Taking Every Thought Captive

Taking Every Thought Captive

2 Corinthians 10:4-5

Primary Purpose: To encourage the congregation take every thought captive

to the obedience of Christ.

Early on in this chapter, the tone of 2 Corinthians changes. Some

believe that Paul has received information from Titus about the situation in

Corinth. Evidentially, it may be that he has found out some are questioning

his authority as a apostle. They suggested according to 10:1 that he was bold

in his letters, but timid when face to face. Paul speaks to them about what

power he does have. It is a power that is divine and from God. It is given to

fight a spiritual battle. The weapons are to be used to fight a spiritual war or

strateuo, a spiritual conflict. They are used to destroy strongholds or evil

fortresses, used to destroy argument that try to establish themselves over the

knowledge of God. This warfare also goes on in the mind. We have power

to overcome a worldly or fleshly mind.

Paul was always in spiritual warfare. Everyday began with his putting

on the full armor of God. Satan was never taking a nap against the ministry

of Paul. We are in a war also. The same power that was available to Paul is

also available to us.

Ernest B. Beevers tell us a story how a friend of his named Herbert Jackson

was a new missionary. He was assigned a car that would not start without a

push. After pondering his problem, he devised a plan. He went to the school

near his home, got permission to take some children out of class, and had

them push his car off. As he made his rounds, he could either park on a hill

or leave the engine running. He used this ingenious procedure for two full

years. Ill health forced Jackson’s family to leave, and a new missionary came

to that station.

When Jackson proudly began to explain his arrangement for getting the

car started, the new man looked under the hood. Before the explanation was

complete, the new missionary interrupted, “Why, Dr.Jackson, I believe the

only trouble is this loose cable.” He gave the cable a twist, stepped into the

car, pushed the switch, and to Jackson’s astonishment, the engine roared to

life.

For two years needless trouble had become routine. The power was

there all the time. Only a loose connection kept Jackson from putting that

power to work.

Ephesians 1:19-20 says “How tremendous is the power available to us

who believe in God.” When I make a firm connection with God, his life and

power flow through me. I have the power through Christ to overcome

anything the devil may throw my way.

The enemy is real. It seeks to raise up the same kinds of things that occurred

in Paul’s day in our day. We see it all around us. Paul describes these things

with several key words. He calls them strongholds or the NASV says

“fortresses”. The devil also uses worldly argument and pretensions. Paul

saw this battle as primarily going on in the mind. He calls on us to take our

thoughts captive.

A stronghold is what the devil seek to build up in your life. A

stronghold (OCHUROMA) can be anything: a negative opinion of the church

or yourself or your neighbor, guilt, worry, fear, greed, bitterness, an

unforgiving spirit. The variety of strongholds are as great as the number of

people on earth and possibly more. The devil seeks to build a stronghold that

is personally built to try to withstand your becoming all that God desires for

you to be. I can only overcome it the way Jesus did with the sword of the

Spirit, His Word. That is what Jesus did. He overcame adversity by quoting

Scripture. He took those negative thoughts captive. He checked it with the

truth from God’s word. God’s word is like a lamp, it keeps us from

stumbling, it keeps us going strong. We have to check our opinions and

beliefs up against it, so as not to give the devil a stronghold.

The devil knows that he cannot defeat you ultimately as a child of God.

You don’t belong to him anymore. He can however try to steal what isn’t his.

He can try to take away all your desire to serve Jesus, your fellowship with

other believers, your love for God, your joy in the Spirit. He can try to fill

your mind with negative or impure thoughts that quench the Spirit within you.

We are warned against grieving the Holy Spirit of God in Ephesians 4:30.

2. The devil seek to build up argument- in Corinth the argument was to attack

the messenger- to try to discredit Paul. In Galatian it was to build up

argument about salvation by confusing the issue with Jewish law. In