OUR WARFARE
2 Corin. 10:1 Now I Paul myself beseech you by the meekness and gentleness of Christ, who in presence am base among you, but being absent am bold toward you: 2 But I beseech you, that I may not be bold when I am present with that confidence, wherewith I think to be bold against some, which think of us as if we walked according to the flesh. 3 For though we walk in the flesh, we do not war after the flesh: 4 (For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal, but mighty through God to the pulling down of strong holds;) 5 Casting down imaginations, and every high thing that exalteth itself against the knowledge of God, and bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ; 6 And having in a readiness to revenge all disobedience, when your obedience is fulfilled.
The gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ is the most power agent ever turned loose on planet Earth! I’m not referring to preaching about the gospel, that is, listing out facts about the gospel. I’m speaking about the effectual revelation of the Lord Jesus Christ by the Holy Spirit! A lot of people have Bibles, but do not know the gospel! A lot of religious pulpiteers have sounded forth tons of ‘sermons,’ but have never preached the gospel. We have fortified religious attenders against the work of the Holy Spirit by providing mounds of religious information that has caused them to conclude that they are safe by their acceptance to those bodies of writings! We shall send some of the best informed religionists to hell from this generation. For only the gospel, when revealed by the Holy Spirit, is “the power of God unto salvation!” (Rom. 1:16).
In the midst of the most religious people on earth, even the teachers of the law of Moses, the Lord Jesus proclaimed that a Roman centurion, who approached the Lord in the understanding of authority, had a great faith not found in Israel! (Lk. 7:9). For the gospel is not a mere invitation! It is a Divine mandate! Acts 17:30 And the times of this ignorance God winked at; but now commandeth all men every where to repent: Jesus Christ did not come to take sides! He came to take over!
We are nearer to the King and His Kingdom when we have the authority of His mandates exacted upon us, than when we merely familiarize ourselves with the facets of religious rules and conform to it’s traditions!
The passage listed above reveals the power of the gospel in the context of a “warfare!” Those to whom it’s power would be leveled against were Scripture quoters and Bible toters! But they stood in opposition of the anointed ministry!
The understanding that a Gentile, familiar with military authority, was nearer to the revelation of Jesus Christ than were teachers of the law, within Israel’s religious structure, is needful in order to enter into the above passage. For the Apostle Paul is revealing how he will deal with those in religious circles who stand in opposition to his anointed ministry. He instructs them in the difference in himself when he is presented in “the meekness and gentleness of Christ,” than when he is sent with gospel weapons activated by God’s might! For when these gospel weapons are activated by the Holy Spirit, they would pull down the reasonings and suppositions that had been falsely established in their hearts. The effectual gospel would pull down all the religious fortresses that these individuals had built up in their association with that religion.
Hebrews 4:12 For the word of God is quick, and powerful, and sharper than any twoedged sword, piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit, and of the joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart. 13 Neither is there any creature that is not manifest in his sight: but all things are naked and opened unto the eyes of him with whom we have to do.
Such false religious reasonings are dangerous. When God saw that every imagination of man’s heart was only evil continually, his conclusion was the necessity of the destruction of all flesh! (Gen. 6:5-7). But when an altar is introduced, and a worthy sacrifice is lain thereon, even though God continued to know that man’s imagination shall always be towards evil from his youth, (Gen. 8:21-21), he determines never to smite man in such a universal way again! Man’s evil imagination, which can only be pulled down by the effectual gospel, is only overcome by the revelation of Christ, our altar (Heb. 13:10), bringing satisfaction to God on our behalf!
The heart of man is where the problem lies. Training a goat to act like a sheep is deceptive and cruel to that soul! We MUST have God the Holy Spirit, effect the revelation of Jesus Christ upon hearts! For the heart is where one believeth unto righteousness. (Rom. 10:10). And from the heart are the issues of life! (Prov. 4:23). And it is that which come from the heart that defiles the man! Not that which goes into his mouth! (Matt. 15:17-19).
Psa. 94:18 When I said, My foot slippeth; thy mercy, O LORD, held me up. 19 In the multitude of my thoughts within me thy comforts delight my soul. Only when true confession and repentance are experienced, can the thoughts become a comfort within!
Pastor Gene Breed