OUR SPIRITUAL WEAPONS -- 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)
Devotion 40 of 44
" . . . and bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ."
Other versions read, "to make it obedient to Christ" (NIV), "to obey Christ" (NRSV), "to come under the authority of Christ" (BBE), "in obedience to Christ" (NAB), "to change them into men whose heart's desire is obedience to Christ" (LIVING), "into subjection to Christ" (WEYMOUTH), and "until it acknowledges the authority of Christ" (PHILLIPS).
Ordinarily men do not associate "obedience" with thinking. Ponder the Pauline exhortation concerning our thoughts: "Finally, brethren, whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report; if there be any virtue, and if there be any praise, think on these things" (Phil 4:8).
It is within the framework of thinking that understanding is ministered to the heart from above. David put this experience into words. "My heart was hot within me, while I was musing the fire burned: then spake I with my tongue" (Psa 39:3).
Jeremiah had a similar experience as his thoughts were captivated for the Lord. "Then I said, I will not make mention of Him, nor speak any more in His name. But His word was in mine heart as a burning fire shut up in my bones, and I was weary with forbearing, and I could not stay" (Jer 20:9). That is classic example of capturing thoughts and making them obedient. At first the prophet Jeremiah had the thought of speaking no more of the Lord because of the opposition he was facing. But then, in deference to musing upon God's word, his thinking was captured, and the notion of speaking no more in the name of the Lord was overthrown.
In this text, that is the precise point that is being made – thoughts being in obedience to Christ. One of the premier examples of this took place when Jesus met the two on the road to Emmaus. When He first met them, they had been taken captive by wholly erroneous thoughts. Behold how they were thinking.
1. They were FORMERLY convinced that Jesus was the One who "should have redeemed Israel." Now they concluded they were wrong in that original persuasion (Lk 24:21).
2. Even though marvelous things had taken place during the last three days, they concluded that nothing of lasting significance had really happened: "and beside all this, to day is the third day since these things were done" (Luke 24:21).
3. They admitted that "certain women" had told them they went to the tomb of Jesus, found it empty, and that "they had also seen a vision of angels, which said that he was alive" (Luke 24:23).
4. They even acknowledged that certain of their number had checked the tomb, and that it was indeed empty, "even as the women had said" (Lk 24:24).
5. Yet, even though the evidence suggested Jesus had risen from the dead, these two reported that those who investigated the tomb did not actually see Jesus Himself: "but Him they saw not" (Lk 24:24b).
Those are some difficult thoughts to overthrow, for they had a vise-like grip upon the hearts of the despondent pair. Notwithstanding, Jesus went to work to do precisely that – to capture the completely erroneous thoughts that were dominating them.
He reasoned with them, first giving a summation of Moses and the Prophets: "Then He said unto them, O fools, and slow of heart to believe all that the prophets have spoken: Ought not Christ to have suffered these things, and to enter into His glory?" (Luke 24:25-26). With holy precision He started with "Moses and all the Prophets," expounding to them "in all the Scriptures the things concerning Himself" (Lk 24:27). Before the evening was over, they said to one another, "Did not our heart burn within us, while He talked with us by the way, and while He opened to us the scriptures?" (Luke 24:32). What had happened? Jesus had taken their thoughts captive, wresting them from a controlling position, and liberating the two to think properly. Now they were obedient in their thinking.
Is such a thing still possible? Indeed it is, and the Scriptures speak about it. James speaks of converting a sinner "from the error of his way" – overthrowing his thinking, for it is always thinking that leads a person to "err." Here is what James says. "Brethren, if any of you do err from the truth, and one convert him; Let him know, that he which converteth the sinner from the error of his way shall save a soul from death, and shall hide a multitude of sins" (James 5:19-20). The believer had captured the thoughts that were dominating another person.
John also spoke of this matter, affirming that there are instances when God grants life to someone who has sinned, doing so because of one of the brethren. "If any man see his brother sin a sin which is not unto death, he shall ask, and he shall give him life for them that sin not unto death. There is a sin unto death: I do not say that he shall pray for it" (1 John 5:16). The individual who had sinned a sin that would not result in his death was thus rescued – brought to a right way of thinking through the prayers of someone else.
It appears to me that this weaponry could be used much more than is common. We live in a day when thinking – religious thinking – is remarkably skewed in the wrong direction most of the time. The need for using the Divine arsenal is underscored when we remember that the mother of all unfaithfulness, sloth, procrastination, etc., is aberrant thought – thinking that is not subjected to Christ. How sorely we stand in need of a strong spiritual militia who is aware of the weaponry that has been given for our use, and knows how to effectively it.
PRAYER POINT: Father, in the name of Jesus, I thank You for powerful weaponry that is capable of capturing wayward thinking, and bringing obedience into the realm thought.