2 Cor 10:3-5 ESV 3For though we walk in the flesh, we are not waging war according to the flesh. 4For the weapons of our warfare are not of the flesh but have divine power to destroy strongholds. 5We destroy arguments and every lofty opinion raised against the knowledge of God, and take every thought captive to obey Christ.
2 Corinthians 10:3-5 MSG The world is unprincipled. It’s dog-eat-dog out there! The world doesn’t fight fair. But we don’t live or fight our battles that way—never have and never will. The tools of our trade aren’t for marketing or manipulation, but they are for demolishing that entire massively corrupt culture. We use our powerful God-tools for smashing warped philosophies, tearing down barriers erected against the truth of God, fitting every loose thought and emotion and impulse into the structure of life shaped by Christ.
Observation
Paul knew we needed to be reminded often that we do not operate on a purely human level. The true battle of the ages occurs in the invisible realm of our souls – our minds and hearts. What we can hear, touch and see may seem more real to us, but our minds and hearts are where the most powerful battle rages, affecting not only our life on this earth but also our life ever after. These eternal battles are spiritual, unseen, and outside our human comprehension, so we should not be surprised that the weaponry for battling in the spiritual realm may seem strange but nonetheless is incomprehensible in its power. We forget that all we can humanly do is nothing compared to what Christ can do in and through us if we will conform ourselves to “the structure of life shaped by Christ.”
The religious leaders of Jesus’ time could ignore all of the miraculous power and authority in and through Jesus because He did not fit the picture they had of Messiah, a great and mighty warrior who would merely change their earthly situation – overcoming and driving out the Romans to re-establish a Jewish state. How tragic that their fixed expectation caused them to miss Messiah in the flesh. What we determine God should do in a situation – the plans and accomplishments we have determined are just and right in our human senses and culture – are not always in sync with what God is set to accomplish. He is willing to trade winning individual battles in order to win the war. Just obedience (doing what He teaches us to do) rather than following our flesh (what we want to do), whether we understand or agree or have confidence that His way will work, has a high impact in the spiritual realm. If we will really be so gracious and forgiving as to turn the other cheek rather than be offended and strike back, the enemy has lost his power and control over us in that place – one victory for Jesus’ side!
Impact on Me
So, I want to always be equipped with “powerful God-tools for smashing warped philosophies, tearing down barriers erected against the truth of God, fitting every loose thought and emotion and impulse into the structure of life shaped by Christ.” This requires setting aside what I can do on my own, with my own hands, and becoming (surrendering as) an instrument in God’s hands. Obedience requires that I take the Sermon on the Mount seriously because it will equip me with those powerful God-tools in my service to Him. Obedience requires that I trade my human weapons for His weapons and trust that any cost to me is worth the benefit to Him.
Therefore, I recognize that the weapons of our spiritual warfare are the same ones Jesus used in His ministry – prayer, love, joy, peace, patience, goodness, kindness, faithfulness, meekness, self-control, grace, forgiveness, mercy, compassion, among so many others rooted in the relationship modeled by Jesus for us as He walked this earth and by Father God for us over the ages. I must commit to take captive every thought of offense, pride, personal praise, revenge and every other un-Jesus-like judgment. Will I always succeed? No, but I do know how to repent and be restored. Thank You, God, for creating repentance, reconciliation and restoration of relationship with You.
Prayer
Lord, cause me to be aware of the choices as I live out my day. Teach me to war with Your weapons. Let me be intentional in the weapons I choose for each battle, led and guided by You in how I fight, when I fight, and the battles I choose. I want to be an instrument in Your hands for bringing Your victory. Help me on the journey of “fitting every loose thought and emotion and impulse into the structure of life shaped by Christ.” I want to be obedient and accountable to you in all things. In Jesus’ name, make it so.
Pressing On In His Footsteps 
Liz, this is really good, as usual! The world around us is so loud and ‘large’ it is easy to forget His weapons are spiritual. A good reminder before I go to Malawi, where there is a situation of an American lady stirring up strife for her own ends using lies. (And then of course what we are seeing in Ukraine with Father’s House). We need to fight with our spiritual weapons. Thank you for this!
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