For though we walk in the flesh, we are not waging war according to the flesh. For the weapons of our warfare are not of the flesh but have divine power to destroy strongholds. We destroy arguments and every lofty opinion raised against the knowledge of God, and take every thought captive to obey Christ. (2 Corinthians 10:3-5 ESV)
For the word of God is living and active, sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing to the division of soul and of spirit, of joints and of marrow, and discerning the thoughts and intentions of the heart. (Hebrews 4:12 ESV)
Guess what? We are in a battle. We have been in one for quite some time, but it’s intensifying all around. The increase in turmoil and disruption infiltrating organizational units, homes and minds is approaching its peak, which makes it critical to know the Word on an intimate level and to let it reside within you so that it becomes available when required of you.
As I thought about this Covid-battle that we are in, that is affecting us all in some way, shape or form, I began to yearn for knowledge about bible verses to prepare for spiritual warfare, because let’s be honest, this is a spiritual battle that we are standing in right now. The rhetorical question that came to mind was: “are we preparing ourselves so that we are able to withstand what is occurring and what is to come?“
In order to answer that question, I like to first use my acronym for STAND. Stop To Apply Necessary Defenses. This defense is His full armor which is rooted in God and His Word. We have to be ready to use His Weapon of Mass Instruction to destroy what the enemy is trying to build: fear, hate, evil, confusion, divisiveness, despair, and defeat; just to name a few.
We must be so devout in the Word of God that we are able to even extinguish arguments that are against the knowledge of God. When I read that, I thought “wow that’s deep” and “God am I ready?” and then I kept reading and highlighted, “take every thought captive to obey Christ”. It did not say some thoughts, but every thought and that struck a nerve. To me, this presented only one option; that in order to get ready, I must know the Word for myself in order stay obedient and to ensure my thoughts are in proper alignment to my assignment.
And what was so beautiful about marrying these two scripture selections together was that in order to hold our thoughts captive, which basically means to be in control of what one thinks, we have to seek the ultimate source of instruction in order to rightly divide what is true and what is false and make that part of our everyday life for application and for preparation.
I am not sure what you are fighting up against, but we are all fighting something. If you feel that it is bigger and stronger than you, know that it is not stronger than God but we must prepare ourselves for war by seeking the only weapon that not only carries spiritual protection, but will prevent us from being defeated in this desert of deception.
Stay in the Word and Stay Encouraged!