“We destroy arguments and every lofty opinion raised against the knowledge of God and take every thought captive to obey Christ.” (2 Corinthians 10:5) 

The Corinthian church lived in a city known for its wealth, sexual immorality, religious pluralism, and philosophical diversity—not unlike our cities (and campuses) today. And as Corinthian Christians encounter various ideas in this pluralistic city, they need to pay attention to how they think. Paul, then, reminds believers that spiritual warfare isn’t just about external actions but also about ideas, arguments, and worldviews that either align with or oppose God’s truth. 

Paul is calling Christians to confront these lies, deceptions, and falsehoods that oppose God’s truth—in our own minds and in the broader culture.  

Notice that this verse is not first aimed at making sure our own thoughts are morally pure or good. That seems to be how many use the verse. That is, we encourage one another to make sure we are making every thought that comes into our mind a thought that is honoring to Jesus. It’s a personalized view of the verse. Though, as we shall see, there are personal applications for this verse, Paul’s immediate concern is not what’s going on in your own head.

Instead, Paul’s main intention in this passage is to call the Corinthian believers to combat ideas “raised against the knowledge of God” by others. That is, other people were proliferating false ideologies in Corinth that were hostile to God’s truth.

“It is not a case of the Christian’s effort to force all his thoughts to be pleasing to Christ. Rather, the picture seems to be that of a military operation in enemy territory that seeks to thwart every single hostile plan of battle, so that there will be universal allegiance to Christ” (Murray J. Harris, “2 Corinthians,” The Bible Expositors Commentary, 380).

John Piper says, “When Paul says first that he is destroying arguments and arrogant opinions against God and second that he is taking thoughts or minds captive, we need to realize that it is the minds and thoughts of others. He is not talking about taking his own thoughts captive. It is the thoughts of others” (APJ, Episode 544).

Paul, therefore, is doing what Jude does in another part of the New Testament. He calls Christians to “contend for the faith once for all delivered to the saints” (Jude 3).  Be bold. Speak up. Contend against falsehood and for truth.

Yet, taking thoughts captive and making them obedient to Christ certainly applies to our own thought life, too. In our own minds, we often have thoughts and ideas that are contrary to God’s ways. We have moments when we think we are better than the next person, or more deserving of this position or that opportunity, or that this or that action isn’t really that bad (i.e., sinful). So, whether it is a prideful thought, a moment of envy, or a temptation to sin, our minds betray us daily. 

Therefore, just as the Corinthian believers needed to be vigilant to identify false ideas in their city and reject them, so too we need to be ready to do the same in our classes, on our campus, and in our own heads. 

Wherever we find ideas or thoughts rising against God’s Word, what do we do? Paul says: 

• “We destroy arguments…” — Not people, but falsehoods, deceptive reasoning, and philosophies that contradict what the Bible says. 

• “Every lofty opinion raised against the knowledge of God…” — Arrogant human reasoning often positions itself above God’s revealed truth. 

• “Take every thought captive to obey Christ…” — The battle starts in the mind, whether ours or someone else’s. We want our thoughts and their thoughts to honor Jesus Christ. 

In other words, Christianity isn’t anti-intellectual—it’s deeply concerned with how we think. But our thinking, and the thinking of others, must surrender to Christ.