Sunday 22nd January 2023
For though we live in the world, we do not wage war as the world does. The weapons we fight with are not the weapons of the world. On the contrary, they have divine power to demolish strongholds. We demolish arguments and every pretension that sets itself up against the knowledge of God, and we take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ.
2 Corinthians 10:3-5 (NIV)
Dear Brothers and Sisters,
It is easy to imagine that spiritual battles are fought by special Christians on a special ‘spiritual’ battlefield and with special weapons. The reality is that every Christian is engaged in a spiritual battle every minute of every day. In one sense the weapons we fight with are extraordinary, in that they are the weapons God himself gives us for the fight, expecting us to be victorious. But in another sense they are not extraordinary at all. Let me explain.
Notice that the “strongholds” that we are attempting to demolish are “arguments”, “pretensions” and “thoughts.” That is, they are ideas – devilish and demonic ideas, to be sure, but ideas nonetheless. It is is not devils and demons themselves we are asked to “demolish,” but the ideas they spread. It was evil ideas about God and what he had said that the serpent persuaded Eve to accept in the Garden.
Isn’t that our (almost daily) experience? What is it that leads us into sin? Isn’t it wrong ideas? For example, we start to think that God isn’t really good in what he asks of us, or that he isn’t there to help us, or perhaps even that he isn’t there at all. Or we tell ourselves that what we once thought was sinful isn’t really that serious after all, that lots of other people think the same, and besides God owes us something anyway. Do you see how it is false ideas that lie at the heart of our spiritual battles?
So, what God arms us with for this fight is his word and prayer. These weapons may seem entirely ordinary, in that they are there for our use every moment of every day, but they are truly extraordinary as they have God’s power to demolish these satanic strongholds. It is interesting that the most famous passage in the New Testament about spiritual warfare confirms this, as it lists the armour of God as “the belt of truth … the breastplate of righteousness … the gospel of peace … the shield of faith … the helmet of salvation … the sword of the Spirit” (Ephesians 6:14-17).
It now looks likely that the Bishops in the Church of England will be recommending some sort of pastoral accommodation for those in same-sex sexual relationships. This will be disastrous in all sorts of ways, and not least deeply discouraging for those struggling to remain faithful in this area. But it will be helpful here to see that there is a spiritual battle going on, that it is fought in the realm of ideas, and to pray for our bishops and the rest of the Church of England accordingly.
Lord, give us grace to stand in the goodness and truth of your holy word, and to resist all temptations to doubt, reinterpret, ignore, add to or take away from that word. Amen.
Yours warmly, in Christ,
Chris Hobbs (Senior Minister)