II Corinthians 10:3-5
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II Corinthians 10:3-5:
“For though we walk in the flesh, we do not war according to the flesh. For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal but mighty in God for pulling down strongholds, casting down arguments and every high thing that exalts itself against the knowledge of God, bringing every thought into captivity to the obedience of Christ, “ (2 Corinthians 10:3-5) |
“I have inclined my heart to perform Your statutes Forever, to the very end.” (Psalm 119:112)
“But I see another law in my members, warring against the law of my mind, and bringing me into captivity to the law of sin which is in my members.” (Romans 7:23) Lord, I crush every thought that is contrary to Scripture and capture it and correct it with Your truth. Don’t let this idea exist that (your negative thought) is stronger than You and what You can do in my situation. For “with God all things are possible” (Matthew 19:26).
To put off your old self, which belongs to your former manner of life and is corrupt through deceitful desires, and to be renewed in the spirit of your minds. And to put on the new self, created after the likeness of God in true righteousness and holiness (Ephesians 4:22-24).
Men cannot find God in their imaginations. Only he seeking for Him apart from their imaginations can they find Him. The imagination is spoken of as a “vain thing” in scripture that can weaken or usurp the effectiveness of the word of God. The word “imaginations” here could be translated “reasonings of natural men.” The worlds reasonings are foolishness to God. So we must cast down false reasoning for truth.
The principles of the other sciences, either are evident and cannot be proved, or they are proved by natural reason in some other science. But the knowledge proper to this science comes through revelation, and not through natural reason. Therefore it is not its business to prove the principles of the other sciences, but only to judge them. For whatsoever is found in the other sciences contrary to the truth of this science must be condemned as false. |
The context of this passage is the Corinthians judging after the flesh, and the one example given is judging Paul after the flesh. They accused him of being powerful in letters but meek in person, thus a phony or hypocrite.
revenge all disobedience does not refer to punishing people, as the passage states "we do not war after the flesh".
Rather, it is the vain thoughts that exalt themselves above the glory of God that are being destroyed, not people. The people -- the church body -- are the ones being avenged, because they have been hurt by their vain thoughts. And really it is Christ in them that is being avenged, because Christ in them is the one blasphemed by judgments according to the flesh.
The vain imaginations are being destroyed by the obedience of the people, so that they are fully avenged when the obedience is complete.
This obedience will be caused by the Spirit moving on the hearts of the people, convicting them, in response to Paul's exhortations.
This is Paul's spiritual warfare: the preaching of the cross reveals the mystery that Christ is in them. Once the Corinithians understand that Christ is in the person they are judging, they realize that they are committing blasphemy, they repent, and they confess their own sins. This is how thoughts are taken captive, high places are pulled down, etc.
His weapons to accomplish this warfare are mighty and effectual even though the outward mechanism (preaching) is foolish and humble. Thus outwardly, he appears foolish and meek, but the warfare does not happen outwardly, but inwardly, where the Spirit moves in power.
"Having in a readiness" is most likely a Latinism -- "in promptu habere" which pictures a military display of readiness (to continue the military theme of the passage). Thus this passage is often translated as "standing ready to .." or "we stand ready" to help get this sense across of a military unit standing at attention, publicly displaying its state of readiness to some military leader that is reviewing it.
Therefore
"we stand ready to revenge all disobedience, when your obedience is complete"
...should be explained as:
"We are a powerful army displaying our ability to avenge the vain imaginations of your hearts, by means of spiritual warfare, which will cause you to become fully obedient, confessing your sins, thus tearing down all your imaginations, and hence the body that was hurt will be avenged."
ElaborationThis passage is about judging wrongly, or judging after the flesh (according to what you can see with the eyes).
Remember that what matters is in the heart, because that's where Christ dwells. Every time you read Paul, keep in mind the mystery, the center of everything, what E.E. Cummings calls "the secret that nobody knows, the root of the root and the bud of the bud" -- that you carry another heart inside your heart, namely Christ in you, the hope of glory (Gal 1.26). There is no understanding Paul (or John's epistles) without first seeing the mystery.
Therefore because we are a temple, the only way to judge rightly is to see someone's heart - what is in the temple. Flesh cannot do that, it cannot comprehend Christ, it can only see flesh. So flesh always judges wrongly.
E.g. there are two people, one lusts after another man's wife in his heart, and the other commits adultery in the flesh. In God's eyes, they are both guilty of the same sin, since God sees both committing adultery in the Temple where He resides.
But in man's eyes, only one of these is judged. And it will be the one who committed adultery in the heart that will rise up to condemn the one who did it according to the flesh, because we only condemn in others what bothers our conscience in ourselves. That is, not seeing the heart, the carnal man projects his own heart onto others and then rises up to condemn.
Romans 2:1 (KJV 1900)
Therefore thou art inexcusable, O man, whosoever thou art that judgest: for wherein thou judgest another, thou condemnest thyself; for thou that judgest doest the same things.
Whereas the man whose conscience is pure does not condemn
To the pure all things are pure, but to those who are defiled and unbelieving nothing is pure; but even their mind and conscience are defiled. (Titus 1.15)
The Corinthians, which had no power to see into Paul's heart, nevertheless saw Paul's power in his letters, where he displayed his power, and they saw his meekness in the body. So they accused him of what they were guilty of -- only pretending to have power.
But when you judge outwardly, you are blaspheming God in the person you are judging. You are saying "You have problems in your temple". In that case, you better know what's happening in their temple, instead of judging by outward appearances.
Paul warns them
2 Corinthians 10:7 (KJV 1900)
7 Do ye look on things after the outward appearance? If any man trust to himself that he is Christ’s, let him of himself think this again, that, as he is Christ’s, even so are we Christ’s.
Thus these false judgements are an example of the imaginations that exalt themselves against the knowledge of God. They are what needs to be torn down. That is what is being talked about here.
Paul could have abused his power, and gone to the Corinthians, exposing them by revealing the secrets of their hearts - thus revealing their hypocrisy and that would tear everything down.
But Paul insists he uses his authority for edification, not destruction (2 Cor 10.8). So he wants them to tear down these imaginations by their obedience. That way they realize what they are doing and learn, as forced obedience is not obedience.
And the way to tear carnal judgement down is by confessing what troubles your conscience to the body, rather than projecting your guilt onto someone else and accusing them in the body. You lower yourself rather than exalt yourself.
But have renounced the hidden things of dishonesty, not walking in craftiness, nor handling the word of God deceitfully; but by manifestation of the truth commending ourselves to every man's conscience in the sight of God. (2 Cor 4.2)
When you openly confess what your conscience troubles you about, then you will not judge another wrongly. Then you will, like Paul, resolve never to judge after the flesh:
Wherefore henceforth know we no man after the flesh: yea, though we have known Christ after the flesh, yet now henceforth know we him no more. 2 Cor 5.16
Thus Paul will exhort them to confess. He will teach them the mystery and he will preach the cross. This is how he wages spiritual warfare. And through their obedience, the imaginations will be torn down, and those who have been blasphemed - namely the church body - will be avenge -Hermeneutics Stack Exchange
revenge all disobedience does not refer to punishing people, as the passage states "we do not war after the flesh".
Rather, it is the vain thoughts that exalt themselves above the glory of God that are being destroyed, not people. The people -- the church body -- are the ones being avenged, because they have been hurt by their vain thoughts. And really it is Christ in them that is being avenged, because Christ in them is the one blasphemed by judgments according to the flesh.
The vain imaginations are being destroyed by the obedience of the people, so that they are fully avenged when the obedience is complete.
This obedience will be caused by the Spirit moving on the hearts of the people, convicting them, in response to Paul's exhortations.
This is Paul's spiritual warfare: the preaching of the cross reveals the mystery that Christ is in them. Once the Corinithians understand that Christ is in the person they are judging, they realize that they are committing blasphemy, they repent, and they confess their own sins. This is how thoughts are taken captive, high places are pulled down, etc.
His weapons to accomplish this warfare are mighty and effectual even though the outward mechanism (preaching) is foolish and humble. Thus outwardly, he appears foolish and meek, but the warfare does not happen outwardly, but inwardly, where the Spirit moves in power.
"Having in a readiness" is most likely a Latinism -- "in promptu habere" which pictures a military display of readiness (to continue the military theme of the passage). Thus this passage is often translated as "standing ready to .." or "we stand ready" to help get this sense across of a military unit standing at attention, publicly displaying its state of readiness to some military leader that is reviewing it.
Therefore
"we stand ready to revenge all disobedience, when your obedience is complete"
...should be explained as:
"We are a powerful army displaying our ability to avenge the vain imaginations of your hearts, by means of spiritual warfare, which will cause you to become fully obedient, confessing your sins, thus tearing down all your imaginations, and hence the body that was hurt will be avenged."
ElaborationThis passage is about judging wrongly, or judging after the flesh (according to what you can see with the eyes).
Remember that what matters is in the heart, because that's where Christ dwells. Every time you read Paul, keep in mind the mystery, the center of everything, what E.E. Cummings calls "the secret that nobody knows, the root of the root and the bud of the bud" -- that you carry another heart inside your heart, namely Christ in you, the hope of glory (Gal 1.26). There is no understanding Paul (or John's epistles) without first seeing the mystery.
Therefore because we are a temple, the only way to judge rightly is to see someone's heart - what is in the temple. Flesh cannot do that, it cannot comprehend Christ, it can only see flesh. So flesh always judges wrongly.
E.g. there are two people, one lusts after another man's wife in his heart, and the other commits adultery in the flesh. In God's eyes, they are both guilty of the same sin, since God sees both committing adultery in the Temple where He resides.
But in man's eyes, only one of these is judged. And it will be the one who committed adultery in the heart that will rise up to condemn the one who did it according to the flesh, because we only condemn in others what bothers our conscience in ourselves. That is, not seeing the heart, the carnal man projects his own heart onto others and then rises up to condemn.
Romans 2:1 (KJV 1900)
Therefore thou art inexcusable, O man, whosoever thou art that judgest: for wherein thou judgest another, thou condemnest thyself; for thou that judgest doest the same things.
Whereas the man whose conscience is pure does not condemn
To the pure all things are pure, but to those who are defiled and unbelieving nothing is pure; but even their mind and conscience are defiled. (Titus 1.15)
The Corinthians, which had no power to see into Paul's heart, nevertheless saw Paul's power in his letters, where he displayed his power, and they saw his meekness in the body. So they accused him of what they were guilty of -- only pretending to have power.
But when you judge outwardly, you are blaspheming God in the person you are judging. You are saying "You have problems in your temple". In that case, you better know what's happening in their temple, instead of judging by outward appearances.
Paul warns them
2 Corinthians 10:7 (KJV 1900)
7 Do ye look on things after the outward appearance? If any man trust to himself that he is Christ’s, let him of himself think this again, that, as he is Christ’s, even so are we Christ’s.
Thus these false judgements are an example of the imaginations that exalt themselves against the knowledge of God. They are what needs to be torn down. That is what is being talked about here.
Paul could have abused his power, and gone to the Corinthians, exposing them by revealing the secrets of their hearts - thus revealing their hypocrisy and that would tear everything down.
But Paul insists he uses his authority for edification, not destruction (2 Cor 10.8). So he wants them to tear down these imaginations by their obedience. That way they realize what they are doing and learn, as forced obedience is not obedience.
And the way to tear carnal judgement down is by confessing what troubles your conscience to the body, rather than projecting your guilt onto someone else and accusing them in the body. You lower yourself rather than exalt yourself.
But have renounced the hidden things of dishonesty, not walking in craftiness, nor handling the word of God deceitfully; but by manifestation of the truth commending ourselves to every man's conscience in the sight of God. (2 Cor 4.2)
When you openly confess what your conscience troubles you about, then you will not judge another wrongly. Then you will, like Paul, resolve never to judge after the flesh:
Wherefore henceforth know we no man after the flesh: yea, though we have known Christ after the flesh, yet now henceforth know we him no more. 2 Cor 5.16
Thus Paul will exhort them to confess. He will teach them the mystery and he will preach the cross. This is how he wages spiritual warfare. And through their obedience, the imaginations will be torn down, and those who have been blasphemed - namely the church body - will be avenge -Hermeneutics Stack Exchange
“Fighting the good fight of faith indicates the intense struggle or contention associated with the Christian life and begins the moment one accepts Jesus as Lord and Saviour.....It is not a carnal battle but a spiritual one. Our weapons, therefore, are not also carnal, nor do we fight according to human standards. We need to put on the whole armor of God and fight to defend our faith and the interests of the kingdom” --Prof. Onyinyechukwu Okpala
Philippians 4:8,9: “Finally my brethren, whatever things are noble, whatever things are just, whatever things are pure, whatever things are lovely, whatever things are of good report, if there is any virtue and if there is anything praiseworthy — meditate on these things. The things which you learned and received and heard and saw in me, these do, and the God of peace will be with you.”(NKJV)
“We cannot be using swords or guns to fight spiritual beings. That is why we will continue to trust God to fight for us. Our weapons are not carnal but mighty through God to the pulling of strongholds. We trust in him and he will never allow our enemies to triumph over us." --Benue State Governor Samuel Ortom
In my book, Drama Free, I explain we are instructed to take our thoughts captive to the obedience of Christ because we are in a spiritual war in which the enemy will do his best to run rampant through our thought life, creating doubt, fear, chaos, and confusion. Do you realize that when you feel overwhelmed by health problems, or too many commitments, or relationship difficulties, or emotional distress, it’s possible the enemy of your soul has already formed a stronghold within you and is having a heyday with your thought life? Your only defense is to take those misdirected thoughts captive to the obedience of Christ so they are not running loose in your head and wreaking havoc with your emotional state.
Taking our thoughts captive to the obedience of Christ means capturing or binding them with the truth of God’s Word. If your thoughts tell you that you are alone, capture them and correct them with the truth of Hebrews 13:5 that God will never leave you, nor forsake you. If your thoughts are telling you to leave your spouse and pursue what you want, capture those thoughts and correct them with the truth of 1 Corinthians 13:8: “love bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things.” -Cindy McMenamin |
2 Corinthians 10:5 (NIV) sheds valuable light on the battle we are facing: Taking thoughts captive is a major step in the right direction. When others look at us a certain way, comment on a post, or treat us questionably, Satan immediately seizes the opportunity and plants divisive thoughts in our minds. It's hard to extinguish fiery darts once they have been kindled in the heart.
This is a key moment: Do you take the thought captive, put it in prison, and lock up the influence, or do you allow it to imprison and influence you by dwelling on it? When this happens, peace and love are overrun by turmoil, anxiety, and anger. As a result, bitterness, jealousy, and unforgiveness--the fuel sources of anger--set in. During these pivotal moments, the key is to take thoughts captive, err on the side of grace, and walk in humility. Control your thoughts—don't let your thoughts control you. Is it easy? Hardly, but it can be done if we truly want to be released from the iron grip of anger. --Shane Idleman; pastor Westside Christian Fellowship |
Over half of men aged 18-49 label pornography as morally acceptable. What’s even more disturbing is that 50% of those who claimed their religion was important to them, also said porn was morally acceptable.
The second factor contributing to this moral decline is that Christians frequently underscore God’s Word and the role that He plays in the battle between the flesh and the spirit. Most of the sermons and books today focus on what you need to do to become free — not how God has a role and provision for us in this battle.
Did you know that sexual sin is different than all other sins? The Bible tells us, “Every sin that a man does is outside the body, but he commits sexual immorality sins against his own body” (1 Corinthians 6:18). Sexual sin incapacitates us both spiritually and physically. Satan knows this and has been using this sin against man from the very beginning. He knows we were created as sexual beings (Genesis 2:24) and our sexual immorality incapacitates us. He also knows sin causes us to hide from God (Genesis 3:10) and he specifically targets Christians.
-J.S. Shelton; “Unmuzzled: Escaping sexual sin, Satan’s grip on men.”
The second factor contributing to this moral decline is that Christians frequently underscore God’s Word and the role that He plays in the battle between the flesh and the spirit. Most of the sermons and books today focus on what you need to do to become free — not how God has a role and provision for us in this battle.
Did you know that sexual sin is different than all other sins? The Bible tells us, “Every sin that a man does is outside the body, but he commits sexual immorality sins against his own body” (1 Corinthians 6:18). Sexual sin incapacitates us both spiritually and physically. Satan knows this and has been using this sin against man from the very beginning. He knows we were created as sexual beings (Genesis 2:24) and our sexual immorality incapacitates us. He also knows sin causes us to hide from God (Genesis 3:10) and he specifically targets Christians.
-J.S. Shelton; “Unmuzzled: Escaping sexual sin, Satan’s grip on men.”
This verse is talking about ideas. It continues, … and bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ.” Any idea that is contrary to the Word of God, or contrary to obedience to Christ’s wishes for your life, is not God’s idea. You must set it aside. The imaginations God gives you will always line up with His Word and will and purpose for why He made you and put you here. Note: Genuine creative imagination is always in alignment with God’s nature and character. -Bassey Ekong
Thoughts of all kinds flit through our minds. We reject the bad ones and go forward. But we should not feel guilty that they appeared, if only momentarily. Only had we welcomed them inside and let them entertain us with their juicy (scary!) scenarios should we feel that we have done wrong.
No one should ever rationalize that “Well, it was just a thought and thoughts are harmless.” They are not harmless. The thought is the preparation for the act. Every wrong deed begins with a wrong thought. And seriously wrong deeds are almost always preceded by a full-scale onslaught of impure thinking, planning and daydreaming. As serious disciples of the Lord Jesus Christ, we fill our minds with thoughts proper and healthy, godly and edifying. “Whatsoever things are true, whatever is honorable, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is of good repute, if there is any excellence and if anything worthy of praise, let your mind dwell on these things”(Philippians 4:8). -Joe McKeever; What to Do with Wayward Thoughts |
First, there is truth, i.e., the revelation of reality, the exposure of things as they really are. In Romans 13:12 this is called "the weapon of light." Turning on the light is a marvelous weapon for helping to dispel the darkness of these areas where entrenched evil is rampant, in our day or any other day. Truth is the first of the weapons.
Then love is linked with truth. Everywhere in Scripture you find these two great forces linked together, truth and love. Paul writes to the Ephesians and exhorts them to "speak the truth in love" (Ephesians 4:15), and in the second letter of John we read, Grace, mercy and peace will be with us, from God the Father and from Jesus Christ the Father's Son, in truth and love. (2 John 1:3 RSV) The third weapon is righteousness, i.e., moral rectitude, right behavior, in line with reality. In this same letter, in Chapter 6, the Apostle Paul refers to "The weapons of righteousness for the right hand and for the left" (2 Corinthians 6:7b RSV), by which I take it he means the public life and the private life -- the weapons of righteousness visible from the outside and in the interior life as well. Righteousness, rectitude, right behavior. Then the fourth of these weapons is faith-prayer, i.e., the life of faith expressed in prayer. You recall how in Ephesians 6 the apostle speaks directly of "the shield of faith with which you can quench all the fiery darts of the wicked one," (Ephesians 6:16). In this passage, faith is linked with prayer, "praying always for all saints" (Ephesians 6:18), in every situation -Ray Stedman |
A stronghold is simply a place where a particular cause or belief is defended and upheld. It can also refer to a place dominated by a particular group of people.
If you’ve ever seen medieval movies, you’ve seen strongholds. They are the big, fortified castles kings and queens live in.
Spiritual strongholds on the other hand, exist in our minds and they are fortified “castles” that the enemy occupies and controls us from. Strongholds are built by negative thoughts and belief systems. This is why we need to take our thoughts captive – to break down strongholds and to prevent new ones from being built. -Shante Grossett; Daily She Pursues
If you’ve ever seen medieval movies, you’ve seen strongholds. They are the big, fortified castles kings and queens live in.
Spiritual strongholds on the other hand, exist in our minds and they are fortified “castles” that the enemy occupies and controls us from. Strongholds are built by negative thoughts and belief systems. This is why we need to take our thoughts captive – to break down strongholds and to prevent new ones from being built. -Shante Grossett; Daily She Pursues
"True knowledge makes men humble. Where there is exaltation of self, the knowledge of God is wanting. Arrange the words following thus: "Bringing every thought (that is, intent of the mind or will) into captivity to the obedience of Christ," that is, to obey Christ. The three steps of the apostle's spiritual warfare are: (1) It demolishes what is opposed to Christ; (2) It leads captive; (3) It brings into obedience to Christ (Romans 1:5 , 16:26). The "reasonings" ( "imaginations") are utterly "cast down." The "mental intents" ("thoughts") are taken willing captives, and tender the voluntary obedience of faith to Christ the Conqueror." - Commentary Critical and Explanatory
"Destroying all vain reasonings, and every high thing which exalteth itself - As a wall or rampart. Against the knowledge of God, and bringing every thought - Or, rather, faculty of the mind. Into captivity to the obedience of Christ - Those evil reasonings are destroyed. The mind itself, being overcome and taken captive, lays down all authority of its own, and entirely gives itself up to perform, for the time to come, to Christ its conqueror the obedience of faith." - Wesley's Explanatory Notes
"Destroying all vain reasonings, and every high thing which exalteth itself - As a wall or rampart. Against the knowledge of God, and bringing every thought - Or, rather, faculty of the mind. Into captivity to the obedience of Christ - Those evil reasonings are destroyed. The mind itself, being overcome and taken captive, lays down all authority of its own, and entirely gives itself up to perform, for the time to come, to Christ its conqueror the obedience of faith." - Wesley's Explanatory Notes
Paul says though we walk or live in the flesh, we do not wage our war after the flesh. He makes a difference between walking in the flesh and warring after the flesh. It is the same as stating there is a difference between living in the flesh and living after the flesh.
It may sound a little strange for some of you to read that we are walking or living in the flesh because we know we should be walking in the Spirit. This is where context matters in the correct interpretation of scriptures. Living in the flesh, as used here, means being alive here on the earth, with a spirit, soul and body. The flesh is not evil in itself in this sense. It simply means our earthly existence. The Word became flesh and lived in the flesh amongst the disciples! However, though we are living in the flesh, we do not war or fight our battles after the flesh. We do not use human means to fight our battles. We do not fight against people but against spirits. We use salvation, righteousness, truth, faith, the Word of God and even love to fight our battles. These do not make sense to ordinary people. It should not because they are not fleshly, but divinely given weapons! -Patrick Oben 
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The weapons that are used in prayers of intercession are spiritual, not flesh. In fact, Paul uses a word for “power” that means “dynamic miracles from God.” (We even get the word dynamite from that word usage.) We use God’s mighty weapons, not worldly weapons, to knock down the strongholds of human reasoning, false arguments, and anything priding itself against the truth of God.
But what does that actually mean? It means that when we pray and intercede for others, we can address the things that keep them from seeing, knowing, and understanding the truth of God and the love He pursues them with. Intercessory prayer is speaking God’s power into situations, circumstances, and obstacles that keep others from coming to faith, being healed, or set free. In essence, through prayer, we destroy every proud obstacle that keeps people from knowing God. We capture rebellious thoughts that sets itself up from seeing Jesus and His truth. In community we are going to practice prayers of intercession for people who don’t know Jesus yet or have walked away. Also, we are going to be interceding for physical, spiritual, and emotional needs in your group. -Grace Gathering |
Second Corinthians 10:4 says, “For the weapons of our warfare are not of the flesh . . .” — that is, they are not merely human. This is not a mere battle between one philosopher with some human wisdom against another philosopher with some human wisdom. “. . . but [the weapons of our warfare] have divine power to destroy strongholds.” Then he defines this powerful stronghold-destroying activity in two steps.
Second Corinthians 10:5: “[First] we destroy arguments and every lofty [or proud] opinion raised against the knowledge of God, and [second we] take every thought captive.” It’s like when you move in a battle: you destroy the fortress, and then you take captives. We “take every thought captive to obey Christ.” -John Piper; Desiring God
Second Corinthians 10:5: “[First] we destroy arguments and every lofty [or proud] opinion raised against the knowledge of God, and [second we] take every thought captive.” It’s like when you move in a battle: you destroy the fortress, and then you take captives. We “take every thought captive to obey Christ.” -John Piper; Desiring God
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There Is A Fight For Your Imagination.
His purpose is to get you to receive images of defeat and failure, doubt, fear, unbelief, causing you to not believe God’s Word. Whenever you believe the devils images, you lose your place, position, power, or some ground in God. The devils images are most always lies (for he is the father of lies) that may have a logical root or some portion of truth in it. Don’t give the devil access to your imagination. Cast down every thought, idea, ways that seem logical, natural thought patterns and basic human perception, and lift up God’s Word above it all. I am no longer bound to carnality, but it will rule when I allow it. Paul says in verse 4 that “strongholds” rise up. The carnality gains footing in my life, a place to attack. So, we have to “cast down” or “demolish” those strongholds.
“demolish” = kathaireo = to take down, tear down, destroy, do away with. That is action. I must not ignore these things. I must not say “well, that’s just the way I am.” or “We all have our faults.” No, I must see the strongholds being fortified, know that they are there and take action to tear them down. [SOURCE: Pastor Go Forth] |
“The obedience of Christ excels all others, because,
1. It was perfect with a sinless perfection, and so exceeds all fallen men’s obedience. 2. It was perfect with a legal perfection. It was a finished righteousness, Christ continuing perfectly obedient to the end of the time of his probation, and so it exceeded Adam’s righteousness, that he had before the fall. 3. It was a person infinitely worthy, and infinitely valued and loved of God that obeyed. 4. The works or acts [that] was required of him by the law that he was under, and that he performed, were superlatively excellent, for it was a work of the highest love to God and love to creatures, and he in this work exercised a love to both immensely excelling all others, which gave an exceeding value to the work in the eyes of the Father. 5. It was a perfectly free gift to God, and not a debt; that is, it was not what he owed in his original circumstances. 6. Never was there so great and difficult a work required of any other, as Christ performed in obedience to God. 7. Never was so much good done by any work of righteousness, both of glory to God and good to fellow creatures. In these five last things, Christ’s obedience immensely exceeds the angels.” - Jonathan Edwards (1703-1758), Miscellanies, 841 |
“As a man thinks, so is he.” Proverbs 23:7. What we think about is crucial to who we are. Scientists don’t agree on how many thoughts we have each day, but all agree there are thousands of them. Who we are is shaped moment by moment by the thoughts we choose to let into our mind and heart. -Active Christianity
Filters. There are filters every place we look in our lives. Can you name some? In the coffee machine, in the car, in the washing machine, dryer, and even in our body. Filters help coffee taste better, machines run better and the body we live in remain uncontaminated. God’s word speaks about filters for the mind. What is a filter on the mind?
“Take every thought captive to obey Christ” suggests a filter. To take captive means to trap, seize, control, secure, and conquer. To stop those ungodly thoughts Paul tells the Corinthian believers, and us, that we must destroy arguments and opinions raised against the knowledge of God and take every thought captive. Corinth’s multi-cultural multi-god environment was a threat to their faith in Christ and obedience to him. We could say our culture today threatens us the same way. Our mind makes us unique among God’s creations. And our God has not left us and our minds defenseless. Filtering the input that comes into our lives and into our minds is imperative. The more we think with the mind of Christ and extend his grace toward others, the more we are transformed. When we take time for godly input, to study God, his works, memorize, meditate on his words and walk in his ways, we build stronger filters. Don’t let worries, worldly thoughts, and emotions enslave you. Process them with your “Jesus filter.” Take them captive.-Donna Burns; South Fellowship |
Bringing every thought into captivity to the obedience of Christ: To battle against this carnal way of thinking and doing, our thoughts must be brought captive and made obedient to Jesus.
i. When we start to think in this carnal way, we must stop our thoughts, take dominion over them in Jesus, and not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. (Romans 12:2) ii. Paul’s first application is towards the carnal, worldly thinking of the Corinthian Christians that made them despise Paul and his “weakness,” doubting his apostolic credentials. But Paul’s principle has a much broader application. We are not helpless victims or recipients of our thoughts. We can choose to stop our thoughts and bring every thought into captivity to the obedience of Christ. Thoughts of lust, thoughts of anger, thoughts of fear, thoughts of greed, bitter thoughts, evil thoughts – they are part of every thought that may be and must be brought into captivity to the obedience of Christ. iii. Someone might object: “I don’t want my thoughts to be captive to anyone. I don’t want my thoughts to be captive to Jesus. I want my thoughts to be free.” This is wrong on at least two points. First, you belong to someone, and ultimately we either serve Jesus or Satan. Second, if you are a Christian, you are a purchased possession of Jesus Christ. You belong to Him. 1 Corinthians 6:19-20 puts it this way: Or do you not know that your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit who is in you, whom you have from God, and you are not your own? For you were bought at a price; therefore glorify God in your body and in your spirit, which are God’s. -Enduring Word |
The root of most of the thinking of loneliness is imaginations or powerful ways people think is true. If you are not going to be lonely in an unhealthy way you must replace those thoughts with the truth.
First, there are these reasonings, these arguments. Have you noticed in reading history or in studying life around you, that every movement in society which eventually becomes a threat, i.e., an attack upon humanity, always originates (if you can get back to the beginning of it) as an emotional outburst? It never begins with someone coolly sitting down and planning to start a movement. It always begins with some emotional reaction. Then, having taken that form at the beginning, it is soon apparent that, in order to continue the movement and expand it, it will be necessary to justify it. It needs to be explained and defended. It calls therefore for the activity of writers and speakers who can support the cause with arguments.
When a movement begins as an emotional outburst it is rather simple to control. At that early stage of any movement it can be easily handled. Those involved can usually sit down with others and work out things, and, as emotions cool, wiser heads prevail. This happens all the time. There are incipient movements around us that are being arrested at their very start by such processes. But when a movement passes to the second stage and begins to be supported and buttressed by arguments, by reasoned defenses and explanations in justification of these things, from that moment it begins to take on strength and is difficult to overthrow. -Ray Stedman |
The weapons by which the world (or society, if you prefer) seeks to attack the problems that are everywhere present in this world are very plain to us. They are investigations, studies of all kinds, reports from committees, meetings, educational programs, demonstrations, boycotts, strikes, pressure blocs, new legislation, etc. If you are a student of history at all you know that the world is unchanged, in this respect, from Paul's day. These were exactly the same weapons that society used to confront the problems that were present in the Roman Empire when Paul wrote this letter. If you question that, I refer you to Will Durant's great volumes on The History of Civilization. You will find that he records exactly the same processes going on then as now.
But, in Second Corinthians, the Apostle Paul repudiates these as proper means for Christians to employ in attacking these strongholds. He sets them aside, not because they are basically wrong, but because they are essentially ineffective: They do not accomplish the task. It is not that some of these means might not ultimately be part of the working out of solutions, but they are not the primary thing. That is what the apostle is saying. They are not the thing upon which one depends for victory in these struggles and battles of life. But, he declares, "the weapons of our warfare are mighty." They are powerful. Literally, this is the word from which we get our word "dynamite." These weapons work. They effectively solve the knotty and difficult problems of life, these running saddle-sores of civilization where evil is entrenched, thesestrongholds of evil. -Ray Stedman |
Prayer is the most potent force known to humanity. Because we have been made partakers in Jesus' victory over sin and death (1 John 4:4), we have the authority as sons and daughters of God to pray for others, pushing back the darkness of sin and oppression. In prayer, we have a weapon that has divine power to destroy strongholds" (2 Corinthians 10:4). -Word Among Us
The most important thing about us is our thinking, our minds. Marcus Aurelius wrote, “The most important things in life are the thoughts you choose to think.” Or, as Ralph Waldo Emerson put it, “A man is what he thinks about all day long.” Or as the Bible puts, “As a man thinketh in his heart so is he” (Proverbs 23:7). Our thoughts make us what we are. And the Bible teaches that when we come to Jesus Christ, a great change takes place in the area of our minds and of our thinking. Romans 12:1 says, “Therefore, I urge you, brothers, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God—this is your spiritual act of worship. Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is—his good, pleasing, and perfect will.”
This is very important to us, because every temptation comes to us via our thoughts. Well, we’re coming to that classic text today in 2 Corinthians that talks about taking every thought captive to the obedience of Jesus Christ |
Pastor Tony Evans writes that "The apostle Paul is willing to go to battle against false apostles because he does not wage war according to the flesh (10:3). He recognizes that the warfare in which he is engaged is spiritual and requires spiritual weapons that are powerful through God for the demolition of strongholds (10:4). By “strongholds,” Paul isn’t talking about physical fortresses, of course, but about destructive patterns of thought that lead people astray and hold them hostage to sinful, harmful and addictive behavior. We know Paul is concerned with the mind because he is demolishing arguments and every proud thing that is raised up against the knowledge of God, and he wants to help believers take every thought captive to obey Christ (10:4-5). Satan’s strategy is to block the knowledge and/or application of God’s Word in the thinking of believers so that they can be held hostage by his lies, which are communicated through false teaching. If addictive behavior is present in a person’s life, that behavior is not the stronghold but merely its fruit. Strongholds can only be demolished by the knowledge of God—that is, by truth. As Jesus told his disciples, “The truth will set you free” (John 8:32). When your relationship to the living Word connects to the written Word, “you really will be free” (John 8:36). If you’re not taking every thought captive to obey Christ and are instead succumbing to a stronghold, it’s because you either don’t know the truth or aren’t making use of the truth you know. (Tony Evans Commentary)
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As David put it in the 51st Psalm, "God desires truth in the inward parts," (Psalms 51:6). This requires persistence and patience, either in yourself, or in trying to help some other person. It requires a coming again and again to the truth no matter how many times you have done so before, and quietly, gently, and sweetly, applying that same truth again, saying, this is what it has got to be, this is the way I'm going to move, this is what I shall do, and refusing to do the opposite. That is "bringing captive every thought to the obedience of Christ." I tell you that you will never be free from the things that have burdened you and hampered you for years until you begin that process. I can speak out of my own experience in this. I could never be really free (and was never) from the things God had once delivered me from, for I found myself wrestling constantly and continually with them, until I began to deal with the interior life, with the inward thoughts, bringing captive every thought to the obedience of Christ. All this leaves one statement of the apostle yet unexplored. It is the last effect of true Christian warfare, found in Verse 6,
...being ready to punish every disobedience, when your obedience is complete. (2 Corinthians 10:6 RSV) We will never understand that statement apart from the whole context. It links with Verse 2 of this passage, where the apostle says, I beg of you that when I am present I may not have to show boldness with such confidence as I count on showing against some who suspect us of acting in worldly fashion. (2 Corinthians 10:2 RSV) There were some in Corinth who were challenging the apostle's authority, and this whole section grows out of that challenge. Some of them were saying, "He writes very sternly and threateningly when he's away, but when he's with us he never carries it out. He is always meek and mild when he comes." They accused him of inconsistency. Paul is dealing here with the role of punishment in correcting the problems of the individual life and also those of society. In effect, what he is saying to these Corinthians is, when you have bowed to the right of Jesus to be Lord over every area of your life then I'll be ready, even eager, to punish your disobedience! -Ray Stedman |
Carnality is a Biblical word that is not used much anymore but has a powerful effect on life. It means living life consumed by satisfying fleshly desires, feeding selfishness while serving the body and starving the soul. Carnality is the state of depravity. Even the dictionary defines carnality as “the opposite of righteousness,” also a word that is not heard about much today, even in church. Those who desire to live effective Christian lives must not long to live in such a state of carnality. Belonging to Jesus Christ will cost you your sinful pleasures. You cannot invite holy God into your life and continue in sin.
It is human nature to desire something cheap and easy. While it is true that mankind can do nothing to earn salvation, those who receive Christ as Savior will want to see change and transformation in their lives because the Holy Spirit of God resides within the believer. He will stir up your love for the things of God. Christ’s requirements are demanding when it comes to following Him in obedience and many turn and walk away. We see this clearly in John 6:66. People loved to follow Jesus to see the miracles He was doing, the crowds He was feeding and the love and compassion He showed. But when Jesus began teaching what it meant to follow Him saying, “Count the cost,” most walked away. Jesus says to all of us that if we follow Him, He will be Lord and Master of our lives and we will do His work which means obeying His commands. There is no greater journey than this—to walk with the Savior. -Billy Graham |
The Greek words making up the phrase “casting down imaginations” is kathaireo logismos. “Kathaireo” is defined as "demolish" and bring down. God prompts Paul to use the concept of bringing down since many unbelievers worshipped their gods in “high places” which were elevated areas where altars were built. Paul continues his instruction, writing, “Casting down imaginations, and every high thing that exalteth itself against the knowledge of God,” (2 Corinthians 10:5)............The second Greek word of the phrase for “imaginations” is logismos which is defined as arguments, thoughts, and reasonings. Just as Satan questioned Eve’s perceptions, challenged God’s words, and reasoned with her to confuse her in the Garden of Eden (Genesis 3:1-6), Satan was using the deceptive reasoning of false teachers to cause the Corinthians believers to question who God is and how He defines salvation and walking in the power of the Holy Spirit....Ephesians 6:16 tells us, “Above all, taking the shield of faith, wherewith ye shall be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked.” Those “darts,” our inner dialogue, come from many sources, including our own analysis, our hearts’ desires, the opinions we hear from others, what we read, watch, and hear. Without being viewed through the filter of truth, the influence of the darts turns us toward worry, hate, lack of self-control, criticism, discontent, and many other responses which are the opposite of the fruit of the Spirit (Gal. 5:22-23). When we use the filter of the truth of Scripture and who God is, we experience the fruit of the Spirit: love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness, and temperance. -Kathy Collard Miller; Crosswalk
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The reason there seems to be no peace for some is because they are fighting with the wrong weapons. But as believers, according to II Corinthians 10:4, the Apostle Paul lets us know that the weapons of our warfare are not carnal, but they are mighty through God to the pulling down of strongholds of worry, fear and doubt will keep you from entering into the peace of God. Let us continue to walk in the love, joy, peace and of a sound mind by using prayer, the word of God and continuing to give God all the praise and all the glory.
Along with that, according to Isaiah 26:3, it says "thou wilt keep him in perfect peace whose mind is stayed on God, because he trusted in God". People of God, let us all continue in the faith, casting all our cares upon God. Knowing that he cares for us and will never leave us or forsake us, but will be there until the end. Rest in the Lord’s light here on this earth and he will give you a peace amid through our wonderful savior Jesus Christ. --Rev, Dr. Queen Horne-Kelly; Miracle Word of Faith Ministries |
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What we fail to understand is that to be against something is to be for something else. So to be against abortion is to be in favor of life. To be against poverty is to be for the well-being and nurture of humanity. To be against human trafficking is to be for the dignity and respect of innocent people.
The gospel is not only a positive declaration that Christ has conquered sin and death and has made a way for sinners to find their way to God. It’s not only a positive declaration that Christ is King over the earth. The gospel is also a crushing blow against the evil powers that enslave men in sin and death. You might argue that if Christians are only ever for things, they are preaching an incomplete gospel. --Dan Darling [Baptist 21] 09.08.16 
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This is vital and must be continual. Notice the word “Casting” is a word that implies continual diligence. Strongholds in our lives are built on lies like:
• No one will see me • Everyone else is doing it • I can never get victory over this, so I might as well not try • This is just the way I am, it’s not going to change • I give up. I have tried, and tried. • No one cares about me These thoughts and reasonings and others that exalt themselves against the knowledge of God must be cast down continually. The phrase “casting down imaginations” is interesting because it means to lower with violence. This defines mental warfare. The battles of the mind must be fought. You must guard your mind and be ready to take violent action against imaginations that are planted in your mind by the enemy. (Mount Zion Baptist Church) |
The Greek words translated “casting down imaginations” in the KJV can also be translated as “destroying arguments” (ESV) or “destroying speculations” (NASB 1995). These latter translations add some clarity to the meaning of the phrase. Paul is utilizing divine weapons to destroy or bring down speculations, arguments, and reasonings that are against the knowledge of God. (Got Questions)
“You can’t stop birds from flying above your head, but you sure can
stop them from building a nest on your head” -Martin Luther
stop them from building a nest on your head” -Martin Luther
November 7, 2021:
Men cannot find God in their imaginations. Only he seeking for Him apart from their imaginations can they find Him. The imagination is spoken of as a “vain thing” in scripture that can weaken or usurp the effectiveness of the word of God. The word “imaginations” here could be translated “reasonings of natural men.” The worlds reasonings are foolishness to God. So we must cast down false reasoning for truth.
The principles of the other sciences, either are evident and cannot be proved, or they are proved by natural reason in some other science. But the knowledge proper to this science comes through revelation, and not through natural reason. Therefore it is not its business to prove the principles of the other sciences, but only to judge them. For whatsoever is found in the other sciences contrary to the truth of this science must be condemned as false.
Men cannot find God in their imaginations. Only he seeking for Him apart from their imaginations can they find Him. The imagination is spoken of as a “vain thing” in scripture that can weaken or usurp the effectiveness of the word of God. The word “imaginations” here could be translated “reasonings of natural men.” The worlds reasonings are foolishness to God. So we must cast down false reasoning for truth.
The principles of the other sciences, either are evident and cannot be proved, or they are proved by natural reason in some other science. But the knowledge proper to this science comes through revelation, and not through natural reason. Therefore it is not its business to prove the principles of the other sciences, but only to judge them. For whatsoever is found in the other sciences contrary to the truth of this science must be condemned as false.
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Since we cannot bear righteous fruit without God’s Spirit, how can we take captive these thoughts that are unwholesome, to say the least? The Apostle Paul said “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 Cor 10:5). So how do we demolish such thoughts when they enter our mind? Again, without God’s Spirit, we have no hope of reforming our own thoughts. Paul has said that “The god of this age has blinded the minds of unbelievers, so that they cannot see the light of the gospel that displays the glory of Christ, who is the image of God” (2 Cor 4:4), so until we’re set free from the clutch of Satan and his minions, we remain blind, even though we think we can see. Only trusting in Christ allows us to resist the Devil, and only then will he flee from us. David had a way of resisting evil thoughts and then having those thoughts bear sin. He wrote, “I have stored up your word in my heart, that I might not sin against you” (Psalm 119:11), so along with the Spirit of God we have the Word of God to help us avoid such evil thoughts, and only then are we able to “not sin against” God.
Each thought should be held captive. Captive meaning to subjugate or bring under control. Either we can control our thoughts or our thoughts will control us. To take our thoughts captive means not allowing each and every thought of ours to quickly control our beliefs, actions, and emotions. Just because we think it, doesn’t mean we have to respond to it. -Christina Patterson; I Believe
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“The obedience of Christ excels all others, because,
1. It was perfect with a sinless perfection, and so exceeds all fallen men’s obedience. 2. It was perfect with a legal perfection. It was a finished righteousness, Christ continuing perfectly obedient to the end of the time of his probation, and so it exceeded Adam’s righteousness, that he had before the fall. 3. It was a person infinitely worthy, and infinitely valued and loved of God that obeyed. 4. The works or acts [that] was required of him by the law that he was under, and that he performed, were superlatively excellent, for it was a work of the highest love to God and love to creatures, and he in this work exercised a love to both immensely excelling all others, which gave an exceeding value to the work in the eyes of the Father. 5. It was a perfectly free gift to God, and not a debt; that is, it was not what he owed in his original circumstances. 6. Never was there so great and difficult a work required of any other, as Christ performed in obedience to God. 7. Never was so much good done by any work of righteousness, both of glory to God and good to fellow creatures. In these five last things, Christ’s obedience immensely exceeds the angels.” - Jonathan Edwards (1703-1758), Miscellanies, 841 |
“The weapons of our warfare are not carnal yet the spiritual weapons which can be wielded by the Christian minister, and indeed by every Christian man, are not to be despised, for while not fleshly, they are mighty through God. God is in them; God is with those who use them. The sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God, the arrows of truth which pierce the consciences of men, the weapon of all prayer, the influence of the Holy Ghost— that divine power— such weapons as these are by God’s power made mighty to the overthrow of spiritual principalities and powers. Truth and holiness are the appointed engines for the pulling down of the castles of evil. Blessed is he who in every conflict for God takes heed to use none other weapons than those which the Lord hath hung up in the tower of David, builded for an armoury, wherein do hang a thousand bucklers, all shields of mighty men. Those only can fight the Lord’s battles successfully who come to him to be armed for the fight, and reject all fleshly force. The spiritual shall be victorious, but others must fail." -Charles Spurgeon
