Removing strongholds from your life--taking every thought captive to the obedience of Christ

II Corinthians 10:5 (NASB)

We are destroying speculations and every lofty thing raised up against the knowledge of God, and we are taking every thought captive to the obedience of Christ. 

The context for II Corinthians 10:5 is Paul’s writing about Christian warfare just as he did to the Ephesian church in Ephesians 6.  A Christian faces daily attacks by evil forces that are powerful and can be like strongholds (fortresses). What are examples of strongholds in the lives of Christians?  Strongholds are thinking patterns that keep you from being and doing God’s best.  Strongholds include guilt, doubt, low self-love, wrong images of God (e.g. He is cruel or distant or unloving), life-long habits like sexual immorality and other evil bondages.  Strongholds can also include what Paul calls “speculations and every lofty thing raised up against the knowledge of God”.  These strongholds are what Christians face in trying to spread the gospel to unbelievers who are victimized by lies and deceptions about who God is, who Jesus is, who they are as potential children of God, and the claims of the Bible.  If you have tried to witness to a family member or friend or neighbor who is resistant to your witness about the gospel of Christ, you know clearly how powerful these strongholds, speculations and lofty things raised up against the knowledge of God can be.

In order to remove strongholds from your life you must adhere to the truth, the Word of God.  Whatever you might be thinking about yourself and whatever others are saying or speculating to be the truth, you must compare these to what the Bible says.  To be obedient to Christ is to obey His Word.  While you may never be obedient 100% of the time, this certainly can be the goal of your life, especially when you know that you are facing strongholds attacking you personally or attacking others of whom you are praying about their salvation. 

Another aspect of approaching this pinnacle of obedience in your thought life is to meditate on what Paul wrote in Romans 12:2---be transformed by the renewal of your mind ---every day pray about this.  Your mind must be reprogrammed to stop thinking so much that is impulsive and baseless compare to God’s standard.  What if you were to think about God and His Word before doing or saying anything that you know is evil?  Of course you would not do it if you claim to be a Christian.  How can you discipline yourself from this day forward to think spiritually more of the time?  The more time you spend in God’s Word, the more saturated your mind will be with His Word.  Remember that the only offensive weapon against the attacks and schemes of the devil is the sword of the Spirit, the Word of God (Ephesians 6:17).  Such discipline will enable you to taking every thought captive to the obedience of Christ.

What do you think of this very challenging thought---taking every thought captive to the obedience of Christ?  Makes you stop and think, doesn’t it?  How close are you to meeting this challenge?  Don’t be intimidated if you know that you have a long way to go.  Remember that you have the Lord to help you.  “I can do all things through Christ Jesus who strengthens me” (Philippians 4:13).
 

Doing what is right in the eyes of the Lord, but not wholeheartedly

II Chronicles 25:2 (NIV)

He did what was right in the eyes of the LORD, but not wholeheartedly. 

Rick Warren, in chapter 34 of his book Purpose Driven Life, used this verse to support the following statements, “To be a servant requires a mental shift, a change in your attitudes.  God is always more interested in why we do something than in what we do.  Attitudes count more than achievements.”

II Chronicles 25:2 describes Amaziah, 10^th king of Judah, best known for destroying Edom, as prophesied by Obadiah (1:15).  II Chronicles 25:11-13 describes the viciousness of Amaziah, ordering his troops to throw 10,000 captured troops off a cliff and they were all “dashed to pieces”.  Think for a moment how unimaginable that is!

Amaziah sinned against God by bringing back the gods of Edom and worshipping them (II Chronicles 25:14).  So, while Amaziah started his reign in obedience to God, he did not continue in obedience.

What does it mean today to “do what is right in the eyes of the Lord, but not wholeheartedly”?  Warren basically teaches that true Christian service is not only doing what the Lord wants you to do, but also to think like a servant of the Lord.  He list five attitudes that exist in the mind of the true servant of the Lord:

1.   Thinking more about others than thinking about yourself.

2.   Thinking like a steward (servant entrusted with what belongs to God) rather than like an owner.

3.   Thinking about your own work, not what others are doing.

4.   Basing your identity in Christ

5.   Thinking of ministry as an opportunity, not an obligation.

If you are serving the Lord in some way in your church and/or community, examine your attitude of service.  Are you serving the Lord in order to be admired by others and to pat yourself on the back for doing good?  Are you managing and using your time and money all for your own benefit rather than for the benefit of others?  Is there any comparison between what you are doing for the Lord and what others are doing (or not doing)?  Is there any work of service that you feel is beneath your dignity to do (e.g. are you too filled with pride to do menial tasks like what Jesus did in washing His disciples’ feet?).  Are you serving the Lord with gladness (Psalm 100:2), never worrying about rewards, being convinced that the Lord knows what you are doing and it is not in vain (I Corinthians 15:58)?

In my experience, often learned the hard way, the happiest people you’ll ever meet are those who are engaged in an active ministry of serving others and have the kinds of attitudes described in this meditation.  If you are not happy with your life, perhaps it is because you are not serving others.  Begin serving others not only through your actions, but also with the right attitudes. 

Be wise not to talk too much

Proverbs 17:27-28 (KJV)

He that hath knowledge spareth his words: and a man of understanding is of an excellent spirit.  Even a fool, when he holdeth his peace, is counted wise: and he that shutteth his lips is esteemed a man of understanding.

In 1608 England’s King James convened a group of scholars to translate the ancient Scriptures from the Hebrew and Greek languages into English.  That Bible was first published in 1611.  So I have used the King James original version for expressing Proverbs 17:27-28.  However, if you are distracted by the old English, here’s the most contemporary translation from the Message Bible: “The one who knows much says little; an understanding person remains calm.  Even dunces who keep quiet are thought to be wise; as long as they keep their mouths shut, they're smart.”

The words “knowledge” and “understanding” have great significance in the book of Proverbs.  The premise for the book of Proverbs is found in 1:7 that simply says, “the fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge”.  Later, 9:10 says “the fear of the Lord is the beginning of ”.  So biblically, knowledge is not intelligence, it is wisdom since both are based on fearing (respecting, reverencing the Lord).  Furthermore, 9:10 say that “the knowledge of the Holy One is understanding”.  So knowledge and understanding are connected and what does 17:27 say about them?  A person of knowledge does not need to say much, he spares his words.  A person of understanding has an excellent spirit, he can be described in today’s vernacular as “calm, cool, and collected”. 

Interestingly, verse 28 indicates that the fool can be thought of as wise if he keeps silent, but he’s still a fool.  Biblically, the fool is one is does not and will not obey the commands of the Lord.  The fool never learns, the fool never develops wisdom, the fool thinks that his ways are superior to God’s ways.  

The Bible emphasizes the importance of listening as a priority over talking.  Why were we created with two ears but only one mouth?  James 1:19 says to be “quick to hear, but slow to speak”.  Proverbs 10:19 says that the more you talk, the more likely you are to sin.  You know that you have been guilty at times of talking too much when you should have been listening more.  We all know people who love to hear themselves talk and the more they talk the less we listen and the less we respect them.  A colleague of mine likes to use the word “blathering” in describing people who talk too much without saying much worth remembering.  To blather means “to talk foolishly at length” or “to talk nonsense”.   What these proverbs are warning against is “blathering”.

Examine yourself-----do you “blather” too much?  Do you think before you speak?  Are you careful not to talk excessively?  Do you make sure you listen to another person speaking as much or more as you expect him/her to listen to you?  Do you think that people think of you as “wise” or a “blatherer”? 

“It is a wise thing to say as little as possible to man and as much as possible to God” –- FB Meyer

“It is better to remain silent and be thought a fool than to open your mouth and remove all doubt”. —Abraham Lincoln

“Wise men speak because they have something to say; fools because they have to say something” -- Plato 

Why are you in despair, O my soul?

Psalm 42:5-6a (NASB)

Why are you in despair, O my soul? And why have you become disturbed within me.  Hope in God, for I shall again praise Him for the help of His presence.  O my God, my soul is in despair within me…….

Have you ever been so depressed that you have been unable to stand, you can do nothing but sit or lie down?  Well, the Hebrew word for despair means literally to bow down, to crouch.  To be so down that indeed you cannot stand is what the psalmist here is referring to.  To be so despairing that you must bow down not only has an effect on the physical body but also on your soul, your inner self, your mind, emotion and will. 

When you are so down, do you know why?  The psalmist here is asking “why are you in despair, O my soul?”  He is so despondent, so depressed, so discouraged, yet he cannot pinpoint exactly why he has reached these depths.  He just knows that is where he is.  He has tried to think or to reflect on everything about his life, past and present, that might make him feel better and nothing helps.  There is nothing left in his own life that can lift him up.  The only thing left is hope.  Not just general hope, but hope in God. 

The preposition “in” has significant meaning here.  Just like there is a big difference between believing God or believing in God, there is a big difference here between hope on God or hope in God.  There is an imagery of that hope being within God Himself, not on the periphery around God.

Hope in God conveys a significant intimacy between you and God.  Hope in God conveys a deep faith that only God can help you overcome your despair.  Only God can overcome the trouble that is deep within your soul.  Have you ever been in a state of mind where you saw little reason why you should go on living?   When someone is close to committing suicide because of the significant despair in his life, if he does not have some kind of relationship with God, there is no hope in Him.  There is nothing that deep within that person’s soul can rise up and cause him to stop from committing this ultimate evil act of taking your own life.

The prophet, Elijah, wanted to take his own life (I Kings 19:4).   Why didn’t he?  God was there with him and enabled him to see some reason to keep going.  There was still purpose in his life.  God allowed him to see some light in his life and why he should not give up even though he wanted to give up. 

God will do the same to you, His child, as long as you have hope in Him,.  When you are in the deepest of despair, when you are “bowed down”, talk to Him, read His Psalms, allow Him to enable you see that there is still light in your life because of the hope He gives you.  His presence during your darkest hours will help you.       

The Christian’s hope is in the Lord

We rest secure in His sure Word;
And though we’re tempted to despair

We do not doubt that God is there.

No one is hopeless whose hope is in God. — D. DeHaan