All Scriptures used Courtesy of Bible Gateway.

No military, carnal, earth-bound, or fleshly weapons are found in the hands of a true Follower of JESUS.

We have the SAME weapons, however, as The LORD JESUS had when HE+ walked on this earth in the flesh.

If we are using earthly weapons, then we are ON the WRONG BATTLEFIELD.  We are fighting on the WRONG side.  We are , in fact then, working alongside our ENEMY’S troops for their VICTORY.

But we Christians have a warfare that is totally different from earth-centered, military battle.  Our battlefield is different.  Our weaponry is different .

Why ?

Because our ENEMY IS DIFFERENT !

He is unseen.

Furthermore, our COMMANDER+ is different ! HE+ SEES the “unseen.”  

Our goal is different because our TERRITORY is different. Yes, our weaponry is different because earthly weapons are TOTALLY INEFFECTUAL  on the Christian battlefront.

As a matter of fact, earth-bound weaponry and the weaponry of man are impediments  to a Christian. 

So are the weapons coming from our own flesh when we are engaged in Spiritual Warfare.

We all used  those weapons of the flesh from our birth: pouting, cold-shoulders, anger, cutting comments, hostility, sneering, bad attitudes of every sort.  

We train our children to forsake such fleshly “weapons” when they are not granted what they want.

What is OUR warfare

… the warfare to which we have been called?

It is a war against the flesh… our own flesh.  It involves a struggle to sow to the Spirit and not to the flesh in every circumstance of our DAY. Every hour, every thought, every decision … and every reaction.

After that, our warfare involves rescuing our fellow man from the entanglements of this world, the entrapments of the satan.

Our training is different also, though we are rigorously disciplined and CONSTANTLY being put to the test.

[ Unfortunately, sometimes we must be tested and re-tested because we have not learned our lessons well.

We must walk through the same lessons over and over again because we have not yet become skillful in refusing our flesh, replacing it with the SPIRIT. ]

 Our training is compulsory because — liking it or not —  we Christians are placed on the battlefield as SOON as we are born anew.  As soon as we become that  “NEW creature in CHRIST,”  the enemy attacks.

We have NO CHOICE about it.

We are drafted into GOD’S spiritual army and the only way out is to die.  There are NO “conscientious objectors” in GOD’S army.

We either fight the good fight of faith and DIE OUT to the flesh … or we DIE OUT to GOD and retreat back to an out-ward appearance of godliness but inside we are dead. 

We have not strengthened the things that remain and are in great danger. We will become like the church members in Sardis, of whom The LORD JESUS warned in Revelation 3 :

I+  KNOW thy works,

that you have a NAME that you live,

BUT you are dead.

Be watchful,

and strengthen the things which remain,

that are ready to die:

for I+ [ JESUS ]

have not found thy works

perfect before God.

Revelation 3:1,2

3:3 Remember therefore

how thou hast received and heard,

and hold fast, and repent.

If therefore thou shalt NOT watch,

I+ will come on thee as a thief,

and thou shalt NOT know what hour

I+ will come upon thee.

3:4 Thou hast a few names even in Sardis which have not defiled their garments; and they shall walk with me in white: for they are worthy.

3:5 He that overcometh,

the same shall be clothed in white raiment;

and

I+ will not blot out his name out of the Book of Life,

but I+ will confess his name

before My+ FATHER,

and before HIS angels.

+  +  +

When are we NOT engaged in spiritual warfare ? 

The answer is NEVER.

The enemy is relentless and untiring, desiring to take as many into the Lake of Burning Fire as he can.  Over and over again, the LORD JESUS warns us to BE VIGILANT and WATCH. 

The Apostle Peter warns us that the enemy roams about like a roaring lion SEEKING whom he may devour.  He devours those who are not vigilant ,  those who are sleeping on the job. 

This roaring lion brings ship-wreck to those asleep at the wheel, just as surely as we do if we fall asleep while driving ourselves and our family down the road.

So… how DO we fight this “good fight” of faith ?

First, we examine ourselves.  

We look to see if we are truly in the Faith.  Are we really that NEW CREATURE in Christ … or do we go along with outward church-y behavior, church-like appearances … but inwardly are more dead than alive, towards JESUS ?

This is serious, now. 

If we are NOT NEW Creatures, then we must make haste to anchor ourselves in CHRIST.  We enter our prayer closet and cry OUT to CHRIST for that New Birth that only comes from above.

Take HEED ! Outward appearances will not cover inward deadness. Faking Christianity is like walking on the crust of a volcano. 

If we HAVE been born again, but are walking in a slough of sloppy religiosity, we had better change immediately and start sowing to the SPIRIT in earnest. 

His+ eye is upon us, as Revelation says, and HE+ weighs the issues of the heart as well as outward appearances;  they are both EQUALLY apparent to HIM+ .

So then we who are lukewarm, must also flee into our prayer closet and cry out to CHRIST for mercy.  We repent, asking HIM+ to forgive our lack of Spiritual discipline, that we have put every thing else in our lives ABOVE HIM+. 

Then we LISTEN.  We listen for His+ direction. 

HE+ will show us how to prune our time and our projects.  HE+ will re-direct us to the Scriptures and to prayer.  HE+ will show us how to bring our homes into order TO PLEASE HIM+ this time, and not our selves and “our” schedules.

There is not one of us who should ignore this.  We all need to tighten up our discipline SO THAT we can sow to the Spirit better. 

If children are in the home, they will benefit from this discipline also, adjusted for their little frames and their health conditions, of course.

From 2 Corinthians 10, we hear this exhortation TO ALL  CHRISTIANS …

10:3

For though we walk in the flesh,

we do not war after the flesh:

10:4

(For the weapons of OUR warfare

are not carnal,

but mighty through GOD

to the pulling down of strong holds;)

10:5

Casting down imaginations,

and every high thing that exalts itself

against the knowledge of GOD,

( i.e., against the knowledge that

GOD HAS REVEALED TO US;

that is ,

HIS WAYS of righteousness and holiness,

peace and truth. )

and bringing into captivity EVERY thought

( of ours )

to the OBEDIENCE of CHRIST;

+  + +

When we walk contrary to the ways of CHRIST in our thoughts, we are in disobedience. 

Our hearts are in rebellion, subtle though it may be.  This rebellion is against CHRIST being LORD of our lives.  HE+ gives us knowledge of what GOD expects out of us.  This godly knowledge shows us what is right in HIS eyes, and what is wrong. 

When we walk against THAT knowledge of GOD’S character, then we are in disobedience to CHRIST.  We are to be like CHRIST.  JESUS was the accurate reflection of GOD’S wisdom and knowledge.  HE+ revealed right and wrong to us… first in the Law, then in His+ Person.

As we sow to the SPIRIT daily, in little ways and in big,  we will be able to fight the good fight of faith.  

Then we will discover something wonderful: 

Those weapons of our Spiritual Warfare

are INDEED MIGHTY through GOD.

Then indeed, we will learn that they are able to pull down the strong-holds in our own lives first, and then, when our obedience is mature, in the lives of others.  Those we pray for will have the strong-holds broken.

Thus, if we are experiencing DEFEAT in our prayers for others… if they do not change their sinful ways or they are not healed or whatever is amiss… then we need to DRAW CLOSER TO GOD OURSELVES. 

HE+ will guide us into a deeper obedience.

Every obedience brings

a further Anointing. 

It is the Anointing , remember, that breaks the yoke.

This does not mean that “what” we pray for will be automatically accomplished but rather, that our prayers for others will be coming MORE IN LINE with the Will of GOD for that person.

When the Anointing is strong, when we are in full obedience and full of LIFE from The LORD,  when we are praying in accordance with the Will of GOD for that person…  things will begin to happen.

Firstly …. WE OURSELVES  will be changed. 

Secondly … others will MOST CERTAINLY BE AFFECTED by the effectual, fervent prayers of a righteous man. 

Will they change? 

They still have free-will to choose, but our prayers make it HARDER for them to choose the evil and EASIER for them to choose JESUS. 

Will they be healed ?  Yes always, but some NOW and some in Heaven. (Going to Heaven is not so bad, you know ! )

For healings, oftentimes there are prerequisites for Christians to embrace, either spiritually or physically.  Not all embrace these requirements and rather decide to continue on their pathway. 

We entrust these situations, then, to the merciful Will of The LORD when no healing comes.  

We make The LORD an offering of our wounds.  HE+ made an offering of HIS+ wounds to The FATHER, and was heard :

^{HEBREWS 5}

⁷ WHO+ in the days of His+ flesh,

when HE+ had offered up prayers and supplications with strong crying and tears

unto HIM that was able to save HIM+ from death,

and was heard

in that HE+  feared;

i.e., fear OF GOD

 [Feared  =   εὐλαβείας, in the Greek  .
Reverent submission, piety

NOT  phobia in this verse ]

⁸ Though HE+ were a SON+,

yet learned HE+ obedience

by the things which HE+ suffered;

+  +  +

 For heathen who have never heard about JESUS, healings are abundantly given as a SIGN to them and their community.  Healings open the people up to JESUS.

The weapons of OUR warfare for the Followers of JESUS are indeed MIGHTY through GOD. 

Are we pulling down the strong-holds sufficiently enough in our own life, so that we can be useful on the LARGER battlefield of our Faith ? 

First, our battle with Self, then our battle with the world, yes ?

We DO NOT simply come to CHRIST

to enjoy WHO+ HE+ is.

We YIELD to CHRIST

so that HE+ may enjoy

who WE are !

The Bond of Companionship is formed with CHRIST JESUS as we sow to the SPIRIT.  When that Bond with CHRIST is sufficient,  then the weaponry HE+ gives us becomes VERY, VERY EFFECTIVE.

+  +  +

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Tags: 2 CORINTHIANS 10, ANOINTING, COMPANIONSHIP WITH CHRIST, Hebrews 5:7-9, NEW CREATURE IN CHRIST, news, obedience, REVELATION 3, spiritual warfare, WEAPONS of CHRISTIAN WARFARE