–2 Corinthians 10:3-6 NKJV– 3 For though we walk in the flesh, we do not war according to the flesh. 4 For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal but mighty in God for pulling down strongholds, 5 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, 6 and being ready to punish all disobedience when your obedience is fulfilled.
We know according to verse 4 that the weapons of our warfare are not carnal, but mighty in God for pulling down strongholds. In this post I want to share about four weapons of warfare that are mighty in God for pulling down strongholds. The weapons of our warfare are not only used to help us fight and defend during a spiritual battle, but also to help us to remain “Battle Ready” before the next attack of the enemy. We need to be Battle Ready. To be battle ready means to be trained, equipped, prepared, and strong for battle. We need to always be ready because we do not always know when the enemy will attack.
- Prayer: There are hundreds of books written about how to pray. Some of the books are great and worth reading. But praying to God is simply having a conversation with God. Jesus gave us the greatest example of how and what to pray in Matthew 6:5-14, “Our Father in heaven, hallowed be Your name. Your kingdom come. Your will be done On earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread. And forgive us our debts, As we forgive our debtors. And do not lead us into temptation, But deliver us from the evil one. For Yours is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever. Amen.” By praying to God we are letting God know that only He can answer our prayers, that we rely solely on Him for help. And with prayer you let the enemy know that you mean business, that you stand your ground. Through prayer you are not going to coward away but instead run to the Father!
- Praise & Worship: We are to worship God in spirit and in truth (John 4:23-24). He deserves our praise. When we worship God during spiritual attacks, it confuses the enemy and helps us tune out the noise and chaos around us. In 2 Chronicles 20:14-30 the worshippers were instrumental (no pun intended) in praising God for their victory over the enemy. The worshippers marched in front, leading the army, singing praises to God, “Praise the Lord, For His mercy endures forever.” Some translations say, “Give thanks to the Lord, for his love endures forever.” In 2 Chronicles 20:17 NKJV – 17 You will not need to fight in this battle. Position yourselves, stand still and see the salvation of the Lord, who is with you, O Judah and Jerusalem!’ Do not fear or be dismayed; tomorrow go out against them, for the Lord is with you.” When we worship God in spirit and in truth, when we honor Him through praise, God will fight our battle for us! Do not allow the enemy to silence you. Shout and sing even louder!
- Declaring the word of God: The bible is referred to as a sword for a reason, and it is sharper than a double edge sword (Hebrews 4:11-12). We read the bible to learn more about God and His redemptive plan for us. We read scripture but we can also pray the scriptures and even sing praise to God from scripture. When Satan tried to tempt Jesus in the desert in Matthew 4:1-11, Jesus responded to Satan with the word of God. Jesus did not debate or argue with Satan, instead Jesus spoke the word of God in truth and with authority. Declaring the word of the Lord will silence the enemy. Satan’s lies are no match for God’s truth! Declare God’s word over every area of your life, declare God’s word over your family and friends, declare God’s word in places where you want to see change.
- Faith: You have faith whether you believe it or not. Every time you leave your house you are operating in faith that it will be a good day. When you get behind the wheel of a car, when you are in public, when you eat a meal, you operate in faith that you are safe. How often in our daily lives do we do regular routines without hesitation, but sometimes we are afraid to step out in faith? I like what I heard Bill Johnson say before that, “Faith doesn’t deny a problem’s existence. It denies a problem a place of influence.” God gives us a measure of faith (Romans 12:3). The scriptures say that without faith it is impossible to please God (Hebrews 11:6). In Mark 9:23-24, the father whose son needed healing had said to Jesus that he believes but needed help with his unbelief. God does His part with helping our unbelief, but it is up to us to increase the measure of faith that He has given us. We do that by trusting Him, being obedient to Him, and being who He has called us to be. Our faith is increased when we read the bible, when we are inspired by a book or sermon, when we hear a testimony, or when we see a miracle happen before our eyes. Jesus said if we have faith of a mustard seed (Matthew 17:20), a mustard seed is tiny but can grow big. God has given us a measure of faith, and as we increase our faith then we can believe for the victories of spiritual battles, because the battle has already been won by our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ!
The time is now to be battle ready! I pray this post has encouraged you to be bold and courageous in battle. I pray that you will dig into the word of God with the bible references I have shared in this post.
