“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
Obedient Faith: Trusting and Obeying Christ
Notice the final words of Paul in this verse—obey Christ. This isn’t a footnote to discipleship; it’s the very heart of it.
Jesus, in the Great Commission, commands us to disciple the nations and teach them to obey all that He has commanded (Matt. 28:18–20). Paul echoes this when he says the purpose of his apostleship was to bring about the obedience of faith among the nations (Rom. 1:5). This obedience flows not from guilt or fear, but from trust in and love for Christ.
This is the pattern: faith working through love (Gal. 5:6). Trust and obey. Love and live. Christ calls us to obedient faith—not mere mental assent, but a life shaped by joyful submission to His Word.
Obedience Begins in Covenant
This call to obey Christ does not rest on an abstract moral ideal. It is grounded in the objective reality of the covenant.
In baptism, Christ has claimed us. He has marked us with His name and brought us into union with His body. Baptism is not a bare symbol. It is the objective beginning of our life in Christ, the means by which we are brought into the Church and obligated to walk in newness of life (Rom. 6:4).
To obey Christ, then, is simply to live as who we are: baptized covenant members of the Lord Jesus Christ. As Rich Lusk has put it, baptism is not merely a picture of grace—it is a means of grace and the public beginning of our new identity in Christ.
“Because we have been baptized into Christ, we are no longer our own. We belong to Him. And because He has named us, we are called to live in a manner worthy of that name.”
Every Thought, Every Area, Captive to Christ
To obey Christ means to submit every area of life to His Lordship—our church life, our home life, our work, our habits, and our thoughts. The whole person—mind, heart, and body—must come under Christ’s reign.
As R.C. Sproul once said, “If every thought, then the whole person—every idea, motive, desire, and decision—belongs to Christ.” This is how we take all of life captive for Christ. Not by legalistic striving, but by total consecration—by gladly submitting every square inch of our lives to the King.
This flows outward from the inward life. If Christ is to rule over our relationships, careers, and vocations, He must first reign over our desires, motives, and imaginations.
We Glorify God by Enjoying Him
The Westminster Shorter Catechism says, “Man’s chief end is to glorify God and enjoy Him forever.” But, as John Piper has pointed out again and again, we glorify God by enjoying Him forever. That’s why this is one chief end, not two. Glorifying God and delighting in God are inseparable.
This is why the greatest commandment is to love the Lord your God with all your heart, soul, mind, and strength (Mark 12:30). Mere outward conformity is not enough. Jesus said, “If you love me, you will keep my commandments” (John 14:15), and again, “Whoever does not love me does not keep my words” (John 14:24).
This is the logic of the covenant: God loves us → we love Him → we obey Him.
Delight Is the Engine of Obedience
We will never obey Christ rightly unless we love Him. And we will never love Him unless we first know how deeply and fully we are loved by Him.
Hebrews 13:4–6 makes this point by addressing both sexual sin and greed—two expressions of discontentment. The answer? “He has said, ‘I will never leave you nor forsake you.’ So we can confidently say, ‘The Lord is my helper.’” In other words, God is enough.
Hebrews 10:23 confirms it: “Let us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering, for He who promised is faithful.”
Jesus is better. Better than sin. Better than money. Better than lust. Better than fear. And when we see that, sin loses its shine. The sweetness of Christ reveals the bitterness of sin.
When we taste and see that the Lord is good, we will see just how bad sin is.
The Lord’s Supper: Fuel for Faithful Living
This is also why the Lord gives us the Table each week. As baptized members of His body, we are invited to dine with our King, to feed on Christ by faith, and to renew covenant with Him through bread and wine.
The Lord’s Supper is not merely a memorial—it is a meal of covenant renewal. It nourishes us spiritually, strengthens us in grace, and reorients us to delight in Christ once again.
In the Supper, God keeps His promise to be with us. Christ communes with us. And we are empowered to go out and live for Him in joy and obedience.
Discipline Without Delight Leads to Burnout
Do you want to be a better spouse, parent, grandparent, child, student, employer, employee, citizen, or church member?
The answer is not simply “try harder.” The answer is “look to Christ.” There’s a reason that willpower alone doesn’t lead to lasting transformation. Discipline without delight leads to burnout.
But when discipline flows from joy in Christ, it becomes endurance. As 1 John 4:19 says, “We love because He first loved us.” That love transforms everything.
Knowing Jesus → Loving Jesus → Obeying Jesus.
Hearts and Minds First, Then All of Life
To bring every area of life into submission to Christ, we must first take our minds and hearts captive. We do this by going to God’s Word and being re-warmed with the knowledge of Christ. He is merciful, gracious, sovereign, and abounding in steadfast love.
As John Newton once wrote, “You lack nothing to make you joyful, but to have the eyes of your understanding more fixed upon the Redeemer.”
And as G.K. Chesterton reminds us: “The aim of life is appreciation… That being properly born is a matter of properly appreciating the world we find ourselves in.”
(And how much more should we appreciate the One who made and redeemed it.)
When our hearts are fixed on Christ, the rest of life falls into place.
Die to Self, Live in Joy
We must get over ourselves—but we must never get over Jesus.
“Look to Jesus, the founder and perfecter of our faith,” Hebrews 12:2 tells us, “who for the joy that was set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is seated at the right hand of the throne of God.”
The path to joy runs through the cross. First His. Then ours.
So pick up your cross and follow Him. His ways are better than our ways. His will for us is better than any counterfeit sin can offer. He Himself is infinitely better than anything sin, Satan, or self could give or take away.
Conclusion: Take All Things Captive
Because you are baptized, you are not your own. You belong to Christ. Because you commune at His Table, you are being renewed and strengthened. Because you are in covenant with God, you are being called to joyful obedience.
So: Look to Christ. Love Christ. Obey Christ. Take every thought captive. Take all of life captive. For He is worthy.
In Christ’s service and yours,
Nick Esch