5 We destroy arguments and every lofty opinion raised against the knowledge of God, and take every thought captive to obey Christ. – 2 Corinthians 10:5
Oncoming Trains
Just because you think everyone is out to get you doesn’t mean they’re not.
The light at the end of the tunnel; it’s an oncoming freight train.
Humourous statements to most of us, and yet so indicative of the mindset of many people. What difference does it make if the glass is half empty or half full if it is poisoned? And how easily Satan can poison our minds if we don’t take every thought captive. In the context, Paul is talking about the thoughts of his opponents, but the same principle applies to our thought life. We often talk about the dangers of the world’s isms; humanism, secularism, existentialism, postmodernism, etc. Certainly, these are dangerous weapons used by the enemy of our souls. But have you ever stopped to think that the real danger begins with us and not from without? We can never become experts in every ism. We can never become experts in every false religion. In order to detect counterfeits, we have to be experts in reality. We have to be students of the Truth. We have to saturate our minds with Truth. The more familiar we are with real currency the more quickly we will discern a counterfeit. In order to destroy arguments and lofty opinions which originate in the pit of hell, we need the knowledge of God. If we don’t take every thought captive, we will be the captives.
Poisonous Fruit
Remember when God was leading his children to the promise land? God told Moses to send spies into the land of Canaan to check out the land. Moses selected one man from each of the twelve tribes of Israel and sent them with simple instructions. Check out the land. Check out the people. Be of good courage. And finally, bring back some fruit of the land. After forty days they brought back their report along with some fruit. Unfortunately, ten of them left their courage behind. All twelve of the spies agreed that the land was fertile, “flowing with milk and honey”, and they produced the fruit to verify it. Unfortunately, ten of them also brought back some poison as well as the fruit. To them, although the land was fertile, the people were formidable. They were so large and strong that in comparison, they were as grasshoppers. Unfortunately, they made the wrong comparison. The people may have been large and strong, but compared to God they were less than grasshoppers. The ten fearful spies did not take their thoughts captive, instead, they were captives to their thoughts. Instead of confidence in God, they poisoned the people with their fears. We may have been miraculously delivered from Egypt, but that light at the end of the tunnel is an oncoming freight train.
Promises & Power
What does God think of our fears? Despite the numerous promises He has given us and the power He has manifested we still harbor doubts. Instead of destroying dangerous arguments we allow them to take seed. Instead of obliterating lofty opinions we entertain them. Instead of taking destructive thoughts captive, we allow them to mutiny the ship. We live in fear that everyone is out to get us because we believe the lies of the world instead of the Word of God; which is a form of rebellion. Listen to the words of Joshua and Caleb, the two brave spies who had a healthy knowledge of God.
“The land, which we passed through to spy it out, is an exceedingly good land. 8 If the Lord delights in us, he will bring us into this land and give it to us, a land that flows with milk and honey. 9 Only do not rebel against the Lord. And do not fear the people of the land, for they are bread for us. Their protection is removed from them, and the Lord is with us; do not fear them.” – Numbers 14:7b-9
Proper Perspective
Joshua and Caleb saw the same land that the other ten spies saw. They saw the same people and carried home the same fruit. For forty days they shared the same experiences with these men in Canaan. But while the other ten spies allowed their imaginations to run rampant Joshua and Caleb took every thought captive and ran them through the filter of Truth. As impressive as the people of Canaan were, they were no match for their Creator. Unfortunately, the poison had already taken effect on the people. Instead of being convinced by the argument of Joshua and Caleb, the people wanted to stone them. But they were stopped from doing so by the glory of the LORD. The Great I AM had heard and seen enough. It was time to put things in a proper perspective. For those that doubted and despaired, death outside of the promised land would be the result of the poison.
For forty years the nation would wander. The ten rebellious spies, along with those they influenced, would all die before their descendants would be allowed to enter the land flowing with milk and honey. A whole generation would perish because they chose to believe the word of men more than the word of God. If ten out of twelve are in agreement they couldn’t possibly be wrong, could they? And you thought public opinion polls were something new. Just another one of Satan’s weapons.
Pure Thoughts
As I write this we are about to turn our calendars over to another year. Many people will be making and breaking resolutions. Some things never change. The isms will be just as busy in 2018 as they were in 2017. The counterfeits will be in full circulation. The arguments and lofty opinions will be bombarding us. Now is as good a time as any to look to the Captain of our souls and stop the mutiny. Before we can destroy the arguments of our “opponents”, we need to do some house cleaning. We need to take the negative thoughts that have taken us captive and throw them overboard. Time to let go of the forgiven sins. Time to bury the debilitating regrets. Our sins have been forgiven and buried in the depth of the sea (Micah 7:18-19). We have been washed by the blood of Christ and made a new Creation. We have been given the mind of Christ and some simple commands. Take every thought captive and think about what is true, honorable, just, pure, lovely, etc. (Philippians 4:8).
God wants His children to have minds that are pure, not poisoned. It starts by having a healthy knowledge of God and then taking every thought captive. We need to allow the Holy Spirit to remove the errors in our thinking. God is bigger than our enemies, whether they are within or without. Nothing is too difficult for Him. May we enter 2018 with the confidence of Caleb.
30 But Caleb quieted the people before Moses and said, “Let us go up at once and occupy it, for we are well able to overcome it.” – Numbers 13:30