12 For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the powers, against the world forces of thisdarkness, against the spiritual forces of wickedness in the heavenly places.
Ephesians 6:12 NASB
12 For weare not fighting against flesh-and-blood enemies, but against evil rulers and authorities of the unseen world, against mighty powers in this dark world, and against evil spirits in the heavenly places. Eph 6:12 NLT
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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 of the flesh, but divinely powerful for the destruction of fortresses. [KJV: mighty through God to the pulling down of strongholds] 5 We are destroying speculations and every lofty thing raised up against the knowledge of God, and we are taking every thought captive to the obedience of Christ, NASB
3 We are human, but we don’t wage war as humans do. 4 We use God’s mighty weapons, not worldly weapons, to knock down the strongholds of human reasoning and to destroy false arguments. 5 We destroy every proud obstacle that keeps people from knowing God. We capture their rebellious thoughts and teach them to obey Christ. NLT 2 Cor 10:3-5
Speculations--Greek, logismos. A word picture
The reasonings or imaginations (logismous, old word from logizomai, to reckon, only here in N.T. and Rom_2:15) are treated as forts or citadels to be conquered.
What is a stronghold?
What are strongholds we face?
How do we pull them down?
2 Do not be conformed to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will.
2 Don’t copy the behavior and customs of this world, but let God transform you into a new person by changing the way you think. Then you will learn to know God’s will for you, which is good and pleasing and perfect.
Romans 12:2
The 2nd law of thermodynamics
We not only need the absence of bad, but the abundant presence of good.