Weapons of spiritual warfare are mentioned in 2 Corinthians Chapter 10 verse 3 to 6. Find out what they are and why they work.
Why do I experience spiritual warfare?
Before I knew Christ, my spirit is dead. When I accepted Christ as Saviour, my spirit is born again. I am now righteous and the devil cannot touch my spirit.
The only area that the devil can attack is my soul and mind because Abba God gave me free will. And because he has such limited places to attack, he will constantly try to do so.
Therefore, even though my spirit is untouchable, my soul and mind are under attack.
The Apostle John wrote in 3 John 1:2 about the soul prospering.
2 Beloved, I wish above all things that thou mayest prosper and be in health, even as thy soul prospereth.
3 John 1:2
The devil will try to prevent that.
What are my weapons against the devil’s attacks on my soul and mind?
According to 2 Corinthians Chapter 10:5-6,
by casting down imaginations, and every high thing that exalteth itself against the knowledge of God, and bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ“. And having in a readiness to revenge all disobedience, when your obedience is fulfilled.
2 Corinthians 10:4-6
1. Cast down pride, be humble
Verse 5 obviously refers to pride. Every proud thing should be cast down. When I imagine I have many talents, skills and knowledge, I allow the devil opportunities to attack me. When I think I can do something on my own, I concede the devil some ground. Pride ultimately leads to self-reliance and thinking I know as much as God.
I need to recognise that all these are imaginations, puffed up thoughts. I am nothing without God.
2. Focus on the obedience of Christ
I used to think that the obedience of Christ in this verse is for us to emulate. I win spiritual warfare by being obedient like Christ.
I did not know that I was setting myself up for failure. For fail I did. I tried and tried and came to a point of realization that I can never be like Jesus.
Romans 5:19 defines what the obedience of Christ is.
19 For as by one man’s disobedience many were made sinners, so by the obedience of one shall many be made righteous.
Romans 5:19
The obedience of Christ to God is Christ accepting God’s will to go to the cross and become sin for all men.
By obeying God, many sinners were made righteous. The key point is that by His obedience I am made righteous. Nothing I do to obey God can save me and nothing I do to disobey God can disqualify me. It is a gift, freely given, paid by the blood of Christ.
Taking every thought captive to the obedience of Christ means reminding myself of Christ’s obedience to God’s purpose of saving me by grace and faith alone.
Romans 10:2-4 talks about how my effort to achieve righteousness frustrates God’s gift of righteousness.
2 For I bear them record that they have a zeal of God, but not according to knowledge. 3 For they being ignorant of God’s righteousness, and going about to establish their own righteousness, have not submitted themselves unto the righteousness of God. 4 For Christ is the end of the law for righteousness to every one that believeth.
Romans 10:2-4
2 Corinthians 10:3-6 is merely another way of expressing Romans 10:2-4. Cast off my own righteousness and submit to the righteousness of God. That’s the way to win spiritual warfare.
3. Remember I am God’s beloved
Focusing on the person and work of Christ is simple and pure but the devil doesn’t just throw up his hands and give up. He continues to try to deceive me through subtle and crafty schemes; distracting my mind from focusing totally on Christ.
Pointing me to my flaws, failings and ugliness, the devil asked me why would God bother with someone like me.
Because I am God’s beloved. How do I know that? Because God said so.
When Jesus was tempted by the devil in the wilderness, Jesus countered the devil by quoting the scriptures.
4 But he answered and said, It is written, Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God.
Matthew 4:4
What is every word that proceeds from the mouth of God?
This isn’t words in the bible but words that God spoke. Just before the temptation, in Matthew 3:17, the spoken word of God was recorded:
17 And lo a voice from heaven, saying, This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased.
Matthew 3:17
I believe that Jesus countered the devil’s temptation with this spoken word. In the same way, I believe that by focusing on the same spoken word that I am God’s beloved, I can counter the devil.
Love evokes strong emotions. This connects with the truth of Christ’s obedience to create a strong helmet of salvation.
On what ground do I say that I am God’s beloved?
Jesus is God’s Beloved. There is no doubt about it. But me? Christ’s obedience has won me salvation and righteousness but belovedness?
According to 1 John 4:17, as Jesus is in Heaven, so am I in this world. What He has in Heaven, I have in this world. The blessings of God for me is for now and the present. Not in the past nor in the future.
17 Herein is our love made perfect, that we may have boldness in the day of judgment: because as he is, so are we in this world.
1 John 4:17
In conclusion, I am persuaded that the weapons of spiritual warfare; the battle for my mind is won by being humble, focus on the obedience of Christ and remember that I am God’s beloved.
Focus on Jesus as the one who was obedient to God on my behalf. Focus on God’s great love for me, and remember that Jesus is my champion. Every battle He won, I won.
What about Verse 6?
And having in a readiness to revenge all disobedience, when your obedience is fulfilled.
2 Corinthians 10:6
Verse 6 does seem to refer to my obedience. I do not suppose to know this portion of scripture fully yet. But I wonder how my obedience is fulfilled. I have already realized that I can never fully meet God’s demands with my own actions, so how was my obedience be fulfilled?
I personally believe that verse 6 is referring to always focusing on Christ’s obedience, the fulfilment of the Law given by God.
This personal study on the weapons of spiritual warfare in 2 Corinthians chapter 10:3-6 is inspired by a sermon entitled “The Battle For Your Mind” by Joseph Prince of New Creation Church, Singapore.
View an excerpt:
Find the full audio message:
Find the full videostream message at https://www.josephprince.com/sermons/the-battle-for-your-mind
2 replies on “What are the Weapons of Spiritual Warfare?”
hi Phoebe
I have been looking for someone to discuss on 2 Cor 10:4-6, who has also heard Pastor Prince’s sermon on it. And thank God I found one.
I truly agree in general that it is all about the works of Christ including His obedience to God and not our efforts that should be our focus in our walk with God…
However to use 2 Cor 10:4-6 to expound on Christ obedience, I seem to have difficulty to reconcile that it is referring to Christ’s obedience and not ours, especially when verse 6 specifically mention “your obedience is complete.”
Can you help me on this if you have seen it in a clearer light / explanation?
Thanks
zac
Hi Zac, I’ll try to explain how I see these few verses. Here’s how I break down what Paul said in verses 3-6:
The weapons of our warfare:
1. are mighty in God to pull down strongholds
2. cast down arguments and every high thing that exalts itself against the knowledge of God and bring every thought into captivity to the obedience of Christ.
3. are ready to punish all disobedience when your obedience is complete
Point 2 is about pride. Pride is always about self. So, if self is cast down, then how can we still be looking at self’s obedience? The weapon is to stop looking at self and start looking at Christ.
You mentioned “your obedience is complete” in verse 6. Have you ever wonder how you can complete your obedience? What does complete obedience look like? Do you know that NKJV translated it as fulfilled?
I guess what I am trying to say is that the obedience in “obedience of Christ” and “your obedience is complete” is not referring to the same thing, that is, yours or Christ. The first one is Christ and the second is yours.
Hope this helps. Thanks for making me think so hard 🙂