Spiritual Warfare

This month, we are covering a seemingly simple concept that has powerful, revelatory, and wide ranging applications: Right-Right vs Right-Wrong...Right WHAT-Right HOW/WHY vs. Right WHAT-Wrong (or NO) HOW/WHY.

In the previous post, we covered the events in the Fox Valley of a person who claims to be a modern day prophetess. By using the posts from this month's Series, we saw how this person does not meet the Biblical qualifications of a prophet. Furthermore, we began to see how this person could actually fulfill the qualifications of a false prophet meant to deceive people away from a future outpouring of the Spirt.

Basically, what we saw is how some people try to make physical events come to pass through the spiritual realm by using their own strength... their flesh. Today, we will begin to see how we ought to participate in the spiritual realm. All of this background has prepared us for a very difficult, critical, emotional, and misunderstood topic: Spiritual Warfare.

When people understand what Spiritual Warfare is, it becomes immediately obvious there are numerous passages in the Bible that dealt with Spiritual Warfare. Today, we will begin the overview of Spiritual Warfare by studying the foundational Biblical passage.


2 CORINTHIANS 10:1-12
"1 Now I Paul myself entreat you by the meekness and gentleness of Christ, I who in your presence am lowly among you, but being absent am of good courage toward you:
2 yea, I beseech you, that I may not when present show courage with the confidence wherewith I count to be bold against some, who count of us as if we walked according to the flesh."

(Paul set up the key verses on Spiritual Warfare by establishing that he wanted to be viewed by the reader as COMPLETELY DIFFERENT from what the world considers as powerful. He wanted to be viewed as meek, gentle, lowly, and NOT having the confident boldness that is shown by those walking in the flesh.)

"3 For though we walk in the flesh, we do not war according to the flesh
4 (for the weapons of our warfare are not of the flesh, but mighty before God to the casting down of strongholds),
5 casting down imaginations, and every high thing that is exalted against the knowledge of God, and bringing every thought into captivity to the obedience of Christ;
6 and being in readiness to avenge all disobedience, when your obedience shall be made full."

(This is the definition of Spiritual Warfare. We will look at it more closely after covering the Big Picture view of this passage. For now, notice that Paul was stating Spiritual Warfare has NOTHING to do with ANYTHING that can be associated with the Physical...with the flesh.)

"7 Ye look at the things that are before your face. If any man trusteth in himself that he is Christ's, let him consider this again with himself, that, even as he is Christ's, so also are we."

(Paul wanted to make sure the reader understands that Spiritual Warfare has nothing to do with the Physical. He wants the reader to consider again that they may be thinking of the Physical...so he mentioned that Spiritual Warfare has NOTHING to do with things you can see...with things that are Physical. It has to do with FAITH (trusting in yourself that you are Christ's)...which is belief in something you can't see!)

"8 For though I should glory somewhat abundantly concerning our authority (which the Lord gave for building you up, and not for casting you down), I shall not be put to shame:
9 that I may not seem as if I would terrify you by my letters."

(When Paul did mention authority, he immediately gave the reason (WHY) he had this authority: for building up others. Paul was a Leader...he was focused on facilitating the Purpose and Progress of others...NOT his own Purpose and Progress. Notice, he ended this sentence mentioning his letters...his words.)

"10 For, His letters, they say, are weighty and strong; but his bodily presence is weak, and his speech of no account."

(Paul used himself as an example to contrast WORDS vs. the Physical!)

"11 Let such a one reckon this, that, what we are in word by letters when we are absent, such are we also in deed when we are present."

(Paul expanded on the role of WORDS. Our words when we aren't present OUGHT to be the same as actions when present. Said another way: words when we are NOT able to be Physical OUGHT to EQUAL Physical actions. WORDS are equal to Physical actions!)

"12 For we are not bold to number or compare ourselves with certain of them that commend themselves: but they themselves, measuring themselves by themselves, and comparing themselves with themselves, are without understanding."

(This was a HUGE sentence! Paul said that we do NOT count ourselves as a part of, or compare ourselves to, the masses who limit their awareness to themselves. Paul was saying that those who COMPARE themselves WITH and BY themselves are without understanding! They are NOT contrastive...there is NO OBJECTIVE measure for being wrong! Therefore, all they look at is the Physical...and they lack understanding. Understanding is NOT Physical.)

So the summary of this entire passage was that Paul was saying that he was NOT powerful in the same way people of the world measure power. Paul was going to be seen as deficient in the Physical realm. However, Paul stated he was powerful with WORDS...with understanding. Furthermore, Paul stated that WORDS are EQUAL to actions in the Physical.


SPIRITUAL WARFARE DEFINITION
Remember, we skipped over the critical verses that give the definition of Spiritual Warfare. Knowing that Paul's overall theme of this passage was that he was powerful in things that can't be seen (WORDS, understanding, etc.) instead of things that can be seen (Physical, flesh, etc.), look at the critical passage again:

"3 For though we walk in the flesh, we do not war according to the flesh
4 (for the weapons of our warfare are not of the flesh, but mighty before God to the casting down of strongholds),
5 casting down imaginations, and every high thing that is exalted against the knowledge of God, and bringing every thought into captivity to the obedience of Christ;
6 and being in readiness to avenge all disobedience, when your obedience shall be made full."


SUMMARY
Spiritual Warfare involves casting down strongholds which are made up of imaginations and every high thing that is exalted against the knowledge of God, and bringing every thought into captivity.

Imaginations, knowledge, and thoughts are NOT Physical.

Imaginations, knowledge, and thoughts are made up of WORDS.

Spiritual Warfare is COMPLETELY made up of WORDS!

Throughout this mini-series on Spiritual Warfare, we will consistently see that the individual's ability to succeed in Spiritual Warfare COMPLETELY depends upon their skillfulness with, and mastery of, WORDS.

Tomorrow, we will begin applying this Spiritual Warfare overview by looking more closely at the enemy...

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