OUR SPIRITUAL WEAPONS " . . . and bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ." -- Tomorrow:
"Now I Paul myself beseech you by the meekness and gentleness of Christ, who in presence am base among you, but being absent am bold toward you: But I beseech you, that I may not be bold when I am present with that confidence, wherewith I think to be bold against some, which think of us as if we walked according to the flesh. For though we walk in the flesh, we do not war after the flesh: (For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal, but mighty through God to the pulling down of strong holds;) Casting down imaginations, and every high thing that exalteth itself against the knowledge of God, and bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ; And having in a readiness to revenge all disobedience, when your obedience is fulfilled." (2 Cor 10:1-6)
CAPTURING THOUGHTS FOR A PURPOSE
The weapons of our warfare are not only "mighty through God" to the throwing down of bastions of thought, erroneous manners of reasoning, and lofty thoughts that exalt themselves against the knowledge of God, they can also CAPTURE THOUGHTS, taking them captive. That is, thinking can become one of our chief spiritual assets. For ordinary people, thinking is generally one of their weakest points. The spiritual weaponry that is provided to the people of God changes that situation.
CAPTIVATING EVERY THOUGHT
" . . and bringing into captivity every thought . . . " Other versions read, "bringing every thought into captivity" (NKJV), "taking every thought captive" (NASB), "we take every thought captive" (NIV), "causing aberrant thought to come under" (BBE), "leading captive every thought" (DARBY), "bring into captivity every understanding" (DOUAY), "we conquer their rebellious ideas" (NLT), "bring into captivity every all understanding" (TNT), "I can capture rebels and bring them back to God" (LIVING), "we carry off every thought as if into slavery" (WEYMOUTH), and "we lead every thought and purpose away captive" (AMPLIFIED).
This is a very picturesque way of describing the giving of the whole mind to Christ – "every thought." This is involved in loving the Lord "with ALL the mind" (Matt 22:37). It is also the opposite of thoughts capturing men – like being given "over to a reprobate mind, to do those things which are not convenient" (Rom 1:28).
Think of the various kinds of thought that can captivate a soul, so that Satan works in them at will – i.e., murder, fornication, adultery, sodomy, theft, stealing, etc. Once Paul himself was enslaved by a thought from which he at last found freedom: "I verily thought with myself, that I ought to do many things contrary to the name of Jesus of Nazareth" (Acts 26:9). But that thought was finally thrown down, and Paul's thinking capacity became wholly devoted to the very One whom he once opposed.
In this text, Paul was threatening to use these weapons against certain in Corinth. Those whose thoughts had veered from the truth, and who were bold to criticize Christ's "ambassador" had access to the weapons. They had access to the arsenal that could have been used to get their known thinking straightened out. Therefore, Paul will undertake to himself capture their thoughts, using the very weaponry they had neglected. Now their minds would be changed because of another.
PRAYER POINT: Father, in the name of Jesus, I give You thanks for providing weapons that deal with thinking.