2 Corinthians 10:3-6 3 For though we walk in the flesh, we do not war according to the flesh. 4For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal but mighty in God for pulling down strongholds, 5casting down arguments and every high thing that exalts itself against the knowledge of God, bringing every thought into captivity to the obedience of Christ, 6 and being ready to punish all disobedience when your obedience is fulfilled.
Many Christians know or can quote portions of II Corinthians 10:3-6. Of those many, a large portion would say they understand what it means, with a few having a biblical understanding. The majority may think they understand, while having no clue at all.
Understanding that God’s weapons for the spiritual battle are powerful in God, is entirely different from putting God’s weapons for spiritual warfare into practice.
The knowledge that we are in a spiritual battle, which is not against “flesh and blood” but unseen powers of darkness (Ephesians 6:10-18), which cannot be fought with material weapons, is useless without knowing how to use the weapons God provides for us.
Consider the battle to make disciples and do effective evangelism, which needs no material assets to be successful. The church in America is failing epically commensurate to population models.
Consider the battle against the demonic horde seeking to change the God given truth of human sexuality, through the sexual immorality of the LGBTQ+ activists; where they seek to change laws, forcing those who comply to defile their own conscience (Danila 7:25).
Consider the battle for the children of Christians, which we have been losing for the last 70 years, as the world, the flesh and the Devil invade the hearts and minds of these youth ones, through technology, culture and overt demon influence.
If we truly understand the nature of the battle, why are we losing the hearts and minds of the youth of the church, and diminishing in our ability to make new disciples?
Because, although we say we understand the nature of the battle we face, we do not. And although we believe we know how to wield God’s weapons to pull down strongholds and cast down imagination’s contrary to the knowledge of God; we are sorely mistaken.
The way we have repeatedly attempted to fight is through our ingenuity, human creativity and models formed by the secular world. We then ask the Lord to bless these efforts, which is unrighteousness and cherishing iniquity in our hearts, rather than God’s will, God’s way (Psalm 66:18-20).
We use enticing words and philosophical arguments, preached to the choir, for the purpose of a hearty Amens. All the while, in our pep rallies, we leave the rank-and-file Christian feeding on milk and ministry methods which arise from the world, rather than being God’s ways according to His word.
In this we have left the church a playroom for immature Christians, who will flee when the first heat of persecution is felt.
We have used the rhetoric of a false Christian narrative, to take United States back to its Christian beginning, when there is no Christian beginning to go back to. There is no Christian nation, as His Kingdom transcends national borders, and will not be fully realized until, our Lord’s visible, personal and physical return.
In that lie, we expend money and emotional energy, believing, through politics and electing the right politicians and judges, we can save our supposed Christian land. This is false hope which may damn many. With each hope placed in a future election victory, we are more aware of our loss, like a man who places coins in a bag full of holes.
The church has also lost ground in this spiritual warfare taking on a made-up spiritual authority, which insists all we must do is support the “anointed ones”, follow their teaching and God will win the war, and we will have the peace and fulness we deserve, as His children in this life.
In Pentecostal circles this is called the new apostolic reformation or NAR for short, but that does not mean this kind of false authority does not exist in other denominations. The point is that this kind of unbiblical thinking leads to more useless words and programs, financed by a fleeced flock, by men who want to maintain their power and cost of living.
We are allowing foolish teaching that we can fight the Devil, by waving flags and the silly idea of worship music warfare, where the practitioners are taught, if we sing louder and the right songs, we can beat the Devil.
In Pentecostal circles, through the misuse of spiritual gifts and the mangling of the calling of prophet, we have made true biblical deliverance more difficult.
There a thousand of Christians content creators on YouTube, “prophesying”, “teaching”, “delivering”, doing apologetic ministry, and Christian entertainment. In this number, that vast majority has little effect on righteousness, sanctification to advancing the kingdom of God. Although there are some who are rightly dividing the word of truth, the church is shrinking and losing its identity in Christ, under a weight of unnecessary and false teaching.
We believe that if we have enough Bibles and more good Christian books, we will win the war. Yet, we are largely not even fighting the battle, being that we are not using God’s powerful weapons; His simply time tested and time trusted, weapons to fight the battle.
We must return to God’s weapons of warfare, before it is too late. What are these weapons?
God’s word and prayer, as led by the Holy Spirit. It is so simple, that some will desire to scoff.
1 Corinthians 2:4-5 4 And my speech and my preaching were not with persuasive words of human wisdom, but in demonstration of the Spirit and of power, 5 that your faith should not be in the wisdom of men but in the power of God.
The passage above has been a central focus of my preaching and ministry for over 21 years. It is my desire to present God’s word and the Gospel of Jesus Christ, with no frills, no unnecessary words, added philosophies or sweetened language, for the sake of impressing the sensibilities of men.
In this ethic, I have preached and prepared over a thousand sermons, good and necessary, with a focus on studying to show myself approved as God’s workman, not being ashamed, as I rightly divide the word of truth (II Timothy 2:15). I have also written well over 300 hundred articles and penned a book on Christ our Healer. All my counseling comes from the foundation of God’s word, as I seek to be led by the Holy Spirit.
Although, God has worked through this body of work and blessed more than a few people, both lost and saved, not one significant victory came without consistent fervent prayer in spiritual warfare. I am sad to admit that I may have been significantly more impactful bringing glory to our Savior, had I exercised more wrestling against spiritual powers, in prayer, before and after the ministry of the word.
This is why it is imperative that we understand the weapons of our warfare to be God’s word, God’s Spirit, and our fervent, continual labor, in prayer.
Yes, the word of God rightly divided, is what pulls down stronghold, and brings every exultant thought against God’s wisdom, into captivity. The only problem is that God’s word must be married to the Spirit and power, which only occurs in a person engaged in spiritual warfare, which is simply praying in the Spirit.
By praying in the Holy Spirit, I am not referring to prayer in unknown tongues. That correlation is a Pentecostal error. Praying in tongue is a legit and biblical practice, so long as it is down privately or has an interpretation, in a congregational setting.
Paul refutes the error that praying in in the Holy Spirit (Ephesians 6:18; Jude 20-21) in I Corinthians 14.
1 Corinthians 14:14 14For if I pray in a tongue, my spirit prays, but my understanding is unfruitful.
Here we see prayer in an unknown tongue is the praying person’s spirit praying, not the Holy Spirit, necessarily. Can it be founded in the Holy Spirit? Yes, but remember Paul does not say “When I pray in a tongue, the Holy Spirit prays in me”.
Prayer in the Holy Spirit simply means that when we are pressed beyond our knowledge and wisdom, in our efforts to intercede and pray, the Holy Spirit prays through us.
Romans 8:26-27 26 Likewise the Spirit also helps in our weaknesses. For we do not know what we should pray for as we ought, but the Spirit Himself makes intercession for us with groanings which cannot be uttered. 27Now He who searches the hearts knows what the mind of the Spirit is, because He makes intercession for the saints according to the will of God.
This passage is so clear concerning the position we ought to find ourselves in, in the spiritual battle and when we pray at any time.
Regard the entire context of Romans 8, which begins with the Spirit’s power in us when we are in dire conditions(Romans 8:1-11)—our identity and the leading of the Holy Spirit in us as sons of God (Romans 8:14-17)—how the Spirit intercedes in and through us in difficulty (Romans 8:18-27)—and how we are more than conquerors even if slaughtered on Christ’s behalf (Romans 8:28-38).
Spiritual warfare has its foundation in this kind of persistent prayer (Romans 8:26-27), where we are pressed beyond our understanding and human ability. As we seek to be led by the Holy Spirit, He prays through us with groanings which cannot be uttered. Remember this does not mean His groanings cannot be felt or experienced. It does mean these groanings are not spoken by us, in our language or unknown tongues.
Should we persist in this praying, the same Spirit will illuminate our understanding (He knows the mind of God), that we may know the mind of Christ, and continue in prayer and spiritual warfare.
Remember the context of Romans 8:26-27, but it is God’s intention that this praying be a regular part of our experience. In fact I submit, that whenever we pray, rather than simply launch into a card catalogue of past praying, we ought to wait on the Lord for the Spirit’s leading.
Proverbs 3:5-7 5 Trust in the LORD with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; 6In all your ways acknowledge Him, and He shall direct your paths. 7Do not be wise in your own eyes; Fear the LORD and depart from evil.
Herein lies a problem for the church at least in America: we do not pray like this consistently because we do not disciple people to pray confidently asking according to His will (from the word of God), and being led by the Holy Spirit.
WHY?
Because it takes time and waiting on the Lord. It also takes persistence. Consider the parable of the widow.
Luke 18:1 1Then He spoke a parable to them, that men always ought to pray and not lose heart,
The word “always” means in all things, sort of like Proverbs 3:5-7, “in all things acknowledge the LORD and He will direct your path”. Sadly, we usually do not associate the directing of our path with prayer, but that is what it means.
The parable of Christ in Luke 18 is where He speaks of the persistence of a widow to badger, beg, plead and petition an unjust judge for a just decision. Although God is not unjust and will answer the petitions of His children, which are according to His will and in Jesus’ name (I John 5:14-16), our Lord expects us to pray to our Father, in like manner of the widow.
Jesus asks a probing question at the end of this parable, which is revealing, concerning the hour in which we live.
Luke 18:6-8 6 Then the Lord said, “Hear what the unjust judge said. 7 And shall God not avenge His own elect who cry out day and night to Him, though He bears long with them? 8 I tell you that He will avenge them speedily. Nevertheless, when the Son of Man comes, will He really find faith on the earth?”
Far too many Christians do not know how to endure in payer like Luke 18:1-8. We lack the fervency it takes to pray in a manner that topples strongholds by the word of God—or persevere until deliverance is executed in those oppressed by the Devil—or even wait on the Lord in faith long enough to be led by the Holy Spirit or filled with the same Spirit.
We want prayer like getting fast food, If it does not work that way, we move on to other solutions, or so we think
For true spiritual fight there is no teaching on how, but it rises from a heart that knows God’s will, from His word—and a heart knowing what we see is not God’s will—with a will confident that He will answer.
It takes grit, determination and fervency like the widow persisting in battle against the enemy.
Herein lies a monumental problem. Grit determination and fervency is equivalent to spiritual fight.
The necessary fight for effective prayer, is inherent in any true follower of Christ. Therefore, based on our lack of this weapon of spiritual warfare, we can ascertain, the fight is either repressed, undeveloped or not present. Sadly, where it is not present, it indicates the possibility the person may be a false convert.
It is also true that the spiritual fight of God, in His children, can be waning from a heart worn down, which is prevalent and caused by so few standing together in this weapon of God’s warfare.
Because of this lack, it is imperative each Christian find why it may be missing.
To reiterate, praying in spiritual warfare is a ministry we all have. In the armor of God passage, at its conclusion, we read that we are to exercise “praying with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, being watchful to this end with all perseverance and supplication for all saints” (Ephesians 6:17-19).
A large reason we are losing the battle, at least in the American church, is that ministers cannot teach what they do not understand and cannot model for the flock.
Far too many pastors want seminars on church growth, friendship evangelism, legacy giving, worship leading, engaging in conservative political activism and how to do fun seeker sensitive outreaches, rather than trusting what God alone blesses…. The ministry of the word and prayer, through discipleship (not class), as led and empowered by the Holy Spirit, in men and woman with calloused knees.
This is why the church in America has declined.
So let me challenge you, be part of God’s solution.
Learn to pray as led by the Holy Spirit. He alone can save those who want off the sinking ship of American Christianity and place us in the Ark, that is Christ, where we still have many spiritual battles to fight and win.
