For though we walk in the flesh, we do not war after the flesh: (For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal, but mighty through God to the pulling down of strong holds;) Casting down imaginations, and every high thing that exalteth itself against the knowledge of God, and bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ; And having in a readiness to revenge all disobedience, when your obedience is fulfilled. Do ye look on things after the outward appearance? If any man trust to himself that he is Christ’s, let him of himself think this again, that, as he is Christ’s, even so are we Christ’s.
Unlike the world, Jesus calls His followers to forgive our enemies and even love them (Matthew 5:44). We are even reminded to leave vengeance in God’s hands in Romans 12: 17-21,
“Recompense to no man evil for evil. Provide things honest in the sight of all men. If it be possible, as much as lieth in you, live peaceably with all men. Dearly beloved, avenge not yourselves, but rather give place unto wrath: for it is written, Vengeance is mine; I will repay, saith the Lord. Therefore if thine enemy hunger, feed him; if he thirst, give him drink: for in so doing thou shalt heap coals of fire on his head. Be not overcome of evil, but overcome evil with good.”
However, Paul writes in his letter to the Corinthian church that we don’t just face human adversaries, but mental ones in the form of strongholds. A stronghold is a military term used to describe towers or fortresses that defend a piece of land that is valuable. The strongholds that Paul is referring to in this verse are those that the devil and our flesh have developed over time as fortresses that have been protected enemy territories in a land that belongs to Jesus Christ! The last verse of this passage in 2nd Corinthians 10:3-7 declares that anyone who trusts in Jesus Christ as Lord is saved and now belong entirely to Him as part of His body.
Just as a body can be in danger of infections through pathogenic bacteria and viruses, Jesus warns us that our spiritual houses can also be in danger of being broken into and inhabited by unwanted spiritual entities in Mark 3:26-27, as he spent time addressing the accusation that He had an unclean spirit:
“And if Satan rise up against himself, and be divided, he cannot stand, but hath an end. No man can enter into a strong man’s house, and spoil his goods, except he will first bind the strong man; and then he will spoil his house.”
Satan and his kingdom of darkness are constantly looking for ways to enter into our thought life and build strong holds that can then serve as vantage points of enemy attack from within the person. We are being warned that spiritual entities can wage war in our minds and hearts to cunningly take over land that belongs to Jesus, and Paul is giving instruction in this passage in 2nd Corinthians 10:3-7 to truly examine our thought lives and cast down anything at all that can give access to these unwanted spirits that want to build strongholds for satan’s kingdom in our very minds and hearts! Jesus warns us that,
“When the unclean spirit is gone out of a man, he walketh through dry places, seeking rest, and findeth none. Then he saith, I will return into my house from whence I came out; and when he is come, he findeth it empty, swept, and garnished. Then goeth he, and taketh with himself seven other spirits more wicked than himself, and they enter in and dwell there: and the last state of that man is worse than the first. Even so shall it be also unto this wicked generation.” Matthew 12:43-45 (KJV)
The spiritual spring cleaning that Paul describes is daily obedience in examining our thought life for spiritual strongholds (enemy territories) that go against what God wants us to do, combing through our flesh for any sin that is still stuck to us, and bringing all of these new-found captives back to Jesus Christ to help us get rid of more and more sin.
So important is this spiritual spring cleaning that Paul states that our obedience will lead to the revenging of all disobedience. How is our obedience to leading a more sinless life that is pleasing to God be relevant to the disorder and chaos that we see around us? While many of us are may be focused on fights and wars that are being waged outside the human body, much like how an infected human being will not at all be useful in battle, the infected believer who is not alerted to the sin and strong holds within him or herself will not be helpful in any battle against the forces of evil that are constantly turning people against God, and therefore against each other.
Paul describes some of these infections, or strong holds in his letter to the Galatians:
“19Now the works of the flesh are manifest, which are these; Adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lasciviousness,20 Idolatry, witchcraft, hatred, variance, emulations, wrath, strife, seditions, heresies,21 Envyings, murders, drunkenness, revellings, and such like: of the which I tell you before, as I have also told you in time past, that they which do such things shall not inherit the kingdom of God.22 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith,23 Meekness, temperance: against such there is no law.24 And they that are Christ’s have crucified the flesh with the affections and lusts.25 If we live in the Spirit, let us also walk in the Spirit.26 Let us not be desirous of vain glory, provoking one another, envying one another. (Galatians 5:19-26)”
When the person who believes in Jesus Christ as Lord correctly examines him or herself internally from the eyes of God (the Bible), he or she is better able to disinfect the territory belonging to their resurrected King. This strengthened relationship and walk with Christ enables them to wage war to reclaim God’s created territory not through earthly weapons, but through the spiritual weapons given to them through the power of the Holy Spirit. The last set of Bible verses on the yellow card explains these weapons further:
