The Battlefield of the Mind (2 Cor 10:3-5)

For though we walk in the flesh, we are not waging war according to the flesh. For the weapons of our warfare are not of the flesh but have divine power to destroy strongholds. We destroy arguments and every lofty opinion raised against the knowledge of God, and take every thought captive to obey Christ - 2 Corinthians 10:3-5

In the same way that Jesus used parables to communicate the core message of His teaching, the Apostle Paul used imagery of worldly concepts to describe the Christian life.

In his first letter to the Corinthians, Paul compares us and our journey here on earth to an athlete competing in a race (1 Cor 9:24). Here, in his second letter to the Corinthians, Paul uses imagery of a soldier engaged in warfare.

A good soldier has many qualities, but what truly separates him from the rest of the pack is his unwavering commitment to the mission. The good soldier exalts the success of the mission above even his own life. Paul uses this imagery to communicate exactly what attitude each Christian is called to play in the battlefield of our lives.

But instead of the battlefield being the sea, the air, or the land, the battlefield for every Christian is in his or her mind.

“There’s no flesh or blood within this cloak to kill. There’s only an idea. Ideas are bulletproof.” - Alan Moore

As Logos made flesh, Jesus is the Truth. As God incarnate, Jesus is Lord of lords, and King of kings.

To serve the Lord Jesus Christ, then, is to serve Truth itself. The great motivational speakerJim Rohn once said that we must, "stand guard at the door of our mind.' Are we selective with what we allow into our minds? Or do we simply entertain whatever thought pops in?

Our brains process thousands of thoughts each day. How many of them are serving us? More importantly, how many of them are serving our Commander in Chief?

I will extol you my God and King,

and bless your name forever and ever

- Psalm 145:1