The whole idea of bringing one’s thoughts captive is not new to me (however, it is a very difficult concept in and of itself, let alone being difficult to work out in my mind).  But the idea that we bring “projects” into captivity (which start as thoughts) was interesting to me.  (the Moffatt translation says ” . . . I take every project prisoner to make it obey Christ . . . “) If you are like me I have a new idea every day.  If I did every one of them–well, we know where that would go–I’d be crazy (but who says I’m not, right?).  God is not asking us to be busy.  He’s asking us to be disciplined, to confer with Him to wait on Him to obey His will–in EVERYTHING–including projects for Him.  Read what Oswald Chambers says about this idea:

Keep your thoughts and ideas in a row–captive and disciplined.

Practical work for Christians is greatly overemphasized today, and [those] who are “bringing every thought [and project] into captivity” are criticized and told that they are not determined, and that they lack zeal for God or zeal for the souls of others.  But true determination and zeal are found in obeying God, not in the inclination to serve Him that arises from our own undisciplined human nature.  (HUMMMMMMM–but if it’s for God isn’t it good?–my question)  It is inconceivable, but true nevertheless, that saints are not “bringing every thought [and project] into captivity,” but are simply doing work for God that has been instigated by their own human nature, and has not been made spiritual through determined discipline.