Spiritual Warfare

 By: Dr. Dale Weckbacher

 

Text: 2 Corinthians 10:1-6

 

2 Corinthians 10:4

For the weapons of our warfare are not ^[a]carnal but mighty in God for pulling down strongholds

(NKJV)

 

What I deem to be the thesis statement of the 911 Commission report about the terrorist attacks on the United States on September 11, 2001, was that they were at war with us, but we were not at war with them. Sadly, this statement is true of the Church today with Satan and his forces at war with the Church as his time draws short and the return of Jesus is eminent. The Church, however, is lukewarm, compromising, and functions in a consumerist manner to please everyone by not speaking out against sin. For revival to begin, the Church must awaken to the fact it is in a spiritual war and must engage.

 

The text begins with Paul telling the Corinthians his pleading with them is by the meekness and gentleness of Christ. His approach to the Corinthians is with lowliness and humility when with them but with boldness when absent (2 Corinthians 10:1). Paul does not want to be bold towards some who believe Paul and those with him walk according to the flesh (2 Corinthians 10:2). While Paul and those with him still walk in a fleshly body, that is not how they conduct spiritual warfare (2 Corinthians 10:3). The weapons of warfare used by Paul and those with him are not carnal but mighty through God for the pulling down of strongholds (2 Corinthians 10:4). Paul defines the strongholds as arguments and every high thing that exalts itself against the knowledge of God, bringing every thought into captivity to the obedience of Christ (2 Corinthians 10:5). Paul is ready to punish all disobedience when the obedience of the Corinthians is fulfilled (2 Corinthians 10:6).

 

Paul is preparing the Corinthians to fight a different type of war, a spiritual war that requires the use of spiritual weapons as opposed to carnal weapons of the flesh. In Ephesians 6:10-18, Paul provides additional details of the spiritual weapons in the arsenal of the believer which a believer needs to stand against the wiles of the Devil (Ephesians 6:10-11). Paul goes on to define the enemy as not consisting of flesh and blood but principalities, powers, rulers of darkness, and spiritual hosts of wickedness in heavenly places.

 

• Principalities – Not the nations or organizations warring against God’s people but the demonic principalities behind their evil philosophies.
• Powers – Demonic powers that empower those who lead nations supporting ungodliness.
• Rulers of darkness – Not the men or women in earthly power but the spiritual rulers behind them (Daniel 10:10-14).
• Spiritual hosts of wickedness in heavenly places – Wolves in sheep’s clothing having positions of authority in the Church appearing spiritual but lacking Godliness.

 

Whether we like it or want to admit it or not, we are in a spiritual war that requires different weapons and strategies. The Church must,

 

1. Repent – Church organizations have become comfortable with using conventional strategies for Church growth that mirror strategies for growing a business organization, like compromise or customer satisfaction. While there are business aspects to running a Church, like finances and maintaining facilities, numerical growth in the Church occurs as the Church lifts up Jesus drawing people to Christ (John 12:32).
2. Put on the armor of God (Ephesians 6:10-17) –
1. Truth (Ephesians 6:14) – Jesus told the Samaritan woman at the well that true worshippers of God worship in spirit and truth (John 3:23). The belt on the armor of a Roman soldier held everything together just as the truth of God’s Word holds everything together for a spiritual warrior.
2. Breastplate of righteousness (Ephesians 6:14) – This is not our righteousness which is useless (Isaiah 64:6), but the righteousness of Christ a spiritual warrior has through the shed blood of Christ (Romans 3:22).
3. Shoes of the Gospel of peace (Ephesians 6:15) – Bringing the Gospel wherever the spiritual warrior goes.
4. The shield of faith (Ephesians 6:16) – Protecting the spiritual warrior from the constant barrage of attacks from the devil.
5. The helmet of salvation (Ephesians 6:17) – Protecting the mind of a spiritual warrior with the assurance of salvation in Christ.
6. The sword of the Spirit (Ephesians 6:17) – The written Word of God as a weapon used by the spiritual warrior to defeat deception.
3. Engage in an unconventional battle –
1. Prayer (Ephesians 6:18) – Normally a soldier stands in battle but in this unconventional battle, soldiers are on their knees in prayer.
2. Empowered by the Spirit of God (Acts 1:4,8) – A conventional soldier is empowered by his or her training and the might of the weapons they possess. The spiritual warrior is empowered by the Spirit of God, the same Spirit that raised Jesus from the dead (Romans 8:11).
3. Armed with the truth – The Word of God is the sword at the side of a spiritual warrior but is useless without training and practice in swordsmanship (Hebrews 4:12). A spiritual warrior regularly trains through the study of the Word of God and practices it in his or her daily life.

 

If you are reading this and have never prayed for the forgiveness of sins or to make Jesus the Lord of your life, I invite you to do so now by praying with me,

 

Dear Lord Jesus, I know I have sinned (Romans 3:23) and know that the penalty for my sin is death (Romans 6:23).  I ask you to forgive me of my sin and cleanse me as you promise in your Word (1 John 1:9).  I believe you died, spent three days in the grave, and resurrected from the dead and now declare you Lord of my life.

 

While many in the Church are praying for revival, we must realize revival comes through engagement in spiritual warfare and not some new Church program.