2 Corinthians 10:3-5 (NIV)
For though we live in the world, we do not wage war as the world does. The weapons we fight with are not the weapons of the world. On the contrary, they have divine power to demolish strongholds. We demolish arguments and every pretension that sets itself up against the knowledge of God, and we take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ.
We must be ready for battle. So many Christians don’t look at spiritual warfare as something they are involved in.
It takes discipline in order to be ready to experience victory in spiritual warfare. The exercise of discipline is never an easy matter. I’ve been jogging over the last few months and it’s been painful. I have been tempted many times to stop exercising. We must discipline ourselves to be ready for battle, spiritual battle. It’s not if battle will come but when.
In the above portion of scripture Paul is writing to the Corinthians. Paul is not trying to scare the Corinthians. He takes great pain to reassure his readers that he approaches them as Christ himself would. Paul is very bold. Paul says, “We do live in the flesh [en sarki],” he admits. This is the everyday world of human existence with all of the limitations, frustration, tests, troubles that we face. Paul is talking about everyday normal life.
I read an article the other day about war. During the later years of the Great Depression, the American people were faced with mobilizing themselves for a second world war. They rationed their butter, meat, gasoline and other basic items. With the money they had left after purchasing their necessities of life, they paid wartime taxes and bought war bonds to provide even more funds for mobilization. They also sent hundreds of thousands of their finest youth abroad. Paul sees himself in pretty much the same kind of war effort. In Paul’s case it’s a battle being fought on a spiritual front. As you can imagine, spiritual warfare requires spiritual weaponry which Paul is all about. What distinguishes Paul’s weapons from those of the world can be summed up in one word–power (dynatos). Paul’s weapons have divine power and, as a result are far more powerful than anything that is found in the world. One powerful weapon we have as Christians would be the Holy Spirit. I would also include “truth,” “righteousness,” “the gospel of peace,” “faith,” “salvation” and “the Spirit,” put on as the Christian’s armor in Ephesians 6:13-17 that we have talked about in earlier blogs I have written.
The weapons Paul is using are effective. They can demolish strongholds. Ochyrwma is a military term for a “fortified place.” The picture is of an army attacking and tearing down the fortified defenses of the enemy. In the ancient world a prosperous city would build not only a stout wall for its security but also, somewhere inside the wall, a fortified tower that could be defended by relatively few soldiers if the walls of the city were breached by an enemy. Once the stronghold was taken, the battle was over.
I love the fact that Paul’s weapons not only can demolish strongholds but can help us take every thought captive that comes our way so we are obedient to Christ. The verb aichmalwtizw means “to take a prisoner of war.” A lot of the battle that we are facing or will face often comes in our minds. A great book to check out is “Battlefield of The Mind.”
In this day and age the mind is really down played and the needs of an individual elevated. You may have heard this generation is often referred to as “the me generation.” It’s time to put our flesh behind us and reach out to God. We can only do this as we learn discipline and get ready for spiritual warfare. It’s most important to discipline ourselves to be in the Word on a daily basis. In order to do this it’s no longer all about you. You must give up things to study the Word of God. There is no other way to be ready for battle. Reading the Word and praying really are a huge part of getting ready for battle.
Your choice today will not only impact you but your spouse, children and grandchildren. Are you ready to train for battle? We are in the war together but here is the good news, God has promised us victory. You can win the battle in Jesus name.
God bless,
Bill Scott
