3 For though we walk in the flesh, we are not waging war according to the flesh. 4 For the weapons of our warfare are not of the flesh but have divine power to destroy strongholds. We destroy arguments 5 and every lofty opinion raised against the knowledge of God, and take every thought captive to obey Christ. (2 Corinthians 10:3-5)
[I came across this very edifying and encouraging piece as a part of the Kairos Journal. It speaks eloquently to the issue of military imagery in the Scripture. So many voices today cry out against any kind of such imagery and give the impression that any such thinking is evil at its root and is therefore unacceptable in any spiritual setting. This article does a wonderful job of underscoring for us how Paul uses such imagery to convey spiritual necessity.]
Contrary to those who wish to sterilize the Bible of its military images, the text of Scripture is suffused with military metaphors. Indeed, Christians are called to be faithful soldiers, even donning armor with swords and shields (cf. Eph. 6:10 ff). Nevertheless, it is important to remember who the enemies are and where the battle lines are drawn.
By the time the Apostle Paul wrote 2 Corinthians, enemies of the gospel of Christ had determined that the best means of attacking the gospel was to undermine the authority of God’s spokesmen. Paul’s epistle to the Corinthians is a rebuttal to his opponent’s arguments. Yet, in this text, the apostle points out that the true enemies are not other persons, but their arguments. Consequently, the way to do battle is shaped by understanding the real enemy.
Because the battle was not a “fleshly” battle, but a spiritual one, Paul trusted only spiritual weapons. Rather than appealing to the shallow desire of the Corinthians for persuasive rhetoric (1 Cor. 1:18-25) or outward appearances (2 Cor. 4:16-18), the apostle preferred the efficacy of divine power. As Paul explained earlier in 2 Corinthians 3, believers are those whose understanding is no longer darkened as if by a veil; they are “ministers of a new covenant.” Miraculously, “through the Lord who is the Spirit,” they see the world clearly - a stark contrast to “the unbelievers” whose “minds have been blinded by the god of this world” (2 Cor. 3:15-18; 4:3-4). If such people are going to be reached, it will require a power beyond earthly devices. Consequently, the Spirit goes to war on the Christian’s behalf.
Paul’s call for spiritual soldiering was no retreat from sound thinking, however. He spoke of arguments to be undermined and destroyed - those that oppose the knowledge of God. Paul faced a multitude of erroneous assertions - including that he was not a true apostle and was only passing himself off as one for self-aggrandizement. Thus, his strategy involved using Word - empowered reasoning to tear down barriers erected against the truth (cf. Acts 17:16-34; 18:4; 19:8-10). But Paul did not stop with the task of demolishing falsehood; his goal was “to take every thought captive to obey Christ” (v. 5). This remarkable phrase can be rendered “to take as prisoner of war.”[1] Every thought that is in rebellion to God must be made a prisoner of war and be made to submit to the authority of God in Christ Jesus as Lord.
The battle for the hearts and minds of men will be won on the battlefield of ideas. Bad arguments must be tracked down and brought into captivity to the lordship of Christ, because ideas capture minds and create worldviews. Mindless Christianity will be heartless Christianity. Heartless Christianity is deadly.
Being a Christian in the world means not doing battle the way the world does battle. By giving true spiritual wisdom, God helps the believer to love his enemy—at the same time he is deconstructing sinful ways of thinking. Since every thought is to be brought into captivity to Christ, believers are called to capture every arena of human endeavor for Christ. Christians should bring everything from architecture to zoology under His lordship. Urban planning, environmental science, politics, and international relations are worthy callings alongside church worship, evangelism training, or seminary teaching. Every domain of thought represents important territory to be occupied for Christ. Faithful soldiers of Christ engage the enemy with confidence and courage, remembering that ultimately “the battle is the Lord’s,” and He is already victorious!
[1] Ralph P. Martin, 2 Corinthians, in Word Biblical Commentary, vol. 40 (Waco, TX: Word Books, 1986), 306.
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