Jump Start # 1555

2 Corinthians 10:5 “We are destroying speculations and every lofty thing raised up against the knowledge of God, and we are taking every thought captive to the obedience of Christ”

  Our verse today fits well with our theme this week of “fighting the good fight.” The language of the passage sounds victorious. “We are destroying…” and “we are taking every thought captive,” sounds as if positive ground is being taken and if Paul was winning the war. How can this be when history tells us that Paul was executed? Shortly after his death, the Roman empire turned against the Christians and their blood was shed throughout the world. Today, the pure form of Christianity, that which has stuck with the Biblical pattern, is alive but in contrast to other religions, it’s not large. It seems that sin is winning. It seems that things are getting worse, not better. It seems that the acceptance of wrong has become popular and the norm.

Understanding the nature of this fight, helps us to understand this passage. The battleground of this fight actually takes place in each person’s heart. It is there that choices are made and faith finds a home. Our religion, if you want to call it that, is not lived through government policies or public ideas. It is personal and lived out by each individual person. It is not even lived through the church. It is within our hearts that we live for Christ. Our faith is expressed through our hearts. It is in our hearts that convictions are formed, decisions made and commitment is secured. So, the battleground where this good fight is fought, is within our hearts. Satan may get the government. He may get the media. He may get schools. He may get the laws, policies and modern thinking of the times, but the one thing he cannot get is your heart, unless you allow that. This is where this verse takes place, in our hearts. It is in our hearts that we are destroying speculations. It is in our hearts that we are taking every thought captive.

This is why in countries that are opposed to Christianity, such as Muslin countries or communistic countries, Christians are there. They may be meeting secretively for safety but they are there. Those countries and their laws have not conquered every heart. There are hearts that have destroyed and taken captive those things that oppose Christ.

But even in a grander sense than the fight against communism, here throughout this country are hundreds of hearts that have refused to be held captive by Satan. I think of the home, where mom and dad have no time nor use for God. The Bible is never opened. Prayers are never said. Alcohol flows freely. Trashy talk and trashy behavior is an everyday thing. Yet in such sorry households, comes a young man or a young lady who doesn’t agree with all that they see everyday. Deep in their hearts they love the Lord. On their own, they pray, read God’s word and live a pure life. When they move out on their own, they do just the opposite of what their parents were doing. They find a congregation and worship each week. They have destroyed and captured all the wrongs and have refused to let Satan have their hearts.

I think of the young college student who sits in a biology or philosophy class and endures ridicule and erroneous statements about Christianity. Books on the required reading list slams and mocks the Bible. Most of the class blindly goes along with this stuff. It doesn’t bother them because Satan has already gotten a foothold in their hearts. Drinking and fornication have become weekly adventures for most students. They are spinning out of control and they do not even realize it. But for the young Christian, he has held his ground. His has refused to surrender his heart. The claims of the professor are inconsistent, illogical and without proof. He sees through the smoke and knows that there are things that the professor refuses to address. If the Bible is not from God, where did it come from? Why is it that there is no other book in history like the Bible? How were things written about before they were discovered? The professor dodges such questions and mocks the person who asks him that and turns to extreme abuses of hypocrites to satisfy his unproven claims. Yet for this believer, his heart has held it’s ground. He has not allowed Satan to take it over. He has destroyed and he has conquered.

The battle isn’t on the national front. It’s not marching with protest signs. It’s not petitions. It’s not over shouting your opponent. It’s not being a spiritual bully. The battle is in your heart. You alone allow whatever you want to come into your heart. You have the key and it is within that heart that the greatest battle ever fought takes place.

We can help ourselves or hurt ourselves by what we allow in our hearts and by what we allow ourselves to be influenced by. Watching worthless TV shows certainly isn’t going to help us destroy and capture what is wrong. When we do that, we are opening the window of our heart and allowing the enemy to sneak in. Filling your day with unprofitable talk, surrounding yourself with conversations that take you down doesn’t help you win this battle for your heart. Anger, selfishness and godlessness prevail. We encounter those three ugly sisters everywhere. They are found in people. They are found in music. They are especially found on reality TV shows. They are expressed on Facebook and Twitter. Do you want to keep your heart for the Lord? Do you want to win the battle? Do you want to destroy and capture? Then you must guard what comes into your heart. Be the only nerd at work who didn’t watch what everyone is talking about today. Be the prude who refuses to flirt around with co-workers. Be the fanatic who actually reads his Bible during lunch. Be the one who prays before he walks into the office and prays before he enters his home. Be the one who ends the day thankfully and begins the next day, hopefully. Be the one who sings hymns in his car. Be the one who seeks the company of quality people. Be the one who reads, watches and listens to things that will make him a better person. Be the one who is thoughtful and kind. Be the one who doesn’t see what others are doing, he does what is right, even if he stands alone. Be the one whose heart has not been taken over by Satan.

We are destroying and we have captured…it was taking place. The Christians were winning. While the world was growing more and more wicked, there were certain ones who were untouched and unmoved by those things.

I fear that too many of us are getting worked up about politics. The Lord will take care of us. Do you want another four years like we have had, someone recently asked me. Things are dark, no question. But it seems that the light shines the brightest in the darkest places. God will take care of you. Be faithful even to death. Remember? The battle takes place in your heart.

This day, what you are allowing into your heart? You have the key. Only open it for that which will bring you closer to the Lord. Rise above everyone else and do what you know is right.

Yes, there is a battle going on. It started the moment you woke up today!

Roger