Choose Your Weapons

September 11, 2011

Morning Worship

Text: 2 Corinthians 10:1-6

Subject: Spiritual Warfare

Title: Choose Your Weapon

10 years ago the World Trade Centers were attacked and 2977 people became victims of a terrorists attack that rocked the world. All this was done in the name of a false religion called Islam. The attack came against America because Islam recognizes America as a Christian nation. It is from this nation that world evangelism has blossomed in the 20th and 21st century. It is out of the wealth and generosity of our nation that God has ordained us to be a catapult for sending the gospel into the whole world.

On the surfaced this looks like a religious war. It looks as though it is Muslim ideology against Christianity. But it is more than it appears on the surface. There is an unseen enemy lurking who wants to do no more than to steal, kill and destroy America and the Christian values that it holds. And he will stop at nothing to accomplish it. His primary tool right now is apathy. If he can get Christians to give up on caring about spreading the gospel he has won a great battle. The enemy doesn’t attempt to accomplish these things openly, but always has a subversive method that takes place behind the scenes or below the surface.

The apostle Paul wrote in Ephesians 6, For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms…

In our passage from 2 Corinthians today Paul was being accused by people from the church of being something less than he really was. This passage is written in his own defense, but has great spiritual applications for the church which is also being attacked by an enem

You may not want to believe it but you are in a battle for your families, your homes and even your lives against this enemy. He is out to get you and cause you to lose hope. But the word of God has called you to something greater. He has called you to be light in this world of darkness and if He has called you to that it means that you must stand out in the darkness because that is what light does.

Today as we remember the events of that day 10 years ago let us never give up on God’s promises that tell us that we never have to give in to the lies of the devil for he is a liar and the father of all lies.

Read 2 Corinthians 10:1-6

Everyone hold up their bibles.

I believe this is God’s word…

I believe every word in it…

I stand upon this word…

And I accept every promise that is given to me…

I want to show you today that you have every weapon you need to keep the enemy of your soul from dominating your life.

I. RESPOND THE WAY JESUS RESPONDED… 1 By the meekness and gentleness of Christ, I appeal to you—I, Paul, who am “timid” when face to face with you, but “bold” when away! Paul’s response is by the same meekness and gentleness that Jesus had. Here is a problem in the church. Too many people look at the word “meekness” and equate it with weakness. It is not the same thing. Turn over to Matthew chapter 5. In the third of His beatitudes Jesus said this, 5 Blessed are the meek, for they will inherit the earth. Let me ask you a question, “Will those who are weak inherit the earth? Jesus spoke to the seven churches of Asia in the Book of Revelation and to each one He said, “To him who overcomes…” and then He made a promise to those who would be overcomers. Those who are weak will never overcome anything. Now, about inheriting the earth, that is talking about the kingdom of God that will be established on the earth. Matthew 11:12, 12 From the days of John the Baptist until now, the kingdom of heaven has been forcefully advancing, and forceful men lay hold of it. Those who are weak will never advance the kingdom, but those who are meek will. Meekness really means having power that is under the control of the gentleness of Christ. Paul could write about this power under control because he understood who he was in Christ. In Ephesians he wrote in 1:3, Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in the heavenly realms with every spiritual blessing in Christ. 18-23, 18 I pray also that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened in order that you may know the hope to which he has called you, the riches of his glorious inheritance in the saints, 19 and his incomparably great power for us who believe. That power is like the working of his mighty strength, 20 which he exerted in Christ when he raised him from the dead and seated him at his right hand in the heavenly realms, 21 far above all rule and authority, power and dominion, and every title that can be given, not only in the present age but also in the one to come. 22 And God placed all things under his feet and appointed him to be head over everything for the church, 23 which is his body, the fullness of him who fills everything in every way. 2:6, And God raised us up with Christ and seated us with him in the heavenly realms in Christ Jesus… Only when one understands who they are in Christ can they operate in the controlled power and authority in the gentleness of Christ to inherit the earth. Now in the last part of verse 1, Paul responds to his detractors – those who say he acts one way when he is with them and another way when he is gone – in verse 2, I beg you that when I come I may not have to be as bold as I expect to be toward some people who think that we live by the standards of this world. Paul does not want to “be bold” or to have a confrontation with them according to the standards of this world. He wants to strengthen them and guide them in gentleness, but under the authority that he has received as a believer and also as an apostle.