Weapons of the Spirit
2 Corinthians 10:3-6
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.
This verse opens with the focus on his divine power. If only you knew who was by your side, on your side, who surrounds you, and who encamps around you. If only you knew what God has called you to do. If only you knew where God is planning for you to occupy. 2 Kings 6:14-17 tells the story of Elisha's servant who had a vision problem. He prayed, 'Lord, open my servant's eyes that he may see.' Instead of the armies of the enemy the servant saw the those of Heaven surrounding all of them. The armies had not changed. The servant's eyesight along with his perspective had. Psalm 34:7 says the angel of the Lord is a guard who "encamps around those who fear him" to deliver them. If only you knew who was by your side. This is why Paul can be so bold because of Christ. The authority of the weaponry is Heavenly. Those who wield it are sent by Christ. They are possessed by Christ's power and are under his authority. Otherwise, you end up with Satan trying to cast himself out in Matthew 12:26. A house divided against itself will not stand as in Matthew 12:22. Remember the sons of Sceva whom the spirits jumped on because they did not recognize their sending authority according to Acts 19:14-16. To wage war, you cannot do as the world does; you are not of the world but of Christ.
Jesus says that his "kingdom is not of this world" otherwise his servants would fight as in John 18:36. If only you knew what God has called you to do. The first Adam was given dominion over this physically created world in Genesis 2:15. The last Adam brought dominion over the spiritual one. Christ, the last Adam, came not to abolish the law but rather to fulfill it as in Matthew 5:17. Creation groans to be delivered according to Romans 8:22. Right now, men are not walking in their divine dominion, so creation has been enslaved. As an example, the cat pants like a dog when she sees me go near my woodpile to build something else. He has given us divine power to demolish strongholds, "arguments, and every pretention that sets itself up against the knowledge of God."
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. And we will be ready to punish every act of disobedience, once your obedience is complete.
God has called you to occupy your spiritual dominion in him just as Adam had physical dominion in the Garden of Eden according to Genesis 1:26. He has made us to be a nation of kings and priests unto him in Revelation 1:6. How many people do you know that could rule you spiritually and physically? How many people can you go to when you need a priest under his authority? How many are walking in their spiritual dominion? If you only knew where God has planned for you to occupy. Christ may be seated among Heavenly places in Ephesians 2:6, but he sits high and looks low among the affairs of men. The text says to "take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ." These are not directions for spiritual mind control as some believe. Rather we see a principle that you can mess up if you allow yourself to take control. You cannot handle weapons that have not first affected yourself. These are not the weapons of this world according to 2 Corinthians 10:4. Such weapons carry the weighty glory of God. Every thought should be brought captive to Christ for my life is not my own. Because I am bought with a price, I glorify God in my body and spirit as in 1 Corinthians 6:20.
This verse addresses the thoughts but I do not see the mind mentioned. That is because it is being brought captive to Christ. There are all sorts of things I would like to do. Because they do not glorify God, I do not. My spirit and my body are God's. Therefore, every thought is being brought captive to Christ. Notice the progression. The angels came to visit Lot in Sodom, a place of great wickedness as in Genesis 19:1-5. They were brought into his house because it was not safe outside. There, the people came and beat on his door demanding the strangers be brought out to them so they could know them. See the ways of godliness versus ungodliness. We have God's way versus no way. If you do not walk in your dominion spiritually, the spiritual dominion will take over you as in Genesis 4:7. There is a state of completion once your obedience is made perfect according to Phillipians 3:12-14.
God has a place prepared for you but right now there are things he has called you to do in Christ. The building up of the church rather than the tearing down of it is the goal. He gave his life for the church in Ephesians 5:25. How much more will he not build it up until the day it is complete in him. What would we do if we knew to what the Divine Power had called us? There are some that wish to make the mind as a house divided against itself; this, we know cannot stand according to Matthew 12:25. They use this verse as their divine commandment and have themselves armed to the teeth ready to take captive their every thought. If you are going to do that, please also come against the arguments and pretensions too. Maybe you think you are cuter than the girl next door. So, you arm yourself with push-up bras and tight pants to make the look a reality. That, my friend, is a pretention. Then, you Instagram that cute look in someplace nice. Finally, you get in a fight with your ex again for how mean you are to the poor girl next door. On the other hand, God says to quench not the Spirit because he speaks to you on the spirit level in 1 Thessalonians 5:19. This is how the Apostle Peter knew what Ananias and Saphira did before they ever spoke the words before the church according to Acts 5:3-4. His response is a picture of this verse used rightly. Look at this man, Peter. He once cut off the servant's ear for something that Jesus said in the garden of Gethsemane at John 18:10. Finally, he ended up rightly dividing the word of truth in the early church as in 2 Timothy 2:15. God's Spirit made the difference.