2 Corinthians 10:4,5 NIV
The weapons we fight with are not the weapons of this 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 though to make it obedient to Christ.
AMPLIFIED BIBLE
For the weapons of our warfare are not physical (weapons of flesh and blood), but they are mighty before God for the overthrow and destruction of strongholds.
Inasmuch as we refute arguments and theories and reasonings and every proud and lofty thing that sets itself up against the (true) knowledge of God, and we lead every thought and purpose away captive into the obedience of Christ (the Messiah, the Anointed One).
When I was freed several years ago from a terrible bondage in my spirit because of a stronghold, I began praying these verses every morning using the NIV. The stronghold had been so huge, so imprisoning, I never wanted to be imprisoned by a stronghold ever again. Every morning before I did anything, I prayed, “Father God, I place You in authority over me this day. Father, I demolish every stronghold, argument and pretension that sets themselves up against the knowledge of God because I do not fight with the weapons of this world but with divine weapons that can demolish strongholds
and I bring each and every thought and make it captive and obedient to Your Son, Jesus Christ.” Sounds good, right? I was now ready to face the day with the knowledge my relationship with God was protected. That’s what I thought anyway until this morning. When I prayed it this morning the Holy Spirit nudged after I prayed about demolishing the arguments, pretensions, and strongholds; but when I got to bringing “every thought and making it captive and obedient to Jesus Christ” I was brought to a complete halt. I mean my mouth was shut; unable to pray anything else. “Really! So that’s what you did yesterday? You brought every thought you had and made it captive to My Son?” Smugly I replied, “But I prayed. I put it in Your hands.” It was the Holy Spirit showed me, it wasn’t up to God to make my thoughts captive and obedient to Christ, it was up to me and I hadn’t. Not once and as a result I had a horrible day, a very angry day. In my dealings with certain people I had not brought my thoughts under the captivity and obedience of Christ and my day went from terrible to horrible.
The “we” that is used in these verses does NOT mean God and I; it means “you and I” “us”. It is our responsibility to use the divine weapons God has given us to demolish the arguments, pretensions, and strongholds. It is our responsibility to bring each and every thought and make it captive and obedient to Christ. The divine weapons Paul is referring to are found in Ephesians 6:13-18: truth, righteousness, the gospel of peace, faith, salvation, the Holy Spirit, The Word of God, prayer and supplication. I hadn’t fought with the divine weapons to stop the arguments against God. I hadn’t brought each and every thought and made them captive and obedient to Christ. As a consequence, I had a horrible day. Now the verses I prayed as a supplication, I now pray as an affirmation. The way it should have always been prayed.
