2 Corinthians 10 - What Are You Thinking About???

2 Corinthians 10 - NIV 

Enduring Word Commentary

Paul’s Defense of His Ministry

10 By the humility and gentleness of Christ, I appeal to you—I, Paul, who am “timid” when face to face with you, but “bold” toward you when away! 2 I beg you that when I come I may not have to be as bold as I expect to be toward some people who think that we live by the standards of this world. 3 For though we live in the world, we do not wage war as the world does. 4 The weapons we fight with are not the weapons of the world. On the contrary, they have divine power to demolish strongholds. 5 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. 6 And we will be ready to punish every act of disobedience, once your obedience is complete.

The context of this passage was that the Corinthians were being swayed by those who were talking behind Paul's back and making disparaging comments about him. They were accusing him of writing harsh letters, only to be timid when he was with them in person. They were mistaking Paul's humilty for weakness. If Paul were to fight back in a worldly way, he would have used his natural intellect, and persuasive power to respond in a worldly way. But Paul didn't do that. 

If they continued to act like this, Paul would have to confront them face to face, but he was hoping they would take the "high road". Paul uses this occasion to teach them the difference between using worldly ways which were creating spiritual strongholds to demolishing these strongholds. The way the Corinthians were behaving and talking had become a demonic stronghold. It was a spiritual problem which needed a spiritual solution. 

The problem started, as all strongholds start, in their minds. Before we do or say anything, we need to make a decision in our minds to do it. Before we became Christians, we were captive to the world's way of thinking. If someone wronged us, we should find a way to wrong them back. If someone talked about us, we would find someone to talk about them. We matched anger with anger. We harbored a spirit of unforgiveness toward those who wronged us. 

Notice all of these strongholds hold us in bondage to sin. But, Paul says there is another way. He give them a strategy to reclaim the control of their minds. He says, 

"We take every thought and make it captive to Christ!" 

Paul says something similar in Romans 12:2 where he talks the power of our mind, 

"Do not be conformed to this world but be transformed by the renewing of your mind!" 

So how do you this?

1. What are you doing right now? You are reading and studying God's Word, in order to train your mind to be aligned with the way of Christ. By abiding in Christ's word, you will know the truth and the truth will set you free. Many Christians do not know their bible, and I think it is a big contributor to the lack of spiritual maturity in the church. 

2. Paul gives another surefire strategy to train your mind. He says in Philippians 4:8, 

Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy think about such things."  

This is one of my "go-to" memory verses, and I memorized using the acronym "TNRPLA". True, Noble, Right, Pure, Lovely, Admirable.

What strongholds in your mind do you struggle with? Lust, anger, gossip, beating yourself up, obsessive worry and thinking? How can using the TRNPLA acronnym help you?

How can you try to take every thought and make it obedient to Christ when these thoughts occur, as they surely will. Remember we are all in spiritual warfare from moment we become a Christian and endeavor to live the Christian life.  Your enemy the devil who wants to creates in your strongholds in your minds, because he knows its power! 

What types of things do you put into your mind? What do you watch on your TV, computer, IPAD, IPhone... Most us spend hours on these devices.  We need to monitor what we put into our minds closely. You all know the phrase "Garbage In - Garbage Out!"

Jesus, help me to to guard my thoughts, which are the wellspring of all life. Give me the discipline and willingness to put things into my mind which honor and obey you. Help me to abide in You by abiding in Your truth, Your Word! Amen. 

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