“For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal but mighty in
God for pulling down strongholds, casting down arguments and every high thing that
exalts itself against the knowledge of God, bringing every thought into
captivity to the obedience of Christ, and being ready to punish all
disobedience when your obedience is fulfilled.” (2 Corinthians 10:4-6 NKJV)
How do we win over the world, its thoughts and ideas in the unbelieving
people? We do not fight against flesh and blood, says Apostle Paul (Ephesians
6:12). It means that we do not fight with other humans. More specifically, we
do not argue with the thoughts and ideas of the world, trying to quote and to
prove the scripture is true and they are wrong. It sounds logical but never
works that way. That kind of weapons are called carnal, says the scripture.
Our fight is much deeper and higher than the engagement in
human level. Rather, it is a spiritual warfare against high principalities, against
powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this age, against spiritual hosts
of wickedness in the heavenly places (Ephesians 6:12). Our fight is an
invisible warfare with the malevolent and vicious enemy, the devil, the father
of lie and the murderer (John 8:44).
So, the weapons of our warfare are not like our experience
or education but mighty in God for pulling down the strongholds of darkness and
confusion, casting down arguments and every high thing that exalts itself
against the knowledge of God, bringing every thought into captivity to the
obedience of Christ, and being ready to punish all disobedience when your
obedience is fulfilled. They are truth, prayer, obedience, faith, love, hope, righteousness.
Our God is the truth. Nothing can stand against the truth of God. He is the
beginning and the end. He is the Creator of all things and knows all. Nothing
can be hidden to His fiery eyes. The truth of God shines the light of the world
forever. In Him, there is no darkness, nor confusion at all. We have the mind of
God, says Apostle Paul (1 Corinthians 2:16).
Knowing the truth of God, we are strengthened and enlightened
to live a life worthy of calling through prayer, faith, love, hope, obedience, and
righteousness. Prayer is the expression of reliance on Christ in everything
physically, mentally, and spiritually. Faith is the adventurous action and deed
of what we believe in God. It is the only way to please God because the
scripture says, “Without faith it is impossible to please God.” (Hebrews 11:6)
Love is giving. God is love and forever gives everything what His children need.
God never needs anything back from anyone because all is His. So, we exercise
freely the giving of not our love but His love which we have received freely
through Christ Jesus (Matthew 10:8).
“You did not choose Me, but I chose you and appointed you
that you should go and bear fruit, and that your fruit should remain, that
whatever you ask the Father in My name He may give you.” (John 15:16 NKJV)
“We love Him because He first loved us. If someone says, ‘I
love God,’ and hates his brother, he is a liar; for he who does not love his
brother whom he has seen, how can he love God whom he has not seen? And this
commandment we have from Him: that he who loves God must love his brother also.”
(1 John 4:19-21 NKJV)
Hope is on things God has promised in heaven, not things on
earth for us. Things on earth are perishable, rotten, and fading away. Treasures
on earth are destroyed by moth and rust and thieves (Matthew 6:19). But the
hope in heaven never make ashamed of us because it never perish, spoil, or fade
(Romans 5:5, 1 Peter 1:4). With such a hope, we have confidence and boldness to
venture out, offering our bodies as living sacrifices to the Lord whenever the
doors are open by Him (Romans 12:1). Obedience is our submission in full to the
Lord, just as Christ did on the cross to the Father in heaven (Hebrews 5:8).
“Let this mind be in you which was also in Christ Jesus, who,
being in the form of God, did not consider it robbery to be equal with God, but
made Himself of no reputation, taking the form of a bondservant, and coming in
the likeness of men. And being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself
and became obedient to the point of death, even the death of the cross. Therefore
God also has highly exalted Him and given Him the name which is above every
name, that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of those in heaven, and
of those on earth, and of those under the earth, and that every tongue should
confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.” (Philippians
2:5-11 NKJV)
Righteousness is the sense of worth and the ground of
confidence to stand before the Holy and Almighty God in heaven. No one is
righteous in nature, not even one (Romans 3:11). All sinned and fall short of
the glory of God (Romans 3:23). When man is still powerless and sinful to do
anything to break out the bondage of darkness and death, the righteousness of
God apart from the law has been revealed from heaven above through faith in
Jesus Christ to all and on all who believe (Romans 3:21-22). Having been made
righteous in Christ, we are in peace with God and have bold and confident
access to the throne of grace (Romans 5:1-2). We shall be armed with the full
armor of God, Christ Jesus the Lord.
“Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord and in the
power of His might. Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to
stand against the wiles of the devil. For we do not wrestle against flesh and
blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the
darkness of this age, against spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly
places. Therefore take up the whole armor of God, that you may be able to withstand
in the evil day, and having done all, to stand.
Stand therefore, having girded your waist with truth, having
put on the breastplate of righteousness, and having shod your feet with the
preparation of the gospel of peace; above all, taking the shield of faith with
which you will be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked one. And
take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of
God; praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, being
watchful to this end with all perseverance and supplication for all the saints—and
for me, that utterance may be given to me, that I may open my mouth boldly to
make known the mystery of the gospel, for which I am an ambassador in chains;
that in it I may speak boldly, as I ought to speak.” (Ephesians 6:10-20 NKJV)
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