In this portion the apostle tells us that the “strongholds,” the “high things,” we have in our mind, must be “pulled down.” In contrast, he says our “thoughts” must be brought “into captivity…unto the obedience of Christ.”

This is because, as we have seen in this series, the strongholds we have in our being are always something negative. (See “Strongholds, Thoughts, & Intents” • 2.) But that is not the case with our thoughts; rather, the problem in that regard is that our thoughts have not yet been made captive to Christ.

And indeed, they cannot be captive to Christ so long as they are bound in some stronghold within us that “exalts itself against the knowledge of God.” That is why these strongholds must be overthrown.

For example, suppose we are a committed Roman Catholic, devoted to following the teachings of the pope and the Roman Church. Because our mind is held captive in that “stronghold,” our thoughts will surely be according to what the pope and the Roman Church teach us.

In brief, whatever stronghold is holding us captive, rather than Christ Himself, will direct the thoughts we have.

But then one day the light comes, and we see the Roman church for what it truly is; then that stronghold in our being will be torn down, and our thoughts, to some extent at least, will be captured unto the obedience of Christ. Many people have had this experience!

(I should add, I know there are a good many Catholics who do love the Lord; still I would still, That system itself is nonetheless a great “stronghold,” a “high thing,” that exalts itself against the knowledge of God, and so it must be torn down within us.)

Of course, this is only one example; there are so many strongholds—sometimes even Biblical ones, if they become our focus apart from Christ—that we may have within us. So, this process will need to be repeated in us many times. For this we need to seek the Lord and ask Him to shine in us and expose any such “stronghold” in our being, so that it can be torn down. For only when we are free from such strongholds can our thoughts be brought fully into captivity unto Christ.

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—  4 February 2026 —