Opposing Thoughts
“For though we walk in the flesh we do not war after the flesh: (For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal, but mighty through God to the pulling down of strong holds;) 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; And having in a readiness to revenge all disobedience, when your obedience is fulfilled.” - 2 Corinthians 10:5
For about a month I had developed the habit of meditating on particular verses of scripture each day. One of which is listed above. One day I had taken my daughter out for a walk, really desiring instead to take a trip to the library, however, there was only one problem, my car was down. My car was not inoperative, it had recently been repaired by my husband but needed one more minor detail done. It was under the advisement of my husband that I not drive it until he had finished. This bothered me because I had not been able to drive my car for a little over a month. If it was nearly complete and I was able to get safely down the roadway, then, whatever extra needed to be done could be tended to when I got back was my thinking. Nonetheless, as I walked with my daughter I wrestled in my mind whether to take the car against my husband’s wishes to go the mile it takes to get to the library or whether I should listen to him and refrain from moving the vehicle lest something happens.
In these situations, it seems that the devil does a great job at showing us inconsistencies and double standards in our relationship with our spouse. To get us to believe that we are being treated unfairly, and to get us to stand on our rights, fulfill our desires, and execute our will the devil has something to share with us. I say this a bit sarcastically but at the moment nothing was amusing about the situation, I was mentally warring with two opposing thoughts. Then, however, though being distracted the Holy Spirit brought back to my remembrance the verse: “For though we walk in the flesh, we do not war after the flesh…” He spoke to me in this entanglement letting me know what was happening, that I was warring after the flesh. I then began to recite the verse above and could see how true this was that war that was after the flesh that I was engaged in is a war that is in the mind or at least starts there. The verses above speak of the effectiveness of our weaponry to pull down strongholds, cast down imaginations, and every opinion/idea formed that says I don’t know God or His word, to take captive every thought.
As I continued to ponder on these verses and as revealed by the Lord began to see myself in them, very quickly the Holy Spirit dropped into my spirit another one of my meditation verses:
“Let nothing be done through strife or vainglory, but in lowliness of mind let each esteem other better than themselves. Look not every man on his own things, but every man also on the things of others. Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus: Who, being in the form of God, thought it not robbery to be equal with God: But made himself of no reputation, and took upon him the form of a servant, and was made in the likeness of men.” - Philippians 2:3-7
This particular verse was the weapon I was to use in the application of the previous verse. It was brought back to my remembrance so that I could take captive every thought that was forming as reasoning to go against my husbands’ wishes. Through these verses, the Holy Spirit spoke, that like as Christ I was to take on the disposition of a servant and that a servant is not out to fulfill his/her own will but rather is in place to fulfill the will of another, to execute the wishes or desires of another. From this, I saw an opportunity to obey God; that in humbly and respectfully obeying my husband, I now with understanding and wisdom was also fulfilling the will of God. Though he calls us sons and treats us as such, and although our Lord calls us friends and treats us as such, in love we ought to walk in this sonship and even validate this friendship through servant-like obedience in the fulfillment of His will and not our own (See 1John 3:4; John 15:14-15). Once we have received the weapon to be used to destroy the thought(s) that oppose the will of God, then we are ready to revenge, that is to take a stand for truth and right. We now have peace and are no longer warring because we have received of the Lord, and we know what is the right way to go that will bring honor to His name, and so we go it. Mind you, there will be no peace for the one who does not want to honor God. Even with a word from God, if their desire is not ultimately to please Him in obeying it, then they will still be warring, and worst they will surrender to the will of the flesh (See James 1:14-15). Remember, “the weapons of our warfare are not carnal…” Who wants to use them? Remember, “the word of God is quick and powerful…” (See Hebrews 4:12). Who wants to apply it? Our mantra: Let God Be True & Question You!
