The Weapons of Our Warfare

“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.” (2 Corinthians 10:3-5)

Imagine if you will... a scene from the spiritual realm, in the demonic 'Situation Room,' where Satan, his captains, and strategists are scheming and planning how best to neutralize followers of Christ.

It's not hard to imagine that he might say something like:

"If we can get these Christians to take their focus off of God and His Word, and off of their real purpose of spreading the message of the Gospel throughout the world, and instead get them to focus on political issues, and on protecting their rights—such as owning guns—we could diffuse this whole nasty Christian business of 'saving people!' We could render them powerless and ineffective, in short order!"

Sound far-fetched?

I personally believe that this is a demonic strategy that Satan is proving to be very effective at in America today.

Please don't misunderstand my intent here. I am not at all against the Constitution, and I support our 2nd Amendment right to own and bear arms. I learned to hunt and shoot at a very young age. And while I have made the personal choice to no longer own any guns, I owned firearms for much of my adult life.

But I do believe a good portion of the Church has been distracted and side-tracked by the Enemy of our souls, by allowing him to get us to the point where many are practically ready to go to war over the issue of gun control and gun owners rights. For many who profess to be Christians, this issue seems to have taken center-stage, while the high calling of spreading the Good News of the Gospel of Jesus Christ appears to have been pushed to the back burner.

When contemplating this hot-button issue of gun control, consider the following words from the Apostle Paul, who suffered under a far more perverse, oppressive, and corrupt government than we do today:

"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 6:12)

We do not war against people—against flesh and blood. 

Our true enemy is not a perverse Liberal administration.

Our battle—our war—is against unseen spiritual entities. Against the spiritual rulers of the darkness of this age. Against spiritual hosts (organized ranks of armies) of wickedness in the spiritual (heavenly) realm. Therefore, as Paul wrote in 2 Corinthians 10, the weapons of this spiritual battle we are locked in, are not, cannot be, carnal, or physical.

How do you fight against an unseen spiritual enemy?

Not with an AR-15 assault rifle.

Here is the whole Armor of God, as Paul details in his letter to the Ephesian Christians:

“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.” (Ephesians 6:14-18)

What most people don't see, or refuse to see, is the real "war" is a spiritual war. And Satan is the "Oz" behind the curtain; the Demonic 'Commander and Chief.' The reason Jesus and His early disciples did not fight against the tyrannical government of their day was because they clearly understood the battle was spiritual, not political. 

Ultimately; a nation, a people, can only be changed from the inside out—by the Spirit of God. 

Concerning His own personal 'rights,' when Jesus' enemies came to kill Him, He said, 

"My kingdom is not of this world. If My kingdom were of this world, my servants would fight, so that I should not be delivered to the Jews." (John 18:36)

As Christians we are never to be spiritually passive. But our only truly effective 'weapons' are prayer, the Gospel, faith and love. The Word of God is the Sword of the Spirit.

And no government can ever take away these weapons.

—God is Love and Love Never fails.