Day 85 - Issue 41
2 Corinthians 10.3-4 NLT
'We are human, but we don’t wage war as humans do. We use God’s mighty weapons, not worldly weapons, to knock down the strongholds of human reasoning and to destroy false arguments.'
Paul was under attack from people within the church in Corinth. There was a view among some of them that he was quite timid when he was with them in person but extremely bold when he was away from them and expressing himself in letters. It’s never pleasant to be the target of criticism in this way and Paul responds by helping his critics to understand that he wasn’t trying to impress them with powerful oratory and clever arguments. He was content to be thought of as a dull preacher because what mattered was not his clever performance but the declaration of the cross of Christ. That’s where true wisdom is found.
When people challenge Christian teaching, it is absolutely right that we should respond and give a thoughtful and sensitive response. But we should never imagine that people will be won over by the power of our clever reasoning. We need to rely upon the power of the Spirit and pray that he will break into their lives and convince them of their need for God. We must play our part but, without the intervention of God himself, nothing will change.
The New Testament gives us much encouragement as we face the challenge of living for Christ in a fundamentally hostile society. Paul is clear that we are at war, but that this shouldn’t scare us, because God has perfectly equipped us to stand up to whatever the devil might throw at us. Ephesians 6:10-18 provides us with a clear summary of the equipment that God has given to us. Paul’s concern was that he and his friends in Corinth should wear the full armour of God and not imagine that, with their clever reasoning and wonderful oratory, they could somehow manage by themselves.
Question: What are the mighty weapons that God has given to you today?
Prayer: Loving God, thank you for perfectly equipping me for all the challenges that I might have to face. Amen