2 Corinthians 10: Taking Every Thought Captive to Christ

Introduction

"...throwing down imaginations and every high thing that is exalted against the knowledge of God, and bringing every thought into captivity to the obedience of Christ." Starting from 2 Corinthians 10:5, Peter Masters, at the Metropolitan Tabernacle in London, takes up a subject he considers immense: mastering the thought life.

He wants to deal with it in a single study so that it truly sticks in our minds. He also warns of a trap to avoid: getting lost in a "home-made psychology." So he chooses to stay with about a dozen Bible texts, some direct and some more indirect, in order to keep only what carries the seal of divine authority and not the ideas of the human mind.

From Deuteronomy to 2 Timothy, one principle emerges: the Christian's battle is fought first of all in the mind, and that is where you must choose, every day, what you let in.

Outline of the Message

1. A War in the Mind (2 Corinthians 10:5)

The context goes back to chapter 6 of the letter: the problem of false teachers, and of sinful opinions and behavior creeping into the Church. Paul speaks of his own work and that of his fellow preachers.
"Imaginations" are ideas, thoughts and opinions that run against the Word of God. The "high things" are everything that rises up and competes with God's truth for our attention, our time and our energy.
It can be anything: temptations, suggestions, the desire for a house or for nice things, selfish career ambitions, hobbies and pastimes that swallow up time and money, complaints, grumbling and resentment against someone who put you at a disadvantage, even to the point of bitterness. For some of the Corinthians, it was a passion for eloquence rather than for truth.
The language is military. In the Greek there is violence: it is about an enemy fortress that must be completely demolished. "Bringing into captivity" also belongs to the vocabulary of a military campaign.
"You do not crush your imagination," the preacher explains. But if it presents you with distractions from your spiritual life, you bring it under control. "It is a campaign. It is a war. It is not a peaceful exercise."
One can let hours, weeks and years go by with almost no control over one's thoughts. The principle of the verse is to deal with these things in the mind before they become actions.

2. Choosing Life Every Day (Deuteronomy 30:19-20)

"I call heaven and earth to witness against you this day: I have set before you life and death, the blessing and the curse. Therefore choose life." The command is to choose, and choosing is an activity of the mind.
The ability to reason sets human beings apart from the whole animal kingdom. The mind is the place of choice and the "palace of faith."
Life and blessing mean spiritual life and eternal life; death and the curse mean spiritual death and final condemnation. The decisive choice took place at conversion, when the Spirit of God convinced you of your need of Christ, the preacher testifies.
But the choosing goes on all through life: "Every hour is an hour of choice." From the morning on, temptations, suggestions, complaints, desires and entertainments must be weighed. Some of the things to reject are not sins in themselves, but they do not lead to life: they are simply selfish, worldly or empty of meaning, and they turn you away from living for the Lord.
You are being watched. Satan and the powers of darkness look out for every misstep to push you further. The Holy Spirit warns you and pricks your conscience. Christ, your Savior, watches you, always ready to help.
Verse 20 forms a sermon in three points on sanctification: love the LORD, obey his voice, hold fast to him. This is the basis of each day's choices.

3. Be Still and Know That I Am God (Psalm 46)

"Be still, and know that I am God. I will be exalted among the nations. I will be exalted in the earth." This psalm does not speak only of God's final victory: it is a psalm for every day.
"Be still" means: stop and reflect. Think about this: he is God, almighty and all-knowing, he is for you, he is your Father, he watches over you and will keep you to the end.
If, in the trials and turmoil of life, you know how to stop, stay calm and think of the Lord, you are already winning a victory over everything that would drag you down.
God is then exalted by lives that stand out "like jewels," at home, in the field, at work, in the midst of a disobedient world. It is a demonstration before the angels.
As at the beginning of the book of Job, Satan claims that the believer serves God only for what he gets out of it. When life goes on and you stay attached to the Lord in trust and love, Satan is proved wrong and God is exalted.
The "river, whose streams make the city of God glad" (Psalm 46:4 in the World English Bible) is the Word, the truth, for those who take hold of the promises and bring everything to the Lord.

4. Guard Your Heart, for You Become What You Think (Proverbs 4 and 23)

"Keep your heart with all diligence, for out of it is the wellspring of life" (Proverbs 4:23). The heart here is the center, the mind. To "keep" is to protect and defend.
All spiritual motivation and energy flow from the mind: a warm heart, a desire for God's grace, a living trust. If you do not guard your mind, you spoil that spring.
Everything that comes in must be examined. Facing a trial, the preacher invites us to say, "I must ration my thoughts about my misfortunes," and to take the time to entrust them to the Lord. Letting bitter and accusing thoughts spin around in a loop ends up changing the person.
Proverbs 23:6-7: "Don't eat the bread of him who has a stingy eye, neither desire his dainties: for as he thinks in his heart, so is he." In the Bible, the "evil eye" is never a curse: it describes a greedy, covetous look.
Whoever constantly thinks about grabbing and acquiring becomes that man. He is not even capable of friendship anymore: "'Eat and drink!' he says to you, but his heart is not with you." The devil will try this temptation on every believer. "Your thoughts shape you."

5. Peace, the Struggle, and What Comes from Within (Isaiah 26, Mark 7, Romans 7)

"You will keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is steadfast, because he trusts in you" (Isaiah 26:3). The Hebrew says "peace, peace," which is rightly translated as perfect peace. The mind leans on the Lord, and God rewards that trust by giving peace in the face of whatever stirs and worries.
Jesus teaches that what defiles a person comes from within: out of the heart come evil thoughts, adultery, theft, greed, pride, foolishness (Mark 7:20-23). The heart here means the central person: the mind, the affections and the will. "Think of pride and covetousness: such enemies."
In Romans 7, Paul delights in the law of God in his inner being, but he sees another law at war with the law of his mind. The flesh refers to the fallen nature, but the fight takes place in the mind.
"I thank God through Jesus Christ, our Lord!" Romans 8 brings the good news: there is no condemnation, and with God's help you can put to death sinful suggestions, desires, imaginations and complaints.

6. Choosing What Fills Your Mind (Ephesians 4, Philippians 4, Colossians 3)

"Let all bitterness, wrath, anger, outcry, and slander be put away from you, with all malice" (Ephesians 4:31-32). It is a choice: reject bitterness before it takes possession of your mind day after day.
Some stumble here: they were Christians and have become deeply bitter, "unbearable." You need to ask for God's help, put things back in proportion, consider the other side, and "ration very strictly" unhappy thoughts.
The anger in view is a passion that takes over the whole being. One can be angry without sinning, but not when one lets it flood every emotion. Instead, choose to be kind, compassionate, and to forgive as God forgave you in Christ.
Philippians 4:8 lets you write your own program of thoughts. Do you daydream as you walk or during your leisure time, and the enemy subtly makes you the star of your daydreams? This is the moment for serious choices: direct your mind toward what is true, honorable, just, pure and lovely.
"Set your mind on the things that are above, not on the things that are on the earth" (Colossians 3:2): "a verse to keep before your eyes" when you catch yourself loving or desiring something too much.
Your life is "hidden with Christ in God": the glory to come is veiled from the eyes of men, who may despise the believer. But it is there, protected and certain. Never let yourself be drawn toward the world.

7. A Sound Mind, Always Alert (2 Timothy 1:7)

"For God didn't give us a spirit of fear, but of power, love, and self-control." Whether it refers to the Holy Spirit or to a disposition, the meaning stays the same.
The King James Version speaks of a "sound" mind. Here, the preacher explains, the word does not mean "healthy": the Greek suggests a safe mind. Do you long for a safe mind?
The preacher mentions his "charismatic friends": some would like to set reason and control aside, let themselves go, fall to the ground, speak in tongues or enter a trance. "Oh no," he answers: God gives a spirit of wisdom, which always functions.
"The Christian mind is always alert." He guards it, takes care of it and uses it in a series of daily choices for the Lord, and God helps him and blesses him powerfully.

Key Takeaways

Taking every thought captive to Christ is a war, not a peaceful exercise: you must tear down whatever rises up against the knowledge of God.
Every hour is an hour of choice. Some of the things to reject are not sins in themselves, but they do not lead to life.
Your thoughts shape you: covetousness and bitterness that are mulled over again and again change the person.
God gives peace to the one whose mind leans on him.
The Christian receives a sound mind: his thinking stays alert and serves his daily choices for the Lord.

Personal Application

Which "high thing" occupies your mind today more than the Lord: an ambition, a hobby, a desire, a complaint?
What choices did you let pass this week without weighing them, because they did not seem to be sins?
Is there a wound or a resentment that you let spin around in a loop? How can you "ration" these thoughts and entrust them to God?
In your daydreams, who is at the center: you or the Lord?
Which verse from this message can you keep before your eyes to help you choose life every day?

Verses Cited

Frequently Asked Questions

What does "bringing every thought into captivity to the obedience of Christ" mean?

For Peter Masters, 2 Corinthians 10:5 uses military language. Everything that rises up against the knowledge of God must be torn down like an enemy fortress: false ideas, covetousness, complaints, selfish ambitions. The point is not to crush the imagination but to bring it under control. It is a campaign, a war, and not a peaceful exercise.

Why do our thoughts matter so much for a Christian?

Because the wellsprings of life flow out of the mind (Proverbs 4:23), and a person is as he thinks in his heart (Proverbs 23:7). The preacher shows that thoughts shape the person: the one who thinks with covetousness becomes a greedy man, and the one who keeps mulling over bitterness becomes bitter. These things must be dealt with in the mind before they become actions.

What does the spirit of wisdom in 2 Timothy 1:7 mean?

Peter Masters explains that the Greek word here suggests a safe mind, not a healthy one. God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power, love and wisdom. The Christian's mind is never set aside: it stays alert, it is guarded, and it is used to make, day after day, choices for the Lord.