The Destruction Of Spiritual Fortresses Series

2 CORINTHIANS 10: 3-6

THE DESTRUCTION OF SPIRITUAL FORTRESSES

There is a spiritual battle. The principal battlefield where this fierce conflict is being waged is in the mind of man. The greatest battles are not fought with guns and bombs or by combat soldiers on the battlefields of this world; they are fought in the minds of people. The mind is the oldest, most common battlefield known to the human race. Ever since God provided Adam and Eve clear instructions on how to live joyful, successful lives, a fierce battle has been raging over who will control man's thinking, God or Satan.

The first objective of the spiritual warrior is to capture his mind for God (CIM). & that is what I want to help you do today. I want to help you capture your mind for God.

God wants us to fully know Him and to tear down anything that holds us and others back from fully knowing Him. Old patterns of thinking and behavior keep us from right thinking and from right doing so that we are not actively involved in the ministry of God as He would have us be. Do you have beliefs, thoughts or actions that lessen or weaken your service to God? Do things, persons, or situations cause you anxiety or frustration? Are you hindered in your personal prayer life and in the coherency of your Bible reading? If so you need to listen intently to the Bible’s description of how to obtain victory through spiritual battle. Here God teaches how to tear down debilitating old habits and thought patterns that assail and thwart us when we attempt to move closer to God. May we learn what the weapons of our warfare can accomplish and put them into obedient service for the eternal glory of God.

I. A SPIRITUAL BATTLE, 3.

II. SPIRITUAL WEAPONS FOR DESTROYING FORTRESSES, 4.

III. THE [SPIRITUAL] STRONGHOLD OF OBEDIENCE TO CHRIST, 5.

IV. SPIRITUAL VICTORY, 6.

A distinction is drawn between existence in this world and living for this world or age. People wanted to judged Paul as if all his action and abilities were focused on himself and his place in this life. But that was not the case, his energies and interests were focused on Christ, not himself. This world focused people were waging a fleshly fight, but we are informed in verse 3 that it is impossible to win a spiritual battle with fleshly ability or weapons. “For though we walk in the flesh, we do not war according to the flesh,”

The Corinthians were being lead by fleshly thinking [and judged Paul’s ministry by outward appearances]. They lived and evaluated things according to the flesh and not according to the Spirit, so they completely missed the power of the Spirit that was available to them.

Paul however followed a different direction in life. He may live in a fleshy body like every other person subject to its laws and limitation that are common to all human flesh, but he would not let his old way of living before he came to know Christ direct his life. Though Paul lived in a body of flesh, he would not walk after the pattern of the flesh or according to the natural man, but he walked in the Spirit depending on God.

The follower of Christ cannot allow his conduct to be controlled by the considerations of expediency and self seeking which are characteristic of his lost condition when he walked according to the flesh or in the way of this world. Paul’s strength was not found in the flesh. He refused to develop and use the fleshly weapons on which natural man depends. Paul’s weapon’s were spiritual.

He knew how to wage spiritual war. The term war (στρατος) is literally “lead an army.” The Apostle Paul states that though he does not fight according to the flesh, he does fight, he even admits that he leads a spiritual army to war. This war was not against flesh and blood though (Eph. 6:10ff). His foes were the devil and his demonic agents. He warred against the power of darkness. Thus Paul used spiritual weapons because you cannot win spiritual battles with fleshly weapons. We too must put on the full armor of God and fight with spiritual weapons. Again, our Christian life is not merely a walk but also a warfare (1 Tim. 1:18; 2 Tim. 2: 3f, 4:7; 2 Cor. 6:7).

II. SPIRITUAL WEAPONS FOR DESTROYING FORTRESSES, 4.

The thought of spiritual war is more fully developed in verse 4. “ for the weapons of our warfare are not of the flesh, but divinely powerful for the destruction (tearing down) of fortresses (strongholds).”

Any one can use fleshly weapons but few in Christian circles can use spiritual weapons. A Christian who engages in warfare or a campaign must have the weapons with which to fight. The armor of the Christian warrior is given in Ephesians 6:11-18. It is spiritual armor. The armor of King Saul, though splendid in the eyes of men, cannot overcome the spiritual giants who come against us. These are not flesh and blood foes and attempting to withstand them with fleshly weapons makes them laugh at our great folly.