Start Believing and Refuse the lies
Thank you for joining me for 80 Days of Encouragement Day 4. Remember, the goal is to start believing who God says I am and to refuse the lies. And to encourage ourselves and others in the process. Hopefully, the first few days will begin to shift us toward our true identity. If you missed the first day, you can find it here. You can find Day 2 and Day 3 also.
So, I want to finish discussing 2 Corinthians 10:5-6 (TPT) in Day 4 of this series, 80 Days of Encouragement. Let’s read it together, “5 We can demolish every deceptive fantasy[e] that opposes God and break through every arrogant attitude that is raised up in defiance of the true knowledge of God. We capture, like prisoners of war, every thought[f] and insist that it bow in obedience to the Anointed One. 6 Since we are armed with such dynamic weaponry, we stand ready to punish[g] any trace of rebellion, as soon as you choose complete obedience.[h]
Obedience
We see the word obedience a couple of times in this passage. So what does obedience mean? It means submission to another’s authority. And in the biblical sense it means hearing or hearkening to a higher authority. Capturing and insisting our thoughts bow in obedience to Him isn’t something we try to do. Not at all. Remember we can demolish and break through because we are armed with dynamic weaponry. It is part of who we are now. Indeed we have the power. We have far more than we think or comprehend. This is why we are able to take our thoughts captive. Also, as you stand ready and firm in complete obedience we will experience freedom.
In conclusion, The Passion Translation New Testament 2nd Edition footnote section, states for these two verses the following, “This completes one long, complicated Greek sentence that began in v. 3. In this passage Paul describes four arenas of warfare: (1) We are empowered by grace and with the gospel to dismantle strongholds. (2) We demolish arguments, opinions, theories, and philosophies. (3) We take captive every thought to insist that it become obedient to the mind of Christ. (4) We stand ready and willing to wage war and defeat the enemy (Eph 6:10-18).
80 Days of Encouragement Day 4 In Christ
Remember, Satan, the author of lies, is already defeated. God’s Word already tells us Who wins. Of course, we will encounter pain and struggles in this life, but in Christ we are never alone. Feelings and thoughts may steer us down a lonely path; however, believing who we are in Christ allows us to experience and be victorious. Paul uses the “in Christ” many times especially throughout his epistles. Begin looking for the little phrase “in Christ”. Finally, pay attention to what is around the words “in Christ”. Take notes and begin believing.
So until next time, obey and experience freedom in Christ,
Dawn