The weapons of our warfare are not carnal but mighty through God. (i) (Quality: Very good)

[0:00] As the Lord may be pleased to help us, let us turn to the second epistle to the Corinthians, chapter 10 and verse 4 and 5.

[0:17] The fourth and fifth verses in the tenth chapter, the second epistle to the Corinthians. For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal, but mighty through God to the pulling down of strongholds, 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.

[0:57] We also read this morning that sixth chapter in the same epistle, where the apostle begins to speak to the Corinthians, and make it very clear as what he stood as a minister of the gospel, what he was passing through, and what he had to contend with, and also the mercy of God towards him, helping him in all that solemn matter that the preaching of the gospel was to him.

[1:41] But then those that would understand what he meant would be those, as he says, we then as workers together with him.

[1:57] The preacher that preaches the word has his work and exercise, and so does the hearer. If the hearer is to receive the truth as it is in Jesus, he too will have his exercise, because the word of God is quick and powerful and sharper than a two-edged sword.

[2:25] If it is going to enter into the heart of the hearer, it will have that blessed saving effect which the power of the gospel has.

[2:37] The apostle Paul, he passed through much, because he had much to attend to. He was not going to lean upon, he could not lean upon that which he had learnt at the feet of Gamaliel.

[2:58] He got a lot, he had a lot of pharisaical religion there, but when the Lord had called him out of nature's darkness, and was sending him forth as an apostle of the Gentiles, he knew all that he must leave, yea, it had died as it were.

[3:20] It had left him, it was of no power, no authority, no good to him, such learning. Well now, we consider then our subject as being those that preach the word, those that receive it.

[3:41] After all, what can we preach to? If there's no one to hear, we preach in vain, we beat the air, we run in vain, that if a few open hearts and ears can receive the word, what can we say?

[4:04] Turn to them first of all and say, we then, as workers together. Mercy, because grace seeks up a need, a want, and the labourer is a worker.

[4:21] They hear a labourer for the truth in his own soul, and for his own feelings to be right in the sight of God. The labourer seeks to handle the truth, that the authority, the power, with hearing, and with preaching, is the operation and power of the Holy Spirit, the third person in the Trinity.

[4:50] Now we must look to our text, a warfare. There's no warfare, friends, with the ungodly, not this warfare.

[5:05] They may have their natural disturbances, and may be fighting for this life, and to get all they can out of it. But this warfare is a spiritual one.

[5:20] And you'll find in our text, there's some very important points in it. The weapons to be used for this warfare are not carnal.

[5:34] Not carnal. And they can't be forged or made with human hands or human thought or human feeling.

[5:47] The weapons of our warfare, says the apostle. His warfare began when the Lord cut him down.

[6:00] He said, Lord, what wilt thou have me to do? He had no spiritual warfare while he was a Pharisee because he brought forth his own works.

[6:13] He said he was keeping the law. and he thought he was doing well. He wasn't a war with him at all. It was something that he felt.

[6:26] His education, his knowledge was managed very well for him. And what instruction he wanted, he could consult Gamaliel. But now the Lord had brought him right to the battlefield.

[6:43] The enemy now had come in. And he couldn't drive the enemy out. The enemy stopped to fight. Until the Lord calls us out of nature's darkness, we may be very religious.

[7:00] We may hear all these things preached. We may hear of a warfare. We may hear of the battle of life, with that which is bad, and that which is good.

[7:15] But we do not enter into it. We know nothing savingly about it. We are not warriors of the right sort. We volunteered to be religious, but we have never been called into action.

[7:33] But when the warfare commences, we need the weapons to fight it. And the blessed spirit doesn't leave us to do anything in and of ourselves.

[7:49] God himself has appointed the battle of life, eternal life, and that eternal life is in his son.

[8:00] So we must preach Christ. And if we preach Christ, we can bring forth then with holy boldness all the weapons, all the ground, as best we have shown it, and made to see that the weapons of our warfare are not carnal.

[8:26] Not carnal. This begins, friends, with a saving knowledge of what we are. And the battle begins. Battle begins.

[8:41] And no doubt, the first suggestion of the devil is with us. Yes, you may start all right, but you've got to come to the end.

[8:53] You're losing the finish. You're too carnally minded. You've got too much of love for the world, and you will lose the battle in the finish.

[9:06] But no, that is the devil's suggestion. But you find in our text, you've got to cast down imaginations.

[9:21] And there's a weapon for that then. Casting down, he said, imaginations. What's imagination? The margin says, reasonings.

[9:33] We've just been reasoning, haven't we? Thinking of what might be the end, failure. The battle, not won, but lost. Imagination, friends.

[9:45] Now, reasoning, carnal, that is, isn't it? And so it begins. It's not wanted when you're left alone, left in the world with your worldliness, left with a little bit of religion with no grace in it.

[10:05] You can carry on comfortably. But there's an opening here, and a tremendous work pulling down strongholds.

[10:18] There's a stronghold, friends. When grace comes into our heart, if it comes in, and it will, to all God's people in his own time, there's some strongholds that come down.

[10:34] And, friends, it's a constant battle. As long as we live, we shall be fighting this battle, if so be, if we are of this warfare.

[10:45] And the strongholds of our fallen nature. Yes, we find we are just as idolatrous as ever we were.

[10:58] There's something in our imagination that we can keep to, and even want, and even perhaps feel our need of it.

[11:11] But the strongholds is to come down. Yes, grace must abound over sin. If grace enters your heart and mine for the purpose of salvation and for the glory of God and for the victory in this battle, if grace enters, grace will overcome sin.

[11:38] The apostle said, sin abounded, from where sin abounded, grace did much more abound. You know, when the apostle was a Pharisee, he didn't know anything about this.

[11:53] He hadn't got to this battlefield at all, friends. No. He was, he was religious and he was satisfied with himself. What he had, he thought he was going to hold.

[12:07] No suggestion that he would lose anything. he wasn't out to be a loser. As many in religion, they're not out to be losers. Gainers all the time, victorious in their own mind.

[12:24] Well, then he further speaks of this that enters into the heart of reasoning, exulting itself against the knowledge of God.

[12:44] Can't go higher than that, friends. It'll go right to a cheek and to exult above the knowledge of God. And what a mercy, friends, then, it would do such a thing.

[12:58] Why? Why? There's knowledge there, apparently. Yes, if you've got a knowledge of God and there's a saving, and it's a saving knowledge, why then, the devil doesn't want you to hold that.

[13:14] He will give you something that would exalt itself above the knowledge of God. You'll know something better. That's where you get, if you get arguing with ungodly men on religion.

[13:28] They know nothing about this religion. They've got something that exalts themselves about the knowledge of God. The effect is to bring the poor soul at last into captivity.

[13:44] He started out, he was going to have the victory all the way and all the time. In his own mind, he was going to wave the flag of victory, but at last he finds it he's brought into captivity to the obedience of Christ.

[14:03] Well, friends, that's just, shall we say, a little sketch of the points of interest and concern into our text.

[14:17] Well, now let us remember the weapons of our warfare. First of all, have we been called to fight this fight?

[14:29] A fight of faith because that which you lay hold of, that God has to give, you lay hold of it by faith.

[14:42] Without faith, it's impossible to please him. And when we do please him, our pleasure is placed as well.

[14:56] It's a wonderful warfare, friends, but very solemn. Here's a great man, the apostle, we call him a great man, he was greatly favored, greatly exercised, but look at what he experienced.

[15:12] he found that he was being imprisoned for it, he labored, he fasted, he suffered, and yet he was the one to fight, the good fight of faith, to lay hold of eternal life.

[15:33] If that is so, friends, if you're fighting to lay hold of this faith, it is because it's already laid hold of you.

[15:45] The natural religion, he seems to conquer all the way. He seems not to be disturbed. I remember when I was young, there was a young man I knew much of, and he made his profession, he joined the church.

[16:07] He usually carried a little New Testament in his pocket, and if there was any argument at all, anything discussed regarding the word, he said, wait a minute, I'll get out my sword, and out came the New Testament.

[16:25] It's all a matter of fleshly boldness, I know just what he was, because his living as a believer was shameful, and he followed not that testament at all, that wasn't the sword of life, that never had pierced his heart, he never had a right separation, and there I must leave it.

[16:51] That is the case with many, and natural religion, friends, is a very comfortable one, but it ends in hell, and damnation, but the fighting, the good fight of faith, is being able by faith to lay hold of the word of life, the eternal life, it's in Christ, and Christ, it was victorious, and the church and everyone who believes in him will be victorious too, he won the victory, not for himself, he was almighty, eternal, the devil tried to war with him, that he could not, but the believer is a creature, if you've been born again, and your soul quickened into life, if you come forth to seek to publicly make that known, and you should, yes, and some mercy, if you can, you're entering into warfare, entering into warfare, and the devil will see you have it too, he's the one, you may have thought, well,

[18:12] I know I should have to overcome this one and that one, I know if I enter into this warfare, there'll be those that are against me, don't worry about them, it's the devil, friends, he's a stronger one, he's a strong foe, he was bold enough to tackle as he used as such an expression, the very things of God in Christ, he came into this world, when he entered into the garden, think of it, the place the garden that God had made, and sin had never entered, and yet the devil dared to enter into the garden of Eden, and he assaulted the woman and the man, they agreed with him on one point, solemn point, but it was one of imagination, and it was against the knowledge of God,

[19:22] God had spoken to Adam, and to Eve, and the devil had entered to contest the word of God, well if he did that to your first parent, who was in a sinless place, what would he do to us who are in an ungodly world, with ungodliness in our hearts, and with every suggestion of evil, on one hand and another, it's a warfare, friends, but there's a certain victory at the end, there is, but it's all that he was passed through, on the battlefield, the battlefield in the midst of battle, looks far off from being ever at peace, but nevertheless, this is God's way with his people, they were born in sin and shape in equity, they must learn the way of salvation, they must be brought to salvation, even through the Son of

[20:33] God, and against even the Son of God, the devil arises, and the warfare is certain, and so is the victory, yes, because the believer must overcome at last, his weapons are forged in heaven, yes, they are, yes, they're not the suggestions on earth, you'll have them, of course, you'll have the suggestions of what you can do to overcome this evil, and to bring a solid peace in your own mind and heart, and to be able to say, I'm right in the things of God, oh, that which is your concern, is that you've begun, and the warfare is set up, and you thought otherwise, let me say I'm one of the Lords, let me suggest even the Lord has shown me his mercy and is gracious towards me, let me get there and I feel I shall be safe, but not so, friends, the devil doesn't fight with the world, he fights with God's people, the war fear is not in the world of a spiritual sort, but only carnal, and natural, and a man's, but a man's foes, and spiritually a man's foes are those of his own household, here they are, here they are in the heart, he was born with them, great mercy, it's been brought to light, it's been brought to light, the Lord has summoned you to fight the good fight of faith, and he's already prepared you, and prepared for you, and there's a knowledge, and a saving knowledge, before we know the

[22:51] Lord, we have to know ourselves, and when we know ourselves, we know there's no helping self, though I sought it well, the native treasure of my mind, is sin, and death, and hell, it's a warfare, friends, that God has appointed for his people, it makes itself known, when the believer believes in God, you get to that point, I believe in God, you've been willing and ready to say so, I believe in God, and you tell the people, why you believe in God, what is done for you, the devil hears you, yes, the devil hears you, I'll fight that one, I'll bring forth that which I know is in that one's heart and life,

[23:52] I'll tempt them with the fiercest temptation, but still the Lord has equipped you, he has, yes, he's equipped you, the word which is quick and powerful, sharp and to his sword, is a wonderful sword to wield, when the hand of the Spirit guides your hand, and guards your heart, and then you say, my weapon is not carnal, but it is that which will cast down the imagination, break up every stronghold, pull it all down, but friends, that isn't in a day, and it may not be, I was going to say, in a short life, so the Lord gives us a long life, yes, it gives us a long life, and the longer we live, the harder the battle seems to be, that is one, then you must increase in strength as you go, and thus we increase in weakness, but nevertheless, the Lord

[25:12] God is strong, almighty in battle, and he will prove himself, the God of Israel, right from the very beginning to the end, fear not, I am with you, says the Lord, I will help you, I will uphold you, and that is the work that will take place in the heart of the believer.

[25:42] The word, then, that the apostle was enforcing at this time, he'd been writing letters to him, you know, to the Corinthians, and he'd said some hard, sharp things, you know, and he says to them, of course, you think when I'm away from you, and I'm writing your letters, I'm very bold, but look when he comes, let's watch when he comes, he'd be weak then, but no, he wasn't so, but in the region of their heart, and he'd been writing the letters, and so there'd be others, they may write, they may say, they may do, but it's not in man's hand at all, the apostle had to acknowledge it, he said, there's got to be the casting down of imagination and reasoning, it's got to be that work which the

[26:50] Lord alone will accomplish, which he has begun, he that has begun a good work in you, will perform it unto the day of Jesus Christ, I think it was the Philippians he told that, and he says to all his people, you and I can read that word, and faith can lay hold of it, he that has begun a good work in you, put you on the battlefield, brought you into life, and not brought you into a very nice place in life either, where your religion is not assailed, now he brings you perhaps where that religion of his assailed, first in your own heart, and then amongst your nearest and dearest, and then in the world, but a man's foes are those of his own household, those chief his foes, the Lord says so, and it's a mercy if he says it to you, if he says it to me, because he doesn't say to all the world, some people think, you know, that if they repeat the scripture to anyone, they should take hold of it and receive it and be blessed by it, but no, it's the word of

[28:11] God, the God's people, the battle is the Lord's, it's joined with him, his word, his power, his love, his mercy, it operates in the heart of the believer, but it's not a soft, easy work, no, a warfare is not a recreation, no, it is that which savors life or death, and yet one born, is born again, born to life, born to live that life, born to fight in that life, but born to be victorious, the battle is the Lord's and not yours, and not yours, that the devil will seek to overthrow, if he could, for the weapons of our warfare are not carnal, you'll find those that are not fighting, as I've already suggested, that have a religion and don't have to fight regarding it, they can quote scripture, they can tell you what they can do, what they've done, they're confident that's right, they love

[29:48] God, they've given their heart to the Lord, they've done this and done that, it's been all their own doings, and they're satisfied with it, if you find any religion in your own heart, do you not have to test it, and does not the Lord test it, is it not right, well what did he say, I try the righteous, the ungodly have no need to be tried, it's evident what they are, there's no grace in their heart, there's no alteration of change in their heart or life, therefore there's nothing to try with them, but the Lord tries the righteous, puts them to battle, but he equips them well, he does, he equips them well, poor David, he was only a stripling of all

[30:52] Israel, friends, of all the big men, and older men, and warriors in Israel, the Lord called the stripling David to fight Goliath, he was the one in the house, friends, and got the true equipment, the true warfare, was with him now before God and before Goliath, so all the king said, well if the lad is going, we shall have to equip him, he brings out his armor, he lays it before the stripling, and he looks at it, and he shakes his head, he said, I've never proved such stuff as that, I've never worn, I've had more ease in my own arms and nature, and wears stuff like that, he refused to put it on, he says to Goliath,

[31:57] I come to you in the name of the Lord God of Israel, he had a sling, friends, yes, and he chose his stones, he chose five, he only wanted one, but he chose five, he did perhaps what he usually did, in using his sling, that this stone, friends, had got to be guided by Israel's God, Goliath was well equipped and well armoured, and there was only a little breathing space we might say, between the cranks of the armour, and the stone must go to that spot, and it did, friends, it did, I come to you in the name of the Lord God of Israel, well, friends, his armour, wasn't carnal, was it?

[32:55] It wasn't carnal, it is true, he could have come without even his grip, but he was not allowed to do that, you're not allowed presumption, you know, oh no, presumption may be very near at hand, hang by your side as a part of your armour, but not presumption, no, the Lord would never allow you to use a presumptive means, he's your God, he has put you on the battlefield, he's called you for and he's equipped you and the armour must not be carnal, but spiritual and so the stone, that small pebble entered, not only through the harness of the Goliath, but entered into it, mind and heart brought him to the ground, the victory was the

[34:01] Lord's and not David's, so friends, that's what we've got to consider if you're not, the victory will be the Lord's and not ours, but of course the devil will say, oh, but you know, you want to make a good show, if you're going to be a Christian and you want to take up some religious work and you want to do all this, that and the other in the name of Jesus.

[34:31] I remember when I was young, when they used to come forward and join the church, they used to say to them, well, this was their way of working, now we must give them something to do, give them some work in the school, in the church, and that will hold them, hold them, keep them, that doesn't sound like the word of God, the word of God says, kept by the power of God through faith unto salvation, that's part of the armor that you must wear on profession, kept, to be kept by the power of God, not kept because others are looking upon you now, what a great change, but no, here it is, here it is, the weapons of our warfare are not carnal, are not carnal, so when men introduce carnal weapons to aid the church of

[35:37] God, to keep the people, that's wrong friends, no, the spirit is life, the spirit has power, and it's the spirit of God, spirit of God.

[35:50] all the weapons of our warfare are not carnal, but mighty, mighty through God.

[36:02] The hymn writer speaks this in art of prayer, being a wonderful weapon, yes, prayer that brings you to God, the same God that worked in your heart, that work of salvation, salvation, that same God that said you're a sinner, made you feel it, and you've had to confess it, but the same God comes forth and delivers you, he delivered me when bound, and when wounded, made the all, it is the Lord's work, the battle is the Lord's, the victory will be his, mighty, through God.

[36:48] Think of it, the highest possible power, might, wisdom, that ever could be thought of, God himself, God who made this earth, God who made you and made myself, God who is over all, blessed forever, that God friends, that's brought you into life, that God will one day come and take you and I from that God, that mighty God, you can't resist, no, as almighty power, for the life is his, every breath he gives you, he gives from himself, we live in him naturally, and it's a mercy if we live in him spiritually, he's a mighty God, well this God then is the one that gives victory, but mighty through God, makes his weapons so mighty, because God holds them,

[37:55] God guides them, as he did David's stone, and God moves the whole world, that he might deliver his own people, he did, we read it, do we not, how when he was a mine towards Israel, he would destroy all nations, he would destroy kings, nothing can stand against him, his weapons were not carnal, no, he could bring the thunder, he could bring the lightning, he could bring the storms, he could bring the earthquake, he could bring pestilence, he could bring all things to render a man helpless, and the enemies of Israel, were slain, he passed by nations, and appeared to be good, and yet, he would destroy them, to make a passage through, for Israel, for Israel's

[38:58] God, your peace shall be, you say yourself, it would be a disturbance now, a disturbance through life, if I enter this warfare, every man's hand will be against me, that fear not, Israel, I am with thee, saith the Lord, I will hear thee, uphold thee, I will guide thee, with my righteousness, mighty, through God, the pulling down of strongholds, we just mentioned that, as we pass through the text quickly, strongholds, friends, your nature, and my nature, what a stronghold that is, I've got the same seed of sin in me now, as was in me at my birth, and so have you, and the seed, friends, if left to itself, is capable of you and I committing the most vilest sin on earth, that, that seed is in the hand of

[40:13] God, he knew, he knows you from the beginning, and he says, and I would never leave thee, nor forsake me, but we have our own nature, friends, you know, we pass them over, perhaps lightly, we say, there are susceptible sins, as if there's some special license that we have, your susceptible sins, mine, they say, friends, they're strongholds, they're strongholds, because they're with you all your life, you're born in sin, so was I, and we should die of sinners, but if you die a sinner in Christ, you die a sinner saved by grace, and grace has caused that great separation, so that at last, when the Lord comes to claim his own, that sinful nature was in the flesh, that's where it was, in the flesh, but it was never in that new life that he gave you, you say,

[41:28] I continue to sin, yes, but it's the old man, you know, it's your own nature, it's not the new man of grace, he can't sin, the new man of grace that cannot sin, you're born again, if born again, quickened into life, that's, that's, that is life, it's not a living death, oh no, it's life, eternal life, but your own nature is sinful, you're born in it, and until the great separation comes, when he takes the soul unto himself, and your body is cast into the grave, to go to corruption, friends, corruption, that's the mercy, friends, the last act of mercy that God can show a force to man, and he will be quite unconscious of it, because his soul will be with the Lord, yes, he'll not be grieving, because his poor body is going into the grave, you know nothing of that, the Lord takes the soul, and the body goes to corruption, that has been a stronghold, friends, all the time you and I have a body, we have a body of sin and death, and our hope is alone in his salvation, but it must be a warfare for us to learn, yes, must be a warfare for us to learn, that it's mighty, it's a mighty work going on, mighty God, through God, through God's power, through his mercy, through that which he has determined to do on your behalf, it is him alone that has come forth to save, mighty to save, the Lord

[43:34] Jesus Christ, but who can understand it, who understood this great work of redemption when Christ hung on the cross, what did they say?

[43:52] He saved others, he cannot save himself, if you be the king of Israel, come down from the cross, and prove your power and your place, but no friends, Christ was overcoming the victory over death, for those poor sinners that are born in sin, shape and iniquity, but brought out of life, nature, and death into life, and they receive it through the merit, blood, righteousness of Christ.

[44:36] He was there as a mighty God for it, they could no more see it than man can see today with the eye of nature, the grace of God at work.

[44:50] No understanding, friends. It's a mightiness, it's a power, it's a mercy, it's a blessing that God reveals to his people.

[45:01] He's their God, he's mighty to say, and he works in a mighty way. who can understand him, who knows his work, who realises the power of the stronghold in and about them, that who can overcome but the Lord himself, my people, he said.

[45:25] And this is what the apostle had to preach, and it's a great mercy because he speaks in the way that though he was the man appointed to undergo so much in this great battle, yet he had those who were with him and he says, as I did at the beginning, we then as workers together.

[45:52] It may be considered, of course, that the apostles' religion was such. He never felt like others felt, but you wait a minute, let us look.

[46:04] He was the same man. After all this, after that great call on his road to Damascus, what did he say?

[46:16] Oh, wretched man as I am, who shall deliver me from this body of sin and death. That's the apostle Paul, and that's the same as any other man.

[46:30] He may preach the gospel, he may be well received, the Lord may give him many seals with ministry, but he'll have to say like the apostle says, oh, wretched man as I am.

[46:45] And if you have to say it, notwithstanding all your profession, you're not one more than another. God's people have to know their state and condition in the flesh, begging that they might have the knowledge, saving knowledge, of the Spirit's work.

[47:07] It is that which they must learn and that which they must know. It's mighty work, it's a mighty God, the mighty God.

[47:19] But mighty, they're not carnal friends. Oh, I know they would have said years ago where I was first connected, you must do this, you must do that, don't forget your Bible, look at the text over your bed, keep your mind and heart on that.

[47:47] And such a work, well, in the finish, if you didn't quite save yourself, you'd be able to keep yourself. No, not so. The Apostle Peter said, and I'll say the same, though he says, I know you know these things, yet I would remind you of them.

[48:10] They're so important, friends. They're so important. We have to be reminded. What a mercy then, to come up Sunday after Sunday and hear the gospel and be reminded of the true work of grace, hoping, praying that we might have evidence in our own heart.

[48:34] And so the Lord in mercy remembers his people and upholds them and keeps them and preserves them in the day of evil, that the weapons of our warfare are carnal.

[48:52] Oh, not carnal. Not carnal. No. Carnal weapons you'll never be able to use if you're one of God's people. Yeah, bluntly will it.

[49:04] And it will be of no avail. But he himself has promised to be their God. I will help you. I will keep you.

[49:15] I will uphold thee with my righteousness. So, we will have to leave him. Casting down imagination and every high thing, not a little thing, you see, a high thing that exalts itself against the knowledge of God, bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ.

[49:43] Christ. What a mercy to have such a thought that holds you in captivity. It belongs to God. It's for your mercy.

[49:53] It's for your salvation. And it holds you in captivity. You can't leave it. There we'll leave it for this one. Amen.

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