This next part in 2 Cor 10-12 marks a new section in his letter. Previously, Paul writes as an apostle to call the church to repent in order to nourish them back to health. He also wrote to encourage them to be generous as they have returned to health (2 Cor 8-9).
In 2 Cor 10-12 there is a new tone and change of voice. Here, we see a Paul under fire and telling a church to be ready for war. Most of us don’t think of the Christian life as a war. But these verses tell us that we are meant to think of our Christian life in terms of war.
(A) Compassionate Warfare: We enter battle with the meekness and gentleness of Christ (2 Cor 10:1-2)
Paul speaks seriously and in a severe way as he begins this section in 2 Cor 10:102. There is also a personal appeal wrapped up in his writing. We see the personal nature of it in the first verse, where he refers to himself 3 times. It is interesting that he writes in this way. He wants them to call to mind all the things that he has written about and what they know of him and the heart he has for them. He also wants them to take it seriously.
In 2 Cor 10:2, Paul writes “I beg of you”. This was what he wrote in 2 Cor 5:20. Thus, they were to see that this was an extension of what he wrote of earlier, the call to them to be ambassadors of reconciliation. He picks up on this idea of reconciliation now.
Paul also appeals to them by speaking of the meekness and gentleness of Christ (2 Cor 10:1). Paul wants us to think of this specific aspect of Christ. In the gospels in Matt 9:36, Jesus as he went around, had compassion for the crowd for He saw that they were harassed and helpless. He had compassion when He saw the crowd. Paul here is acting this way because of this same meekness and gentleness.
But notice also that Paul writes 2 Cor 10:1b with sarcasm. There were those that said that Paul was timid when he was with them, and bold when he is away. There were also those that accused him of being a false or not a true apostle because he did not have the physical presence. He has every intention to show confident boldness when he meets them (2 Cor 10:2).
There are false teachers in the church (“some who suspect us of walking according to the flesh”). In the earlier chapters, we already got a sense of what they were accusing Paul of. They said that he seemed to be flakey and an ineffective leader who spoke without power. These people also saw themselves as dwelling above the flesh (“walking according to the flesh”) and Paul did not have their level of true spirituality . Paul may not even have their level of religious spirituality.
Therefore, the problem here is that they seemed to have somehow misunderstood the gospel. They are the sort of people who think that because Paul seemed weak in person, did not speak as eloquently as them, went to prison and didn’t bear the marks of worldly success, he is insufficient. They think that heaven can be lived in part on earth. This misunderstanding of the gospel is actually a perversion of the gospel.
This is a serious problem because it was not just about being tolerant. As 2 Cor 11:4 helps us to see, by accepting these people, it shows that they are accepting a different gospel! Paul isn’t fighting to win a popularity contest. He is fighting for the preservation of gospel truths, and therefore for the souls of people! And yet, he began with a meek and gentle appeal, like the Jesus he follows, who, a bruised reed He will not break and a smouldering wick he will not quench (c.f. Matt 12:20). This is the Jesus we have. Paul’s message is different, and shapes his method. In preparing for war, he is meek and gentle, and it is not because he is cowardly, conniving or scheming. He is behaving this way because his Jesus is compassionate. This is a real implication of Christian ministry.
What does this mean for us? It means that we ought to consider our conduct. A truly meek and generous Christian will be slow to take offence, able to bear reproach and will act above self-interest. How are you in your estimates of others? How are you able to bear reproach? In the eyes of the world, boldness, confidence and meekness, gentleness don’t seem to come together. But these are not 2 separate categories. They can exist together. We cannot have grace without truth! Some of us live as if these are 2 separate categories. How do we live?
(B) Competent Warfare: We destroy false beliefs with God’s divine word of truth (2 Cor 10:3-5)
In his response to his opponent, Paul is showing the Corinthians (and us) that there is a tragic irony at work in the minds of those accusing him (2 Cor 10:3). They think of themselves as superior because they don’t have Paul’s earthly marks. But Paul turns their accusations on their head. Yes, he lives in the flesh, limited by his physical body. He is a vessel of clay and readily acknowledges that he is flesh-bound (“we walk in the flesh”, 2 Cor 10:3a). But Paul doesn’t fight with fleshly weapons. He is not waging war according to the flesh, but as 2 Cor 10: 4 says, have divine power to destroy strongholds.
The Corinthians, like us, may think of Christian warfare erroneously. We may mistake the nature of our warfare. Paul describes the war with phrases like “destroy stronghold”. This helps us to see the object of war and how serious it is. Because his weapons are divine and spiritual, the nature of this warfare is not physical but spiritual. This is the domain of spiritual warfare.
Mention the phrase “spiritual warfare” and some of us may immediately think of fighting evil spirits. Others may link it to fighting sin and imagine an internal battle of our desires. Here, Paul is arguing that some in the Corinthian church think that he is not the real deal because they hold to a middle class, success-based spirituality. But as Paul suffers and struggles, he is actually fighting a spiritual war.
2 Cor 10:5 shows us what these strongholds are like. These strongholds are “arguments and every lofty opinion raised against the knowledge of God”. Spiritual warfare seeks to destroy these strongholds against these arrogant arguments that stands against God. These are deep-seated beliefs in rebellion against to God. Spiritual strongholds of belief have kept our minds imprisoned and have sprung out from arrogant hearts (c.f. Rom 1:28-32). Earlier in 1 Cor 1:17-28, Paul wrote about how the Jews demanded signs while the Greeks sought wisdom. Thus, many were probably taken by these false teachers because they appealed to their desires. Paul wasn’t impressed with all these.
This means that what we believe matters and affects our actions and ultimately how we live. What we believe reveal what we believe about God, and this is so important because it determines our eternal destiny (2 Cor 10:5). In our day, we too, are impressed with the spectacular and we see how this passage is so relevant and applicable to us. Tonight we look at this text and perhaps struggle to believe that it is true. The gospel promises so much but in reality, our lives look so poor. How can we fight? What are Paul’s weapons for warfare?
Paul writes about it in his letter to the Ephesian church in Eph 6:13-20. Eph 6:17 tells us that there is the sword of the Spirit, the word of God. In preaching Christ crucified, this clear gospel message, we wield the weapon for warfare. What we gather around every Weds and Sun is what we have to fight, and to destroy strongholds!
Note that this is a radical approach, both for them and for us. The people might have thought it was about fleshly things and behavioural modification. But Paul was not focused on this. He is focused on the tools that he has and how to wield it. He draws from the arsenal of heaven in these God-breathed words. Many of us struggle with this in the contemporary church. Somehow in our minds, there’s a dichotomy between the Spirit and the Word. If we read our Bibles, we cannot separate the two. We are not meant to reach for unanchored spirituality and neither are we to just accumulate cold, hard truths.
In 2 Cor 10:5a, these arguments are being raised against the knowledge of God. The false weapons don’t help us know God rightly. Only the true weapons can.
What does this mean for us? Do you recognise what we are doing right now as we study or every time we read with someone, hear our pastor teach? This is nothing short of spiritual warfare where strongholds are being attacked. It should also cause us to approach God with deep, prayerful dependence. The true servant of God’s word can only approach in humility and utter dependence. As we do these things, let’s be amazed and also humbled because this message is one of humility that acknowledges the largeness of this God! We are to fill our minds with God’s truths and preach the whole counsel of God while praying humbly. As we do so, we know that strongholds are being torn down
A couple of things result from Paul’s warfare. Every thought can be made captive to Christ (2 Cor 10:5b), which paints a picture of a life lived in submission to Christ! If we are not captive to Christ, the world will take us in. The world lures us in with its false promises, only to crush us. On the other hand, God’s power is great and immense, but this is a God who is also meek and gentle
We also read that our obedience can be complete (2 Cor 10:b). This will produce an inner transformation, a true conversion. False gospels will produce a false transformation. Only divine weapons can produce true conversion and transformation (c.f. 2 Cor 3:1-3).
This is a practical passage really meant to be used in the daily moments! The armour of God language can sometimes obscure what it really is. A practical point for consideration is, what are we filing our minds with? What are we using to fight the world? We are fighting a war, and it is ridiculous to wield and fight with plastic swords in war time. We are fighting a war on the spiritual front daily, and we need to apply the gospel on a day to day basis. Thus as Christians, we are not just focused on getting doctrine and doctrinal statements right and theologically precise. We also need to think about getting the gospel implications and application down to a place where our heart can understand and also rebut the lies in our mind. The armour of God is not just a thing, but the gospel applied.
(C) Corporate Warfare: We war as a church with transformed captive hearts (2 Cor 10:6)
Who does the fighting? Paul also highlights how it is the church’s responsibility and not just your pastor’s or elder’s or cell group leader’s responsibility. The church is to be responsible for punishing disobedience (2 Cor 10:6). Paul has mentioned it before in 2 Cor 2:9, where one aspect of their obedience shows in how they accept the repentant sinner. Here, Paul shows another aspect of obedience — their participation in this spiritual warfare.
The point of this warfare is that our obedience together will be made complete. This is why our pastors and leaders work so hard and why we call each other to partner and work together! All of our Christian warfare is done with the heart of Christ, and also done competently with the gospel, to the aim of transformed hearts and lives. And as we labour with the meekness and gentleness of Christ, we draw people to Christ.
As we wrap up, here are some points for reflection:
Have you been eager to display the fullness of Christ’s grace and truth, especially in your moments of “warfare”?
What role does God’s word occupy in your daily life?
How can you be a part of your church’s obedience today?