2 Corinthians 10:1-6: a reflection

1Now I Paul, myself, entreat you by the humility and gentleness of Christ, I who in your presence am lowly among you, but being absent am bold toward you. 2Yes, I beg you that I may not, when present, show courage with the confidence with which I intend to be bold against some, who consider us to be walking according to the flesh. 3For though we walk in the flesh, we don’t wage war according to the flesh; 4for the weapons of our warfare are not of the flesh, but mighty before God to the throwing down of strongholds, 5throwing down imaginations and every high thing that is exalted against the knowledge of God and bringing every thought into captivity to the obedience of Christ, 6and being in readiness to avenge all disobedience when your obedience is made full.

Paul describes the spiritual battle he and all believers are engaged in, and he is careful about the nature of the weapons. We do not wage war according to the flesh, he says; the weapons of our warfare are not worldly, but have divine strength to destroy strongholds. And he names the field of battle: we destroy arguments and every lofty opinion raised against the knowledge of God, and take every thought captive to obey Christ. The battle, Paul says, is largely fought in the realm of thoughts, arguments, and ideas, and the aim is to bring every thought into obedience to Christ.

Notice where much of the spiritual battle is fought: in the mind, among our thoughts and the arguments raised against God. Strongholds, lofty opinions, arguments exalted against the knowledge of God, these are the fortresses to be pulled down, and they are largely mental and spiritual. And the goal Paul names is striking: to take every thought captive to obey Christ, to bring even our thinking under his lordship, capturing the thoughts that resist him.

That gives us an important arena for our own spiritual battle: our thoughts. Much of the fight of faith is waged in the mind, against the arguments, doubts, and thoughts raised against God, and against the lofty opinions that exalt themselves over his truth. And the call is to take every thought captive to obey Christ, to bring our thinking, our imaginations, our inner arguments, under his lordship, rather than letting them run free against him. Do not neglect the battle of the mind. Take your thoughts captive to Christ, refusing to let arguments and imaginations exalt themselves against God, and bringing even your inner life into obedience to him. The fight of faith is largely fought in the realm of thought; wage it, taking every thought captive to obey Christ.

Lord, Paul described the spiritual battle as largely fought in the mind, against arguments and lofty opinions raised against the knowledge of God, with the aim of taking every thought captive to obey Christ. Help me wage that battle. Much of the fight of faith happens in my thoughts, among the doubts, arguments, and imaginations that rise against you. Teach me not to neglect this battle of the mind. Help me take my thoughts captive to Christ, refusing to let arguments and imaginations exalt themselves against you, and bringing even my inner life, my thinking and my imagining, under his lordship. Give me the spiritual weapons for this warfare. Let me not leave my thoughts to run free against you, but take every thought captive to obey Christ.