2 Corinthians 10:3-5
“For though we live in the world, we do not wage war as the world does. The weapons we fight with are not the weapons of the world. On the contrary, they have divine power to demolish strongholds. We demolish arguments and every pretension that sets itself up against the knowledge of God, and we take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ.“
2 Corinthians 10:3-5 NIV
I want to encourage us today to fight that battle in our mind. The devil and his demons want to put thoughts in our minds that would lead us to disobey Christ. Our commitment to being intentional and intimate in our relationship with Christ is the key to unlock the ability to pull down the spiritual strongholds of Satan in our lives.
What are spiritual strongholds? Paul defines them clearly for us in today’s verses. Strongholds are arguments and every high thing that exalts itself against the knowledge of God. As followers of Christ, we engage in spiritual warfare with the mighty weapons God provides. This spiritual struggle ensued long before we arrived on the scene, but we are not helpless in the face of evil. We take back spiritual ground that our enemy, Satan, has stolen from us and those we love.
We are not created to hide behind the walls of the church, to merely defend ourselves from the schemes of the devil. We are created to offensively establish God's kingdom here on earth, to ward off the fiery darts of the evil one, to make war in heavenly places, and to gain ground for the cause of Christ.
Jesus told us that the
kingdom of heaven suffers violence, and the violent take it by force. This spiritual violence of which Jesus speaks describes how Satan strikes at us. The evil one is intent on our defeat and our destruction, he’s out to disrupt, damage, and ultimately, destroy our lives. He will infiltrate our emotions, relationships, health, and finances. John 10:10 makes it plain that he comes to kill, steal, and destroy.
No matter the spiritual violence that he attempts to wreak on us, as believers, we can set him in full retreat through the power that we have through Jesus Christ. When we submit our lives to God, when we engage mighty weapons God has given, and when we resist the devil, he will flee before us.
May we be ready to counter all the foolish thoughts and false perceptions of fallen man who seeks to contradict the truth of the knowledge of the gospel of God. May we be ready to give an answer to every high sounding argument that exalts itself against our heavenly King. In Christ we have the hope that He can break down every satanic stronghold and reclaim the spiritual high ground with the truth of the gospel of Jesus Christ the righteous.
The more we think of the Lord Jesus, the less we think of ourselves. The greater He is the central focus of our thoughts, the more we have captivated every imagination in obedience to Christ. The superabundance of Christ in our thoughts means there is less influence from others and less inflation of self, until Christ is all in all. We have authority through the name of Jesus, the power of His Word and His overcoming blood. Our Savior will crush him under our feet and lead us to victory!!!!
Father, thank you for this day and Your Word that gives us the authority and power to take all thoughts captive. Lord, open the floodgates of heaven and rain down Your abundant blessings upon my friend and family today. Make us bold in the power of Your might. Lord, help us take back territory that the enemy has stolen from us and those we love. Lead us to engage the enemy with courage to advance Your kingdom here on earth. Lord, use us to be the touch of Your love to those in need of it.
Father, we love You. Amen !
Comments