“…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 10:5
The spiritual battle in which every believer is engaged, as their enemy and that of God is the same, is one where the battlefield is the mind. In the Old Testament, in the days of David, there are several accounts where David’s mighty men took a stand in a field, and there, defended it, overcoming the adversaries who sought to possess it. Those fields are like the mind of the believer, a tract of land given by God, there to plant and reap a harvest. However, our enemy seeks by any and every means to not only destroy the yield of the crop, but to take possession of the field, there to sow his lies and death. For the believer, God has given him “the mind of Christ,” a perfect field, planted with the seeds of truth. The believer’s perspective and attitude towards his Captain and Savior, is first and foremost, surrender of mind, heart, soul, and spirit to Christ. To the believer is given the sword of the Spirit, the truth of God, in order to defend that which belongs to the believer in Christ. Paul writes to the Ephesian believers concerning dealing with the “fiery darts of the wicked,” those lies which are hurled by one means or another at the believer’s mind. It is at this point that the believer is to be like one of the mighty men of David, who takes his stand with others of like faith, refusing to even entertain another “thought” than that of Christ. God has made the Christian a soldier by virtue of his union with Christ, and for this reason, and by His grace and power, he is to recognize the enemy, refuse to give him any ground, and resist any effort of his to penetrate the field with his lies. God is a God of truth. The truth He will always honor, and by the truth, He not only saves the soul, but delivers the believer from all of his enemies. God’s truth, and Christ who is the living Truth, is the bedrock for faith, the essential means by which one can truly live by the faith that God gives.
What then are these assaults of Satan, and how is the church, and every believer to overcome every attack of the enemy? Paul speaks of, “weapons of our warfare.” These are not material weapons like sword or the bow and arrow. The nature of these weapons is spiritual, and they are a gift of God, one that He will honor, and by which, we are to live. They are not “…of the flesh,” which means that they do not have their origin, or essence, in anything of earth, but from heaven itself, from and by the Spirit of Christ. Paul describes these spiritual weapons as being, “mighty through God to the pulling down of strongholds.” Those strongholds are the minds of unbelievers or believers, who have been deceived to believe a lie, and are so absorbed and deceived by it, that the control or authority of the enemy reigns over them. They cannot be loosed, set free, unless a means, by a greater authority, comes into play, and is applied. Jesus said that the “…gates of Hell…” would not be able to prevail agaisnt the church that He builds. Why? Because He is IN that church, with all of His power and authority that He has committed to His followers. The spiritual weapons of truth, righteousness, “preparation of the Gospel of peace,” faith, salvation, and the word of God,” (Eph. 6:14-17) are effective. They never change in their nature, ability to do harm to the enemy, and when wielded aright, will always prevail against him.
With regard to the mind, any speculation, imagination, or thought that elevates itself against the true knowledge of God or His gospel, must be cast down, the truth being laid hold of, remaing undisputed in its sovereignty.
Dear Father, Give us Thy truth. In Jesus’ name, Amen.