RTW 2022

We use God’s mighty weapons, not worldly weapons, to knock down the strongholds of human reasoning and to destroy false arguments.
2 Corinthians 10:4

Am I in a constant state of battle fatigue?

Am I joyless, hopeless, and lots of other “lesses?”

Do I feel like I am always on the losing end?

If I answered, “yes” to any of the questions, it’s likely that I am fighting with the wrong weapons?

We must remind ourselves that Paul speaks to carnal, worldly thinking among Christians. He isn’t talking about the world here, but the Corinthian Christians. They were the ones with the strongholds in their minds and hearts. They made the arguments against God’s mind and methods. They held on to every high thing that exalts itself against the knowledge of God. We miss it entirely if we think the love of manipulation, the image of success, smooth words, the perception of power, lording over authority, and human schemes and programs are just problems among unbelievers. Paul dealt with this heart and mind in the church.

The Corinthian Christians tended to rely on and admire carnal weapons for the Christian battle:

Instead of the

• belt of truth, they fought with manipulation.
• breastplate of righteousness, they fought with the image of success.
• shoes of the gospel, they fought with smooth words.
• shield of faith, they fought with the perception of power.
• helmet of salvation, they fought with lording over authority.
• sword of the Spirit, they fought with human schemes and programs.

We will continue fight losing battles, and live a lifeless life if we continue to fight with the wrong weaponry.

“Our spiritual weapons are scorned by the world but feared by demonic powers. When we fight with true spiritual weapons, then no principality or power can stand against us. “As the spittle that comes out of a man’s mouth slayeth serpents, so doth that which proceedeth out of the mouths of God’s faithful ministers quell and kill evil imaginations, carnal reasonings, which are the legion of domestic devils, that hold near intelligence with the old serpent.”” – John Trapp

“For nothing is more opposed to the spiritual wisdom of God than the wisdom of the flesh, and nothing more opposed to His grace than man’s natural ability.” – John Calvin

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I wonder what Paul is referring to when he said,

“for what happened.”His presence was a joy, but so was the news he brought of the encouragement he received from you. When he told us how much you long to see me, and how sorry you are for what happened, and how loyal you are to me, I was filled with joy!
2 Corinthians 7:7

Have great confidence in my victory! Live armed with the right weapons.