Three Marks of a Spiritual Warrior

Introduction

➟ ➟ ➟ During the month of June Cain & I are talking about Defending the Faith. We are in the midst of a spiritual war.

Last week, in this service, we looked at 1 Corinthians 16.13-14. Paul instructs his readers to be alert, stand firm, be courageous, be strong, and, do everything in love.

As Christians, we operate from the standpoint of victory.

We know, as long as we hold on to Christ, no matter what happens here, we’re good. God is going to get us through to the other side.

We know, because of that victory, we can be steadfast, immovable, and always excelling in the work of the Lord. We know that our work in the Lord is never in vain.

You and I have been called to operate from the perspective of confidence and trust in God.

God is the one who equips us as we fight in this spiritual war. Ultimately, he will give us victory.

But we must cooperate with His equipping. (We’ll talk more about that later today.)

So, spiritual warfare. Today’s scripture reading is from one of the premier passages on this topic.

Paul was a great soldier in this epic spiritual war.

He endured grave hardship. He suffered tremendously, living on the brink of physical death almost every day.

What’s so encouraging is that he never retreated from the front lines - where he relentlessly engaged in battle with the enemies of God.

➟ ➟ ➟ For what was Paul fighting? 4 things...

➟ ➟ ➟ God’s truth.

➟ ➟ ➟ Christ’s honor.

➟ ➟ ➟ Sinners’ redemption.

➟ ➟ ➟ Saints’ virtue.

This is definitely the case in 2 Corinthians where Paul uses the last 4 chapters to address false teachers who were relentlessly undermining him and his work.

While the majority had repented and were committed to truth, there were still a few holdouts.

➟ ➟ ➟ Chapters 10-13 are addressed to those who resisted his authority and teaching.

And really here, Paul goes on the offensive.

The opening 9 chapters are full of compassion and sympathy.

But now, as he addresses his enemies, he defends his authority and integrity. And, he threatens to punish their disobedience.

When arrived a few months after this, his plans were to deal with them in a very strong way.

As 2 Corinthians 10 - we see Paul focusing on this warfare in which he will have to engage.

Besides Ephesians 6, this is one of the most comprehensive passages in the NT regarding spiritual warfare.

Whereas the Eph passage focuses on the armor involved in warfare,

Here, Paul focuses on how we engage the enemy.

It is an extremely important text … and remains relevant to this day.

➟ ➟ ➟ Here, Paul defines three attributes or marks of the spiritual soldier.

These are the types of things that make him, and every spiritual soldier, effective.

Today we’ll see how a spiritual warrior is:

compassionate

courageous

capable

2 Corinthians 10.1 - A Good soldier is Compassionate

First, we see an appeal to his own authority as an apostle. For him, this is very personal.

➟ ➟ ➟ 10.1- he appealed to them by the meekness and gentleness of Christ.

There is no desire for conflict. He gets no satisfaction out of it.

Paul is patiently compassionate.

So what does this tell us?

Good soldiers don’t look for the first opportunity to blow someone away.

Good soldiers are not:

vicious or full of venom.

full of hate or rage

motivated by revenge.

➟ ➟ ➟ Let’s talk about meekness.

This involves the patient endurance of offenses.

It is humility. Freedom from anger, hatred, or bitterness when being treated wrong.

It’s not weakness … it is power under control.

➟ ➟ ➟ Paul also says he is a man of gentleness.

Word is used in the sense of leniency.

He had the power to retaliate … but chose not to.

No one demonstrated this more effectively than Christ.

➟ ➟ ➟ 1 Peter 2.21-23 - no one has ever had himself under more control.

➟ ➟ ➟ Matthew 12.20 - Jesus did not come to crush what has already been bruised. Jesus was in to restoration.

➟ ➟ ➟ 10.1b - this is sarcasm. Paul’s enemies spun his compassion as weakness.

In reality, it was just the opposite.

Strength in humility.

The best soldiers seek war only as a last resort. They will not use force unless absolutely necessary.

They seek peace extensively.

They want to resolve the issue apart from bloodshed.

2 Corinthians 10.2 - A Good Soldier is Courageous

➟ ➟ ➟ Beg - Paul’s intention when he arrived in Corinth was not to be bold, but if he had to, he would.

If he needed to protect truth from a lie - he would do that - no matter what it took. If the only option left was confrontation, he wasn’t afraid to engage in it.

He was very capable in this.

Galatians 2 - withstood Peter to his face.

Acts - see how Paul interacted with political and religious authorities. See how he reacted to mobs and hostile crowds.

The man was not weak. After every other option was exhausted, he could bring it if he had to.

➟ ➟ ➟ Bold - v. 2., means courage. Confidence, comes from a word that means to speak with conviction … to speak as one thinks.

➟ ➟ ➟ Challenge - v. 2., means to act without fear regardless of the circumstance. While he’d rather be building people up, he could also tear down.

➟ ➟ ➟ Challenge who? Certain people who think we are behaving according to the flesh.

i.e., Paul was only in ministry for himself. That he was only motivated by corrupt desire. That he possessed a rotten heart.

Truth is, Paul never fought for personal achievement, gain, or comfort. Everything he did was out of love for Christ and the church.

2 Corinthians 10.3-5 - A Good Solder is Capable

Without the necessary skills, all the courage in the world is folly.

If we have to go into battle over something, we need to be ready.

So, how do we understand the enemy? Do we perceive his formidable nature?

Paul is going to say, “if I have to go to war, it will be with weapons my opponents will be powerless against.”

➟ ➟ ➟ 10.2 - Paul’s opponents charged he was morally corrupt and a hypocrite.

➟ ➟ ➟ 10.3a - for although we live in the flesh, “Yes, I’m human,” “but I’m not controlled by the flesh.”

➟ ➟ ➟ 10.3b-4a - he says when he does fight, the weapons of our warfare are not of the flesh. Why?

The war is spiritual. The kingdom of darkness is our opponent. We’re fighting for truth and its proclamation.

We’re fighting for the honor of Jesus Christ.

We’re fighting for the salvation of sinners.

We’re fighting for the virtue of the saints.

➟ ➟ ➟ Look at 10.4a again. Writing from the negative. Weapons are not human, because human weapons can’t fight darkness.

What are human weapons?

human reason; wisdom; plans; strategies; organization

skills; eloquence; entertainment

philosophies; mystical practices; religious showmanship

These are things people use to fight battles on human levels.

To sell things; convince people to do things; to vote for someone; to give money; to motivate people.

human reason and philosophy will never liberate a soul.

religious showmanship can’t transform sinners.

excellence in speech won’t help sanctify saints.

human philosophies have no effect in the spiritual realm.

➟ ➟ ➟ Now, look at 10.4b. Here he writes from the positive.

➟ ➟ ➟ They are powerful through God… they come directly from God.

➟ ➟ ➟ For the purpose of the demolition of strongholds.

Strongholds: “fortress,” or “prison.” Something impregnable.

Prison connotation especially interesting as you consider how people inside these strongholds are literally imprisoned by their own ideas.

The place these people have actually sought for refuge is now their prison … and ultimately will become their tomb.

➟ ➟ ➟ Notice, Paul seeks their demolition.

Not just to knock out a few windows or break down some doors … he wants them to crumble.

What are these strongholds?

➟ ➟ ➟ arguments

ideas; thoughts; concepts; opinions; reasonings; philosophies; ideologies; religions.

These are the strongholds in which people hide.

ideological forts. philosophical forts. religious forts.

➟ ➟ ➟ 10.5a - these things are raised up against the knowledge of God. Fortified against the gospel.

➟ ➟ ➟ 1 Corinthians 3.20 - Paul called them the reasoning of the wise.

Romans 1 - Paul speaks of people who turned their back on God. Live as if he doesn’t exist. Today it manifests itself in:

environmentalism, which exalts the creation over the creator.

evolution, which promotes a purposeless existence.

humanism and naturalism, which promote the idea that nature is all there is.

These ideologies aren’t overcome by human methods. They are overcome with spiritual weapons.

➟ ➟ ➟ 10.5b - Every thought is taken captive. Every concept, opinion, ideology, everything is brought to the obedience of Christ.

How is that accomplished?

➟ ➟ ➟ By the teaching of truth. See Ephesians 6.17. The sword of the Spirit is the word of God.

We assault others with the truth. We point out error.

➟ ➟ ➟ 2 Corinthians 10.5b - “Taken captive” comes from a word that means “taken by the spear.”

We don’t kill the person inside the stronghold they’ve fled to...

We rescue them. We get them out of the prison in which they’ve been held.

Remember, you’re fighting for truth. The honor of Christ. The salvation of souls.

This is why we go after false doctrine. Manmade religion. godless philosophies.

So if you’re going to fight, learn Scripture. Confront error with truth. Develop the ability to reason truth out of scripture.

Error falls only before truth.

Rebellion ends when truth prevails.

We preach truth. We teach truth. We write down the truth. We proclaim the truth.

This is what smashes lies.

I want you to think about a battlefield almost all of us find ourselves on these days, i.e., social media. Even though we may not realize it, most of us are being seriously wounded by the enemy. He has shot us and we don’t even know it.

This passage, take every thought captive, has really convicted me this week … As I give you these three examples, I want you to know I’m talking to me … and you about the things we’re placing on social media:

➟ ➟ ➟ Why are we fighting over Black Lives Matter? Or All Lives Matter? Or Blue Lives Matter?

If I say Black Lives Matter and you immediately dismiss it by saying All Lives Matter … are we really listening to each other?

If I post All Lives Matter and you immediately think I’m arguing from white privilege and don’t care about the racism that does exist … aren’t you assuming things you can’t possibly know since you can’t know what is in my heart?

Look, these discussions have been going on for 5 years.

Is change really taking place … or are we just hardening our positions?

I don’t care which side you’re on with this … how many minds have you changed by typing a three word phrase on Facebook or Twitter?

➟ ➟ ➟ Why are we fighting over masks and how the government has responded to COVID? You may think the government hasn’t done enough. I may think it’s gone way too far. Do you really think Gov. De Wine is going to alter state policy because of your post or my post on FB?

How many of you have an opinion about wearing a mask? I do. But how is voicing that opinion on Facebook going to win someone to Christ or edify my fellow Christians?

➟ ➟ ➟ Why are we fighting over the President or former President? Why are we wrangling in politics?

2 weeks from now, you won’t remember much about what you felt so compelled today to post about.

It certainly won’t matter 4 years from now. Of the issues and controversies of the previous campaign, how much do remember about them now?

Why are we promoting endless division and strife? Why are we appealing to human reasoning and organizations? Why are we judging hearts?

Can we not see how our usage of human tools; human methods; so-called human enlightenment isolates people … even though we may have the most sincere motives?

➟ ➟ ➟ Why aren’t spiritual soldiers who engage others on social media using their sword?

➟ ➟ ➟ Let’s go back to racism since it is the hot topic this month. What does God’s word say about racism?

➟ ➟ ➟ Genesis 1.27 - we’re all created in God’s image. There is no distinction between races. This has been God’s intention from the beginning.

➟ ➟ ➟ Deuteronomy 10.17-19 - God cares about people regardless of their ethnicity, nationality, and social status.

➟ ➟ ➟ Acts 10.34-35 - God does not show favoritism … but accepts from every nation the one who fears him and does what is right.

➟ ➟ ➟ Galatians 3.28 - we are all one in Christ Jesus.

➟ ➟ ➟ James 2.9 - If you show favoritism, you sin and are convicted by the law as a lawbreaker.

God isn’t about separation, but inclusion and unity.

➟ ➟ ➟ 2 Corinthians 5.18-20 teaches that we have been given the mission of being an ambassador. We work to bring reconciliation between people and God.

➟ ➟ ➟ Do our social media tweets & posts fit within this mission:

➟ ➟ ➟ We speak truth.

➟ ➟ ➟ We honor Jesus.

➟ ➟ ➟ We rescue sinners.

➟ ➟ ➟ We build up saints.

We do this by the word of God.

Let’s look at 1 Corinthians 1.17-20: If you’re going to engage people in a spiritual war, then you need to know how to use your sword.

It wasn’t about:

➟ ➟ ➟ 1.17 - eloquence in speech.

➟ ➟ ➟ 1.18 - it didn’t matter if what he taught was regarded as weakness.

he says:

➟ ➟ ➟ 1.19-20.

All these things have been demolished by preaching the cross.

➟ ➟ ➟ 2.4-5 - Paul trusted the word to do its work.

Scripture is the weapon that smashes strongholds people have built up to fortify themselves against God. Are we capable in the way we use it?

➟ ➟ ➟ Hebrews 4.12 - do we believe this anymore?

2 Corinthians 4.5; ➟ ➟ ➟ 6.7 - the word of truth makes up the weapons of righteousness.

Again, it’s all for the purpose of bringing people to salvation.

➟ ➟ ➟ 2 Corinthians 10.5 - to the obedience of Christ.

We bring people to the truth - we lead them to where they’ll submit to Jesus. Our intention is to change the way they think … ordering their life after His priorities.

Obedience is the mark of salvation.

Conclusion

So today, we have discovered three marks of the spiritual warrior. A good warrior is:

compassionate

courageous

capable

The spiritual warrior never forgets his mission.

We speak truth.

We honor Jesus.

We rescue sinners.

We build up saints.

We do this by the word of God … for the purpose of bringing people to the obedience of Christ.

We are ambassadors of Christ, pleading, begging, and sometimes even fighting for the souls of others.

Dear Christian friend, are you living within that mission?

2 Corinthians 5.20-21

Do you need Jesus?