July 09, 2018
by Pastor Chuck SwindollScriptures: 2 Corinthians 10:1–7
As the Spirit of God attempts to communicate His truth to us, He runs up against the "wall" of our overall mental attitude, our natural mind-set. Along with the wall-like fortresses, we have natural, humanistic reasonings.
As the Spirit of
God attempts to communicate His truth to us, He runs up against the "wall" of
our overall mental attitude, our natural mind-set. Along with the wall-like
fortresses, we have natural, humanistic reasonings that give the wall additional
strength.
I'm thinking of
those defense mechanisms, rationalization, and other thinking patterns that are
habitual to us. In Romans 2:15 we
read of two such "guards"—blaming and
justifying.
As the Lord God
pushes His truth to enter (and thus "renew") our minds, our habitual reflex
"guards" the entrance of such alien thoughts! This explains why there is often
such a battle that rages when biblical truth is introduced into a mind that has
been walled and guarded by years of secularized thinking. We defend the old
rather than consider and accept the new.
This could have
happened in your own mind when you read what the Scriptures teach on
forgiveness. It also may occur when you read what the Bible teaches us to do
when we have offended someone. More than likely, you found yourself resisting
and defending. I certainly did when I first discovered those truths! We would
much rather blame the other person than accept our responsibility. Our
"speculations" work like that. They put up a guard against change, causing us
to rationalize and justify our actions.
Accompanying the
resistance of our internal wall and guards are "lofty things" that reinforce
our defense system from within (2 Corinthians
10:5). It's the idea of a thing
lifted up or exalted.
What comes to your
mind right now? How about pride? And those things pride prompts:
argumentation, an unteachable spirit, stubbornness, and refusal to change. Is
that striking a nerve yet?
As the principles
of the Scriptures are declared, our natural, unrenewed minds not only resist
them, they ask, "Who needs that?" or "I've gotten along pretty good up 'til
now." These are the lofty things that are "raised up against the knowledge of
God," as Paul put it (2 Corinthians
10:5).
We need to destroy those things . . . before
they destroy us.