Isaiah 2:11–12
The lofty looks of man shall be humbled,
The haughtiness of men shall be bowed down,
And the LORD alone shall be exalted in that day.
For the day of the LORD of hosts
Shall come upon everything proud and lofty,
Upon everything lifted up—And it shall be brought low—
What does God require of us? To be fair, to be forgiving and to walk humbly with Him. Micah 6:8. In a culture that ask us to be arrogant and cruel to follow Christ we must do all things with love just as God commanded us. By loving Him above all and loving our neighbors we fulfill His desires for His creation. God hates pride and arrogance but He lifts up those who call on Him with humility. Carla
2 Corinthians 10:3-6
3 For though we walk in the flesh, we do not war according to the flesh. 4 For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal but mighty in God for pulling down strongholds, 5 casting down arguments and every high thing that exalts itself against the knowledge of God, bringing every thought into captivity to the obedience of Christ, 6 and being ready to punish all disobedience when your obedience is fulfilled. (NKJV)
strongholds … high thing: Overlooking ancient Corinth was a hill 1,857 feet high. On top of it was a fortress. Paul used that imagery as an illustration of the spiritual warfare he waged. He destroyed strongholds, cast down towers, and took captives. The fortress, towers, and captives represent the arguments, thoughts, and plans that Paul was opposing. Paul cast down all rationalizations. He took captive to the obedience of Christ every perception and intention of the heart that was against God. Our actions reveal our thoughts. We should not cling to thoughts that do not conform to the life and teachings of Christ. Paul did not walk according to the flesh or his worldly desires; instead he conquered the flesh. He explains his strategy in 1 Corinthians 9:24–27: “I discipline my body and bring it into subjection.” The NKJV Study Bible
We do not wage war according to the flesh. Paul uses spiritual weapons—such as the gospel, faith, truth, and prayer—to battle against his opposition (Ephesians 6:10–17).
Fortresses is the term intended to refer to people’s standard ways of thinking, especially about Paul and the nature of his apostleship.
To be captive to the obedience of Christ implies believers must submit their thoughts to Christ and bring them into conformity with His will. All disobedience refers to opposition to Paul’s apostolic authority (2 Corinthians 2:9). Study Bible
2 Corinthians 13:10
Therefore I write these things being absent, lest being present I should use sharpness, according to the authority which the Lord has given me for edification and not for destruction.
Jeremiah 1:10
See, I have this day set you over the nations and over the kingdoms,
To root out and to pull down,
To destroy and to throw down,
To build and to plant.”
2 Corinthians 6:7
by the word of truth, by the power of God, by the armor of righteousness on the right hand and on the left,
This is the power of wonder. It is not just a reverie for my bliss. It is a grounding, a mindfulness; the permission to pay attention to this life.
And, the permission to pay attention to the people who are in it, now available to greater depths of compassion and love. In other words, we see the people who make us better, and we see the people who have been wounded, depleted and diminished, who need compassion. An invitation to “pay homage with our presence, and what we fight for from the ground of what we love.” (Thank you Krista Tippett) Sabbath Moments
