“For though we walk in the flesh, we
do not war according to the flesh, for the weapons of our warfare are not of
the flesh, but divinely powerful for the destruction of fortresses. We are
destroying speculations and every lofty thing raised up against the knowledge
of God, and we are taking every thought captive to the obedience of Christ, and
we are ready to punish all disobedience, whenever your obedience is complete”
(2 Corinthians 10:3-6).
Spiritual
warfare: contending for the truth of the faith (Jude 3) and discipleship (a
mutual commitment as a community to obedience to Christ, Matthew 28:19,20). God
the Holy Spirit works through the truth of the Scripture that He inspired, and
His most potent, profound, and eternally fruitful battle is in the arena of
false versus true in our minds and lives (John 4:23,24; 14:17; 15:26; 16:13; Ephesians
1:13; 6:17; 2 Thessalonians 2:13; Hebrews 4:11-13; 1 John 4:6 – note here that
the Spirit of truth speaks through the apostles; 5:6).
It results
in deeper submission to the authority of the apostles, the inspired authors of
the New Testament (Acts 2:42): “...our authority, which the Lord gave for
building you up” (2 Corinthians 10:8; 13:10)
It results
in the support of the expansion of Christ-boasting mission: “But we will not
boast beyond our measure, but within the measure of the sphere which God
apportioned to us as a measure, to reach even as far as you. For we are not
overextending ourselves, as if we did not reach to you, for we were the first
to come even as far as you in the gospel of Christ; not boasting beyond our
measure, that is, in other men's labors, but with the hope that as your faith
grows, we will be, within our sphere, enlarged even more by you, so as to
preach the gospel even to the regions beyond you, and not to boast in what has
been accomplished in the sphere of another. But he who boasts is to boast in
the Lord” (2 Corinthians 10:13-17).
It results
in a Church dedicated to being “as a pure virgin” betrothed to Christ, focused
on “the simplicity and purity of devotion to Christ” (2 Corinthians 11:1-3),
finding her completion in the Trinity (2 Corinthians 13:14) and a life together
as unified as the one-God-in-three-Persons she worships (13:11,12).
This is the
battle and fruit of spiritual warfare. May we not be distracted by other
things.
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