2 Corinthians 10:4 - For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal, but mighty through God to the pulling down of strong holds.
In this chapter, Paul is reminding the believers of the war they have to face. In 2 Corinthians 10:3, he reminds them that though they are walking in the flesh, they are not fighting a war against the flesh. Paul details the enemy further in Ephesians 6:11,12.
(11) Put on the whole armor of God, that ye may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil.
(12) For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places,
These principalities, powers, rulers of darkness and spiritual wickedness show that we are not fighting a man, but a spiritual war against the devil and his ideologies. The devil wants to influence people to sin and stop the spreading of the Gospel. We can’t fight against that with weapons of the world, like swords, guns, or bombs. We would be easily outmatched and defeated. We have to fight against the devil with spiritual weapons provided by God.
What are those weapons?
Faith
Prayer
Obedience to the Word of God
Let’s go deeper into these weapons.
[1] FAITH - The definition of faith is given in Hebrews 11:1 (“Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.”).
Faith is the first step in making us a child of God. Therefore, it is definitely a weapon against the devil and his powers.
Hebrews 11 highlights the life of men and women in the Bible who lived by faith and through that faith accomplished the nearly impossible in their lives
Christ said that faith the size of a mustard seed could move mountains (Matthew 17:20). If faith of that size can do that much, how much more can our faith in Christ defend us against the devil and his attacks?
In Ephesians 6:14-17, Paul emphasizes the layers of the armor of God needed to stand firm against the devil. In verse 16, we see that the most important one is identified as the shield of faith. This shield protects us from the fiery darts of the devil.
In 1 John 5:4, John also emphasizes that since we are children of God we overcome the world and we do it by our faith.
Faith is the first spiritual weapon in our arsenal. It turns the wicked one’s plans for us from being a curse to a blessing. It also enables us to triumph over evil with God’s help.
[2] PRAYER - Prayer is communication with God.
The power of prayer doesn’t come from where we pray, how long it is, our position in the church, or what words we use. The power of prayer comes through pure motivations, persistence, humility before God, and having a close, personal relationship with God.
In Mark 11:23,24, Christ tells His disciples that if they believe and pray for their desires, it will be granted. This doesn’t mean praying for any worldly matter, but praying in accordance with the will of God. If a believer prays with a pure heart for deliverance against the devil and his wiles, God will definitely answer.
In James 5:16, we are reminded that the fervent prayer of a righteous man is powerful and effective.
How should we pray? In Matthew 6:7,8, Christ tells us what to avoid. We should not pray with repetitive words as the heathens do. They think that more words will equate to a favorable response from God. But, prayer is a conversation with God. All we need to do is pray with faith and ask for our needs.
Throughout the Bible, e can see that whenever a child of God has called out in distress, God has heard them and delivered them (Psalms 107:28-30). That is the real power of prayer. Not that our prayer itself is powerful, but that we pray to a powerful God who can handle anything. And this is the second weapon in our arsenal.
[3] OBEDIENCE TO THE WORD OF GOD - This means acting in accordance and submitting to God’s word.
In order to obey the Word of God, a believer must first know the Word. How can you obey what you don’t know? This means immersing yourself in the Word of God, reading, and meditating on it every day. The Word of God reveals His will for our lives and His commands that we should be following.
In Deuteronomy 5:32, God reminds us to obey His commandments in order to reap blessings in our lives. If obedience leads to blessings, wouldn’t it stand to reason that it would also defeat the curses of the devil?
In 1 Peter 1:14, Peter reminds us that as obedient children of God, we reject the lusts of our former lives. Through obedience to God, we proclaim how God’s grace and salvation have changed our lives.
Obedience is the third weapon in our arsenal. The devil attacks by trying to convince believers that obedience isn’t necessary and making sin seem more attractive to us without heeding their consequences.
In order to prevail, we must negate any thoughts that try to hinder our obedience and stay away from any actions that could draw us into disobedience. We must choose God and His way only.
