The “Weapons Of Our Warfare” Are Not Carnal

2Co 10:3 For though we walk in the flesh, we do not war after the flesh: 

2Co 10:4 (For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal, but mighty through God to the pulling down of strong holds;) 

2Co 10:5 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.

2Co 10:7 Do ye look on things after the outward appearance? If any man trust to himself that he is Christ’s, let him of himself think this again, that, as he is Christ’s, even so are we Christ’s. 

The Spiritual mind, and selfless love of God is how our Father desires that we live unto Him, and the Apostle Paul teaches that our “walk” ought to not be in the flesh, or after our flesh, but after His Word and will. But what Paul wants to teach also is the “mighty” Power of God working in our “inward man.” But what is fascinating about this is that the apostle Paul mentions a “warfare,” and about the “weapons” of our warfare right before he talks about the sufferings of this present time and the sufferings of Christ. And what we see Paul doing, is showing the “mighty power” of our fathers Might working through him in his times of sufferings, and when his flesh was experiencing weakness. And he says, “do ye look on things after the outward appearance,” and then he says, “if any man trusts to himself that he is Christ’s, let him of himself think this again,” because Christ’s Power is selfless, and it is spiritual, designed to work within the inward man, not with our flesh.

2Co 1:8 For we would not, brethren, have you ignorant of our trouble which came to us in Asia, that we were pressed out of measure, above strength, insomuch that we despaired even of life: 

2Co 1:9 But we had the sentence of death in ourselves, that we should not trust in ourselves, but in God which raiseth the dead: 

2Co 1:10 Who delivered us from so great a death, and doth deliver: in whom we trust that he will yet deliver us; 

Moreover, the fascinating aspect to what’s being taught in second Corinthians epistle is the “Power of Christ,” and our knowing God as “the God of all comfort” in the sufferings of this present time, and the sufferings of Christ, and that it brings honor and glory unto the Father and our Lord through us. And in second Corinthians chapter 12 verse 7 through 11, Paul says that Satan sent a messenger to “buffet” him, this was an attack by Satan on Paul, he used the terminology of ‘battle’ when he says “the weapons of our warfare,” in the same context with the sufferings of Christ and our glorying because we are able to now operate upon his power when we are weak, then we are strong through Him, and His strength is made perfect in our weakness. Our battle is waged within our inward man, it’s the soul’s response to the sufferings of our flesh, and our spirit’s response to the renewing education given unto us by the Mighty Power of the Word of God.

2Co 4:7 But we have this treasure in earthen vessels, that the excellency of the power may be of God, and not of us. 

2Co 4:16 For which cause we faint not; but though our outward man perish, yet the inward man is renewed day by day. 

2Co 4:17 For our light affliction, which is but for a moment, worketh for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory; 

2Co 4:18 While we look not at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen: for the things which are seen are temporal; but the things which are not seen are eternal. 

2Co 11:30 If I must needs glory, I will glory of the things which concern mine infirmities. 

Furthermore, what we are given to understand about the sufferings of Christ is, Paul says “yea, and all that will live godly in Christ Jesus, shall suffer persecution,” in second Timothy chapter 3 verse 12, suffering persecution is part of the sufferings of Christ, this is done by those who oppose the doctrine of godliness. The doctrine of godliness is hated by Satan and this world. And the Spiritual warfare that we face will come by them who are operating upon the course of this world, and they are in their flesh, and conformed to this world. And as Paul says, the weapons of our warfare is not carnal, but we are to understand that the weapons of the warfare of this world is of a carnal nature, and it will affect our flesh. And when our flesh is weak, and when we are going through the sufferings of Christ, and the sufferings of this present time, this is when we can get ‘overwhelmed’ by our sufferings and want to ‘throw in the towel’ because Satan knows that when the flesh is weak the inward man needs to be strong.

2Co 12:9 And he said unto me, My grace is sufficient for thee: for my strength is made perfect in weakness. Most gladly therefore will I rather glory in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me. 

2Co 12:10 Therefore I take pleasure in infirmities, in reproaches, in necessities, in persecutions, in distresses for Christ’s sake: for when I am weak, then am I strong. 

Finally, the Apostle Paul understood that the Power of Christ in his sufferings was of a necessity unto him as a faithful son, and Paul knew that’s Satan’s warfare had no power over him, nor his life because Paul had a selfless way of thinking because he was taught that the Lord’s “grace is sufficient” for him. This is what having a Spiritual mind is all about, and Paul learned to “take pleasure” in what many Saints today pray that God would take away from them. We too today have a warfare that we are part of as Saints, and God has equipped “sons” with His weapons, and that is the “whole Armor of God,” which is His word. When we “put on the Lord and Savior Jesus Christ,” we are putting on the “Armor of light,” and the Word of God itself. This “Power of His Word” spoke creation into existence, and raised up Christ from the dead, and we are ‘armed with’ His Word when we suffer, and with the Spiritual “weapons” which are “Mighty through God to the pulling down of strong holds.” 

Rod Jones