Sep 8 – Isaiah 17, Isaiah 18, Isaiah 19 2 Corinthians 10 Psalm 106:16-31

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.

We don’t wage war according to the flesh. Our weapons are not the weapons of this world. We have divine power on our side. But so item it goes unused… 

In this divine power we don’t battle people but principalities and powers. But also strongholds of a more earthly nature too… its with this divine power we should destroy every lofty opinion and argument. 

You see there’s the spiritual warfare against the enemy. But there is also the war fare of the mind, the war fare agains mans pride and arrogance before God. 

Often we focus on the first and forget this second one. Every opinion against the knowledge of God (and wow, there’s a lot of them) needs to be challenged not ignored. How? Not in our strength but in the divine power of The Spirit. 

Take every thought captive. Those in your mind and those out there in our culture.

2 Cor 10:10-12

For they say, “His letters are weighty and strong, but his bodily presence is weak, and his speech of no account.”

Let such a person understand that what we say by letter when absent, we do when present.

Not that we dare to classify or compare ourselves with some of those who are commending themselves. But when they measure themselves by one another and compare themselves with one another, they are without understanding. 

Those who commend themselves measure themselves by one another. 

Comparison leads to one of two bad things. Pride or despair. Neither is good for you. That’s living without understanding.

Paul was accused of been a good letter writer but weak in presence. That’s because there were comparing him to the slick talkers, the charismatic people. It seems amazing to me people tried to say Paul (Paul!!!) was a weak preacher. That shows me peoples opinions are worth very little. 

Paul’s response is essentially, “you think I care about your comparisons? I’m telling you, what I write I live and I don’t judge myself compared to others”. 

Do you compare yourself to others? When you do, you are looking in the wrong place. You’ll either feel bad or feel proud. Take your eyes of what other people are doing, how good they may or may not be and focus on Jesus. That’s how to live with understanding.