Burke County, NC

2nd Corinthians 10:5
“Casting down imaginations, and every high thing that exalts itself against the knowledge of God.”

Last month, we looked at our God-given ability to cast down imaginations. In this study, we will look at our ability to “cast down every high thing that exalts itself against the knowledge of God.”

What is the “knowledge of God” that Paul is referring to? I think he answers that question for us in the next chapter of this book as he refers to the “simplicity that is in Christ” (2nd Corinthians 11:3). Jesus made our way of salvation simple —He took our sin, “He became our sin, that we might be made the righteousness of God in Him” (2nd Corinthians 5:21). By simple child like trust in Him we receive His free gift of eternal life (John 3:16). He says it best in John 17:3, “And this is eternal life, that they may know You (“knowledge of God”), the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom You have sent.” It is that simple. He did it all for us; all we have to do is receive the free gift!

Is it any wonder that Paul gave the warning in 2nd Corinthians 11:3 “But I fear, lest by any means, as the serpent beguiled Eve through his subtlety, so your minds should be corrupted from the simplicity that is in Christ.” Satan wanted to convince others that they were somehow walking according to the flesh (2nd Corinthians 10:2) rather than living in the freedom that Christ has won for us all, the freedom we have as we learn to walk in the power of the Holy Spirit. If Satan can’t get us to doubt our salvation, he might say something like “ok, you’re saved, just do the best you can.” Nowhere in scripture does God say to do the best you can. That’s the way of the flesh that leads to bondage. In fact, after we receive His Son as our Saviour, God doesn’t see us in the flesh. He even goes so far as to say we are not in the flesh— “So then, those who are in the flesh cannot please God. But you are not in the flesh but in the Spirit, if indeed the Spirit of God dwells in you. Now if anyone does not have the Spirit of Christ, he is not His” (Romans 8:8-9).

Ok, by now some of you are thinking, “Henry, you have lost your mind.” How can you say that we are not in the flesh when we are walking around in it 24/7? Well, first of all, I didn’t say it; God did. And secondly, “a house divided against itself, will not stand” (Matthew 12:25). If we are constantly telling ourselves “I’ve got to fight my own battles, somehow I’ll do the best I can to defeat my enemies,” Satan will have us exactly where he wants us—divided in our thinking and ultimately unable to stand against the wiles of the devil (Ephesians 6:11). That is the reason the apostle Paul attacked that type of thinking when he said “I intend to be bold against some, who think of us as if we walked according to the flesh (1st Corinthians 10:2) and then he reminds his readers that “the weapons of our warfare are not carnal, but mighty through God”(vs. 3).

On the other hand, if we will learn to trust Him and what He says, we will discover that He will do through us what we might think is impossible. As our knowledge of God grows through the study of His Word, we might start to hear ourselves say “I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me” (Philippians 4:13), because “I have been crucified with Christ; it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself for me (Galatians 2:20). And furthermore, “You are of God, little children, and have overcome them: because greater is He that is in you, than He that is in the world” (1st John 4:4). We might even hear Him say to us, as He said to Joshua, “Do not fear them, for I have delivered them into your hand; not a man of them shall stand before you” (Joshua 10:8). Then we might hear ourselves encourage ourselves and others by declaring “Do not be afraid, nor be dismayed; be strong and of good courage, for thus the LORD will do to all your enemies against whom you fight” (Joshua 10:25). We could go on and on about the knowledge of God but you get the picture. It really comes down to whether we will listen to the Word of God or listen to ourselves as Satan plants his subtle thoughts into our minds.

What are these “high things” that try to exalt themselves above the “knowledge of God” that He so graciously gives us?

Pride and self-confidence are probably at the top of the list of “high things” that keep us entrapped in dealing with things as we always have. The Hebrew definition of “pride” is “lofty (literally or figuratively): – high, proud.” In today’s vernacular, I believe it would refer to being “high and mighty.”
The Greek definition of “pride” is “braggadocio, that is, (by implication) self-confidence: – boasting, pride.”
There is nothing wrong with taking pride in a job well done or having enough confidence in yourself to attempt the job in the first place; however, if our pride causes us to look down on others or to think we are better than them, it can lead to a very destructive attitude in our relationship with God and others.
Let’s see what God’s Word says about this type of destructive pride:
“Pride goes before destruction, and a haughty spirit before a fall” (Proverbs 16:18).
“Do not love the world or the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him. For all that is in the world—the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life—is not of the Father but is of the world” (1st John 2:15-16).
“Everyone proud in heart is an abomination to the LORD” (Proverbs 16:5). At the top of the list of the seven abominations that God hates is “a proud look” (Proverbs 6:16-17).

What is self-confidence? Well, as the phrase implies, it’s confidence in oneself (duh).
The Pharisees were the poster child for the phrase “high and mighty.” They were proud of their knowledge of the Word of God, but did not know the God of the Word. They knew the scriptures front and back but did not recognise the God of scripture when He was standing right in front of them (John 5:39-40). In fact, they cried out the loudest to crucify Him.

We need to be on our guard against our wily adversary because he can use the same tactic on us that he used with the Pharisees. I have shared with you in past studies how God delivered me from my legalistic mindset and started teaching me about His grace that can transform us into the image of His Son. As I consumed the scriptures about the grace of God, I started to grow in that intimate relationship with Him. Satan took note of that and very subtly started feeding me thoughts about others, like, “I wonder why they don’t have this close relationship that I have” (stinkin thinkin at its highest). I became so judgmental of others that sometimes I would wonder if they were really saved. Then, without warning, God allowed me to go through a depression for almost two years to help me understand the importance of my brothers and sisters in Christ. He used some of the same people that I had been so judgmental of to help me take those tiny steps of faith back toward Him until I finally walked out of that dark, depressing valley. I am grateful for what He has taught me in that valley about His grace, but I realise I still have room for growth, and I’ll leave the growth of others up to Him.

It scares Satan to death to see somebody walking in the freedom and the power of the Holy Spirit. He was trying to distract others when he made the accusation in verse 2 that somehow these people were walking in the power of their own flesh. When Satan tempts us to deal with our issues in the power of the flesh with thoughts like “that’s the way I’ve always been,” or “you’ve got this,” or “you can do this” we can rebuke him to his face by reminding him that “the weapons of my warfare are not carnal but mighty through our God!” We can also remind him, “the world is passing away, and the lust of it; but he who does the will of God abides forever” (1st John 2:17). Pride keeps us from an intimate, abiding relationship with a loving God

What is the remedy for this type of destructive pride? Let’s see what the Word of God recommends:
“Humble yourselves therefore under the mighty hand of God, that he may exalt you in due time: Casting all your care upon him; for he cares for you” (1st Peter 5:6-7).
“But He gives more grace. Therefore He says: God resists the proud, but gives grace to the humble” (James 4:6).
“Humble yourselves in the sight of the Lord, and He will lift you up” (James 4:10).
The word “humble” means “to humiliate.” One of the most effective ways to humiliate” the flesh is to take the advice in James 5:16: “Confess your trespasses to one another, and pray for one another, that you may be healed. The effective, fervent prayer of a righteous man avails much.” Obviously, we should confess our sins to God (1st John 1:9), but if we truly want to be delivered (healed), we all need to quit acting like we don’t struggle and find a trusted friend with whom we can confess our secret struggles and our secret sins. A friend who will pray for us, encourage us, and hold us accountable.

Most of the time, when I find myself struggling with a particular sin or just one of life’s issues, my immediate response is to pray about it. Many times as I entrust these things to Him He restores me to peace with Him, however on the occasions that I don’t receive His peace I know it is time to get someone else involved in my struggle (Galatians 6:2). For example, after praying about an issue, I would share a particular struggle with my friend and brother in Christ, “Pete”. I would tell him I’ve already prayed about it, but I’m still not realizing His peace. Many times Pete would share with me, “Henry, I’m struggling with the same thing.” We would pray for and encourage each other, and before long, we were walking in victory and peace and were worshipping our great God in the middle of a furniture factory. I think fondly of Johnny, another brother and one of the greatest encouragers God has ever blessed me with. I didn’t struggle long with anything until Johnny knew about it.

That peace that passes all understanding, that deliverance, always came when I was obedient to His instruction in James 5:16. Sure, it was humiliating to admit some of these struggles, but when I humbled myself before Him and another brother in Christ, His sweet peace would always flood my soul, because He cares for me, He cares for you.

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Steve Henry has been a lifelong resident of Burke County. God blessed him with an incredible lady that he has been married to for 43 years. He has also blessed Steve with two wonderful children and two beautiful granddaughters.

Read more by Steve Henry here.

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