Download 2015-06-21THE WAR OF THE MIND

THE WAR OF THE MIND
2 Corinthians 10:3-5
Ted Schroder, June 21, 2015
“We demolish arguments and every pretension that sets itself up against
the knowledge of God, and we take captive every thought to make it
obedient to Christ.” (2 Corinthians 10:5)
There is a war of the mind going on in the world and in our lives. It is not waged by military
forces or nations over geographical territory but in the mind and heart of every human being. The
winner of this war will affect the lives of nations and the future of the world. We call this war the
defense of the Christian Faith or Christian Apologetics. It has a twofold mission. There is the
need to demolish intellectual strongholds: the difficult and dangerous mission of attacking and
degrading all that opposes the knowledge of God. There is also the positive need to captivate
every thought to the mind of Christ. This is not an attack against persons, but a war about issues.
It is hard for some people to discuss these issues without becoming defensive. Therefore it is
important to have the right attitude, an attitude of humility. St. Paul characterizes his attitude as
“By the meekness and gentleness of Christ” (2 Cor.10:1).
Christians have had to defend their faith in every generation against false teaching and
rival philosophies and religions. There are deep-seated strongholds of atheism, secularism, moral
relativism, and pluralism that seek to extend their influence throughout the world. Islam and
Hinduism are militant forms of false religions that compete for the minds and hearts of this
generation. The idols of material success, and the desire for fame and notoriety are powerful
seductions. The attractions of this world: the craving for health, wealth, and power are addictive.
They cannot easily be demolished. They are strengthened every day by the culture, by
entertainment, by the media, by the academy, by popular demand, and by our receptive, easily
influenced, self-centered sinful nature.
What are some of today’s arguments and pretensions - conceited presumptions? Let me
mention only three.
First, the argument from Atheism. There is no God and therefore we are not accountable to
anybody. Everything is permitted. That is the recipe for anarchy and chaos personally and
politically. If there is no God it is everyone for himself. It is a philosophy of nothingness:
nihilism. Without God you have to set up another authority. Marxism substitutes the Communist
Party bureaucrats. It has been tried and found wanting. The New Atheists substitute what they
consider their reason, which is another word for their conceited opinions, and their selfcenteredness. Life has no enduring purpose or value. Human beings are reduced to biological
computers. Love has no meaning. Atheism is literally a soul-less philosophy.
Second, the argument from Hedonism. This life is all that there is so eat, drink and be
merry, for tomorrow we die. This hedonistic view elevates immediate pleasure as the supreme
goal of life. A bird in hand is worth two in the bush so seize the day (carpe diem) and live for the
moment. Delayed gratification, control of impulses, a sense of responsibility to others, and
commitment, are sacrificed for immediate gain both personally and politically. Marriage and
family ties are transitory. Procrastination and appeasement of those who demand more is the
order of the day. Do the minimum required. Put off to tomorrow the hard choices. Let others pay
the bill for your comforts. Pass the buck. Avoid having to face the music. Enjoy your day in the
sun and leave it to others to clean up after you. But one day there will be a final reckoning. There
is a resurrection from the dead, a judgment day, eternal life, a heaven and a hell. There is a
relationship between what one believes about the future and how one behaves in the present. The
fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom.
Third, the argument from Humanism. The answers to life’s problems are to be found in
future discoveries. Progress in human behavior, health, peaceful communities and wealth will be
achieved by new methods, new inventions, new understanding, new breakthroughs so that there
will be universal human flourishing and an inclusive, accepting society. This utopian vision does
not take into account the persistence of the self-centeredness, greed, evil, immorality and cruelty
of humanity. These problems will not be solved by politicians, scientists, academics or Nobel
prizewinners. There has to be a spiritual solution to the problem of sin. Jesus came calling us to
repentance so that we might enter the kingdom of God. We need more humility and a change of
heart and mind, which Jesus called being born again of the Spirit, if the world is to be changed
for the better.
It is a serious and strenuous task to demolish such arguments which exercise intellectual
control over so many people. We should not take such a spiritual battle lightly. That is why we
must strengthen ourselves by captivating every thought to the mind of Christ. What goes into our
minds determines who we are. There is a battle for the mind in our culture. “Those who live
according to the sinful nature have their minds set on what that nature desires; but those who
live in accordance with the Spirit have their minds set on what the Spirit desires.” (Romans 8:5)
If we are to win the war for the mind we must set our minds on what the Spirit of Christ desires.
What is that?
“Whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely,
whatever is admirable – if anything is excellent or praiseworthy – think about such things.”
(Philippians 4:8)
These are the moral virtues of life, what the ancient classical philosophers called the Good.
We share these in common with all people of every race, nation and religion who seek the moral
virtues of the commandments that God has revealed. Absolute moral standards exist in the world
that all seekers after God have affirmed over the ages. There is no basic moral relativity. There is
a moral law built into the universe, otherwise there would be no such thing as Justice.
“Christian standards of morality and beauty are not simply expressions of subjective feelings
but truths graciously revealed from God for the welfare of his people and of all creation.”
(Frank Thielman, NIV Application Commentary on Philippians, p.225)
We should not hesitate to pursue the truth in every situation, to aim for what is noble, to
choose the hard right against the easy wrong, to be pure in heart, single-minded in our focus, to
appreciate the lovely wherever it may be found, to admire that which is worthy, to fill our minds
with the excellent rather than the mediocre, and to affirm those who contribute to the common
good.
May the mind of Christ my Savior live in me from day to day,
By his love and power controlling all I do and say.
With what do you fill your mind? What do you read, what do you view on television? What
worldview do you passively absorb from the culture? It is so easy to act as though we are
atheists, hedonists or humanists while giving lipservice to our Christian Faith. Yet they are
incompatible. On the surface they may appear harmless, but they harbor enemies of the Gospel.
We must consciously demolish any worldview that sets itself up against the knowledge of God
and take captive every thought we have to make them obedient to Christ. That is the only way to
win the war of the mind and belong to Christ.
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