10:1-6 
• 10:1 And I, Sha’ul, myself appeal to you, through the meekness and gentleness of Mashiaḥ - I who am indeed lowly when face to face with you, but bold toward you when absent!
• 2 But I pray, that when I am present, I might not be bold with that bravery by which I think to be bold against some who reckon us as if we walked according to the flesh.
• 3 For though we walk in the flesh, we do not fight according to the flesh.
• 4 For the weapons we fight with are not fleshly but mighty in Elohim for overthrowing strongholds,
• 5 overthrowing reasonings and every high matter that exalts itself against the knowledge of Elohim, taking captive every thought to make it obedient to ha’Mashiaḥ,
• 6 and being ready to punish all disobedience, when your obedience is complete. 

 This is indeed a very deep thought! "Taking Every Thought Captive"; that is, to make Every Thought Obedient, to our Messiah, Yahusha. Today, we would like to take the next step, and take a look at where deceptive thoughts really come from, and, of course, what we can do to combat them. So, let's dig into this topic, by first going to: "The Testament of the Twelve Patriarchs", specifically the book of Rhuban 1:11-33. While we have read this before, we will read it again, and we will discuss ways to combat the disobedience of the flesh, however, if we do not know what this means, well, how will we know what to do to combat it? Let's get details on just exactly what makes one disobedient, and then we will have an idea of how to get a grip on the deceptions, or spirits of deceit, that have attacked each of us, and thereby, we can fight the righteous fight, and endure to the end.

• Rhuban 1:11-13 [Yah Scriptures] 
• 11 And now hear me, my children, what things I saw concerning the seven spirits of deceit, when I repented.
• 12 Seven spirits therefore are appointed against man, and they are the leaders in the works of youth.
• 13 And seven other Ruaḥoth are given to him at his creation, that through them should be done every work of man.

 Two Things here; Each and Every Human, is fitted with 7 Spirits at His/Her Creation in the flesh. There is even another Spirit which Reuben will touch on in a moment, as we continue. In addition to the 7 Spirits we have in each of us, there are 7 other spirits of deceit, which can indeed be appointed against each person. And again, there is one more ruaḥ as well. let's continue reading, to see what each of these spirits is that we are given to each of us at birth. Keeping in mind, Your spirit is also in this mix.

•  Rhuban 1:14 [Yah Scriptures] 
• 14 The first is the ruaḥ of ḥai [breath of life], with which the constitution [composition] of man is created.

This is the Breath of Life which was breathed into this body, to give it the ability to breathe, as mentioned in Genesis 2:7.

• Genesis 2:7 [Yah Scriptures]
• 7 And Yahuah Elohim formed the man out of dust from the ground, and breathed into his nostrils breath [ruach, spirit] of life. And the man became a living being. 

 Now we understand, that without the Spirit of Life, that Yahuah Elohim Breathed into Each and Every One of us, None of us would have a physical body. Right?

 There is even more to consider before we move on, there is even yet another spirit that will enter this body which was made by Elohim. A spirit which actually met with our Elohim, before the Heavens and the Earth were formed. What? What is this spirit, and where did it come from? Let's find out by going to the Writings Of Eliyahu [Elijah], 8:1-3.

• Writings Of Eliyahu [Elijah], 8:1-3 
•  8:1 Yahuah is Elohim of knowledge.
•  2 By His Word was everything made which was made and He governeth all things according to His infinite foreknowledge.
•  3 Even before He created the shamayim and the earth, He counseled with the hosts of the shamayim and planned a plan wherein the spirit of every man should have his appointed role, for the spirit of every man appeared before the Elohim of the Ruaḥoth in the beginning and received a place appointed in the family of the shamayim and earth.

 This is really important, and not something we were taught, in any way, shape, or form, in any kind of Christian Schooling, or Academy, or even most Torah classes. Well, Armed with this knowledge, that being, Each and Every Man Woman that has ever existed, came into existence before the Heavens and the Earth were made, and met with the Elohim of the Spirits in the begining, Well, with this in mind, not only is the Breath of Life within our mortal bodies, but so too, is our very own spirit, that met with the Elohim of the Spirits, before the Heavens and Earth were made. This is so important, and is within 66 book canon as well. Lets go to Jeremiah, 1:4-5:

• Jeremiah, 1:4-5 [Yah Scriptures] 
• 4 Now the word of Yahuah came to me, saying,
• 5 “Before I formed you in the womb I knew you, and before you came out of the womb I qadosh you - I appointed you a naḇi [prophet] to nations.” 

Okay That is a complete witness to the Writings Of Eliyahu [Elijah], 8:1-3 . WOW, This is Amazing... Let's keep reading to see what else is in these mortal bodies that Elohim formed.

• Rhuban 1:15 [Yah Scriptures] 
• 15 The second is the sense of sight, with which ariseth desire.

 Alright, please pay attention to the pattern that is about to develop; starting with the sense of Sight, which is one of the Spirits that makes these mortal bodies function, as we continue reading in:  

•  Rhuban 1:16 [Yah Scriptures] 
• 16 The third is the sense of hearing, with which cometh teaching.

And again, without the ruaḥ of the sense of Hearing, one must come up with a different way to learn. are you catching on so far? next! 

•  Rhuban 1:17 [Yah Scriptures] 
• 17 The fourth is the sense of smell, with which tastes are given to draw air and breath.

I am not sure if you have ever noticed, but when one cannot smell, one also, cannot taste. as the spirit or sense of smell is required for one to be able to taste. Moving on: 

• Rhuban 1:18 [Yah Scriptures] 
• 18 The fifth is the power of speech, with which cometh knowledge.

Alright, without hearing and speech, knowledge and teaching, as mentioned back in verse 16, becomes a major handicap. Other senses would have to take up the slack.

• Rhuban 1:19 [Yah Scriptures] 
• 19 The sixth is the sense of taste, with which cometh the eating of meats and drinks; and by it strength is produced, for in food is the foundation of strength.

If you remember, as we mentioned earlier, the sense or ruaḥ of smell and the sense or ruaḥ of taste go hand in hand. If one cannot smell, one cannot taste what one eats. Let's keep reading, and please notice something very important as we continue:

• Rhuban 1:20 [Yah Scriptures] 
• 20 The seventh is the power of procreation and sexual intercourse, with which through love of pleasure sins enter in.

This one should raise our eyebrows, because Now we are talking about Sin, even before we get to the rest of the spirits, which mingle with the spirits imparted to each of us (as we will read), which causes those unaware, to stumble; to sin. Let's continue reading.

• Rhuban 1:21 [Yah Scriptures] 
• 21 Wherefore it is the last in order of creation, and the first in that of youth, because it is filled with ignorance, and leadeth the youth as a blind man to a pit, and as a beast to a precipice.

 WOW, did you get that? Please don't raise your hands, but How many of us, Men, and Women alike, have stumbled in this particular ruaḥ, the spirit of the power of procreation and sexual intercourse? With this in mind, the Title of this Study "Taking Captive, EVERY Thought!", is starting to become an extremely important component which must take place, in an effort to overcome Stumbling Blocks. Moving on to yet another ruaḥ which is a part of our mortal, bodies.

• Rhuban 1:22 [Yah Scriptures] 
• 22 Besides all these there is an eighth ruaḥ of sleep, with which is brought about the trance of nature and of death.

 Alright, lets get up to date as to how many ruaḥ's are with us in these flesh and blood bodies. You are one ruaḥ, and there are 8 other ruaḥ's that make the human body function. So that's 9 ruaḥ's total so far. Right? Now, Lets keep reading, and this is the really important part of understanding spirits (ruaḥ's), Good and Bad. Please understand, Yah has given us free choice to do whatever we want. We can Hear, and be Taught, so that we can choose to fear and obey our Father because we Love him, or, we will not. This is witnessed when Mosheh said this: 

• Deuteronomy 30:19 [Yah Scriptures]
• 19 “I have called the shamayim and the earth as witnesses today against you: I have put before you ḥai and death, the beraḵah and the curse. Therefore you shall choose ḥai, so that you live, both you and your seed, 

Now, here is yet another witness. When the children of this earth choose not to listen to Yah. When one does not keep His Commands, His Statutes, His Sabbaths, His Feast Days, His Festivals, His Dietary Laws, His Way, His Instruction:

• Rhuban 1:23 [Yah Scriptures]  
• 23 With these Ruaḥoth are mingled the spirits of error.

That's right, the spirits of error. Please pay attention as these spirits of error, mingle with the spirits that are built within us, that will cause one to stumble and fall if one chooses not to walk in the Ways of Yah. It does not matter who you are, there will be days when you stumble and fall because you had your guard lifted and did not take captive thoughts that slipped in unaware. Please remember before we move on, that when a Righteous Man Stumbles and falls, what happens next makes or breaks that person. Proverbs 24:14-17 

• Proverbs 24:14-17
• 14 Know that wisdom is thus to your being; If you have found it, there is a future, And your expectancy is not cut off.
• 15 Do not lie in wait, O wicked, Against the dwelling of the righteous;
  Do not ravage his resting place;
• 16 For seven times a righteous man falls and rises, But the wicked stumbles into evil.
• 17 Do not exult when your enemy falls, And let not your heart rejoice when he stumbles;

When a righteous person falls, and righteous people do, and will fall (ask us how we know), they get back up, and keep plowing forward, enduring to the End, in Messiah, Yahusha, our High Priest. As Messiah atones for those times when we stumble, who are in Him, and Remain in Him. This is not a free ticket for one to stumble and fall, as unintentional sin, is just that, unintentional. Yet, it happened, and now, without Atonement, where would we be? Alright, let's move into the Spirits that mingle with the spirits which make up a person's being; these are the spirits of Error mingling with the spirits you are made up of. These are indeed reasons people stumble.

• Rhuban 1:24 [Yah Scriptures]   
• 24 First, the spirit of fornication is seated in the nature and in the senses; 

 Lets talk about this first spirit, the spirit of fornication, which is seated, not just in nature, but in our senses. The 8 senses [spirits] that were discussed before going through the spirits of deceit. Let start with your Your ruaḥ, which has Free Will. Yes, Free Will. We are not robot's, and choosing right from wrong really matters. Let's refresh the list of senses, and check which senses can be affected by the deceitful spirit of fornication. 

• Your ruaḥ (what has free will), The spirit of fornication is a choice. ☑️
• ruaḥ of ḥai (The Breath of Life from Yah)
• sense of sight, with which ariseth desire. ☑️
• sense of hearing, with which cometh teaching. ☑️
• sense of smell, with which tastes are given to draw air and breath. ☑️
• power of speech, Knowledge and Teaching. ☑️
• sense of taste, with which cometh the eating of meats and drinks; and by it strength is produced, for in food is the foundation of strength. ☑️
• power of procreation and sexual intercourse ☑️
• eighth ruaḥ of sleep, with which is brought about the trance of nature and of death ☑️

Okay, this is a lot to overcome, and with just the first spirit of deceit being mentioned. Yah has a surprise, which we will discuss after we go through these ruaḥ of deceit. Lets read through the rest of the chapter and add commentary afterword.

• Rhuban 1:25-33 [Yah Scriptures]   
• 25 The second, the spirit of insatiableness in the belly;
• 26 The third, the spirit of fighting, in the liver and gall.
• 27 The fourth is the spirit of obsequiousness and chicanery [groveling and trickery], that through officious attention [overbearing attention] one may be fair in seeming [one may [falsely] seem fair].
• 28 The fifth is the spirit of pride, that one may be boastful and arrogant.
• 29 The sixth is the spirit of lying, in perdition and jealousy to practise deceits, and concealments from kindred and friends.
• 30 The seventh is the spirit of injustice, with which are thefts and acts of rapacity, that a man may fulfill the desire of his heart; for injustice worketh together with the other spirits by the taking of gifts.
• 31 And with all these the spirit of sleep is joined which is that of error and fantasy.
• 32 And so perisheth every young man, darkening his mind from the truth, and not understanding the Torah of Elohim, nor obeying the admonitions of his fathers, as befell me also in my youth.
• 33 And now, my children, love the truth, and it will preserve you: hear ye the words of Re’uḇĕn your father. 

Wow, this is a lot to take in. Since Scripture Interprets Scripture, Let's get a witness from Scripture to the exact nature of this passage, and what it leads to. Romans 1:21-32.

• Romans 1:21-32 [Yah Scriptures]
• 21 because, although they knew Elohim, they did not esteem Him as Elohim, nor gave thanks, but became vain in their reasonings, and their undiscerning heart was darkened.
• 22 Claiming to be wise, they became fools,
• 23 and changed the esteem of the incorruptible Elohim into the likeness of an image of corruptible man, and of birds and of four-footed beasts and of reptiles.
• 24 Therefore Elohim gave them up to uncleanness in the lust of their hearts, to disrespect their bodies among themselves,
• 25 who changed the truth of Elohim into the falsehood, and worshipped and served what was created rather than the Creator, who is baruḵ forever. Amĕn.
• 26 Because of this Elohim gave them over to degrading passions. For even their women exchanged natural relations for what is against nature,
• 27 and likewise, the men also, having left natural relations with woman, burned in their lust for one another, men with men committing indecency, and receiving back the reward which was due for their straying.
• 28 And even as they did not think it worthwhile to possess the knowledge of Elohim, Elohim gave them over to a worthless mind, to do what is improper,
• 29 having been filled with all unrighteousness, whoring, wickedness, greed, evil; filled with envy, murder, fighting, deceit, evil habits; whisperers,
• 30 slanderers, haters of Elohim, insolent, proud, boasters, devisers of evils, disobedient to parents,
• 31 without discernment, Covenant breakers,unloving, unforgiving, ruthless;
• 32 who, though they know the righteousness of Elohim, that those who practise such deserve death, not only do the same but also approve of those who practise them.  

So we see here just exactly what the previous mentioned spirits of deceit can lead too. Is any of this sinking in yet? All of these horrific things mentioned here in Romans 1:21-32 [Yah Scriptures],  lines up completely with the spirits, yes actual spirits, of deceit, in Rhuban 1:24-33 [Yah Scriptures], for those who hate our Elohim, and hate His Torah, His Way, His Statutes, His Dietary Laws, His Sabbaths, His Festivals, His Feast Days, and Yes, His Instruction. 

Where do you think these spirits of deceit come from? For the answer, lets visit, Ephesians 6:11-12.

• Ephesians 6:11-12 [Yah Scriptures] 
• 11 Put on the complete armour of Elohim, for you to have power to stand against the schemes of the devil.
• 12 Because we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against authorities, against the world-rulers of the darkness of this age, against spiritual wickedness in the shamayim. 

This has been going on for a long time. The devil, and his minions; that being: evil spirits (the dead nephilim), that are among us, and one tenth of the fallen angels, minus the two hundred angels in prison, are those very evil spirits that mingle with spirits that make up a man. One may say, all of the fallen angels are in prison, and what is this one tenth fallen angel thing? That is a good question. Let's break it down. Two hundred angels are in Tartarus for taking human wives, and having offspring with them, and the offspring of the angel human hybrids, are now dead, and are evil spirits roaming to and fro on the earth, as we discovered in our last study titled: "Can We Pray for the Dead?" [blog link] [rumble link]. Now about the nine tenths of the fallen angels, other than the two hundred angels being in prison, and 1 tenth of the fallen angels being free for now, lets get a witness by going to:  Jubilees 9:7-14.

• Jubilees 9:7-14 [Yah Scriptures]
• 7 And Yahuah our Elohim commanded us to bind all.
• 8 And the chief of the spirits, Mastĕma [Satan], came and said, “Aḏonai, Creator, let some of them remain before me, and let them listen to my voice, and do all that I shall say to them; for if some of them are not left to me, I shall not be able to execute the power of my purpose on the sons of men; for these are for corruption and leading astray before my right-ruling, for the wickedness of the sons of men is great.”
• 9 And He [Yahuah] said, “Let the tenth part of them remain before him, and let nine parts descend into the place of condemnation.”

 So again, only the devil, and 1 tenth of the fallen angels, and the dead offspring of the fallen angels, now known as evil spirits, or demons are at the devils beck and call. Since we are on a roll, I would like to point out some things that Yahuah has given us to combat the evil stumbling blocks which await everyone, as we continue to read Jubilees 9:10-14

• Jubilees 9:10-14 [Yah Scriptures]
• 10 And one of us He commanded that we should teach Noaḥ all their medicines; for He knew that they would not walk in uprightness, nor strive in righteousness.
• 11 And we did according to all His words: all the wicked evil ones we bound in the place of condemnation, and a tenth part of them we left that they might be subject before Satan on the earth.
• 12 And we explained to Noaḥ all the medicines of their diseases, together with their accomplishments, how he might heal them with herbs of the earth.
• 13 And Noaḥ wrote down all matters in a Book as we instructed him concerning every kind of medicine. Thus the evil spirits were prevented from hurting the sons of Noaḥ.
• 14 And he gave all that he had written to Shĕm, his eldest son; for he loved him exceedingly above all his sons. 

 So now, please notice that a tenth part of the fallen angels and the evil spirits of the nephilim, and the devil are on the earth. We cannot look over the fact that Yahuah has given Noah to write down every kind of medicine to combat the devils wicked schemes to poison and kill mankind. And yes, the book was passed down, and on THIS side of the flood. To learn more about this, please see our study titled: How To Overcome, Part 8-B, ""The pollution of the devil, and how to combat it!". which is part of the "How To Overcome" Series of studies.

With all of this being said, There is even one more thing that can be used to combat the devil's wicked plan to end life on this earth.  There is One More Spirit; that's right, The Power of the Set-Apart Spirit of Yahuah, Which the Father, Yahuah, can impart to those that Love Him, and Love our Messiah. Armed with the Set-Apart Spirit of Truth, We can take captive every thought that is not of Him. Does this mean we will never stumble? Of course not, we will stumble, but like we said earlier, a righteous person gets back up and keeps moving forward towards the goal, which is to Endure to the End with our Messiah, and our Elohim. Well, not to sound like a broken record, but I feel we need to hear this again. Let's read this passage one more time. Proverbs 24:16.

• Proverbs 24:16 [Yah Scriptures] 
• 16 For seven times a righteous man falls and rises, But the wicked stumbles into evil. 

Alright. like we mentioned earlier, the righteous will stumble, but will get back up and dust off and keep pressing into Yahuah our Elohim, in the name of our Messiah, Yahusha, our High Priest, by Keeping the Commands of our Elohim, His Statutes, His Festivals, His Feast Days, His Sabbaths, His Dietary Laws, His Way, His Instruction, and why? Because we Love Him, and we Want Too. Let's get another witness from John 14:15-17:

• John 14:15-17 [Yah Scriptures]
• 15 “If you love Me, you shall guard My Commands.
• 16 “And I shall ask the Father, and He shall give you another Helper, to stay with you forever -
• 17 the Ruaḥ of the Truth, whom the world is unable to receive, because it does not see Him or know Him. But you know Him, for He stays with you and shall be in you. 

 That's right, the Set-Apart Spirit of Yahuah will reside in those that Love Him, and Love Our Messiah. How do we love Yahuah our Elohim, and how do we love our Messiah, Yahusha? Lets keep reading in the book of John, where we left off, as Yahusha tells us this, in John 14:18-21.

• John 14:18-21 [Yah Scriptures]
• 18 “I shall not leave you orphans - I am coming to you.
• 19 “Yet a little while, and the world no longer sees Me, but you shall see Me, because I live, and you shall live.
• 20 “In that day you shall know that I am in My Father, and you in Me, and I in you.
• 21 “He who possesses My Commands and guards them, it is he who loves Me. And he who loves Me shall be loved by My Father, and I shall love him and manifest Myself to him.” 

 He who possesses the Commands of Yah will be Loved by our Messiah, and also the Father. Truly I tell you this day, it is not hard to keep His commands when you Want to keep them because you Love Him. We have a witness to this as well, in 1 John 5:2-3, which teaches us that we can love each other by keeping His Commands, and we can love Him by keeping His Commands. Let's read this passage together. 

• 1 John 5:2-3 [Yah Scriptures] 
• 2 By this we know that we love the children of Elohim, when we love Yahuah and guard His Commands.
• 3 For this is the love for Yahuah, that we guard His Commands, and His Commands are not heavy, 

 Is there more, well, yes, but I think you get the point. Are we under attack? yes, will we stumble? yes. If you and I can Take Captive, Every Thought, and Pray earnestly to the Father, Yahuah, Elohim, in the name of Yahusha, our Messiah, we will have a fighting chance to endure to the end in Messiah Yahusha. Look, it is not all gloom and doom, we are awesomely, and wonderfully made. Let's get one last witness from king David. Father, Yahuah Elohim, in the name of Yahusha Messiah, our High Priest, please give us ears to hear and understand these words.

• Psalms 139:3-18 [Yah Scriptures]
• 3 You spread my path and my lying down, And know well all my ways.
• 4 For there is not a word on my tongue, But see, O Yahuah, You know it all!
• 5 You have closed me in, behind and before, And laid Your hand upon me -
• 6 Knowledge too wondrous for me, It is high, I cannot fathom.
• 7 Where would I go from Your Ruaḥ? Or where would I flee from Your face?
• 8 If I go up into the shamayim, You are there; If I make my bed in the grave, see, You are there.
• 9 I take the wings of the morning, I dwell in the uttermost parts of the sea,
• 10 There too, Your hand would lead me, And Your right hand hold me.
• 11 If I say, “Darkness shall cover me,” Then night would be light to me;
• 12 Even darkness is not dark for You, But night shines as the day - As is darkness, so is light.
• 13 For You, You possessed my kidneys, You have covered me in my mother’s womb.
• 14 I give thanks to You, For I am awesomely and wondrously made! Wondrous are Your works, And my being knows it well.
• 15 My bones were not concealed from You, When I was shaped in a hidden place, Knit together in the depths of the earth.
• 16 Your eyes saw my unformed body, And in Your Book all of them were written, The days they were formed, While none was among them.
• 17 And how precious are Your thoughts to me, O Ĕl! How great has been the sum of them!
• 18 If I should count them, They would be more than the sand; When I wake up, I am still with You. 

 He who has an ear, let him hear. There are amazing secrets, hidden within the pages of your Scripture. The witnesses are throughout the amazing writings of Yah's People. With all of this being said, our conclusion is this: If you always do what you've always done, you'll always get what you've always got. If this is You, Please, Repent! Take Every Thought Captive. Yah has given each of us the power to discern all things. He has given each of us the ability to decipher the writings of the prophets and of our messiah, and to gain understanding of His Holy Writings. It is not by chance that He has lifted a vale from our eyes, we are His remnant, and we are waking up. Seek His Righteousness. Study to be Approved by our Maker. All Glory and Honor to the Father. HalleluYah, Amen. We hope and pray that this message has been a blessing, and an encouragement to you, to take every thought captive, in the name of Yahusha our Messiah, and High Priest. HalleluYah, and Shabbat Shalom. Amen!