2Co 10:3 For walking about in flesh, we do not war according to flesh;
2Co 10:4 for the weapons of our warfare are not fleshly, but powerful to God to the demolishion of strongholds,
2Co 10:5 the demolishing of arguments and every high thing lifting up itself against the knowledge of God, and bringing into captivity every thought into the obedience of Christ,
2Co 10:6 and having readiness to avenge all disobedience, whenever your obedience is fulfilled.
As believers, our war is against knowledge that comes against our King and His Kingdom.
Eph 6:12 For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places.
Eph 6:13 Wherefore take unto you the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand.
We are to take every thought captive to Messiah. At a beginning level this is taking captive sinful thoughts in our minds unto Messiah. This is part of the pruning process (John 15:2). As we grow in maturity, being changed into His Image from glory to glory (2 Corinthians 3:18) we grow in a deeper understanding of this concept. In the beginning, all things were good (Genesis 1:31). His creation which came from His thoughts was pure and good (Psalm 139:17; 111:2; 92:5) . We are called to think upon these things, to focus upon the good (Philippians 4:8). As we grow in understanding of the Word/Messiah we see all of creation declaring His Nameclick here. As we learn and grow in understanding of these things, we are in essence taking these ‘thoughts’ captive to Messiah.
2Co 10:5 Casting down imaginations, and every high thing that exalteth itself against the knowledge of God, and bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ;
Obedience comes from the Greek ὑπακοή‘hupakoe’ which is used to translate the Hebrew word ענוה ‘anavah.’
ענוה ‘anavah’ means to be humble, low, submissive, meek…to bow down before. Literally, we are to cause every thought to kneel in submission before the King of Kings.
Php 2:10 that at the name of Jesus “every knee should bow,” of heavenly ones, and earthly ones, and ones under the earth,
Php 2:11 and “every tongue should confess” that Jesus Christ is “Lord,” to the glory of God the Father. Isa. 45:23
Man lost dominion to the adversary at the fall in the Garden. Messiah ended His reign, which is ‘here, but not yet.click here‘ He is reigning in Heaven until all is made His footstool (Hebrews 10:13; 1 Corinthians 15:25). Every word, every part of creation is to be brought into subjection to Him.
The Thoughts of God
Psa 111:1 HalleluYah! I will thank YHWH with all my heart; in the council of the upright, and of the assembly.
Psa 111:2 The works of YHWH are great, sought out by all those desiring them.
Psa 92:5 O YHWH, Your purposes are very deep. How great are Your works!
Psa 92:6 An animal-like man does not know; a fool does not understand this.
Psa 104:24 O YHWH, how many are Your works! You have made all of them in wisdom; the earth is full of Your riches.
Psa 104:25 This is the sea, great and wide on both hands; there are creeping things even without number; living things, small and great.
Psa 104:26 There the ships go; You formed this great sea-animal to play in it.
Psa 104:27 All of them wait for You to give them their food in due season.
Psa 104:28 You give to them; they gather; You open Your hand, and they are filled with good.
Psa 104:29 You hide Your face, and they are troubled; You gather their breath, and they expire and return to their dust.
Psa 104:30 You send out Your Spirit, and they are created; and You renew the face of the earth.
Psa 104:31 The glory of YHWH shall be forever; YHWH shall rejoice in His works.
Psa 104:32 He looks to the earth, and it trembles; He touches the hills, and they smoke.
Psa 104:33 I will sing to YHWH during my life; I will sing praise to my God while I exist.
Psa 104:34 My thoughts on Him shall be sweet; I will be glad in YHWH.
Psa 104:35 Let sinners be consumed out of the earth and let the wicked be no more; bless YHWH, O my soul; HalleluYah!
Psa 139:14 I will thank You, for with awesome ways I am distinguished; Your works are marvelous, and my soul knows it very well.
Psa 139:15 My bones were not hidden from You when I was made in secret; when I was woven in the depths of the earth.
Psa 139:16 Your eyes saw my embryo; and in Your book all my members were written the days they were formed, and not one was yet among them.
Psa 139:17 And how precious are Your thoughts to me, O God! How great is the sum of them!
Psa 139:18 If I should count them, they are more than the sand; when I awake I am still with You.
Psa 139:19 Surely You will slay the wicked, O God; and men of blood will turn away from me.
Psa 139:20 Who will maliciously speak against You? Your enemies are lifted up with vanity.
Psa 139:21 O Jehovah, do not I hate those hating You? And am I not detesting those rising against You?
Psa 139:22 I hate them with a perfect hatred; they have become my enemies.
Psa 139:23 Search me, O God, and know my heart; try me, and know my thoughts;
Psa 139:24 and see if any wicked way is in me; and lead me in the way everlasting.
The Mind of Messiahclick here
1Co 2:16 For who hath known the mind of the Lord, that he may instruct him? But we have the mind of Christ.
Spirit of THE LORD = Mind of Messiah
Isa 40:13 Who has meted out the Spirit of YHWH, or a man His counsel taught Him?
1Co 2:16 For “who has known the mind of the Lord?” “Who will teach Him?” But we have the mind of Christ. Isa. 40:13
Phi 2:5 Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus:
Phi 2:6 Who, being in the form of God, thought it not robbery to be equal with God:
Phi 2:7 But made himself of no reputation, and took upon him the form of a servant, and was made in the likeness of men:
Phi 2:8 And being found in fashion as a man, he humbled himself, and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross.
1Pe 4:1 Forasmuch then as Christ hath suffered for us in the flesh, arm yourselves likewise with the same mind: for he that hath suffered in the flesh hath ceased from sin;
1Pe 4:2 That he no longer should live the rest of his time in the flesh to the lusts of men, but to the will of God.
1Pe 4:3 For the time past of our life may suffice us to have wrought the will of the Gentiles, when we walked in lasciviousness, lusts, excess of wine, revellings, banquetings, and abominable idolatries:
1Pe 4:4 Wherein they think it strange that ye run not with them to the same excess of riot, speaking evil of you:
1Pe 4:5 Who shall give account to him that is ready to judge the quick and the dead.
1Pe 4:6 For for this cause was the gospel preached also to them that are dead, that they might be judged according to men in the flesh, but live according to God in the spirit.
1Pe 2:23 Who, when he was reviled, reviled not again; when he suffered, he threatened not; but committed himself to him that judgeth righteously:
1Pe 2:24 Who his own self bare our sins in his own body on the tree, that we, being dead to sins, should live unto righteousness: by whose stripes ye were healed.
1Pe 2:25 For ye were as sheep going astray; but are now returned unto the Shepherd and Bishop of your souls.
Luk 22:42 Saying, Father, if thou be willing, remove this cup from me: nevertheless not my will, but thine, be done.
All branches of science are shadow pictures pointing to Messiahclick here, especially Psychologyclick here (the study of man) as man was made in His image (Genesis 1:26-27). Man corrupted that image in the beginning when he partook of the tree of knowledge of good and evil and rebellious man today continues to degrade worse and worse (2 Timothy 3:13).
The Rebellious
Isa 65:2 I have spread out My hands all the day long to a rebellious people who walk in the way not good, after their own thoughts;
The Prophet Jeremiah links the thoughts of the rebellious to actions of oppression
Jer 5:23 But this people hath a revolting and a rebellious heart; they are revolted and gone.
Jer 5:24 Neither say they in their heart, Let us now fear the LORD our God, that giveth rain, both the former and the latter, in his season: he reserveth unto us the appointed weeks of the harvest.
Jer 5:25 Your iniquities have turned away these things, and your sins have withholden good things from you.
Jer 5:26 For among my people are found wicked men: they lay wait, as he that setteth snares; they set a trap, they catch men.
Jer 5:27 As a cage is full of birds, so are their houses full of deceit: therefore they are become great, and waxen rich.
Jer 5:28 They are waxen fat, they shine: yea, they overpass the deeds of the wicked: they judge not the cause, the cause of the fatherless, yet they prosper; and the right of the needy do they not judge.
Jer 5:29 Shall I not visit for these things? saith the LORD: shall not my soul be avenged on such a nation as this?
Jer 5:30 A wonderful and horrible thing is committed in the land;
Jer 5:31 The prophets prophesy falsely, and the priests bear rule by their means; and my people love to have it so: and what will ye do in the end thereof?
It is the desire of oppressors to cause others to bow before them, they are seeking that which only belongs to YHWH (Deuteronomy 6:13; Matthew 4:10).
The Christian History of the Constitution of the United States of America – Verna M. Hall pg 377 :
Election Sermon – Phillips Payson 5/27/1778
“The slavery of a people is generally founded in ignorance of some kind or another; and there are not wanting such facts as abundantly prove the human mind may be so sunk and debased, through ignorance and its natural effects, as even to adore its enslaver, and kiss its chains. Hence knowledge and learning may well be considered as most essentially requisite to a free, righteous government.”
“Despotism and tyranny want nothing but wealth and force, but liberty and order are supported by knowledge and virtue.”
Using information to fight evil
Isa 1:17 Learn to do good, seek justice, straighten the oppressor, judge the orphan, strive for the widow.
The word for oppressor in Isaiah 1:17 is חמוץ ‘chamots’ which is also the Hebrew word for leavenclick here. The leaven of the Pharisees (the oppressors of Jesus’ day) is hypocrisy.
Mat 16:6 And Jesus said to them, Watch and take heed from the leaven of the Pharisees and Sadducees.
Luk 12:1 At which time the myriads of the crowd being gathered together, so as to trample on one another, He began to say to His disciples first, Take heed to yourselves of the leaven of the Pharisees, which is hypocrisy.
The English word hypocrisy comes from the Greek word in the above verses ὑπόκρισις ‘hupokrisis.’ ‘Hupokrisis’ means an actor, or one who ‘takes up another’s statements in reference to what one has decided for one’s self.’ This is the essence of religion…people repeating what their leaders tell them to believe without finding out the truth for themselves. By definition, religion is an exterior manifestation which does not always reveal that which is within.
In essence, the word hypocrite means to be under the headship of man. This is why the word means to be a play actor. When you are under the headship of man, you are not under the headship of Messiah and walking/yoked with Him. Therefore, your righteousness is that of man and your fear of Elohim is that taught of man (Isaiah 29:13). It is not something within you but it is merely an outward appearance or mask put on in accordance with the rulings of the head you are following. This is why Yahshua begins His rebuke of the Pharisees in Matthew 23 with telling the people not to have men as their leaders and heads. Our only Head is to be Messiah….what happens when men become the head? Oppression. A pyramidal hierarchy where those in power reign tyrannically over those at the bottom/base of the pyramid.
Going back to the admonishment of the prophet Isaiah, we are to fight this oppression, this hypocrisy, this headship of man, this pyramidal power structure. Our weapons are not carnal (2 Corinthians 10:3-6). We are not to war with weapons of the flesh. Our war is an information war. We are to give the truth to others so that all ‘knowledge’ that is against the Most High would be demolished.
2Co 10:3 For walking about in flesh, we do not war according to flesh;
2Co 10:4 for the weapons of our warfare are not fleshly, but powerful to God to the demolishion of strongholds,
2Co 10:5 the demolishing of arguments and every high thing lifting up itself against the knowledge of God, and bringing into captivity every thought into the obedience of Christ,
2Co 10:6 and having readiness to avenge all disobedience, whenever your obedience is fulfilled.
This concept is further supported by the words of Messiah in Matthew 23
Mat 23:8 But do not you be called Rabbi, for One is your Leader, the Christ, and you are all brothers.
Mat 23:9 And call no one your father on earth, for One is your Father, the One in Heaven.
Mat 23:10 Nor be called leaders, for One is your Leader, the Christ.
Mat 23:11 But the greater of you shall be your servant.
Mat 23:12 And whoever will exalt himself shall be humbled, and whoever will humble himself shall be exalted.
Here Messiah is showing that the pyramid power structure is not to be followed by believers. We are all to be servants one to another with Messiah ALONE as our leader/head/father/rabbi.
*STRAIGHTEN THE OPPRESSOR…one of the duties of the righteous is to fight evil
Job 29:12 For I delivered the poor who cried for help and the orphan who had no helper to him.
Job 29:13 The blessing of the perishing came on me; and I made the widow’s heart to sing.
Job 29:14 I put on righteousness and it clothed me; my judgment was like a robe and a diadem.
Job 29:15 I was eyes to the blind and feet to the lame.
Job 29:16 I was father to the poor, and the cause which I did not know, I searched out.
Job 29:17 I broke the fangs of the perverse, and cast the prey out of his teeth.
1Sa 17:34 And David said to Saul, Your servant has been a shepherd among sheep for his father. And the lion came, and the bear, and took away a sheep out of the flock.
1Sa 17:35 And I went out after him and struck him, and delivered out of his mouth. And he rose against me, and I took hold of his beard and struck him, and killed him.
1Sa 17:36 Your servant has struck both the lion and the bear, and this uncircumcised Philistine shall be as one of them, for he has reproached the armies of the living God.
Pro 24:10 Your strength is small if you faint in the day of distress,
Pro 24:11 if you hold back to deliver those being taken to death, and those stumbling for killing.
Pro 24:12 For you say, Behold, we did not know this. Does not He who weighs the heart consider it? And the One who keeps your soul, does He not know? Yea, He repays to a man according to his work.
Pro 31:8 Open your mouth for the dumb, in the cause of all the sons of those passing away.
Pro 31:9 Open your mouth, judge righteously, and defend the poor and needy.
Jer 9:24 But let him who glories glory in this, that he understands and knows Me, that I am YHWH, doing kindness, justice and righteousness in the earth; for I delight in these, says Jehovah.
Jer 22:16 He judged the cause of the poor and needy, then it was well. Was this not to know Me, says YHWH?
Pro 21:12 The Righteous One wisely considers the house of the wicked: He overthrows the wicked for his evil.
Pro 28:4 Those who forsake the law praise the wicked, but those who keep the law strive with them.
Psa 94:16 Who will rise up for Me against the evildoers? Who will stand up for Me against the workers of evil?
Isa 6:8 And I heard the voice of YHWH, saying, Whom shall I send, and who will go for Us? Then I said, Behold me. Send me!
Eph 5:11 And have no fellowship with the unfruitful works of darkness, but rather even reprove them.
Eph 5:12 For it is shameful even to speak of the things being done by them in secret.
Eph 5:13 But all things being exposed by the light are clearly revealed, for everything having been revealed is light.
Eph 5:14 Because of this, He says, Arise, sleeping ones and stand up out of the dead ones, and Christ will shine on you.
Eph 5:15 Then watch how carefully you walk, not as unwise, but as wise ones,
Eph 5:16 redeeming the time, because the days are evil.
Eph 5:17 For this reason, do not be foolish, but understanding what the will of the Lord is.
Soldiers in the information war
2Ti 2:1 Thou therefore, my son, be strong in the grace that is in Christ Jesus.
2Ti 2:2 And the things that thou hast heard of me among many witnesses, the same commit thou to faithful men, who shall be able to teach others also.
2Ti 2:3 Thou therefore endure hardness, as a good soldier of Jesus Christ.
2Ti 2:15 Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth.
2Ti 2:24 But a slave of the Lord ought not to quarrel, but to be gentle towards all, apt to teach, forbearing,
2Ti 2:25 in meekness teaching those who have opposed, if perhaps God may give them repentance for a full knowledge of the truth,
2Ti 2:26 and they having regained senses out of the snare of the devil, being captured by him to do the will of that One.
1Ti 6:12 Fight the good fight of faith, lay hold on eternal life, whereunto thou art also called, and hast professed a good profession before many witnesses.
Eph 6:10 Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord, and in the power of his might.
Eph 6:11 Put on the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil.
Eph 6:12 For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places.
Eph 6:13 Wherefore take unto you the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand.
Eph 6:14 Stand therefore, having your loins girt about with truth, and having on the breastplate of righteousness;
Eph 6:15 And your feet shod with the preparation of the gospel of peace;
Eph 6:16 Above all, taking the shield of faith, wherewith ye shall be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked.
Eph 6:17 And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God:
Rom 13:12 The night is far gone, and the day has drawn near; then let us cast off the works of darkness, and let us put on the weapons of the light.
Rom 13:13 Let us walk becomingly, as in the day, not in carousings and drunkennesses, not in co-habitation and lustful acts, not in fighting and envy.
Rom 13:14 But put on the Lord Jesus Christ, and do not make forethought of the flesh, for its lusts.
1Th 5:4 But you, brothers, are not in darkness, that the Day should overtake you as a thief.
1Th 5:5 You are all sons of light and sons of day; we are not of night, nor of darkness.
1Th 5:6 So then, we should not sleep, as the rest also do, but we should watch and be sober.
1Th 5:7 For those sleeping sleep by night, and those having been drunk are drunk by night.
1Th 5:8 But we being of day should be sober, “having put on the breastplate” of faith and love, and the hope of “salvation as a helmet;” Isa. 59:17
1Th 5:9 because God has not appointed us to wrath, but for obtaining salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ,
1Th 5:10 He dying on our behalf, so that whether we watch or we sleep, we may live together with Him.
1Th 5:11 Therefore, encourage one another, and build up one another, as you indeed do.
2Co 6:7 in the Word of truth, in the power of God, through the weapons of righteousness on the right hand and on the left,
Rom 6:13 Neither present your members as instruments of unrighteousness to sin, but present yourselves to God as one living from the dead, and your members instruments (weapons) of righteousness to God.
Dan 11:32 And he will defile by flatteries those who do evil against the covenant. But the people who know their God will be strong and will work.
Dan 11:33 And those who understand among the people will instruct many, yet they will stumble by the sword and by flame, by exile and spoil for days.
Dan 11:34 And when they shall stumble, they will be helped with a little help. But many will join them with hypocrisy.
Dan 11:35 And many of those who understand shall stumble, to refine and to purge them, and to make white to the time of the end. For it is yet for the appointed time.
MAN thinks. This is what separates us from the beasts (Psalm 92:6) ‘a brutish man knoweth not.’ A real man takes his thoughts captive to the Word.
Jos 1:7 Only be strong and very brave, so that you may take heed to do according to all the Law which Moses My servant commanded you. Do not turn from it to the right or to the left, that you may act wisely wherever you go.
Jos 1:8 This book of the Law shall not depart out of your mouth, and you shall meditate on it by day and by night, so that you shall be on guard to do according to all that is written in it. For then you shall prosper your way, and then you shall act wisely.
Jos 1:9 Have I not commanded you? Be strong and brave. Do not be afraid or discouraged, for YHWH your God is with you in all places where you go.
Meditating upon the Word day and night
Psa 1:1 Blessed is the man who has not walked in the counsel of the ungodly, and has not stood in the way of sinners, and has not sat in the seat of scorners.
Psa 1:2 But his delight is only in the Law of YHWH, and he meditates in His Law day and night.
Psa 1:3 And he shall be like a tree planted by the rivulets of waters, which will give its fruit in its seasons, and its leaf will not wither, and all which he does will prosper.
Psa 1:4 Not so are the wicked, but they are only as chaff which the wind drives about.
Psa 1:5 On account of this the wicked shall not stand in the judgment, nor sinners in the congregation of the righteous.
Psa 1:6 For YHWH is knowing the way of the righteous, and the way of the wicked shall perish.
Jer 17:7 Blessed is the man who trusts in YHWH, and YHWH is his refuge.
Jer 17:8 For he shall be like a tree planted by the waters. It sends out its roots by the stream, and it will not fear when the heat comes; but its foliage will be green; and it is not anxious in the year of drought, nor will it cease from yielding fruit.
Jer 17:9 The heart is deceitful above all things, and it is incurable; who can know it?
Jer 17:10 I, YHWH, search the heart, I try the reins, even to give to each man according to his ways, according to the fruit of his doings.
The Hebrew word for trust in Jeremiah 17 is בטח ‘batach’ which literally means to be grafted into the Vine. Recall that this is the true meaning of a Patriotclick here. One who is grafted into the Vine.
Joh 15:1 I am the True Vine, and My Father is the Vinedresser.
Joh 15:2 Every branch in Me not bearing fruit, He takes it away; and each one bearing fruit, He prunes, so that it may bear more fruit.
Joh 15:3 You are already pruned because of the Word which I have spoken to you.
Joh 15:4 Remain in Me, and I in you. As the branch is not able to bear fruit of itself, unless it remain in the vine, so neither can you unless you remain in Me.
Joh 15:5 I am the Vine; you are the branches. The one abiding in Me, and I in him, this one bears much fruit, because apart from Me you are not able to execute, nothing.
Joh 15:6 Unless one remains in Me, he is cast out as the branch and is dried up; and they gather and throw them into a fire, and they are burned.
Joh 15:7 If you remain in Me, and My Words remain in you, whatever you desire you will ask, and it shall happen to you.
Joh 15:8 In this My Father is glorified, that you should bear much fruit; and you will be disciples to Me.
Joh 15:9 As the Father loved Me, I also loved you; continue in My love.
Joh 15:10 If you keep My commandments you will continue in My love, as I have kept My Father’s commandments and continue in His love.
Joh 15:11 I have spoken these things to you that My joy may abide in you, and your joy may be full.
Joh 15:12 This is My commandment, that you love one another as I loved you.
Joh 15:13 Greater love than this has no one, that anyone should lay down his soul for his friends.
We overcome evil with good, His Love
Rom 12:9 Let love be without dissimulation, in horror fleeing from evil, cleaving to the good,
Rom 12:10 in brotherly love to one another, loving fervently, having gone before one another in honor;
Rom 12:11 in diligence, not slothful, fervent in spirit, serving the Lord;
Rom 12:12 in hope, rejoicing; in affliction, enduring; in prayer, steadfastly continuing;
Rom 12:13 imparting to the needs of the saints, pursuing hospitality.
Rom 12:14 Bless those persecuting you; bless, and do not curse.
Rom 12:15 Rejoice with rejoicing ones, and weep with weeping ones;
Rom 12:16 minding the same thing toward one another, not minding high things, but yielding to the lowly. Do not become wise within yourselves;
Rom 12:17 returning evil for evil to no one; providing right things before all men. Prov. 3:4
Rom 12:18 If possible, from you being in peace with all men;
Rom 12:19 not avenging yourselves, beloved, but giving place to wrath, for it has been written, “Vengeance is Mine,” “I will repay,” says the Lord. Deut. 32:35
Rom 12:20 Then “if one hostile to you hungers, feed him; if he thirsts, give him drink; for doing this you will heap coals of fire on his head.” Prov. 25:21, 22
Rom 12:21 Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome the evil with good.
littleguyintheeye@gmail.com
Little Guy in the Eye 