OUR SPIRITUAL WEAPONS

         "Now I Paul myself beseech you by the meekness and gentleness of Christ, who in presence am base among you, but being absent am bold toward you: But I beseech you, that I may not be bold when I am present with that confidence, wherewith I think to be bold against some, which think of us as if we walked according to the flesh. For though we walk in the flesh, we do not war after the flesh: (For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal, but mighty through God to the pulling down of strong holds;)  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 Cor 10:1-6)

Devotion 31 of  44

OUR WEAPONS ARE MIGHTY THROUGH GOD
"Our weapons are through God . . . "

Other versions read, "mighty in God" (NKJV), "divinely powerful" (NASB), "they have divine power" (NIV), "before God" (ASV), "according to God" (DARBY), "enormously powerful" (NAB), "power in God's cause" (NJB), and "come from God" (IE). 

Weapons that are "mighty through God" are weapons that the Lord Himself empowers. They are weapons associated with His Person, power, and purpose. He employs these weapons to accomplish His purposes. Wherever there is an enemy – one who opposes the servant of the Lord –  these weapons are designed to be used against such persons. Wherever there is an activity that tends to neutralize Divine influence or promote erroneous perceptions, these weapons are effective in the opposition of such activities.

There are weapons that God will NOT use. Men may be seemingly skillful in the use of such weapons. They may have great human, or natural, ability in the areas of polemics, debate, arguments, motivation, and the likes. They may be impressive in things like philosophy, rhetoric, logic, and analysis, but these are NOT the weapons that God employs in spiritual warfare. In order to use such inferior weaponry, men have to descend into the arena of flesh and blood, and God will not assist them in their efforts. God will not empower anything that has its origin in man.  
By saying our weapons are "mighty through God," Paul means they are effective – they accomplish what needs to be done. He is not speaking theoretically or philosophically. These weapons will fully achieve everything they are designed to do, and fail in none of their Divine appointments.

PULLING DOWN STRONGHOLDS
" . . . to the pulling down of strong holds." Other versions read, "FOR pulling down strongholds" (NKJV), "for the destruction of fortresses" (NASB), "to demolish strongholds" (NIV), "to destroy strongholds" (RSV), "for the destruction of high places" (BBE), "the overthrow of strongholds" (DARBY), "knock down the devil's strongholds" (LIVING), "break down strong forts" (IE), "for the overthrow and destruction of strongholds" (AMPLIFIED), and "for the destruction of the enemy's strongholds" (PHILLIPS).

This is what the weapons, and the Divine power that is joined to them, are designed to do. They are destructive in nature. These weapons are not padded with the refinement of carnal love. They are not swathed with gentleness, or soaked with mercy. They are not designed to convert, but to pull down, destroy, demolish, overthrow, knock down, and break down. They are not directed toward men themselves, but toward what men have embraced, and what dominates them.

Make no mistake about this, there is a form of violence in which the sons of God are engaged, and God has provided appropriate weaponry that gives them the decided advantage.

PRAYER POINT: Father, in the name of Jesus, deliver me from spiritual naivete, so that I may see the battle that is raging all about me.

-- Tomorrow: STRONGHOLDS --