The War in our Mind. (2 Cor 10:1-5)
Verses 1-2 In this section Paul is dealing with some people in the Corinthian church who were questioning his authority and his methods.
Verse 3 Paul realizes that this is spiritual warfare. This is a spiritual issue, not a worldly one.
- They don’t have just cause for their complaints.
- Because it is spiritual warfare, Paul realizes that he can’t respond to them with worldly means.
- Paul was not offended by their accusations and criticisms, He recognized it, for what it was.
- A demonic attack.
- What often seems like a real-world problem, is demonic attack rooted in a strong hold.
Verse 4 Paul begins to deal with it not as a physical issue but a spiritual issue.
- We can’t fight spiritual issues with the physical weapons of the world.
- Spiritual problems require spiritual weapons.
- Paul says the spiritual weapons he is going to fight with have divine power to demolish strongholds.
- The implication is that Paul sees their criticism of him being rooted in a demonic stronghold.
- (EHV) tearing down strongholds. Or tearing down Thoughts.
- Emphasizing that these strongholds are rooted in thoughts.
- The idea here is that the false thoughts have been lifted up, made high.
- Therefore, the need to tear down or bring them down.
- The implication is these thoughts are taking the place of Jesus.
- The only one who has been truly lifted up.
- In fact, one of the definitions for this verb is, “to take down as from a cross.”
Verse 5 Two key principles here, take captive and make obedient.
- First, take captive. The word captive here means to make a prisoner, or to take captive.
- Taking that thought in your head, and making it your prisoner rather than the other way around.
- How do we take that thought captive?
- We start by grabbing a hold of that thought and not letting it roll around in our head.
- Then determine its
- Is it simply from the enemy to discourage me or take me out? External
- Or have my own thoughts, learning and understanding, been lifted up in place of Christ.
- Is it from my past, is this from a wound? Something spoken over me.
- Then, after we take it captive, we are to make it obedient to Christ.
- That thought must come into alignment with what Jesus says.
- If a thought I have does not line up with the knowledge of God, it must become obedient to Christ and leave my mind. Speak to it!