The struggle is always within our minds and our thought
process. Sin starts as a thought, or an idea. It is presented in our mind as
something to consider. Our weapons in this struggle however are not as the
world would envision them. They have divine power which means they are from
God Almighty! The divine power they possess is to demolish strongholds. A stronghold
is a line of thinking that runs contrary to what God has already said. But look
here how the battle is broken down by Paul. We need to demolish every argument
or pretension that sets itself up against the knowledge of God. A pretension is
a fancy word for a lie. So the battle is between what God has said and what the
world is saying to us; what the enemy wants us to believe. Thoughts that are in
disagreement or disobedience to Christ must be made captive until such time
that they are corrected to the truth. Remember, it is the
You belong to your father, the devil, and you want to carry out your father's desires. He was a murderer from the beginning, not holding to the truth, for there is no truth in him. When he lies, he speaks his native language, for he is a liar and the father of lies. John 8:44 (NIV)
There is no truth in the world and the lies the devil wants us to believe. But we have been sanctified by God. That means we are set apart for Him. The key verse reminds us that this sanctification is accomplished through us knowing the truth the truth of God's Word. Think about that for a moment. We are set apart for God but only because we know the truth. We see the darkness for what it is in our lives. The things of God are no longer foolishness to us! But we must hold fast to what we have learned:
To the Jews who had believed him, Jesus said, "If you hold to my teaching, you are really my disciples. Then you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free." John 8: 31-32 (NIV)
The truth shall set you free from what? From the lies of the enemy. We become sanctified by knowing the truth so that when the enemy whispers a lie into our ears we can respond with the truth of the Word of God; thus taking that pretension or argument captive, and making it obedient to Christ. THAT is where the freedom is. Before we came to the saving grace of Jesus Christ we too were bound in the world and held captive by the lies that it sells. That these mere 80 years or so we get on earth is all there is to life. That we may as well live for the present because there is no future. Lies about lifestyle choices. Lies about sin choices. Lies about our very existence. But for every lie the enemy tries to get us to believe, there is a verse in God's Word that assures us he is lying. The only question is who we believe. When we are in the world, the things of God, such as His Word, are foolishness so we believe the world. When we are sanctified we are set apart by the very truth we need to combat the lies of this world - our faith is in God.
But let us never lose sight of the last verse from our key verses today. The reason for the sanctification. The reason why we are in the world, yet not of it. Unfortunately, Christianity can sometimes become like a social club. Us four and no more. That is the danger of creating the Christian bubble. What if you had the key to salvation for the lost people in your life? What if you had map to direct people out from the pit of hell and into the glorious everlasting life provided by God? Take a good look around the next time you are on the bus or train. What if you had the answer to the misery of the lives you see before you?
Then realize that you do. You have the key. You own the map. You are the answer. Christ in you is the answer! Jesus could have simply prayed that God removed us from the world. But the point is not me or you. We have already been saved by the blood of Jesus. The point is the world beloved. God so loved the world that He sent His only Son.
The Lord is not slow in keeping his promise, as some understand slowness. Instead he is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance. 2Peter 3: 9 (NIV)
