2 Corinthians 10:1-7 - Weapons of Warfare (Rev. Erik Veerman)

2 Corinthians 10 1-7

The Weapons of Warfare

Please turn to 2 Corinthians 10. You can find that on page 1150 in the pew Bible.

This is the last section of the apostle Paul’s letter to the church in Corinth. It runs through the final 4 chapters.

Before we read, I want to remind you of two things in 2 Corinthians.

First, Paul has been emphasizing his authority as an apostle. That emphasis began all the way back in chapter 1 verse 1. In the very opening words of the letter, he identified himself as an apostle of Jesus Christ. His defense continued throughout chapters 1-9 in different ways. For example, in chapter 3, he identified himself as a minister of the new covenant through the ministry of the Holy Spirit. In chapter 5, he stressed that the apostles were ambassadors of Christ. And in several places, he has emphasized that the apostle’s ministry is patterned after Christ’s ministry. Just like Jesus suffered and died so to the apostles have and would continue to suffer and would die for the Gospel.

So that’s the first thing – Paul was a chosen ambassador of Christ as an apostle.

Number 2, the whole reason that Paul emphasized his true apostleship is because there were false apostles in Corinth. They taught a false Gospel – Paul said that they were tampering with God’s word. They used cunning practices, he said, and were blinded by the god of this world. That’s pretty strong. These false apostles had been attacking Paul’s credentials. That is why Paul defends his apostleship. And that is also why he corrects several misguided beliefs (like suffering and God’s Covenant promises and grace in giving).

So again, #1 Paul is a true apostle of Jesus Christ and #2 false teachers were trying to blind the church.

Those two things are important because in these last 4 chapters, the apostle Paul doubles down on them. You’ll hear that in our text this morning.

Let’s turn our attention to 2 Corinthians 10:1-7

Reading of 2 Corinthians 10:1-7

Prayer

On the wall of my office is a picture of the USS Maryland. It was a battleship. The picture was taken in 1945 as it was on its way to the battle of Okinawa. The reason that I have it on my wall is one of the Navy sailors in the picture is my grandfather.

The battle of Okinawa was the most intense and decisive battles in the pacific theater of World War 2. 180,000 US troops fought in that battle.

One of those soldiers was a man named Desmond Doss. Just to be sure, Doss was not my grandfather. He was a different soldier who likewise enlisted to serve his country. The interesting thing about Private Doss is that he refused to carry a weapon. He wanted to serve but he held strong convictions and would not carry a gun.

Because of that, his fellow soldiers harassed him. They called him a coward and considered him a liability. One soldier threw his boots at Doss while Doss was praying. Another threatened him, “I’ll make sure you don’t come back alive.” Nonetheless, Doss continued to serve and became his unit’s medic.

Well, Doss was part of the 77th infantry division deployed to Okinawa. His regiment attacked the enemy forces at a 400-foot cliff on the southern part of the island. That cliff is known as Hacksaw Ridge. Maybe you’ve heard of it. It was a very brutal battle. Many many soldiers were killed. The US forces had no other choice but to retreat. However, Doss stayed behind. Under the darkness of night, Doss rescued 75 wounded men. He dragged each soldier to the cliff’s edge, he had a makeshift harness, lowered each down with a rope and a pulley system. And every time, he prayed that God would help him save one more. Doss rescued some of the same men who had earlier mocked him.

In several ways, Private Doss is a picture of the apostle Paul here. On the outside, Paul looked weak. His detractors critiqued him for his small stature and for not being an eloquent speaker and for his humble demeanor. Yet, despite their perception of his weakness, the apostle, in reality was a formidable warrior. And like Doss, Paul risked his life to save others. In Paul’s case, the battle was spiritual, and he was rescuing their souls.

Really, this whole chapter, chapter 10, is about perceptions and reality. Some of the Corinthians had a faulty perception that Paul was weak and he was therefore “walking according to the flesh”  (verse 2). But the reality was quite the opposite.

So, this morning, we’ll be re-orienting our perceptions to reality. That is what the apostle Paul is seeking to do.

2 points this morning related to that.

1. Reorienting our disposition to the meekness of Christ. Our disposition is our attitude or our posture in relation to others. Reorienting our disposition to the meekness of Christ. That is in verses 1-2.

2. Reorienting our warfare to the power of Christ. That is in verses 3-6. Reorienting our warfare to the power of Christ.

1. Reorienting our disposition

So, first… reorienting our disposition.

Now, let me ask, what was the critique of Paul in these verses? Well, they were saying that Paul was bold when he was writing to them, but he was wimpy in their presence. They believed Paul didn’t have the guts to challenge them face to face. Even though his letters were bold, he was weak. He was therefore walking in the weakness of his flesh.

In the Greco-Roman culture of the time, strength was found in external displays of power like physical presence and bold rhetoric. In other words, if you could grab the attention of a crowd through eloquent speech and puffed up confidence you would be elevated in society. A gentle and humble spirit was not a trait of a strong leader.

So, in the eyes of Paul’s detractors, he was unworthy. He could not be a true apostle because he did not fit their perception of what an apostle should be like.

Now, look at verse 1. Paul goes right to the heart of their problem. He opens with a direct appeal to Christ. He says, “I, Paul, myself entreat you, by the meekness and gentleness of Christ.” The false apostles had critiqued him as weak because of his meekness and gentleness. And in response, he directs them to Christ.

He was saying, “If you are going to critique me and my apostleship because of my humble disposition, you are actually critiquing Christ.”

To be sure, yes Jesus was very forceful at times. Like his criticism of the pharisees’ hypocrisy. But overall his disposition was gentle and humble. Jesus ministered with compassion and meekness to those who came to him. Those who were suffering or those who were convicted of their sin. Jesus said, “Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls.”

Paul was appealing to Jesus’ gentleness and meekness as the pattern which he, as an apostle, was modelling. It’s hard to argue with that.

To be sure, someone can be bold and humble at the same time. Speaking the truth in love is having a godly confidence but also having a humble spirit when conveying God’s truth. Paul was a sinner, just like you and me. He recognized the mercy of God in his life, just as we should. He was bold but humble because of the undeserved grace of God.

That is very different than the self-centered confidence of the false apostles. All they focused on was external. That is why Paul didn’t measure up to them. These so-called apostles cared about someone’s cultural credentials like physical stature and social status and financial means. Paul’s suffering and meekness went against their norms. In their minds, that disqualified Paul as an apostle.

But Paul flips their understanding on its head. They needed to reorient their perception of Paul using Christ’s disposition. Just as Jesus was gentle and meek, so should those be who serve and lead.

Ok, reorienting our disposition to the meekness of Christ. That #1.

2. Reorienting our warfare

And now, number 2 – reorienting our warfare to the power of Christ.

You see, part of the problem was that the false teachers were fighting the wrong battle with the wrong weapons. They thought that to win the battle of culture they needed to use the culture’s weapons.

Remember, they considered themselves Christians. We’ll see in chapter 11 that they even called themselves “super apostles.” They had those Greco-Roman traits that Paul did not have. They were superior to him in stature, eloquence, and social standing. They were the ones, they believed, who could truly fight the battle.

But not only were they fighting the wrong battle with the wrong weapons, they were not even on the right side of the war.

Look at verse 3. “For though we walk in the flesh, we are not waging war according to the flesh.” Paul is saying, “yes, we are flesh and blood. We are embodied souls that live on this earth. But that does not mean that the battlefield is in the flesh. In fact, it is not.”

And then he goes on to describe the spiritual battle.

By the way, there’s something here that is not obvious to us. Verses 4 to 6 use the language of military siege against a fortified city.

Here’s how it goes:

·      First, an army would attack the stronghold. The stronghold was the fortified wall around the city. They used special weapons like battering rams and catapults and ladders.

·      Second, at the same time they would take down the elevated defenses - the lofty defenses, you know like towers with archers, or other defenses that were protecting the city.

·      Then, third, after a city was conquered, the invading army would take the inhabitants captive. They would enslave them or parade them as symbols of conquest.

·      And last, they would punish any disobedience – those who would not willingly submit or who would continue to rebel against their conquest.

It the same progression.  First destroying strongholds and every argument. Second, destroying lofty opinions. Those ideas that perpetuate the false beliefs. Third, taking captive every thought and turning them to Christ, and finally, if necessary, punishing disobedience. Those that persist to teach or live in a way contrary to Christ.

Do you see that? And Paul is very clear that it is not a battle of flesh and blood. Look at verse 4. “For the weapons of our warfare are not of the flesh but have divine power to destroy strongholds. We destroy arguments and every lofty opinion raised against the knowledge of God.”

We are engaged in a cosmic war. We are fighting over what is true and right and good. The world is full of perspectives on those things, let me call them worldviews… It is full of worldviews that seek to make sense of the reality outside of us and inside of us. That is why verse 5 talks about arguments and opinions and knowledge. That is why Paul is saying that our weapons are not of the flesh. Our weapons are not those external things like flashy performances or political might or social power.

What then are our weapons? Well, we read about them earlier from Ephesians 6. Our weapons are truth and righteousness, our weapons are faith in Christ and salvation in him, and we’re given the sword of the Spirit – which is the Word of God.

These are the spiritual weapons that God has given us to fight the cosmic war.

Here’s what Paul was saying to them. “You have mocked me as weak. But as a true apostle, I am waging the cosmic spiritual war with the divine power of God almighty.” That’s the phrase there: “divine power”

What is that divine power? What is the divine power that will tear down the strongholds and lofty opinions and take every thought captive and punish disobedience?

It is the power of Christ. It is the power of the cross. The divine power that destroys the strongholds and arguments is the salvation that God has accomplished for us in Christ - in his death and resurrection.

I am not saying that to try and shoe-horn the Gospel into this passage. Rather, I am saying that because the Gospel of Jesus Christ has been the unifying theme of every single chapter of 2 Corinthians. To highlight some of it…

·      The Gospel is the victory spoken of in chapter 2 as we spread the fragrance of Christ.

·      It is the transforming power of the new Covenant spoken of in chapter 3.

·      It is the surpassing power mentioned in chapter 4, which we carry in our jars of clay bodies.

·      In chapter 5, it is the means through which we are reconciled to God… remember, we are given the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ.

·      And one more, in chapters 8 and 9, God’s grace in Christ is the foundation of God’s work to support his churches. Jesus who was rich, became poor so that in our spiritual poverty, we may become rich.

The divine power of God in the cross of Christ. Through it and the resurrection God has defeated sin and death and the devil. Those are the strongholds. The weapons of the flesh cannot defeat those enemies.

Now, it is very common to hear that believing in Christianity takes a “leap of faith.” Have you heard that? Some believe that Christianity is not reasonable or rational. However, the Scriptures never say that having faith means that you have to check your mind at the door. Look one more time at verse 5. “We destroy arguments and every lofty opinion raised against the knowledge of God.”

We, in part, believe Christianity because it does answer central matters of life. It answers the questions of our existence and our purpose. Christianity presents a clear understanding of a moral order that transcends all humanity. It’s very difficult to dispute that. In fact, the corruption of the human heart and evil in the world are central aspects to a Christian worldview. That is why these verses speak of waging war. In other words, evil and sin and death do not disprove Christianity, rather their undisputed existence testifies to Christianity and the need for salvation.

I could go on and include the historicity of Christianity or the logical consistency of Christianity, but for the sake of time, let me just say that Christianity is not a passive religion devoid of answers. Rather, the Scriptures beautifully convey a transcendent God, who is both loving and just. And at the very heart of that love and justice is the wonder of the person and work of Jesus.

To put it simply, the faith that Christianity calls for is not a blind faith. Rather it is a faith that sees the world around us and knows our own corrupt hearts… and submits to the God who is sovereign and who saves. Faith is a reasonable response to something real.

Christianity takes every thought captive (every misleading thought captive) to the obedience of Christ.

Let me take a brief tangent. We love that phrase. You know, taking every thought captive to Christ. I love it. I desire to take every thought captive in my life.

However, in context, it is speaking of taking the errant thoughts of the false teachers captive. That is what God is doing through Paul in this letter. He’s correcting the false beliefs and voices in Corinth with the truth of the Gospel.

To be sure, that doesn’t mean we can’t apply that phrase to our lives. We all have thoughts and beliefs that need to be taken captive to Christ.

How do we do that? Well, first of all, it says, take every thought captive to obey Christ. So, it is more than just beliefs. It includes taking any thoughts that dishonor Christ and submitting them to him.

We should ask, do my thoughts align with God’s Word? Are they false or do they truly reflect the truth? Are my thoughts covetous or prideful or idolatrous? Are my thoughts God honoring and worshipful?

Are my thoughts idle? Or am I seeking to transform them and grow in my knowledge of God and his Word?

And let me say, it is spiritual warfare.  When you take every thought captive to Christ, you are preparing for and fighting… the spiritual battles against sin and death and the devil.

So, beloved in Christ, yes, take every thought captive to obey Christ.

And finally in verse 6, Paul continues. “being ready to punish any disobedience, when your obedience is complete.”

That last phrase can be somewhat difficult to understand. What does it mean when it says  “when your obedience is complete?” The answer is in the situation. Remember, the Corinthian church had turned a corner. Through the work of God’s Spirit through Paul and others, many in Corinth had returned to a faithful understand of God’s truth. In other words, the church had begun the process of being restored to faithful obedience. What verse 6 is simply referencing is that they were nearing the end of that restoration. And when that obedience was complete, to use the words here, any remaining unfaithfulness would need to be dealt with. In essence it’s talking about spiritual discipline. The spiritual battle includes the church’s responsibility to maintain purity and faithfulness to Christ.

Conclusion.

So, to recap, these verses reorient us to God’s reality. 1, they reorient our disposition to see the meekness and humility of Christ. Paul modelled that humility as a true apostle. 2. They reorient our understanding of the war that is being fought. It is a spiritual war which requires weapons of faith. And the ultimate weapon that destroys the stronghold is the Gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ. All of Christianity centers on this great truth, through which we take every thought captive.

I included verse 7 because it ties the first 6 verses together. Paul says to the Corinthians, “look at what is before your eyes.” In other words, can you now see what is true and what comes from Christ and what is false and comes from the flesh? If truly you are in Christ… know this, so also are we. It’s an appeal to reembrace Christ in his fulness and to fight with Paul, not against him in the spiritual battle of truth.

The morning after Desmon Doss rescued his fellow soldiers, everything changed. They had a new respect for Doss. Before his unit resumed their attack on Hacksaw Ridge, they asked Doss to pray, and they waited for him to finish. And that day they overcame the enemy. Doss received the Medal of Honor for his bravery. In fact, he was the first ever to receive the medal without carrying a weapon of the flesh (to use the language here).

May we fight not with the weapons of the flesh, but with the spiritual weapons of Christ, in his meekness and power.