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, being ready to punish every disobedience, when your obedience is complete.

2 Corinthians 10:3-5

What comes to mind when you think of warfare? After the attack on Iran and counterattacks in the Middle East, uyou might think of armies and battles, weapons and violence, but Paul tells us of a much more important area of conflict – in the strongholds of our minds.

Stronghold isn’t a word that is used all that often today, but it is defined as “a place that has been fortified so as to protect it against attack. Whether we are aware of it or not, we tend to have blindspots that orginate in what and how we think. It’s certainly true for me and I am confident that the same is true for you.

Paul provides a solution that is found primarily in the thought of taking “every thought captive to obey Christ.” The answer is what he defines as renewing your mind.

In Romans 12:2, Paul instructs us to “not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind.”

The Message paraphrases Paul’s words this way – ” Don’t become so well-adjusted to your culture that you fit into it without even thinking. Instead, fix your attention on God. You’ll be changed from the inside out.”