2 Corinthians 10:3-5 (Two Translations)

New King James Version
³ For though we walk in the flesh, we do not war according to the flesh. ⁴ For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal but mighty in God for pulling down strongholds, ⁵ casting down arguments and every high thing that exalts itself against the knowledge of God, bringing every thought into captivity to the obedience of Christ,

New Living Translation
 ³ We are human, but we don’t wage war as humans do. ⁴ We use God’s mighty weapons, not worldly weapons, to knock down the strongholds of human reasoning and to destroy false arguments. ⁵ We destroy every proud obstacle that keeps people from knowing God. We capture their rebellious thoughts and teach them to obey Christ.

Comments on Deception
The devil is a dangerous and crafty foe who wages war against human beings primarily through deception. Through the use of distortion, half-truths, and outright lies, the enemy seeks to sow seeds of fear and doubt in our minds so that we will distrust God and question his love for us. Our negative thoughts and feelings, if unchecked, can take us to a place of instability and irrationality.

The best weapon against deception is truth.  Philippians 4:8 tells us to think on things that are true, and Jesus declared in John 8:32 that the truth that we know makes us free. The belt of truth is one of the pieces of spiritual armor in Ephesians 6:14. It is absolutely necessary that we guard our hearts and minds with the truth.

Guarding our Minds
Christians have the authority and the ability to command our thinking to line up with God’s truth. To guard our minds against the devil’s deception, we need to do four things: (1) First, we need to cultivate an intimate relationship with God through prayer, reading the Word, etc. (2) Secondly, we need to renew our minds through the Word. (3) Thirdly, we need to think about and ponder the right things. (4) Fourthly, we need aggressively to resist ungodly thoughts.

Positive Confession of Truth
To reinforce proper thinking, we can daily  declare to ourselves those things which we know to be true.  Below are a few examples.

1. God loves me. He is intimately involved in my life.
2. God is good. He is the source of all that makes life possible and meaningful.
3. God accepts me because of the loving sacrifice of his Son, Jesus Christ.
4. God is gracious, compassionate, and merciful.
5. God is always with me. He never leaves me and he never forsakes me.
6. God is patient and slow to anger.
7. God is trustworthy.
8. God is committed to my well being.

I pray that you continue to walk in the victory that the Lord has secured for you against the enemy's deception.

In Christ,
Wilfred Graves Jr.
www.wilfredgraves.com

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