The Christians' Weapons: Becoming Battle Ready

2 Corinthians 10:1-6

January 30, 2005 and February 6, 2005 (PM)

 

In one of the memorable scenes in the recent movie, "Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers," King Theodan of Rohan discusses the threats mounting in his kingdom. Theodan had been mentally enslaved by the traitorous Saruman's spell but now newly delivered by Gandolf's power. Gandolf tells Theodan of the immediacy of war, and urges him to ride out to meet his enemy head-on. Theodan asserted, "I will not risk my people in open war." Aragorn, Gondor's future king, replies, "Open war is upon you whether you would risk it or not!"

 

There is something in that discussion that bears striking resemblance to our own day. Theodan depicts the mindset so common among Christians who do not want to risk encounters with the world or face difficult situations in spiritual conflict or confront the hostile opposition of the world to the gospel. Often it is seen by the church trying its best to cozy up to the world instead of being distinctly different from it. But the reality is that open war is upon us whether we would risk it or not. Those unprepared, unarmed, untrained for battle, or unwilling to fight will discover that the world feels no pity toward the gospel or those who believe the gospel. Satan and his hosts array themselves daily against the gospel, Christian truth, and the people of God. Open war is taking place; we must fight with the God-given weapons that have been entrusted to us.

 

Paul's martial language was no ancient problem that our sophisticated times has eradicated. He spoke of conflict, war, battles, and weapons. The same basic issues he addressed 2000 years ago remain with us. How can the speculations, reasonings, and thoughts of the worldly mind be torn down, so that the gospel might be believed? Much attention seems to be given in our day to massage the atmosphere surrounding sinners by programs, motivational techniques, guilt and manipulation methodology, and the like. While this may alter behavior, at least temporarily in some, it does nothing to change the central thoughts, attitudes, and affections of the mind and heart. Paul was no masseuse, massaging the mind to soothe it and coax it into cooperating with the gospel. He was a spiritual warrior seeking to conquer and subdue the citadels of human reasoning through supernatural means.

 

Keep in mind that Paul was not singling out all of the Corinthians. Many had responded well to him as is evident in chapter 7. But he focuses upon "the unscrupulous false teachers who were seeking to undermine his authority and to corrupt their faith, and to those of the Corinthians who were allowing themselves to be misled by these intruders" (Philip E. Hughes, NICNT: 2 Corinthians, 343]. We're in a spiritual conflict for which we must join the battle with God's weapons. What are the Christian's weapons and what is this warfare?

 

I. A conflict stirs

 

We're likely familiar with the fact that the Corinthian church posed some of the severest problems for any of the early apostles. Disunity, fractured relationships, toleration of open sin, misuse of spiritual gifts, rejecting apostolic authority, and accepting false teachers characterized the atmosphere. Paul's first epistle addressed these issues, but it seemed that the issue of rejecting apostolic authority while accepting false teachers remained with some. Many, if not most, of the Corinthian believers appeared to have recognized the problems, and responded well. But a few remained aloof, plus the false teachers still lurked in the shadows. Right at the heart of this conflict was the gospel. Apostolic authority was important to Paul because of what it represented: the foundational teachers of the gospel. The false teachers secured themselves in their citadels of human reasoning while the Corinthians cowered instead of engaging them. Enough is enough! The Apostle lays bare the reality of the conflict and how it is to be addressed. But first, he must clarify why he is engaged in spiritual battle with the false teachers and their disciples.

 

1. Rumors, lies, and distortions, vv. 1-2

 

In order to undermine the gospel in Corinth, false teachers attacked the apostle who had laid their gospel foundation. Paul had spent 18 months in Corinth, much of it under the duress of a city filled with paganism, idolatry, and opposition. The Lord encouraged Paul when he felt the powers opposing him: "Do not be afraid any longer, but go on speaking and do not be silent; for I am with you, and no man will attack you in order to harm you, for I have many people in this city" (Acts 18:9-10). So Paul continued day and night teaching and preaching among them, laying a solid gospel foundation. In order to cast doubts upon the gospel, the Judaizers opposing Paul tried to paint him as a cad and a wimp. "Now I, Paul, myself urge you by the meekness and gentleness of Christ-I who am meek when face to face with you, but bold toward you when absent!" Evidently, Paul used some of their own language, "His letters are weighty and strong, but his personal presence is unimpressive and his speech contemptible" (10:10). 'Oh, Paul knows how to scare you quite well with his writing! Your knees have grown weak by his powerful letters. But the old boy is really quite unimpressive. He doesn't even know how to deliver a good speech! How can you really trust someone that hides behind his letters but cannot face you like a man? How can he really be such a super, spiritual person? Why he is just a man of the flesh like anyone else.'

 

Paint a person one shade until others believe it: that was the strategy. Move their understanding away from the spiritual nature of the Christian message and the messenger, and then they could strike down the teaching of the gospel or at least water it down so that it had no effects upon the people of Corinth.

 

But Paul had a different view of all the distortions made on his account. "I ask that when I am present I need not be bold with the confidence with which I propose to be courageous against some, who regard us as if we walked according to the flesh." The phrase, "as if we walked according to the flesh," probably caries with it some moral implications. At minimum, it is the insistence that Paul was limited to what his brain and tongue could muster. He was not really all that spiritual after all, they intoned. Simon Kistemaker further explains, "Although the term flesh means "life here on earth," the immediate context suggests a slightly broader perspective, so that we understand the term to refer to the world around us. In fact, "it characterizes human behavior as a purely worldly activity and perspective"" [NTC: 2 Corinthians, 334]. The spiritual nature was left out.

 

2. A foundation for response, vv. 1-2

 

So the apostle had to respond; the gospel was at stake. Yet in his response he demonstrates that the Christian way of warfare cannot be matched by the world. "Fight fire with fire," we are told. If someone is hostile toward you, then retaliate in like manner. That is the world's way. But it is not the way marked by the Cross of Christ. Paul's exhortation came "by the meekness and gentleness of Christ." That did not mean he would be soft or mousy, any more than we see this in Christ. "Meekness" implies self-control, humble restraint of one's energies and strengths, and an attitude free from a vengeful spirit. "Gentleness" carries this idea further by implying "patient steadfastness which is able to submit to injustice, disgrace, and maltreatment without hatred or malice," all the while trusting in God in spite of all taking place [Cleon Rogers, Linguistic & Exegetical Key to the Greek NT, 411].

 

Paul's model for meekness and gentleness, of course, was Christ, just as He remains the same model for us. Philip Hughes adds, "The popular misconception that meekness and gentleness are incompatible with sternness is refuted by the example of Christ Himself, who not only could imperiously drive the grasping money-changers out of the temple with a scourge (Jn. 2:14ff.), but could also denounce false teachers and hypocrites in the severest possible terms (cf. Mt. 23)" [345]. Christ's conduct is the norm for the believer. Meekness and gentleness never imply weakness but one's strength, abilities, and response under the control of the Spirit. Geoff Thomas quotes the Puritan Henry Smith, who helps us to grasp this truth. "As Christ ceased not to be a king because he was a servant, nor to be a lion because he was like a lamb, nor to be God because he was made man, nor to be a judge because he was judged; so a man does not lose his honour by humility, but he shall be honoured for his humility" [http://users.aber.ac.uk/ap /sermons/2cor48.htm, "The Meekness and Gentleness of Christ," p. 5].

 

Instead of slinking away from the conflict, Paul went forward, and so encourages us to do the same for spiritual battles. But we are not to go in our strength but rather with renewed courage, boldly confident in Christ. Thus Paul asserted, "I ask that when I am present I need not be bold with the confidence with which I propose to be courageous against some, who regard us as if we walked according to the flesh." And that moves him into an explanation of the nature of the warfare that every Christian faces.

 

II. Warfare explained

 

Most of Paul's Epistles contain military metaphors to explain the Christian's life and conflict (cf. Rom. 13:12; 1 Cor. 9:7; 2 Cor. 10:3ff; Eph. 6:11; Phil. 2:25; Col. 2:15; 1 Thes. 5:8; 1 Tim. 1:18; 2 Tim. 2:3-4). He had certainly spent enough time around soldiers to get the picture clearly! But he is careful to insist upon understanding the spiritual nature of the conflict even when there are other humans involved. We would do well in our day when there are so many organizations fighting against moral and social evils, to remember that in spite of the physical showing, a spiritual conflict underlies it. Ultimately, we may stymie some of the evils from a physical standpoint but it is only as we engage the spiritual dimension that we truly conquer in Christ's name. That is why we cannot condone or agree with the Crusades, church wars, etc. that have pitted flesh against flesh. The battle is never won at that point. We do not conquer spiritual foes by brute strength. Paul helps us to see this.

 

1.  Distinguishing dimensions, v. 3

 

"For though we walk in the flesh, we do not war according to the flesh." By flesh, he refers to the temporal and physical as opposed to the spiritual, invisible and supernatural realm. This means that the realm of conflict does not focus on human ingenuity or even strength of numbers. That is why Jesus could give His small band of disciples a charge to make disciples of the nations! By human ingenuity and strength of numbers such a command would be pure folly. But as John Knox's motto explained: "With God, man is always in the majority" [Kistemaker, 335].

 

The adversary stands behind the conflicts surrounding the gospel, whether it is in an individual or a people group. "The god of this world has blinded the minds of the unbelieving," Paul had already reminded the Corinthians, "so that they might not see the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God" (2 Cor. 4:4). And in that same context, he follows by declaring the sufficiency of the gospel proclaimed and the revelatory work of God to bring "the Light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Christ" (2 Cor. 4:5-6). So Satan opposes at every turn. As John Calvin points out, "For we must take this into account, that the gospel is like a fire, by which the fury of Satan is enkindled. Hence it cannot but be that he will arm himself for a contest, whenever he sees that it [i.e. the gospel] advanced" [Calvin's Commentaries, vol. XX, 322]. So, while the believer exists in the physical realm, with all of its limitations, he does not "war according to the flesh." As Philip Hughes rightly put it, "The follower of Christ cannot allow his conduct to be controlled by the considerations of expediency and self-seeking which were characteristic of his unregenerate state" [349]. The flesh is no longer the means, nor the battleground for conflict related to the gospel.

 

2. Identifying our weaponry, v. 4

 

So Paul makes this clear. "For the weapons of our warfare are not of the flesh, but divinely powerful for the destruction of fortresses [strongholds, KJV]." So what does he mean by "weapons...not of flesh, but divinely powerful"? Paul employs a Hebraism to describe the weapons as "divinely powerful." This adds force to what he is saying, pointing out that the only weapons adequate for spiritual battle are those endowed by God for His people.

 

a. What these weapons are not 

 

The wrong weapons bring failure. When Hitler invaded Poland in 1938 with his Wehrmacht and their steel-armored tanks, they were met by the only existing horse cavalry in Europe. The Polish army stood bravely before the tanks but was no match for them. Germany soon conquered. They chose the wrong weapons for fighting their battle. Certainly, the weapons we utilize are not the same that the world uses against the gospel and God's people: "the lie in place of the truth, darkness instead of light, grief rather than joy, and death as a substitute for life" [Kistemaker, 335]. Few with any common sense, much less spiritual sense, would consider such substitutes for spiritual weapons. But the area that can trip us is using weapons that feel comfortable to the flesh, not because they are sinful of themselves, but because they are inappropriate for the spiritual battles that we face. Tasker identifies several of these inappropriate weapons: "human cleverness or ingenuity, organizing ability, eloquent diatribe, powerful propaganda, or reliance on charm or forcefulness of personality" [TNTC: 2 Corinthians, 134].

 

b. What these weapons are

 

We who live in the freedom of the United States have no advantage when it comes to God's weapons of warfare. Those facing brutal regimes or primitive, superstitious people have the same weapons. They are spiritual weapons, "divinely powerful," as Paul reminds us. When we are tempted by the world to adopt the world's methods and ways to conquer its strongholds, we must vigorously resist. "Not only do such weapons fail to make an impression on the strongholds of Satan," wrote Philip Hughes, "but a secularized Church is a Church which, having adopted the standards of the world, has ceased to fight and is herself overshadowed by the powers of darkness" [350]. Geoff Thomas reminds us, "The church's failure is not a lack of weapons," and "these weapons of God are not intended to be put on display in a church museum behind a glass case" [http://users.aber.ac.uk/emk/ap/sermons/2cor49.htm, "Our Mighty Weapons," pp. 4-6].

 

Let's face it: the Christian's weapons are thought powerless and silly by the world. What are they? Romans 13:12 warns of the creeping nature of sin that darkens the life. "Therefore let us lay aside the deeds of darkness [through mortification; repentance] and put on the armor of light." Holy lives must characterize us to combat deeds of darkness. 2 Corinthians 6:6-7 amplifies this same truth, telling us that it is time to take up purity, knowledge, patience, kindness, genuine love, the word of truth, the power of God, "the weapons of righteousness for the right hand and the left," and all "in the Holy Spirit." Here the focus of the Christian's weaponry is upon godly attitude and behavior, gracious treatment of others, knowledge of God's truth, and the powerful weapon of Holy Spirit generated righteousness. These characteristics evident among many in Britain during the first Great Awakening, and not shrewd political maneuvering, brought down the evil British slave trade. Similarly, the same godly living during that era shut down much of the ungodliness in the American colonies.

 

Perhaps the best-known passage describing our weaponry is Ephesians 6:10-20. We are commanded, "Put on the full armor of God, so that you will be able to stand firm against the schemes of the devil." And again, "Therefore, take up the full armor of God, so that you will be able to resist in the evil day, having done everything, to stand firm." Then Paul describes each piece of the Christian's armor. "Stand firm therefore, having girded your loins with truth," which carries more than just honesty and integrity (though that surely must be included), but insists upon a solid foundation of doctrinal truth anchoring our lives. As Martyn Lloyd-Jones explained, "There is no part of Christian doctrine that you and I can afford to ignore. We must study every part of Scripture; and it is good to read the whole Bible every year. Leave nothing out, read the history, read everything, take every part and portion of the doctrine... Nothing causes such weakness and failure in the Christian Church as a failure on our part to put on the 'whole armour of God'" [quoted by Geoff Thomas, "Our Mighty Weapons," p. 8].

 

Paul continues, "Having put on the breastplate of righteousness." The Puritan writers called this both the "imputed and imparted" righteousness of Christ for our lives. Inattention to the law of God in our obedience will flatten us before the enemies. And even more so, forgetting your dependence upon the imputed righteousness of Christ so that you put confidence in the flesh will leave you open to doubt and discouragement.

 

Evangelism, carrying the gospel to others, is another part of the armor: "and having shod your feet with the preparation of the gospel of peace." Here is the reality that the gospel in its proclamation, as well as its meditation, is the Christian's mighty weapon. Many a citadel of prideful reasoning has crashed to the ground before the power of the gospel wielded by a single believer proclaiming its truth in the Spirit's power. Many of our battles revolve around issues of eternity, sin, judgment, forgiveness, and relationship with God. The world tips its hat toward many different gods and denies any type of eternal punishment. Yet so many people are trapped in patterns of sin; families broken apart by sinful practices; corruption dragging others down a spiraling hole of destruction. How can these be delivered? It's not going to happen by mere reasoning power. Reasoning with those enslaved to sinful habits is like talking to a brick wall. A much greater strength is needed to break the shackles of sin. The gospel falls with mighty force upon the strongholds of man's sinfulness, crushing their defenses, breaking their enslavement by the liberating power of Christ's death and resurrection, and bringing light into the darkness of imprisoned hearts.

 

It is interesting that Paul calls for the gospel of peace to "shod your feet." Martyn Lloyd-Jones points out how this emphasizes the mobility of the gospel, the ability of the believer to move into any situation with the gospel of Christ with its mighty power to deliver and set free the captives. It suggests "firmness, confidence, a sense of assurance" regarding the gospel. It refers to the believer's resoluteness to stand firmly in the faith, and to move quickly into action with the gospel. We see this in Martin Luther as he stood before the Diet of Worms and a whole conclave of enemies of the gospel arrayed against him. Yet he stood upon the truth of the gospel, not giving in. "Here I stand; I can do no other," he declared. That too must be our position. Luther was standing upon the gospel of grace through Christ alone. His firm stand with feet well shod with the gospel of peace, broke the stronghold of Romanism, tore down longstanding citadels that had stood with puffed up arrogance against the simple gospel of grace. Like Luther, we must learn to move quickly with the gospel and stand upon it firmly [The Christian Soldier, 270-295].

 

Next, Paul calls for the Christian to utilize faith in Christ and gospel truth: "in addition to all, taking up the shield of faith with which you will be able to extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one." A shield was used to deflect the blows of an enemy sword or spear or arrow. Paul's implication is that the adversary of the gospel assaults us with intent to do harm. He attacks us with condemnation. He hurls flaming arrows of guilt, doubt, and despair. He assaults us by dredging up sins of the past or tempting us to nurse wounds from others. These attacks come from outside the Christian and not within. They do not originate in the believer but are flaming arrows sent to drive "us down into the depths of despair and utter hopelessness about ourselves," as Lloyd-Jones points out [301]. So in our weaponry, God has given to us "the shield of faith with which [we] will be able to quench all the flaming arrows of the evil one." Flaming arrows of doubt, evil imaginations, ungodly phrases or scenes, evil desires and passions, sudden fiery trials, darts of fear and other arrows may be flying our way. So how do we use the "shield of faith" as a defense? I quote Lloyd-Jones who states it so clearly.

Faith here means the ability to apply quickly what we believe so as to repel everything the devil does or attempts to do to us. Faith is not merely an intellectual belief or theory. Of course, faith includes what you believe, but faith never stops at mere intellectual assent and belief. Faith is always practical. Faith always applies the truth... So I define faith in 'the shield of faith' as meaning the quick application of what we believe as an answer to everything that the devil hurls at us [305].


Keep in mind that the shield of faith is not faith in faith or faith in yourself. It is faith that is focused upon Jesus Christ and what He has done for us through His death and resurrection. It focuses upon the promises and provisions that are ours in the gospel.

 

"And take the helmet of salvation," Paul tells us. The helmet covers the mind. Here is where we learn to focus upon the truths of the gospel, the verities of what Christ has done for us so that we do not fall prey to condemnation or legalism or self-confidence. We can often fall prey to the hopelessness of evil in the world or hopelessness spurred on by some debilitating illness or some circumstance in our environment. But as Christians, we live in hope as we put our confidence in Jesus Christ. Paul reminded Timothy when assuaged by the enemy with a sense of hopelessness and despair, "For God has not given us a spirit of timidity, but of power and love and discipline" (or sound mind, 2 Tim. 1:7). The Apostle further explains what he means by "the helmet of salvation" in Ephesians 6:17 with a parallel text in 1 Thessalonians 5:8. "But since we are of the day, let us be sober, having put on the breastplate of faith and love, and as a helmet, the hope of salvation." Hope does not disappoint, Paul told the Romans (5:5), because hope is expectation, anticipation of what God in Christ has already done for you and provided for you. One of the chief things that set the Christian apart from the world is hope. By this I do not mean someone that has been infused with the power of positive thinking or who just tries to think positively about everything in the world. Hope implies expectation: the Christian expects all of Christ's promises to be fulfilled; he expects Christ to return; he expects Christ to reign until all His enemies are under His feet; he expects to spend eternity with Christ. He lives in anticipation of all God's promises being "Yea and Amen!"

 

"The sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God," completes the believer's armor. We have 66 books combined in one Bible that gives us a powerful weapon to use against the enemy and his strongholds. But we must not try to "use" the Bible for our own selfish purposes. Some twist and manipulate Bible passages to convince others to yield to their demands or to give them monetary gifts, etc. No, the sword of the Spirit cannot be rightly wielded apart from the Spirit's power. The Holy Spirit honors right interpretation of His Word alone. Lloyd-Jones warns, "The moment you separate the Spirit and the Word you are in trouble" [328].  As John Calvin commented, "Whoever, therefore, is unarmed with the influence of the Holy Spirit, however he may boast that he is a minister of Christ, will nevertheless, not prove himself to be such" [Calvin's Commentaries, XX, 322]. The Spirit breaches the strongest citadels of the mind with the truth of God's Word. In the darkest recesses of the heart, the Spirit brings the Light of the gospel.

 

In the old hymn, "Stand Up, Stand Up for Jesus," the writer exhorts, "The arm of flesh will fail you-Ye dare not trust your own; put on the gospel armor, each peace put on with prayer." He did not come up with this on his own but by following the way that Paul ended his teaching on the armor of God. "With all prayer and petition pray at all times in the Spirit, and with this in view, be on the alert with all perseverance and petition for all the saints, and pray on my behalf, that utterance may be given to me in the opening of my mouth, to make known with boldness the mystery of the gospel" (Eph. 6:18-19). Here is a repetitive emphasis on prayer as the application of the gospel armor for believers. While "prayer" is the general term used for all that is done in prayer, whether asking, praising, confession, thanking, interceding, petitioning, etc., the word "petition" points to specific requests. As a citizen would humbly approach his king with specific requests for his actions or the exercise of his justice or might, the believer humbly approaches the Eternal King to make requests according to His pleasure. He is a mighty King! He is not put off by our large requests or even by our many requests.

 

I was speaking with a pastor in south Alabama this week, who has been serving his church for about a year-and-a-half. Much of the battle that he faces is that of complacency on the part of his congregation. Few have any understanding to speak of concerning biblical doctrine. He told me, "All that I know to do is to preach and pray." I affirmed that he was right on target by using the means that God has given to face such a conflict. As he preaches God's Word and prays, much more than a mere preacher has gone to work. The Mighty God, through His Word, by His Spirit penetrates minds and hearts to break down the citadels of ignorance and crush the gates of apathy and complacency that garrison dulled minds.

 

Think about Paul's own context as he made this request. He was calling on the Ephesian believers to join him in the spiritual battle that he faced in carrying the gospel into hostile territory, and certainly, into regions deeply rooted in idolatry and superstition. Put on the armor of God and pray; petition God on my behalf so that "utterance may be given to me in the opening of my mouth, to make known with boldness the mystery of the gospel." Paul's desire was for bold utterance, literally, bold words. He knew the difficulties ahead. He felt that rage of Satan as Paul brought the light of the gospel into dark lands. So he needed utterance - that God would give him the word to speak, that it would be done boldly, and that it would be clear in making something that is mysterious to the human mind plain and simple. That is a spiritual battle! And it is only by prayer that it can be accomplished. That's why all of us must be engaged in praying for the furtherance of the gospel both locally and abroad. That's why prayer for our missionaries is not legalistic duty but a bold opportunity to see Christ made known in other places with great power.

 

Prayer does not replace the proclamation of the Word. It is only by the Word of God that the mystery of the gospel is made known. The Word is the Spirit's sword that believers are to wield in the battles we face. But God is pleased to use prayer as the means to engage His divine resources where proclamation of the Word is needed. As John Piper put it, "Prayer gives us the significance of front-line forces, and gives God the glory of a limitless Provider." He continues by using a military motif with Christians as soldiers in the frontlines of battle and heaven as headquarters, "Prayer is the communication with headquarters by which the weapons of warfare are deployed according to the will of God. That's the connection between the weapons and prayer in Ephesians 6. Prayer is for war" [Let the Nations be Glad! 41, 45].

 

Again, as Geoff Thomas reminds us, these weapons are not for the display case in the Christian museum. They are for the battles we encounter for the sake of Christ and the gospel.  "Open war is upon you whether you would risk it or not." Take up the full armor of God. Clothe yourselves for battle. Keep close the shield of faith. Wield fearlessly the sword of the Spirit. Stay in contact with "headquarters" by petitioning our King for His divine power and work in every setting of battle. Let us not retreat in the face of battle and threat but pursue the destruction of the strongholds of human reasoning and vain imaginations and vaunted thoughts with the weapons of God's provision.

 

III. Warfare engaged

 

Paul had a particular type of battle in mind when he wrote this epistle. He had engaged the Corinthians in strong dialogue, yet some had remained defiant while false teachers still lurked in their midst. The battle raged more intensely! The Apostle was not satisfied with mere occupation but only with complete submission of their minds to Christ. He could not tolerate the thought of men arrogantly boasting in the flesh and in human reasoning against the gospel of God's grace through Christ. So, now he explains in more detail the aim of the warfare: "the destruction of fortresses." And what are these "fortresses" or strongholds? "They are the systems, schemes, structures, and strategies that Satan designs to frustrate and obstruct the progress of Christ's gospel," according to Simon Kistemaker [335]. "They are calculated to pervert the true gospel of divine grace," writes Tasker, "and replace it by another form of teaching which brings the souls of men into bondage, or to destroy Paul's apostolic status in the eyes of his converts and thus hinder the further discharge of his commission" [230]. Some have elaborate design; others are simple in their obstruction to the gospel. Yet all must be engaged for the sake of the gospel.

 

1. Citadels of human reasonings against God, vv. 4b-5a

 

Paul begins, "We are destroying speculations," pointing to the calculating, reasoning, and reflecting thoughts of the mind at enmity with God. We get our English term, logical, from this same Greek root word. Man uses his logic against God's truth. The gospel remains a mystery to him, even foolishness that demands his opposition, or so he thinks. So he calculates the ways that he can dismantle this teaching about God as sovereign Lord, man as a hopeless sinner, and Jesus Christ as the only Savior of men. He tries to throw off any considerations of personal sin and responsibility by blaming others for his own sin problems. He boasts of his own entitlement and rights to every benefit in life. He blames the government or the schools or the churches or the workplace or even his own family for his problems. He's not to blame - everyone else is - even God! 'And besides, this God cannot be all that He proposes to be since everyone knows that He had nothing to do with creation. The world came about due to a gaseous explosion billions of years ago. Man evolved over time, as did everything else. One God had nothing to do with it. Men have been culturally acclimated to having gods in their lives. But it is sheer scientific ignorance to believe in an eternally existent God who created the world and who continues to govern it and who dares to call for my repentance, faith, and absolute allegiance!' He reasons and reflects to his own satisfaction that this God that Christians talk about is really only superstitious nonsense.

 

Or such speculations may run another course - a seemingly Christian one. Here a person adopts a general framework of Christianity. He calls himself a Christian though he sees no need for a personal Savior or need for repentance or even the admission of his own sinfulness. He's a Christian. He was born into a Christian family and a Christian land. He was even baptized as a Christian; so he is a Christian regardless of what all of the 'Holy Joe Christians' say. He does not need to believe in the Bible's inerrancy. Why, it is just an old book that everyone knows is full of errors and myths and mere traditions that have been handed down for centuries. He knows that Christ died only to be an example of self-sacrifice and service to others; no atonement was needed, no propitiatory sacrifice was necessary. How dare someone not call him a Christian just because he does not agree with the so-called evangelical teaching of the gospel!

 

How are these kinds of speculations destroyed or torn down? Paul tells us that we do not do it with human weapons or with the strength of the flesh or with the power of our own mental reasonings. These are spiritual strongholds and only spiritual means can tear them down. "Hence it is that the Christian warfare is aimed at the casting down of reasonings," wrote Philip Hughes, "which are the strongholds whereby the unbelieving mind seeks to fortify itself against the truths of human depravity and divine grace, and at the casting down also of every proud bulwark raised high against the knowledge of God." He goes on to explain, "This metaphor emphasizes the defiant and mutinous nature of sin: sinful man does not wish to know God; he wishes himself to be the self-sufficient center of his universe" [352]. Modern men have erected their own Tower of Babel by which they seek to usurp God's rule over their lives [Bruce 230]. So that calls for the right weapons of holy lives, God's truth, faith's promises, and God-dependent prayer, wielded in the power of the Holy Spirit.

 

2. Lofty banners of human pride resisting knowledge of God, v. 5

 

Ancient military forces raised their banners to identify themselves when in battle. Their standards or banners were intended to intimidate their enemies when at the front lines of war. Ancient kingdoms also built thick, high walls and proud battlements as defense against their enemies. An ancient citadel could intimidate an attacking army due to its seemingly impenetrable walls. And so that tradition continues, but in this case it is the banner of human intellect and the citadels of human knowledge raised in proud defiance against the knowledge of God. "We are destroying... every lofty thing raised up against the knowledge of God." Here are "the opinions or convictions of those who set themselves and the deductions of their reasons against the truth of God," as Charles Hodge expressed it [in Tasker 134]. Calvin points out that "every lofty thing" "denotes any kind of glory and power in this world." And then he encourages the Christian soldier, "There is no reason, therefore, why a servant of Christ should dread anything, however formidable, that may stand up in opposition to his doctrine. Let him, in spite of it, persevere, and he will scatter to the winds every machination of whatever sort" [Calvin's Commentaries, XX, 323].

 

These lofty thoughts of human pride must be cast down for the knowledge of the gospel to be received. Otherwise, man will continually find fault with the gospel or try to twist it and manipulate to fit into his own defiant lifestyle. "For nothing is more opposed to the spiritual wisdom of God than the wisdom of the flesh; nothing is more at variance with the grace of God than man's natural ability, and so as to other things. Hence the only foundation of Christ's kingdom is the abasement of men" [Calvin 323]. That's why the preaching, teaching, and instruction of God's Word regarding God's nature, the person and work of Christ, the nature of man as a sinner, the necessity of the cross and resurrection of Christ, and the gospel demand of repentance and faith must be set forth in the Spirit's power. All that have come to Christ have had their defiant banners and walls of human pride torn down by the message of the gospel. We've been humbled by the realities of God revealed in His Word.

 

So, in spiritual warfare, we are dealing quite often with firmly held beliefs that are clearly grounded upon human pride and not the truth of God's Word. We can try our best to reason our way through such mindsets but only through spiritual weapons, those that are "divinely powerful for the destruction of fortresses" will we know success. Consider that to wield such weapons we must humble ourselves to live in dependence upon the Lord. That's why prayer is called for as we recognize our own helplessness to change human hearts and the great power of God to conquer and subdue even the most stubborn sinner. It is much easier to satisfy ourselves by using some of the common manipulative techniques that many practice in the name of Christian evangelism. We may go through the motions of evangelizing, talk someone into praying a prayer or signing on the dotted line, and then beam with pride that we have led someone to Jesus. All the while that person remains defiant to humbling himself before an omnipotent God that he has offended and trusting in the crucified and resurrected God-man, Jesus Christ, who alone can bring him to God.

 

3. Bringing minds in obedience to Christ, v. 6

 

The Christian goal must never be to simply win an argument with someone that speaks contrary to the gospel. That's where pride can step into the picture with even some of our finest explanations of Christian truth. We can forget momentarily of seeing someone brought to Christ and instead, relish in conquering a person with our superior grasp of the facts. But Paul helps us at this point. Not only are we engaged in destroying the reasonings and pride of man against the knowledge of God, but also "we are taking every thought captive to the obedience of Christ." Both in our own minds or thinking, and in those who are opponents to the gospel, we bring the very designs and purposes of the mind into an obedient relationship to Jesus Christ through the weapons of God. Philip Hughes helps us to see this more clearly.

Not only are strongholds and high towers cast down, but prisoners are taken captive in the Christian warfare. These prisoners are the thoughts-the cogitations and intentions-of man's mind, and they are led captive, every one of them, into the obedience of Christ. In this way the genuine Christian position is established. The rebellion of the human heart is quelled, the truth of God prevails, and the divine sovereignty is acknowledged. The capture, moreover, proves to be a radical liberation, for only in unconditional surrender to God, his Creator, Redeemer, and Judge, is man's freedom to be found [353].


Our goal in the battles we face is to see minds, thought processes, and life purposes obediently submitted to Jesus Christ as Lord. Even some of the Corinthian Christians had gotten sidetracked in their thoughts and knowledge. Paul especially desired to see their thoughts taken captive to the obedience of Christ. That is the battle that we face each week as we gather to teach a Sunday School class or work with a class of young people or preach God's Word. Some have worldviews that have been deeply affected by the world - they are being held captive and may not even realize it. So as we labor together, we must do so in the power of the Holy Spirit with much dependence upon the Lord through prayer. We must apply the Word of God with precision and expect the Spirit to work. We cannot grow discouraged in such a battle. It does require perseverance, as Calvin pointed out. But the fruit of this kind of warfare is sweet and precious, as minds once held in bondage to the world's way of thinking are now liberated to follow after Christ.

 

4. Exercising the power of the church for discipline, v. 6

 

Paul adds yet one more footnote to our considerations: "And we are ready to punish all disobedience, whenever your obedience is complete." Let's back into this one. First, Paul expected that the Corinthian believers would be responsive to the Word of God. He had confidence in the divinely powerful weapons that God had given to tear down the thoughts, concepts, and reasonings that stood in opposition to God and His truth. So, "whenever your obedience is complete," points to change and transformation in the Corinthians. Paul would gauge it by the way they obeyed Christ in the instructions that he gave them. He was not looking for their "fair weather promises," but to their obedience to Christ. Second, as they obeyed, then the glaring disobedience of those who were enemies to the gospel or who stubbornly refused to submit to the apostolic teaching would be apparent. "And we are ready to punish all disobedience." Here we see that "the church must exercise discipline to maintain its purity and power," as Kistemaker explains. Perhaps Moffatt's translation will help us to get the feel of what Paul is saying by continuing the military motif. "I am prepared to court-martial anyone who remains insubordinate, once your submission is complete" [Hughes, 354]. Paul was giving the Corinthians time to respond to his teaching and to recognize his apostolic authority as the one that had delivered the gospel to them. He waited for their obedience in these things to be complete. Then, the church's power of binding and loosing, the power of discipline, would be exercised. That meant that some would be censured, some examined and brought to the attention of the church for action, and some removed from the church's membership. Even the act of church discipline is part of our God-given weapons for maintaining the church's "purity and power" in the community.

 

Conclusion

 

Some spiritual attacks confront our minds and imaginations. Die to the deeds of the flesh; apply the Word of God in the specific doctrine or law or truth needed to tear down such evil imaginations.

 

Other battles involve other people and their minds held captive to the world by the enemy. We are not given permission to dodge these situations. We are soldiers of the cross! We are engaged in spiritual battles for the sake of our Master's Kingdom. We cannot retreat or hide or remain disengaged and still know the pleasure of our Lord. He has given us spiritual weapons for spiritual battles. Let us put on the armor of God, "each piece put on by prayer," and not fear our enemy. Trusting in the Captain of our Salvation, let us march forward for the cause of Christ!

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