The Sword for the Battle

“For though we walk in the flesh, we are not waging war according to the flesh. 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, and take every thought captive to obey Christ.” (2 Corinthians 10:3-5)

The Christian life is not a walk in the park. In fact, it is the complete opposite of that. The Christian life is a lifelong battle. Because as God causes us to grow in our knowledge of Him and grow in our obedience to Him, we see and experience more and more spiritual opposition from this fallen world. We are commanded to be on our guard and to fight the good fight. But how?

While it is true that we are still currently in spiritual warfare, it is important to remember that God has already secured the outcome of this battle by virtue of what Christ has accomplished on the cross of Calvary. As Jesus Himself has said, “It is finished”. Through Jesus’ death, life, and resurrection, He has already defeated sin’s power and paid sin’s penalty for those who trust in Him. But while we wait for the full consummation of Christ’s work in our glorification in the future, we are called to fight in the present - but not just to fight, but to fight from victory.

As we fight from victory in the present, God did not intend for us to fight empty handed. Rather, He has given us a powerful weapon that surely will never cause us to fear or fail in the battle: His Word.

So how do we fight from victory in the present? By knowing the Word and living out the Word.

As Paul has mentioned in this passage of 2 Corinthians 10:5, “We destroy arguments and every lofty opinion raised against the knowledge of God, and take every thought captive to obey Christ.” If we are to fight against the lies, temptations, and attacks of the enemy, we must know God’s Word. For it is only when we know the Word of God that we can take every thought captive to obey Christ.

Dear believer, in order to fight the good fight, we are called to know the Word of God. The Word of God is the weapon for the battle that works for our safety and our charge against sin. Thus, if we are to win this spiritual warfare, we must do so with God’s Word in hand. No wonder Paul says in the book of Ephesians to take up the full armor of God for the battle, which includes the sword of the Spirit, the word of God.