2 Corinthians 10:5 - Biblical Cognitive Behavioral Therapy.
2 Corinthians 10:5: Biblical Cognitive Behavioral Therapy.
2 Corinthians 10:5 (NKJV) Casting down arguments and every high
thing that exalts itself against the knowledge of God, bringing every
thought into captivity to the obedience of Christ,
COMMENTARY
Casting down arguments and every high thing that exalts
itself against the knowledge of God, bringing every thought into
captivity to the obedience of Christ, 2 Corinthians 10:5 (NKJV)
We are not a victim of our thoughts. We have a vote. We have
a voice. We can exercise thought prevention!
Dont talk to me, we say. Im in a bad mood.
As if a mood were a place to which we were assigned, rather than an
emotion we permit. Or we say, Dont mess with her. She has a bad
disposition. Is a bad disposition something we have like a cold or the flu?
Or do we have a choice? Paul says we do. In 2 Corinthians 10:5 he
says, We capture every thought and make it give up and obey
Christ.
Capture every thought - you get the impression were the
soldiers and the thoughts are our enemies. The minute they appear we go
into action. Selfishness, step back! Envy, get lost! Find another
home, Anger you arent allowed on this turf!
Capturing thoughts is serious business! But, you can do it!
[Max Lucado Daily Devotional at maxlucado.com]
I have made up my mind to obey your laws forever, no
matter what (Psalm 119:112 CEV).
The reason why most people are ineffective in life is that
theyve never learned how to fight the battle of the mind.
If you want to learn to manage your mind, you have to be
delivered from destructive thoughts. That isnt easy, because there are
three enemies that keep you from fulfilling all your good intentions
of changing your life.
1. The First Enemy Is Your Old Nature.
Paul says in Romans 7:23, There is another power within me
that is at war with my mind. This power makes me a slave to the sin
that is still within me (NLT).
Do you ever find yourself doing things that you dont
really want to do? Thats the battle in your brain between your old,
sinful nature and your good intentions.
2. The Second Enemy Is Satan.
Satan cannot force you to do anything, but he can make
suggestions, and those suggestions are incredibly powerful. He is constantly
planting negative thoughts in your mind. Hell use other people or
hell use the TV or hell just throw a thought in your mind.
3. The Third Enemy Is The Worlds Value System.
Does anything in our society encourage self-discipline? Not
much. Advertisements tell us, You deserve a break today. Have it
your way. We do it all for you.
The Bible says in 1 John 2:16, For everything in the world
- the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of
life - comes not from the Father but from the world (NIV).
With enemies like that, no wonder we struggle with
discouragement and despair and failure!
So how do you fight this battle? Look at what 2 Corinthians
10:3-5 says: 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.
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 (NIV).
You have a choice. Your mind has to listen to you. God
didnt give you just a mind. He gave you a will! The best time to win
the battle with temptation is before it begins.
I have made up my mind to obey your laws forever, no
matter what (Psalm 119:112 CEV). [Daily Devotional by Rick Warren:
https://pastorrick.com/devotional/]
Thy word is a lamp unto my feet, and a light unto my path.
Psalm 119:105 (KJV)
Everyone has a worldview. Our worldview is influenced by many
things. Its influenced by our culture, by our upbringing, and by our
education or lack thereof. Its influenced by the books we read or the
lack of books we read. Its influenced by the media we expose
ourselves to.
A worldview is comprehensive. It will affect every area of
our lives, from our morality to how we spend our money to our
politics to how we vote. It affects everything about us. What we want to
have is a Christian worldview, and more specifically, a biblical
worldview.
C. S. Lewis said, I believe in Christianity as I believe
that the Sun has risen, not only because I see it, but because by it
I see everything else. Thats how we need to view life:
through the lens of Scripture, through the eyes of a follower of Jesus
Christ.
The only way to have a biblical worldview is by studying and
memorizing Scripture and spending time in it every day. We want to run
everything through a biblical grid, asking ourselves, What does the
Bible say about this?
Sometimes people have an emotional worldview. They base their
views on how they feel. Theyll say, Well, I just go with my
heart, because the heart wants what the heart wants.
Heres what the Bible says about our hearts: The human
heart is the most deceitful of all things, and desperately wicked. Who
really knows how bad it is? (Jeremiah 17:9 NLT).
Dont go with your heart, because your heart can mislead
you. Dont go with your emotions, because your emotions can mislead
you. And certainly dont go with the culture, because that will
mislead you. Go with the Bible. It will never take you in the wrong
direction. Learn to think biblically. [By Greg Laurie from Harvest
Ministries; https://www.harvestdaily.com]
ILLUSTRATION
If you believe what you watch in movies, a spy's job is to
blow up things, escape certain-death situations, capture the bad guy,
and use lots of cool gadgets. That just shows you can't trust
Hollywood. Most spies spend their time secretly gathering information and
sending discoveries to their home country. Their job is to go unnoticed.
They need to gather airtight evidence so their country's leaders can
make informed decisions. Huge explosions and high-speed chases aren't
regular occurrences, but spies do use cool gadgets to gather
information.
The International Spy Museum in Washington. DC. features some
of the coolest spy gear that's ever been created. For more than
forty years. spies have used cameras that look like coat buttons to
snap pictures. They've hidden transmitters in the heels of shoes and
left messages in fake dog doo (gross, but true). Complicated codes
have been used to create, send, and translate information. A camera
was even invented that took photos where every shot looked like a
tiny dot. But once the dot was magnified, you could see an entire
page of information.
Spies do it. Detectives do it. Newspaper reporters do it.
People seeking the truth do it, what is it? It's following the facts.
Sometimes in criminal cases all the facts look stacked a
certain way. But upon closer investigation, the evidence actually points
to the exact opposite conclusion. The case that many people make
against the Bible is that way. Those who want to argue against God and
his Word will put together evidence that appears convincing at
first. But once you dig into the case, you'll find the Bible stands
strong.
In 2 Corinthians 10:5 Paul tells us to "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." If you haven't already, you're bound to meet people and
encounter ideas that oppose your belief in God. When that happens, simply
follow the facts and you'll find that God's persuasive evidence
demolishes all other arguments. Blowing up wrong ideas can be just as fun
as blowing up a building ... and it's a lot safer, too.
We demolish arguments and ever pretension that sets itself
up against the knowledge of God, and we take captive ever thought
to make it obedient to Christ" 2 Corinthians 10:5. [Case For Christ
For Kids by Les Strobel]
PRACTICAL APPLICATION
Finally, brothers, 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. Philippians 4:8 (NIV)
If anything is excellent or praiseworthy, think about such
things. This may sound easy, but it's actually quite countercultural.
People who work in the media almost always shine their spotlights on
what is wrong. They rarely bother to report good things that are
happening - especially the many good things My people are doing.
Having a positive focus is not only countercultural; it's
contrary to human nature. Your mind is a magnificent creation, but it is
deeply fallen. When Adam and Eve rebelled against Me in the Garden of
Eden, everything was damaged by the Fall. As a result, seeking to
focus on excellent things does not come naturally to you. It requires
persistent effort - making the right choice over and over again. Daily,
moment by moment, you choose to look for what is good.
In spite of the massive problems in your world, much remains
that is worthy of praise. Moreover, the One who is most praiseworthy
is the One who is right beside you - closer than your thoughts.
Rejoice in Me, beloved! (Phi. 4:8; Gen. 3:6; Pro. 16:16; Psa. 73:23)
[Jesus Always by Sarah Young]
CLOSING THOUGHTS
How can we control our thoughts? Good or evil actions begin
with good or evil thoughts (Pro.23:7). We are all aware that the
hardest battle in life is the struggle to think straight. People who
want to give up smoking have great difficulty keeping their thoughts
off cigarettes. Alcoholics think constantly about drink, and
lustful persons keep thinking about sex. Proud people focus on
themselves, and dishonest people manufacture crooked schemes.
Most people will admit that there are some modes of thought
that, of themselves, they cannot overcome, even though they recognize
them as counterproductive. Mind training has some value, the
exercise of the will achieves results, but the problem persists: the mind
it not completely controllable in respect to some attractive
objects.
Is there a solution to this dilemma? Can our thoughts ever
be brought under control? How can the Holy Spirit help us? (Note
this last question is a rhetorical question i.e. the answer is in the
question). [Adult SS quarterly 7/29/95]
Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus:
Philippians 2:5 (KJV)
LINKS FOR FURTHER STUDY ON THIS PASSAGE
http://www.abible.com/devotions/2017/20170319-1058.html
http://www.abible.com/devotions/2014/20140525-1304.html
LINKS WORTH CHECKING OUT
Most Important Decision in Life:
http://www.youtube.com/embed/WGnEuGwvXqU?rel=0
A Man without Equal by Bill Bright:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NiVa7UoruIo [old, but one of the best]
Importance of Choice:
http://creationhealth.com/CREATION-Health/Choice [click on video]
Seeking God Made Real: http://vimeo.com/31489782
Prayer Made Real: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tc8VdMV26VE
Musical Devotional On Christian Living:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OcotY5K7T0c
Medical Seminar on Healthful Living by David DeRose, MD, MPH:
https://www.smartlifestyletv.com/lifestart
LINKS FOR BIBLE STUDIES
Lifting Up Jesus Bible Studies: http://www.liftingupjesus.net/
Amazing Facts Bible Studies:
http://www.amazingfacts.org/bible-study/bible-study-guides.aspx
Discover Bible Studies: http://studies.itiswritten.com/discover/
Glow Tract Video Bible Studies: http://www.bibleresearch.info/
ABible.com: http://www.aBible.com
LINKS FOR BIBLE PROPHECY SEMINARS
The Last Day of Prophecy by Pastor Doug Batchelor:
https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLmGvdtMCf1aJTiC59-lPtuUMEq_uEn0BK
Restoring The Power by John Bradshaw:
https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLRogO1SxoZN15Boa7BMon4BouVMdteVaq
Prophecies Decoded by Pastor Ron Clouzet:
https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL1A435C5373550657
Last Day Prophecy: His Other Sheep by Pastor Gerald Babanezhad:
https://vimeo.com/162267518
