Taking Every Thought Captive | Kevin Edmonds

The Peg and the Pen: "Penning words in order to shape culture and to train women to hammer with a peg the tyrants that the Lord has placed in their path of obedience."

Do you talk to yourself?  When performing a serious task, do you find yourself walking through each step audibly?  Many are embarrassed when others draw attention to the fact that they talk to themselves.  However, the aim of this essay is to encourage talking to yourself in spiritual warfare.

2 Corinthians 10:3-5, “For though we walk in the flesh, we do not war according to the flesh. ⁴ For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal but mighty in God for pulling down strongholds, ⁵ 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,” (NKJV)

The Apostle Paul is addressing accusations aimed against him and those with him to undermine the truth of the gospel unto salvation as well as sanctification.  Paul is accused of walking carnally according to the flesh (v. 2), being bold (v. 1) or even terrifying, weighty or powerful (v. 9-10) in his letters but in person he “is weak, and his speech contemptible.” (v. 10)  This attack on Paul’s character was intended to lead the Corinthian church to distrust him, which would lead to the rejection of his ministry and message. 

Paul understood that this could lead the church to abandon the gospel.  “But I fear, lest somehow, as the serpent deceived Eve by his craftiness, so your minds may be corrupted from the simplicity that is in Christ.  For if he who comes preaches another Jesus whom we have not preached, or if you receive a different spirit which you have not received, or a different gospel which you have not accepted—you may well put up with it!” (2 Corinthians 11:3-4)

Paul loved the church and wanted to help them know how to engage in spiritual warfare.  He tells them that though he is in the flesh (physically), he does not war according to the flesh (spiritually).

Then he gives them the weapons to victory in this war for the heart and mind.  “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 10:4-5)

Paul shares the battle is won or lost in the spiritual realm and not the physical.  An individual loses or gains ground based upon what he/she does with a lie or the truth.  You can embrace a lie and therefore reject the truth, or you can embrace the truth and reject the lie.

Just as the children of Israel by faith simply, quietly, and obediently walked around the strong, tall, and wide fortified walls of Jericho.  God gave them victory because they believed the words of God more than the schemes of man.  This literal war against the inhabitants of Jericho was won not in the physical but the spiritual.  The “walls of the stronghold” were pulled down not by carnal weapons but spiritual weapons.

Therefore, we must not embrace the lies that our culture desires for us to believe.  This is exactly the same play as the crafty serpent from the garden questions, “Did God really say,” Was the serpent’s curiosity simply a question?  No, the serpent’s question was actually subtle assertions of doubt in an attempt to assassinate God’s character couched in a popular phrase of our day, “I am just asking questions.”

What is the primary weapon of our warfare?

The ultimate weapons are the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God and praying in the Spirit (Ephesians 6:17-18).  These are used to prevent us from being conformed to this world but transformed by renewing our minds (Romans 12:2).  The war is ultimately over how we think.

So, do you talk to yourself?  Do you preach the gospel to yourself?  Are you training yourself to think about God the way He actually describes Himself according to His word?

We must not entertain thoughts of unbelief that contradict God’s declared word.  However, we should take that sinful thought captive and bring it under the obedience of Christ (2 Corinthians 10:5).  We must not live in sinful anxiety when God says we should be anxious for nothing.  Rather we should replace that sinful thought and feeling with humble and thankful petitions before God in faith (Philippians 2:6).  We must not believe the worst about others because God’s word says that love believes all things (1 Corinthians 13:7).

So, the exhortation is not to passively embrace whatever thought you may have or entertain any question you receive.  However, you should actively take hold of the thought or question and examine it before the word of God.  If it is sinful, you should reject it and replace it with righteous thoughts. 

In conclusion, I encourage you to talk and preach to yourself with more with the word of God.  Put off sin and put on the Then walk in the joy, peace and strength of the Lord.