Casting Down Imaginations
II Cor. 10:3-7
Intro: The mind is Satan’s most effective battleground. God is also very in tune with our imaginations.
1. God sees it
- Lamentations 3:60 Thou hast seen all their vengeance and all their imaginations against me.
- Genesis 6:5 And GOD saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth, and that every imagination of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually.
- Genesis 8:21 And the LORD smelled a sweet savour; and the LORD said in his heart, I will not again curse the ground any more for man’s sake; for the imagination of man’s heart is evil from his youth; neither will I again smite any more every thing living, as I have done.
2. God knows it
- 1 Chronicles 28:9 And thou, Solomon my son, know thou the God of thy father, and serve him with a perfect heart and with a willing mind: for the LORD searcheth all hearts, and understandeth all the imaginations of the thoughts: if thou seek him, he will be found of thee; but if thou forsake him, he will cast thee off for ever.
3. God hates it – Prov. 6:18
- Prov. 6:16 These six things doth the LORD hate: yea, seven are an abomination unto him: A proud look, a lying tongue, and hands that shed innocent blood, An heart that deviseth wicked imaginations, feet that be swift in running to mischief,
- The Carnality of our Imaginations – vs. 3 and 4
Our flesh is carnal
Our mind is carnal
- Psalms 2:1 Why do the heathen rage, and the people imagine a vain thing?
The word NAÏVE means: having or showing unaffected simplicity of nature or absence of artificiality
Note the meaning of the word: GUILE in these verses: craft, deceit, guile; subtle
- 1 Thessalonians 2:3 For our exhortation was not of deceit, nor of uncleanness, nor in guile:
- 1 Peter 2:1 Wherefore laying aside all malice, and all guile, and hypocrisies, and envies, and all evil speakings,
- 1 Peter 2:22 Who did no sin, neither was guile found in his mouth:
- 1 Peter 3:10 For he that will love life, and see good days, let him refrain his tongue from evil, and his lips that they speak no guile:
God is not pleased with a Christian that is SUSPICIOUS of every other Christian.
- 1 Corinthians 13:5 Doth not behave itself unseemly, seeketh not her own, is not easily provoked, thinketh no evil;
QUESTION: Would you rather get “blind-sided” by a brother in Christ or live a life of suspicion, doubt, evil imaginations and false accusations against a brother that is not guilty?
- Jeremiah 17:10 I the LORD search the heart, I try the reins, even to give every man according to his ways, and according to the fruit of his doings.
NEWSFLASH: Determining people’s motives and heart is God’s specialty; not yours.
NOTE: Some reasons why trying to determine people’s motives or heart is unwise.
- Because your own heart is deceitful and will severely handicap your judgment
- Because they could be right and you could be wrong
- Because they could be wrong but not know it
- Because they could be wrong but genuinely think they are right
- Because you are looking at it from a one dimensional perspective
- but our weapons are NOT carnal – vs. 4 the sword of the Spirit (Word of God)
II. The Casting down of our Imaginations – vs. 5a
A. The Recognition of an Imagination – determines what is spiritual and carnal
- Is it beneficial, helpful, edifying to the cause of Christ?
- Does it encourage the hearer?
- Is it kind? Is it true? Is it necessary? Is it based on speculation or facts???
B. The Resistance of an Imagination – it exalteth itself (doesn’t need any help)
It doesn’t need you to meditate on it and keep exaggerating it and talking about it
C. The Rebellion of an Imagination – it exalteth itself against the knowledge of God
Rarely does an imagination that honours God exalt itself. That has to be cultivated.
A carnal imagination will ALWAYS contradict God and His word and His will for your life.
If left unstopped, it will become bigger than God and bigger than His power in your mind.
- Romans 1:21 Because that, when they knew God, they glorified him not as God, neither were thankful; but became vain in their imaginations, and their foolish heart was darkened.
III. The Captivity of our Imaginations – vs. 5
Captivity: bound, harmless; ineffective; incapable of escape
Lock up your vain imaginations, and keep your mouth shut; don’t spread vain imaginations!!
- Psalms 141:3 Set a watch, O LORD, before my mouth; keep the door of my lips.
… and bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ;
- Philippians 4:8 Finally, brethren, whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report; if there be any virtue, and if there be any praise, think on these things.
The first step to binding your mouth is binding your thoughts. You will never be able to bring your mouth unto subjection if you cannot bring your thoughts unto subjection.