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 KJV
Paul was not a man given to careless thought or talk or who spoke because he just wanted to hear the sound of his voice. He was a man given divine inspiration to write about some of the principles on which the gospel of Christ is based. He was a man who had walked in the flesh for a long time, and therefore knew the dangers of flesh and its inability to please God. If my life will please God, I must have the same heart. I cannot play both sides, seeking to please God and the world at the same time. Man has tried that over several centuries and failed, yet he continues to try. What decisions do I need to take today in dealing with the selfish, sinful nature I inherited from Adam? God cannot use that old nature; he must deal with it, so that I can the version he can use for exploits.
It is in that light that today's extract makes sense. The natural man will always fight against the things of God. If I will be on God's side, I have to see things from his perspective. Another natural man is not the enemy, and it is a grave danger to assume that it is. We make enemies out of weak, natural men like ourselves, forgetting that death is the end of all men, and none of us can guarantee that we will see tomorrow, unless God consents. Why would I make a boast over things I have no control over? Even if the devil gives a man power, the devil cannot seal eternal life in heaven for that man, because he also does not have that power. If both man and the devil are this limited, it means that they are not the authority on what works.
And in this earthly life, God has made it clear that we must fight. Man's fall in the garden of Eden made it clear that nothing would come easy to man, unless that man surrendered total control to God. Even in total surrender, you will still fight, but you are assured of victory because you have the backing of the God called the man of war. And he makes it clear what the rules of engagement for warfare are. If I give total control to God, I receive total victory over all levels of powers. Even in the battle of the mind, where the devil likes to plant the wrong seeds, God gives victory. Even in the battle of words or actions, where men seek to bend the truth to suit their motives by pushing heresies or fantasies contrary to God's word, or violently oppose the truth of God's Word by seeking the lives of all who follow God, like this same Paul did before he met God, God assures me that no matter what happens, He is in charge and is the one who gives victory.
It means then that I must know God, beyond any shadow of doubt. I must not seek to confront falsehood with incomplete information or half - baked enlightenment. It is not a call to compromise or seeking a middle ground where truth and falsehood can co-exist. God forbid that I water down the truths of God's word because I seek the applause and approval of men. Altars will be raised up in the hearts and lives of men; strange altars will be built up and pushed out as alternatives to the personal knowledge of God; men will seek to actively disobey God and then seek other men to join them in their rebellion. These are the signs of the age we are in, and no amount of prayer and fasting can stop there signs from happening.
However, the one thing I must do is to know God for myself. It is that personal knowledge that will keep me sane and grounded, even when everything else is going to pieces. When I am on the side of God, he is able to defend me. I can stand and make declarations and heaven will back me up. I can command the obedience of men and spirits, because I am subject to the authority of the Lord of all spirits and men. I must not embark on an assignment for which God has not sent me or seek to make a name for myself which does not glorify God. I must be an obedient child if I will command the obedience of other men. My heart must be God's captive if my life will also take every other thought captive to the obedience of Christ. Is that true of me? His time of favour is here.
No comments:
Post a Comment