MIGHTY IN GOD
Posted by Pastor Greg Allen on July 18, 2021 under 2021 |
Bethany Bible Church Sunday Message; July 18, 2021 from 2 Corinthians 10:1-6
Theme: As followers of Jesus, the weapons of our warfare are spiritual—and therefore mighty in God.
(All Scripture is taken from The New King James Version, unless otherwise indicated).
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This morning, we begin studying from a new section of 2 Corinthians. And the apostle Paul really begins this new section with a bang!
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Now; the background of this new section is important to know. Sometime after Paul had left his ministry to the Corinthian church to travel on to other labors for the gospel, something very troubling had begun to happen. Some false teachers made their way into the church. These false teachers were apparently from Jerusalem, and had made it seem as if they bore the authority of the apostles of the church in Jerusalem. They even tried to present themselves to the Corinthians as “eminent apostles”. And what they sought to do was bring the Corinthian Christians under the bondage of religious rules and regulations instead of a simple trust in Jesus.
In the process, they tried to draw the Corinthian Christians to themselves against Paul—making him out to be a fake. They tried to convince the Corinthians that he presented himself as impressive and bold-sounding in his letters; but that in reality, his personal presence was weak and unimpressive. They said that he wasn’t dignified and refined like they were; and that they were the ones that the Corinthians should be listening to … and not him.
Well; Paul wrote this last division of his letter to deal with this accusation. It was more than just a personal matter for him. It was vital that the Corinthians knew the truth about him because the purity of their faith in the gospel that he preached was at stake. And that’s why this last section of his letter sounds so much different than what came before. He pulled no punches!
It began in 2 Corinthians 10:1-6 with these words:
Now I, Paul, myself am pleading with you by the meekness and gentleness of Christ—who in presence am lowly among you, but being absent am bold toward you. But I beg you that when I am present I may not be bold with that confidence by which I intend to be bold against some, who think of us as if we walked according to the flesh. For though we walk in the flesh, we do not war according to the flesh. For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal but mighty in God for pulling down strongholds, casting down arguments and every high thing that exalts itself against the knowledge of God, bringing every thought into captivity to the obedience of Christ, and being ready to punish all disobedience when your obedience is fulfilled (2 Corinthians 1:1-6).
And in stating his case in this way, Paul ends up teaching a valuable lesson to you and me. It’s one that we very much need to take to heart—all of the time, of course, but more especially now in the dark and difficult times in which we live. It may not seem like we amount to much in this world’s eyes. It may not seem that we are impressive enough to make a difference. But when we think that way, we’re only thinking of things in a fleshly-focused manner. The truth is that we matter a great deal to God’s work; because as followers of Jesus, the weapons of our warfare are not fleshly but spiritual—and therefore mighty in God.
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Now; we live in a time right now that places a great deal of importance on outward appearances—a time when whatever seems to be the most outwardly impressive in strictly human terms tends to be thought of as the most true and authoritative. This has probably always been the case to some degree. It was certainly the case in Paul’s time. But it’s especially the case in our time, because there are so many more ways for people to ‘see’ and ‘be attracted by’ what is outwardly impressive than there ever have been before. And this overwhelming ‘fleshly’ focus often affects us as believers in terms of our confidence in the part God has given us to perform in the work of the gospel.
We ought to be careful how we evaluate such things, of course. To be fair, things can seem to be outwardly impressive because God truly is working through them and truly is blessing them. We should never be so foolish as to think that just because a church is big in numbers, or its worship band is exciting, or because its budget is big in funds, or because its leaders are famous and respected, that it must be because it is teaching error. That would be a horribly wrong and prejudiced way to think. But being big in numbers, or dazzling in talents, or well-funded in finances, or famous and honored in the world—those things alone do not prove that God is at work. And that was an error that the Corinthians were being misled into by the false ‘apostles’ who were troubling them.
By contrast, think for a moment about how the apostle Paul came to the Corinthians. When he came, he came as “Paul”. I don’t know if you knew this, but that name means “small” or “little”. It’s not really a very impressive name, is it? It’s not like ‘Peter the Rock’ or ‘Apollos the Learned’. It’s just ‘Paul the Small’. What’s more, he made it clear to the Corinthians in 1 Corinthians 15:9 that, even though he was legitimately an apostle called by the Lord Jesus, he considered himself to be “the least of the apostles”—not even worthy to be called an apostle because he had persecuted the church.
When he came to them, he didn’t accept money from them. The false apostles demanded to be paid; but he wanted to distinguish himself from them by the fact that he didn’t do so. He wasn’t a very expensive minister. Instead, he took on an outside ‘secular’ job and worked as a tent-maker in the city of Corinth. In fact, he had to accept financial help from other churches in order to be able to carry on a ministry for a year-and-a-half in Corinth. When they would see him, they would see that he had the work-worn hands of a laborer. When he ministered to them, he may have had to make sure it was scheduled around work hours; because he had to keep his side job. That must not have seemed very impressive to the outwardly-impressionable Corinthians.
In fact, even the way that Paul taught them the truths of the gospel seemed unimpressive. That was by design. In 1 Corinthians 2:1-5, he wrote and told them;
And I, brethren, when I came to you, did not come with excellence of speech or of wisdom declaring to you the testimony of God. For I determined not to know anything among you except Jesus Christ and Him crucified. I was with you in weakness, in fear, and in much trembling. And my speech and my preaching were not with persuasive words of human wisdom, but in demonstration of the Spirit and of power, that your faith should not be in the wisdom of men but in the power of God (1 Corinthians 2:1-5).
From all outward appearances, then, Paul must have seemed like a relatively unimpressive person. But the truths that God gave him to proclaim had the power of God upon them to transform the lives of those who heard them. This was because it was plainly God working through him—and not mere human talents and skills of Paul.
And dear brothers and sisters in Christ; that’s why this passage ought to be so encouraging to us. You and I are not impressive in this world’s eyes. This is just a humble little country church. We don’t have a big budget, and crowds of people flocking in, and a famous and impressive ministry. (Although more people know about us and cherish our ministry than you might think!) We should, of course, make use of everything that God has given us as a church family; but if we were to rely on human resources and fleshly capabilities alone, we wouldn’t be able to impact the world very much at all. But as Paul has shown us—both by his own ministry and by the words we find in this passage—our resources from God are infinitely mightier than even the greatest things that this world could produce. Paul proclaimed a message that was “the power of God to salvation for everyone who believes” (Romans 1:16); and we proclaim it too.
So; let’s never look down upon ourselves in terms of outward appearances, dear church family. Let’s never despise ‘the day of small things’. Let’s have the kind of confidence and boldness that comes from knowing what God is able to do through us. And we can do so, because, as followers of Jesus, the weapons of our warfare are spiritual—and therefore truly mighty in God.
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Now; let’s look closely at these words from Paul. He began in verse 1 by saying;
Now I, Paul, myself am pleading with you by the meekness and gentleness of Christ—who in presence am lowly among you, but being absent am bold toward you (v. 1).
Paul was, in fact, writing in a very bold manner to them. It wasn’t because he was conjuring up false bravery. He wanted to write boldly to them right then, so that he wouldn’t have to be bold in their presence because of the way he might have to rebuke them later. But he was indeed lowly—Paul the unimpressive man; the least of the apostles. He was—as was being said of him—”weighty and powerful” in his letters, “but his bodily presence is weak, and his speech contemptible” (v. 10). He readily admits that.
And these opening words in this new section teach us that …
1. WE MAY APPEAR IN THIS WORLD TO BE WEAK IN FLESHLY TERMS.
Personally, I think Paul was one of the greatest men who ever lived; don’t you? The impact that God used him to make on the world is immeasurable. And yet, that was in terms of spiritual things—but certainly not in terms of outward appearances. In outward appearance, he seemed to be ‘lowly’. And the same is true of you and me, dear brothers and sisters. We—as followers of Jesus in this fallen world—may not be thought of as very impressive. We—who bear the message of eternal life in this world—may not even feel very impressive to the world.
Just think of how he wrote about himself and the other ‘true’ apostles in terms of how the Corinthians might have viewed them. In 1 Corinthians 4, he wrote;
For I think that God has displayed us, the apostles, last, as men condemned to death; for we have been made a spectacle to the world, both to angels and to men. We are fools for Christ’s sake, but you are wise in Christ! We are weak, but you are strong! You are distinguished, but we are dishonored! To the present hour we both hunger and thirst, and we are poorly clothed, and beaten, and homeless. And we labor, working with our own hands. Being reviled, we bless; being persecuted, we endure; being defamed, we entreat. We have been made as the filth of the world, the offscouring of all things until now (1 Corinthians 4:9-13).
He wasn’t complaining, of course. He was simply stating the fact that we—as Jesus’ followers—are not always very impressive in terms of fleshly things. Sometimes, we are viewed as the very opposite of impressive.
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But I love how Paul said that he pleaded with the Corinthians “by the meekness and gentleness of Christ”. And just think of what a remarkable thing that was to say. Don’t you agree that Jesus Christ walked in great meekness upon this earth? Wasn’t He gentle? Of course He was. But He—this one who walked in meekness and gentleness on this earth—did so as the Son of God in human flesh! He was the Creator and Sustainer of all things while in bodily form! He humbled Himself to the point of the death of the cross; but as a result, every knee will one day bow to Him and confess Him as Lord! And it was “by the meekness and gentleness of Christ” that Paul did his pleading. He had great spiritual authority!
And this leads us to another point. We may appear in this world to be weak in fleshly terms …
2. BUT WE DO NOT OPERATE IN THIS WORLD BY FLESHLY MEANS.
Paul went on to write, in verses 2-3;
But I beg you that when I am present I may not be bold with that confidence by which I intend to be bold against some, who think of us as if we walked according to the flesh. For though we walk in the flesh, we do not war according to the flesh (vv. 2-3).
When Paul said that he and the other true apostles “walked according to the flesh”, he meant that they went about on this earth in a fleshly body that was as subject to frailty as anyone else’s. But when it came to the work of the ministry of the gospel, they didn’t do battle for Christ “according to the flesh”. Instead, they relied upon the unlimited resources of Christ.
The weakness and frailty of our bodies actually shows forth the greatness of that power. We undergo trials and hardships that show the limitations of our flesh—but at the same time, they also show forth the greatness of God’s power at work through us. In 2 Corinthians 4, with regard to the precious treasure of the ministry of the gospel, Paul wrote this to the Corinthian believers;
But we have this treasure in earthen vessels, that the excellence of the power may be of God and not of us. We are hard-pressed on every side, yet not crushed; we are perplexed, but not in despair; persecuted, but not forsaken; struck down, but not destroyed—always carrying about in the body the dying of the Lord Jesus, that the life of Jesus also may be manifested in our body. For we who live are always delivered to death for Jesus’ sake, that the life of Jesus also may be manifested in our mortal flesh. So then death is working in us, but life in you (2 Corinthians 4:7-12).
And what was this all for? Why did they suffer all these hardships while proclaiming this precious message? It was so that the gospel might spread all the more powerfully and change more lives through the power of God at work in them. He went on to write;
And since we have the same spirit of faith, according to what is written, “I believed and therefore I spoke,” we also believe and therefore speak, knowing that He who raised up the Lord Jesus will also raise us up with Jesus, and will present us with you. For all things are for your sakes, that grace, having spread through the many, may cause thanksgiving to abound to the glory of God. (2 Corinthians 4:7-15).
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So; we should never feel ashamed of our unimpressive frailties and limitations. It’s by them that the light of the gospel shines forth all the more brightly—if we will rely faithfully upon the spiritual resources God has given us, and not try to do things in the power of the flesh. As Paul goes on to show us, we do not rely on weak and frail ‘fleshly’ means;
3. FOR THE WEAPONS OF OUR WARFARE ARE MIGHTY IN GOD.
Paul wrote in verses 4-5;
For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal but mighty in God for pulling down strongholds, casting down arguments and every high thing that exalts itself against the knowledge of God, bringing every thought into captivity to the obedience of Christ … (vv. 4-5).
What are those weapons that God has given us for our warfare in His cause? They aren’t anything that the world could give us. They are described for us in great detail in Ephesians 6. Paul wrote to those believers and told them;
Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord and in the power of His might. Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil. For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this age, against spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places (Ephesians 6:10-12).
Ultimately, we don’t do battle with flesh and blood people—who we are actually seeking to win to Jesus. Instead, our battle is with mighty spiritual forces in heavenly realms that are in rebellion against God and who seek to deceive people. That’s why fleshly resources won’t work. Our true combatants are spiritual beings. Only spiritual weapons will do the job.
Therefore take up the whole armor of God, that you may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand. Stand therefore, having girded your waist with truth, having put on the breastplate of righteousness, and having shod your feet with the preparation of the gospel of peace; above all, taking the shield of faith with which you will be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked one. And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God; praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, being watchful to this end with all perseverance and supplication for all the saints—and for me, that utterance may be given to me, that I may open my mouth boldly to make known the mystery of the gospel, for which I am an ambassador in chains; that in it I may speak boldly, as I ought to speak (vv. 13-20).
Dear brothers and sisters; consider carefully those pieces of armor. We are first to be girded about the waist with truth—the truth of God. The world may not seem to think very much of that truth. But the devil does. He’s terrified when we believe it and embrace it. One word of God’s truth is mightier than a hundred million lies from the devil. Are you girded about the waist with the unshakable truth given to us in God’s revealed word? Does it hold all the pieces together for you?
Then, we’re to put on the breastplate of righteousness. The breastplate is what defends our vital organs from the blows and attacks of the enemy. The devil knows that if you and I are holding on to any secret sin in our lives—any unconfessed sinful habit—he can capitalize on it to cripple us for the cause of Christ. Such sin constitutes a vulnerable spot in our armor. Is your private life in order? Do you walk consistently in personal holiness and righteousness?
We’re also to have our feet shod with the preparation of the gospel of peace. It’s the gospel of Jesus Christ that brings about peace—both in terms of people’s relationship with God, and in terms of their relationship with each other. The devil doesn’t really care if we go around spreading a lot of philosophy and feel-good talk, or rage about how bad culture is. That doesn’t threaten him at all. But he is desperate to prevent us from sharing the truth of the gospel—the message that we are sinners, and that God sent His Son to pay the penalty for our sins on the cross, and that we must personally place our faith in Him and be forgiven and ‘born again’. Are you prepared with that message? Are you prepared to go marching out with it wherever God may send you? Is the gospel the message upon which you stand with firm footing?
Paul also urges us to take up the shield of faith with which you will be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked one. When the devil shoots a fiery dart at you, it isn’t to hit you. It’s to hit the shield of faith and set it on fire. That way, when you see the shield ablaze, you panic and cast down your faith in God’s promises and your trust in Him. And then, you’re helpless before the enemy. In ancient times, soldiers would soak their shield in water so that the enemy’s fiery darts were extinguished and the shield could be kept up. Do you keep up your shield? Do you make sure that the devil’s threats don’t cause you to throw your shield down and abandon your faith?
We’re also to take up the helmet of salvation. The helmet protects the head. A soldier can suffer a blow to many different parts of the body, but a blow to the head renders the rest of the body inactive. The devil seeks to do this to us by making us doubt our salvation—by making us think that God no longer loves us—by making us think that we’re not really destined for glory and victory—by making us think we still must earn God’s favor with our religious works. Do you protect your thinking with regard to your hope of salvation? Do you trust in God’s full acceptance of you through faith in Jesus? Do you wear the helmet?
And finally, we’re to take up the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God. Dear brothers and sisters; the devil cannot stand it when we speak forth God’s word. He flees from it. That was how our Lord resisted the temptations of the devil in the wilderness; that is, by simply repeating back—with full confidence and trust—what the Scriptures say. The devil won’t care if you quote deep words of poetry to him, or if you try to rebuke him in your own power. You and I have no other defensive weapon available to us but God’s word; and that’s the weapon that he fears the most. Do you know your Bible? Do you read it and study it? Do you apply it to daily life? Do you have your hand gripped firmly around the sword?
These are the weapons that pull down strongholds, that cast down arguments and every high thing that exalts itself against the knowledge of God, that brings every thought into captivity to the obedience of Christ. As God once told the prophet Jeremiah:
“Behold, I have put My words in your mouth.
See, I have this day set you over the nations and over the kingdoms,
To root out and to pull down,
To destroy and to throw down,
To build and to plant” (Jeremiah 1:9-10).
Paul was bold—not in any confidence in impressive human resources or fleshly abilities, but in his confidence in the weapons of warfare that were mighty in God. He was ready to use them; but wanted his fellow Christians to be fully with him in it. And so, he said in verse 6;
… and being ready to punish all disobedience when your obedience is fulfilled (v. 6).
Like them, will you and I be obedient and trust in God’s mighty resources?
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The Lord Jesus once told His disciples about the power of the message of His gospel. He had asked Peter who he and the other disciples said that Jesus was; and Peter answered, “You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.”
Jesus answered and said to him, “Blessed are you, Simon Bar-Jonah, for flesh and blood has not revealed this to you, but My Father who is in heaven. And I also say to you that you are Peter, and on this rock I will build My church, and the gates of Hades shall not prevail against it. And I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven, and whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven” (Matthew 16:17-19).
The gates of hell will not prevail against our Lord’s gospel. So, let’s not concern ourselves with whether or not we are impressive in the eyes of this world in terms of temporal, fleshly-focused things. Let’s go forth trusting in the weapons God has provided for us.
For as followers of Jesus, the weapons of our warfare are spiritual—and therefore are mighty in God
EA
