Pulling Down of Strong Holds

2021-08-12

For though we walk in the flesh, we do not war after the flesh: (For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal, but mighty through God to the pulling down of strong holds;) Casting down imaginations, and every high thing that exalteth itself against the knowledge of God, and bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ (2 Corinthians 10:3-5)

For the next while, I am going to consider the importance and role of the mind in the faith. The mind is where the battlefront of spiritual warfare takes place. I am finding that there are strongholds in our minds that need to be toppled. Some topics I will consider is rejoicing, prayer, thanksgiving, meditation, renewing the mind, forgiveness, the crucifixion of self, worldview, church involvement, and remembering the Lord’s return.

First, let us consider Paul the Apostle. He went from persecuting the church, chasing them down as far as Damascus. He consented to the death of Stephen, the faithful deacon of the early church who was filled with the Spirit. One day, Saul of Tarsus was mowed down by the Lord in the way, and His life was never the same. Everything that once was dear to him was counted as dung. He focused everything on pursuing Christ because he was convinced that nothing else mattered. His life was Christ; there was no personal pursuit that was spared. His own righteousness and his career as a Pharisee was abandoned immediately. This is the kind of repentance to pursue, and it only comes from encountering the Lord.

Looking at our passage in 2 Corinthians 10:3-5, our battle is not of the flesh. On the contrary, it is a spiritual battle, which means any strength to fight the battle comes from the Lord. It begins with “casting down imaginations” and displacing knowledge that is contrary to the knowledge of God. Herein is the real challenge: “bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ.” Everything that passes through our mind must be filtered through the Lord, with a reliance on the Lord. We must realize that without the Lord, the mind is filled with everything ungodly and prideful. While the Lord works in us, we realize that there are still numerous pockets of ungodliness in the mind. Hopefully this study will explore some of the “weapons of our warfare” and will prove fruitful in “pulling down of strong holds.”

Pulling Down of Strong Holds

The Perspectives