Power To Destroy Strongholds
2 Corinthians 10:3-4 (ESV) -- For though we walk in the flesh, we are not waging war according to the flesh. For the weapons of our warfare are not of the flesh but have divine power to destroy strongholds.
We live each day in the flesh and world. It is easy for us to get sucked into thinking that everything we experience and see is simply a product of earthly circumstances. But Scripture helps us to remember that there is more going on than meets the eye. Many things are happening behind the scenes that are spiritual in nature. We cannot chalk everything up as spiritual warfare, but we cannot commit the error of forgetting about the reality of spiritual warfare.
Our passage today helps us remember this truth. Paul writes to the church in Corinth about this fact. We read in 2 Corinthians 10:3-4, “For though we walk in the flesh, we are not waging war according to the flesh. For the weapons of our warfare are not of the flesh but have divine power to destroy strongholds.”
Paul acknowledges we walk in the flesh. He isn’t referring to flesh as negative, but as a fact of life. We live in fleshly bodies. However, just because we walk in the flesh doesn’t mean we only experience fleshly things. No, we are not waging war according to the flesh. Our weapons of warfare are not of the flesh, but have divine power to destroy strongholds. We wage war spiritually. Our weapons of warfare are God’s Word, prayer, fasting, and strength the Holy Spirit supplies. We cannot wage war spiritually by swinging our fists or shooting guns. Spiritual battles must be fought with spiritual weapons. The promise Scripture gives is that there is divine power to destroy strongholds of the enemy. These come from the spiritual weapons at our disposal.
We are all in spiritual battles. There wages a war around us daily for our hearts and minds. We must arm ourselves with God’s Word – read the Scriptures and meditate on them each day. Pray. Ask the Lord to sustain you, help you, and empower you to wage war. Commune with other believers and let them intercede for you in the things you face. These spiritual battles require the use of spiritual weapons. God has given them to us. Let’s put them to work.
Reflection & Journal:
- Why can’t we fight spiritual battles with earthly weapons?
- What are some different types of spiritual battles we face?
- How does this passage challenge you to engage with and seek the Lord each day?
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