Weekly message: We fight with are not the weapons of the world
By Rev. Katherine Liu Bruce
3/12/2023
Christian Arts Ministries: Biblical precepts & Gospel
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Apostle
Paul indicated that the weapons we fight with are not the weapons of the world.
2 Corinthians 10:3-5 says, “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 ever
pretension that sets itself up against the knowledge of God, and take captive
every thought to make it obedient to Christ.” (NIV)
For though we walk in flesh, we
do not war according to flesh; for the weapons of our
warfare are not fleshly but powerful before God for the overthrowing of
strongholds, as we overthrow reasoning and every high thing rising up against
the knowledge of God, and take captive every thought unto the obedience of
Christ. (2Corinthians 10:3-5)(RV)
Apostles, being human, they were still in
flesh, they walked in flesh, but especially in spiritual warfare, they did not
walk according to the flesh; they walked according to the Spirit (Romans.8:4). Since spiritual
warfare is not against flesh but against spiritual forces. The weapons should not be fleshly but spiritual. Such weapons are powerful to overthrow the strongholds of
the enemy. It’s divinely powerful and exceedingly powerful. Eph.6:12 indicate that “For our wrestling is not against blood and
flesh but against the
rulers, against the authorities, against the world-rulers of this darkness,
against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenlies. 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.” (Eph.6:
13).
Reasoning and thoughts are in
and of the mind. These are the strongholds of Satan, God’s adversary, within
the minds of those who are disobedient to God. Through the spiritual warfare,
reasoning must be overthrown and every thought must be taken captive to obey
Christ.
The
haughty things within the reprobate mentality that are against the knowledge of
God, these too must be overthrown by the spiritual weapons that they might no
longer rise up against the knowledge of God.
The believer’s enemies are the demonic hosts of Satan, always assembled
for mortal combat. It is important to take up the spiritual weapons.
What are the spiritual weapons?
There are six items of God’s armor. According to Eph 6: 17-18 , “Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the
WORD OF GOD.” And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and request. With this in
mind, be alert and always keep on praying for all the saints.”
As
believers, first, we received the helmet of salvation which is for covering our mind, our
mentality, against the negative thoughts shot in by the evil one. Such as helmet
and a covering, is God’s salvation.
Satan injects threats, worries, anxieties, and other weakening thoughts
into our mind. God’s salvation is the covering that we take up against all
these. Such as salvation is the saving Christ whom we experience in our daily
life (John16:33).
Second, The sword of the Spirit, this is the only one that is used
for attacking the enemy. The sword of the Spirit indicates that the Spirit is the Word of God, both the
Spirit and the Word are Christ. (2 COr.3:17; Rev.19:13). Christ as the Spirit
and the Word furnishes us with a sword as an offensive weapon to defeat and
slay the enemy.
Eph.6:14-16
indicate another four items of God’s armor as follows,
Stand firm then
with the belt of truth
buckled around your waist, with the
breastplate of righteousness
in place, and with your feet fitted with the readiness
that comes from the gospel of peace. In addition to all this, take up the shield of
faith with which you can extinguish all the
flaming arrows of the evil one. ( Eph.6:14-16)
The flaming arrows (or flaming darts) are
Satan’s temptations, proposals, doubts, questions, lies, and attacks. Flaming
darts were used by fighters in the apostle’s time. The apostle used this term
to illustrate Satan’s attacks on us.
Therefore, we need to have our loins girded with truth, our conscience
covered with righteousness, our feet shod with peace, and our entire being
protected with the shield of faith. If we live by God as reality (truth), we
have righteousness (Eph.4:24), and righteousness issues in peace (Heb.12:11; Isa.32:17)
. Having all these, we can easily have faith as a shield against the evil one’s
flaming darts. Christ is the Author and Perfecter of such faith (Heb.12:2). For
us to stand firmly in the battle, we need to be equipped with all these four
items of God’s armor.
Moreover, my friends keep your relationship
right with God and live in peace with one another. If we are just a little wrong
with either God or man, Satan will accuse us, and there will be holes in our
conscience through which all our faith and boldness will leak out. Therefore,
we need the covering of righteousness to protect us from the enemy’s
accusation. Such righteousness is Christ (1Cor.1:30)
Bibliography,
King
James, The Holy Bible, Cleveland, OH: The world publishing company
Lee,
Witness. The New Testament (R.V.) Anaheim, CA: Living Stream
Ministry, 1985.
Ryrie, Charles C. The Ryrie study
Bible (NIV).Chicago, IL: The Moody Bible Institute, 1986.
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