The Spiritual Battlefield

The Spiritual Battlefield
2 Corinthians 10:1-7
June 15 , 2025

In chapter 10 we see Paul addressing a very important principle. The back story is, that there were those following Paul and, after he visited churches that he planted, they would show up and start teaching a different gospel to the people.

They would tell them that, to be a follower of Christ, they had to become Jewish, had to be circumcised, and had to start following the Jewish law as well. This was not the message of grace. This was contrary to what Paul had been teaching.

These people were also bringing into question Paul’s apostleship.

So, Paul addresses it in this chapter. But he does not confront them from a carnal perspective, but rather from a spiritual perspective.

And from this passage we get very important essential guidelines and information on the importance of spiritual warfare and what it entails.

This should be a piece of scripture that is highlighted and underlined in your Bible, as it is a critical understanding of how to practically live as a person of faith.

Paul was dealing with teachings and ideologies that were trying to exalt themselves against the knowledge of God.

This is so relevant to us today as well, as we also have many ideologies that are exalting themselves against the knowledge of God. In the Middle East, and now more and more across Europe and even America, we see the rise of Islam.

Then we have the New Age movement, Spiritualism, Humanism, Atheism, and all the other ‘isms’ that, interestingly, don’t seem to have a problem with one another. The one concept they all have problem with, is true, biblical Christianity.

The gospel of Jesus Christ is attacked from all sides. We see it manifested in the media, movies, news, and even some legislation. But we must see that this is a coordinated attack, not only by a world system, but from a spiritual force operating in a different realm influencing this world system.  How do we respond to this?

It gives us direction on how to go about our daily lives when we are confronted and bombarded with so many things that are wrong and contrary to true biblical faith.

How about personally? In your family, at your workplace, even in your own personal private faith life. How do we live in victory? How do we fight the good fight?

We will see Paul is again being very practical in exhorting them to look at everything, even conflict, from a different, spiritual, eternal perspective.

I. Do not War According to the Flesh

• Paul says that, although they live in the flesh, they do not execute their warfare according to the flesh and with mere mortal, human weapons.
• Right here is a very important principle and differentiation. Those who are earthly minded rely on worldly power. They rely on physical weapons and skills. But there are some fights that cannot be fought with physical weapons.
• Those who are of the spirit, relies on a deeper stronger, higher spiritual power. They have a different weapons-system.
• There are two realms: The spiritual realm, and the physical realm. The physical realm is very obvious, because it is everything we can touch, taste, feel, and see with our physical bodies.
• But God is Spirit and there is a spiritual realm that, by all implications, are even more substantial than the physical realm we can perceive with our natural senses. The physical realm has its origin from the spiritual realm as it is God, who is spirit, who spoke it into existence from that realm.
• The physical heaven and earth are finite and will be destroyed, and God will create a new heaven and a new earth. Yet the spiritual realm will be for all eternity.
• We, Paul says, are now already citizens of that kingdom, the spiritual realm in Christ.

A. Be strong in the Lord

• There is a spiritual war going on. Our enemy is Satan and His demonic forces.
• One of the best scriptures that reveal this is found in Ephesians 6 where Paul pulls back the curtains to the spiritual realm and gives us a glimpse into the real battle field.

Ephesians 6:10-13, Finally, be strong in the Lord and in the strength of His might. Put on the full armor of God, so that you will be able to stand firm against the schemes of the devil. For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the powers, against the world forces of this darkness, against the spiritual forces of wickedness in the heavenly places. Therefore, take up the full armor of God, so that you will be able to resist in the evil day, and having done everything, to stand firm. 

• We should not underestimate Him. He has been studying humanity for millennia and has honed his warcraft to precision. He knows exactly what buttons to push, where and when to attack, when to pull back and wait, how to camouflage himself, and how to sow dissension. He is playing the long game.
• But we should also not give him honor where honor isn’t due.
• Many people believe that the enemy is so powerful that he can make them do things. This is not true. Some people look for a demon behind every bush and every action is contributed to a demon.
• The problem with this skewed perspective is that it takes away all accountability for a person’s actions. After all, if the devil made you do it and you had no say in the matter, then you are not guilty, but the demon is. For the devil, this is counterproductive because he wants humanity to be guilty of sin. He wants you to make the final choice.

Illus – Satan didn’t force the forbidden fruit down Eve’s throat. She chose to eat it.

James 1:14, But each one is tempted when he is carried away and enticed by his own lust.

• Normally, the problem is not possession, but oppression. The enemy can tempt you, bring suggestions to you, lay it on real thick, but in the end, it is the flesh itself that follows the lust of the flesh.
• This is why we must be on guard. We are in a battle. Life is not playground. It is a battle ground, and there is no demilitarized zone.
• Some Christians think that if they can just ignore that the devil exists, he will leave them alone. This is a grave mistake.
• The answer though, is not to focus on the devil more, but to focus on Christ more.
• We have covered this section in depth in our study of Ephesians, but there is a key point I would like to point out.
• Our strength is grounded in the first verse. Be strong in the Lord and in the Strength of His might. How do we become strong in the Lord?

Illus – Let’s say there is a country that has never heard of the USA. They are in danger of being overrun by an evil enemy force that wants to occupy their territory. This country has only a few horses, one helicopter, a couple of armored vehicles, and an army of about 500 people. Compared to them, their adversary has a more substantial force. They have about 20 helicopters, 100 armored vehicles, 2000 troops and many missile launchers. The small country is in trouble. Their president is a nervous wreck…

• The more we understand who God is, what He has done for us, and who He says we are, the blessings we have in Him, the confidence we can have in His power, what His blood has bought for us, the more our perspective and actions will change.
• The foundation of our strength is our faith in God. Believe God is with you.

Joshua 1:9, Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous! Do not tremble or be dismayed, for the Lord your God is with you wherever you go.”

• It changes how you live. When you now experience temptation or trouble, you don’t feel that you are not strong enough, but rather you stand in the strength of His might. Greater is He that is in me than he that is in the world.

B. Be strong in meekness and gentleness

• Verse 1- Now I, Paul, myself urge you by the meekness and gentleness of Christ…
• Paul says he operates with the meekness and gentleness of Christ. How does this reflect strength? This is a very important phrase and we must understand what “meekness” and “gentleness” means. It does not mean weakness.
• “Meekness” means mild, moderate, humble. It speaks of self-control, being stable, being grounded, not being flustered by what happens around you, knowing where the true power lies.
• Humility speaks of knowing that you power is not of yourself, but it is grounded in the power of God.
• Boasting and pride in the self actually speaks of weakness, because the only source of power you then operate from, is yourself, and in the spiritual realm, you are far outmatched.
• Let Him who boast, boast in the Lord. Therein is a great foundation and wealth of strength.
• Gentleness in this context speaks of the restraint of enormous power. The Greek word paints the picture of someone with great power pardoning or lessening their sentence, acting in mercy. Like someone who gently lets an ant walk over his hand. He has the power to squash the ant, but he acts gently with it.
• This is the godly power we are called to. Gentleness when dealing with those on earth opposing you.

II. Make War in the Spirit

• People tend to get drawn into physical battles. It might be with others who oppose our faith, or even on a more personal level with a spouse, a family member, a co-worker, or a boss.
• The physical realm is exactly where the enemy wants you to operate from. When we operate from the lower nature, we operate aligned with him and in his territory.

John 10:10, The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy…

• He wants us to meet anger with anger, or frustration with frustration, or hatred with hatred. Then he wins.

A. Fight with weapons of righteousness

• Paul says that we must be awake to this. Our enemy walks around like a roaring lion to see who he can devour. Don’t be ignorant of the devices of the devil. Don’t collaborate with him.

Illus – Have you even been in a situation where you are conversing with someone, maybe your spouse, your boss, a friend, and suddenly, out of nowhere, there is conflict, or a misunderstanding, or a fight develops. You think, where did this come from? How did this happen?

• We need to be alert and see the situation for what it is. We need to pray that the Holy Spirit will open our eyes to see the enemies strategy in every situation or confrontation.
• Jesus spoke about this, showing us where our attack and engagement with the enemy should be.

Matthew 16:18-19, I also say to you that you are Peter, and upon this rock I will build My church; and the gates of Hades will not overpower it. I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven; and whatever you bind on earth shall have been bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth shall have been loosed in heaven.” 

Luke 10:19, Behold, I have given you authority to tread on serpents and scorpions, and over all the power of the enemy, and nothing will injure you. 

• We operate in both realms simultaneously, but with two different strategies.
• It is clear that as ambassadors and children of God, we have the authority in the name of Jesus to bind the works of the enemy in the spiritual realm. That is the primary place where we engage and attack with force. It is the source of the manifestation of evil actions on earth.
• Then, in the physical realm, when we engage with the subjects that are influenced by demonic forces, we do not engage with force, but with different weapons.
• Paul already told us how to engage here from a spiritual perspective.

2 Corinthians 6:6-7…in purity, in knowledge, in patience, in kindness, in the Holy Spirit, in genuine love, in the word of truth, in the power of God; by the weapons of righteousness for the right hand and the left…

• These are our weapons of righteousness. In the physical realm, act in purity, be kind, love opposing hate, stand in truth opposing lies. These are our weapons of righteousness.

B. Destroy Fortresses

• Paul then uses the imagery of war. A fortress is something that has been erected to protect a certain area of a kingdom. It is a stronghold that has been built with heavy, strong materials, normally on a very strong foundation.
• The application for this can be twofold; on a personal level in your life, but also in the lives of others. We must see how this affects people’s actions.
• From even before you were aware of it, you were already under attack. Even the experiences you had while in the womb have been laying foundations in your life. The enemy has been working with a strategy to build perceptions and lies into your life, laying down strong foundations long before you were even aware of it.
• All throughout your life, he has been masterfully building upon those foundations through experiences, brick by brick, until one day there is a mighty fortress established in your life.
• Eventually it is so strong that it becomes your truth, whether it is true or not. You don’t even realize it has become a fortress of lies. Lies like you are worthless, unlovable, or even more subtle, just not as good as your sibling, as loved as that other person. This eventually even translates to the lie that even God doesn’t love you as much as He does others.
• After a while you start to realize that it is affecting the way you act. You get angry in a situation and don’t know why. You get scared or feel out of control and don’t know why. Feel insecure in a certain area and you don’t know why.
• It keeps you feeling miserable, feeling like a victim, feeling like you cannot change, feeling ashamed.
• We can trace many of the things we struggle with back to fortresses of lies that have been erected in our souls, and the scariest part is that we don’t even fight it, but agree with it. As soon as you agree with it, it becomes your truth and the fortress is strengthened.
• But there is good news. Paul says that the weapons of our warfare are divinely, godly, supernaturally powerful weapons that destroy fortresses.
• When the truth of the gospel breaks through and you see the lie, it destroys the fortresses. As you take hold by faith of the truth in God’s word, it breaks it down like wrecking ball hits.
• At the same time, it starts to build our identity in Christ on Christ as the cornerstone and our faith grows. It is done through the revelation of righteousness, truth, and love. God declares you righteous in Christ. He shines His light of truth on the lie of the enemy, and He lavishes you with His love.

C. Take Every thought Captive

• The enemy does not stop, though. He wants to keep planting thoughts of doubt, thoughts of hate, thoughts of insecurity.
• We need to discern this. Paul says we take every thought captive and put it under the authority of Christ. You need to take it captive. See it. Measure every thought against the truth of the word of God, and deal with it. Do not accept it. Take it captive. Take away its power.
• Impacting those around us who are still in darkness and held captive by the enemy is also not done with violence.
• If we think of destruction from a natural viewpoint, we tend to think along the lines of violence. This is where we need to discern and divide the truth correctly.
• Viewing this from the wrong perspective, can lead to great destruction. Just look at the crusades of the Middle Ages. When, in the name of Christ, many went out to war to destroy the enemy. This is not what Paul implied. We wrestle NOT against flesh and blood.
• It is not so farfetched to think that even today Christians can be drawn into not discerning the real enemy in our day and age.

Illus – I look at some liberal inclined people and the things they post on social media in contrast with the word. The first instinct is to become angry at the person, but when you look through spiritual eyes, you see people who are blinded by the enemy and held captive by his lies.

• Don’t be ignorant of the devices of the devil.
• We can be actively involved in also bringing freedom to the captives around us.
• We rebuke the works of the enemy in their lives who has pulled a veil over their spiritual eyes, so they will be receptive to the truth of the gospel, and then, in the physical realm, we minister truth, in love to them.
• Remember, at one stage we were also blind, until by the revelation of truth we were able to see. You were also once an enemy of Christ
• The truth should transform us. We should take every thought captive. If you want to be a gracious person, you must have gracious thoughts, if you want to be a loving person, you have to have loving thoughts, if you want to be a kind person, you should have kind thoughts.
• We need to take the wrong thoughts that wants to take our souls captive, and put it under the authority of Christ and aligned with His word. This is where the Holy Spirit comes in. He reminds us of the truth. We are changed when we surrender to Him, repent, and turn away from the wrong thoughts.
• This is why we need to stay in the word. Many say, ‘I have read that section before, why do I have to do it again?’

Illus – Physical – Muscle memory, mathematically sharp…

• We need to be sharpened, trained, over and over, be reminded of God’s heart till we build might fortresses of love and truth in our lives that impacts those around us as well.