Modern-Day Warfare

“I do live in the world. But I don't fight my battles the way the people of the world do. The weapons I fight with are not the weapons the world uses. In fact, it is just the opposite. My weapons have the power of God to destroy the camps of the enemy.” (2 Corinthians 10:3-4 NIrV)


As we look back over the ages and study warfare, we see the methods have changed drastically. From swords and flaming spears to nuclear warheads able to travel thousands of miles and hit precise targets, the way nations wage war has changed! Just the threat of a stronger weapon is now a negotiating tool. Though the methods of warfare have changed, the strategy is still similar…we must be on guard and attack the enemy. We must have the strongest weapon and prepared armies.

Spiritual warfare has been going on since before time as we know it. There are powers and principalities and dominions fighting over your souls and mine, undermining the Truth, and attempting to persuade us to believe a lie. As Paul described the battles, he reiterated the power we must side with: God! He alone can cast down strongholds, destroy wicked plans, and release the captives of sin and evil. The weapons of God are not of this world and to defeat the enemy, we need not to use the world’s power, but the weapons God gives to us…His Truth…His Spirit…His Faith.

Though the weapons against evil are timeless, the methods of MODERN-DAY WARFARE can change from generation to generation and from culture to culture. What works for you in Africa may not work for me in an urban U.S. City. What works in your urban neighborhood may not work in my city block. What your youth group responds to may not excite the kids I speak with daily. Just as Paul stated that he walked according to the Spirit and not his flesh (2 Corinthians 10:3), we too must be in tune with God’s Spirit to hear how He wants us to work. We must be sensitive to specific needs of the people we live among, the children we work with, and the families we serve. We are not simply trying to overcome hunger, homelessness, unemployment, and educational challenges; we are trying to tear down walls and boundaries set up by Satan to keep children and families from knowing the Truths of God!

Just as the enemy is subtle and cunning, we must be “wise as serpents and innocent as doves” (Matthew 10:16). We have to be prayed up and studied up! We have to know the enemy and the people we are attempting to reach. We cannot be uninformed believers! MODERN-DAY WARFARE requires commitment and dedication. We will be battered and bruised along the way. But we must get up and keep engaging the enemy. Victory won’t come easy, but it will come. God guarantees it!