Sermon Tone Analysis

The Atmosphere in which We Live

A. V.2 “who regard us as if we walk according to the flesh.”

Paul explains that some regard him as someone who walks like most, indulging in the desires of the flesh.

It appears that to those people, Paul must be bold and courageous possibly because they do not perceive the man of Christ he is?

This flesh and spirit theme shows up often with Paul.

B. V.3a “though we walk in the flesh”

NOTE: Paul is expressing the reality, that we live in the physical and often effected by the physical around us.

We are Spirits living in physical bodies in a physical realm.

C. V.3b “We do not war according to the flesh.”

ILLUST: If we return to Paul’s letter to the Galatians 5:19-21 Paul lists the way in which people who live in the flesh “live” or “war”.

Immorality, Impurity, sensuality, idolatry and sorcery.

These are false forms of worship or self worship.

Enmities (hostilities), Strife, jealousy, envy.

These are the selfish thoughts and actions that bring about serious problems in relationships.

James 4:1-4 The very source of quarrels is people wanting things for their own pleasure.

They even ask God purposefully for them and while pursuing them they make friends with the world becoming an enemy of God.

Outbursts of anger, disputes, dissensions, factions, drunkenness and carousing.

These situations describe one who is controlled by things rather than God. 1 Corinthians 6:7 “Actually then, it is already a defeat for you, that you have lawsuits with one another.

Why not rather be wronged?

Why not rather be defrauded.”

TRANS: Paul draws a line here and says this list is not how the Christian lives or fights in the Spiritual realm.

The Weapons we use to live free.

A. “For the weapons of our warfare are not of the flesh, but divinely powerful for the destruction of fortresses.

We are destroying speculations and every lofty thing raised up against the knowledge of God, and we are taking every thought captive to the obedience of Christ,”

1.

These weapons are not flesh but divinely powerful.

V.4a

a. “divinely powerful” literally means “God capable”.

The Greek is (Theo dunata) The weapons available to us are trustworthy and able to defeat anything that comes against us.

The Prophet Isaiah declared . . .

2. These weapons are for the destruction of fortresses.

V.4b

NOTE: These spiritual attacks often appear as accusations, lies against the truth of God.

a. “Destruction” means demolition, with a big wrecking ball, or powerful explosives.

b. “fortresses” is (ochyroma) stronghold or structure.

ILLUST: From birth the mind and body is processing information both good and bad.

Mentally we learn things either through teaching or experience that is often times a mix of truth and lies, divine and worldly.

We have happy memories and we have traumatic memories of experiences.

Some suppress them while others obsess over them and neither of these approaches will “demolition” these “fortresses” built up in our lives.

These fortresses or strongholds stay creating our “World view” (Origins, Meaning, Morality, and Destiny) These past experiences create the “structures” in our mind that is our world in our mind, the way we believe thing work.

From time to time we see glimpses of other worlds and question that maybe I shouldn’t think this way or feel this way but the structures in our minds are solid, they are what we know and how we have learned to function in life and relationships.

ILLUST: So if I’ve been abandoned in the past I may be very guarded in every relationship or I may become very possessive or jealous for fear that another relationship will fall apart.

If I have experienced sexual perversion or promiscuity in my past I may indulge thinking there is something fulfilling that I must be missing.

I may indulge with the misunderstanding that this is love or how to find it.

This may express itself in flirting, immoral thoughts, telling or encouraging immoral speech. . . .

If I grew up learning that when I’m hurt or things don’t go my way I either pout or get angry in order to get my way then as a 40 something I may still be a pouting angry fool.

These are strong holds.

We have believed the lies that this is the way of life and we are trapped in these fortresses in which we have built over the years.

So the only way to get free is to be clothed with Christ as we discussed last week

TRANS: The key is to become students of Jesus.

To learn a new way of living.

To learn a new way of thinking.

3.

With these weapons we are “destroying speculations and every lofty thing raised up against the knowledge of God.” V.5a

a.

The word “lofty” is “exalted object” something that is exalted in my life and I raise it up against the knowledge of God.

Which means I keep allowing the lies of my past and present to be God of my life.

I give them worth, I live in them instead of believing the truth of God and allowing Him to lead my life.

4. We re taking every thought captive to the obedience of Christ.

V.5b

CLOSE: obeying Christ with every thought means I must know Him intimately.

I must relearn everything I have ever experienced or have been taught in light of His truth.