THINKING YOUR WAY THROUGH TROUBLE

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. 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.

Have you ever been forced to think yourself out of a troubling situation? Sooner or later we will front a crisis in life that will require us to think clearly. Otherwise our difficulties will get worse. How well we think has much to do with the eventual outcome of our trials.

Throughout 2 Corinthians Paul was engaged in the business of troubleshooting. In chapter 2, he spoke of a painful visit he once made to Corinth. Rather than make a second stressful trip, he elected to send them a letter.

From chapters 1 through 9, he dealt with a variety of problems that affected the Corinthian church in general. Serious students of the letter have observed a significant change in tone that begins in chapter 10. Some refer to it as the "severe letter." Some students are convinced the sharp tone difference actually means that chapter 10 through 13 comprise a separate piece of correspondence.

In this section Paul dealt with circumstances that were troubling to him personally, yet the consequences went far beyond his own personal difficulties. The problem threatened the Christian community in Corinth.

Someone was sowing seeds of discord among the Corinthian members. An attempt was being made to divide the church into pro-Paul and anti-Paul factions. The agitators accused Paul of duplicity. The claimed the apostle wrote one way in his letters and spoke in an entirely different manner, when he looked people in the eye. They even made disparaging remarks about his personal appearance and exaggerated their own performance in order to enhance their standing in the eyes of the Christian community in Corinth.

Most of the Corinthians probably didn't believe these slick talking word mechanics, but they didn't know to how respond to them. Even today, it's never easy to effectively overcome the influence of the smooth talking religious con artist who flatters and deceives naive people. In this chapter Paul focused on developing the quality of discernment. He said "we take every thought captive." To walk through the mine fields laid by the charlatans who profess to wave the banner of the cross, you've got to keep your head on straight. You must perfect the techniques of thinking yourself out of trouble because the battle is won or lost in our thinking.

Obstacles to Overcome

The Strongholds

In verse 4, Paul spoke about demolishing strongholds. Paul was using military terminology throughout this section. Ancient cities needed security systems. The ultimate defensive fortification was the walled city, with its watchtowers and sentinels posted at strategic points to watch for approaching enemies.

Paul drew a parallel between the city's protective wall and the carnal, protective devices that people commonly employ in order to defend their cherished vices, self-centered actions and self-serving ambitions. As Christians we know it's important to identify the strongholds, walls and barriers that people commonly erect in their lives in an attempt to avoid making themselves accountable to God.

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