Our scripture lesson this evening is found in 2 Corinthians 10. In the first verse we find some striking words by Paul. He doesn't really mean them. This is what they were saying about him. Now I, Paul, myself, beseech you by the meekness and gentleness of Christ, who in presence am base among you, but being absent, am bold toward you. But I beseech you that I may not be bold when I am present with that confidence, wherewith I think to be bold against some, which think of us as if we walked according to the flesh. For though we walk in the flesh, we do not war after the flesh. 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, and having in a readiness to revenge all disobedience when your obedience is fulfilled. Do ye look on things after the outward appearance? If any man trust to himself that he is Christ's, and let him of himself think this again, that as he is Christ's, even so are we Christ's. Though I should boast somewhat more of our authority which the Lord hath given us for edification, and not for your destruction, I should not be ashamed. They may not seem as if I would terrify you by letters, for his letters say they are weighty and powerful, about his bodily presence is weak and his speech contemptible. But such in one think this, that such as we are in word by letters when we are absent, such will we be also in deed when we are present. For we dare not make ourselves of the number or compare ourselves with some that commend themselves, but they measuring themselves by themselves and comparing themselves among themselves are not wise. But we will not boast of things without our measure, but according to the measure of the rules which God hath distributed to us, a measure to reach even unto you. For we stretch not ourselves beyond our measure, as though we reach not unto you, We are come as far as to you also in preaching the gospel of Christ, not boasting of things without our measure, that is, of other men's labors, but having hope, when your faith is increased, that ye shall be enlarged by you according to our rule abundantly. To preach the gospel in the regions beyond you, and not to boast in another man's line of things made ready to our hand. But he that glorieth, let him glory in the Lord. For not he that commendeth himself is approved, but whom the Lord commendeth." Thus far, the reading of God's holy word The word that I want to open unto you tonight, beloved, is found in the verses 3, 4, and 5. Though we walk in the flesh, we do not war after the flesh. 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 God. and bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ, and having in a readiness to revenge all disobedience when your obedience is fulfilled. Our text tonight, beloved in the Lord, is surrounded by defense that Paul makes of his apostleship. roundly and soundly criticized for his doctrinal position. And his enemies tried to attack him by saying he's not really an apostle of Christ, he was not called by Jesus Christ and sent by Jesus Christ, but he's a self-made man. He just goes where he wants and says what he pleases. It has often been remarked that the Bible is not a textbook of theology, it's not a textbook of doctrine, but it arises out of the life and history of the Church. And the Bible is an infallible record of the history of the early Church. And we find a lot of doctrine in our passage tonight, not as if the Apostle is saying, here we go, one, two, three, A, B, C, but he talks about the history of the early church, a history in which he was thoroughly involved. Paul has in mind two different groups of people as he writes the words of our text tonight. First, there were false teachers, false prophets, that were trying to undermine his authority and to change his teachings. Paul was a champion of the doctrines of grace. One thing mattered to him, and that is that he cut the doctrine of Scripture straightly, that he got it right. that he made it plain that no one could wonder what point he was making or driving at. An apostle of the grace of God. Well, they were trying to undermine his teachings. They were trying to change doctrines of grace into doctrines which were partly of grace and partly of works. Judaizers, very likely, traveling around, following Paul, noticing the effect he had on people, were trying to destroy what he was building. And he sets out to nullify their influence. The second group he has in mind are church members who are beginning to be influenced by these teachers and who are beginning to look askant at what he was saying. That's why we find in our chapter all kinds of vicious charges made against the apostle. They said he was a coward. that when he was present with them, he behaved himself with meekness and gentleness, but when he's absent from them, then he's bold. It was true, of course, as a faithful servant of Christ, he manifested the meekness and gentleness of Christ. He always tried to lead the people of God and not force them, but he was no coward. And he stands ready to use boldness and harshness when that is necessary, as we'll see. They criticize his appearance and his manner of speaking according to verse 10. For his letters say they are weighty and powerful, but his bodily presence is weak and his speech contemptible. Did you ever have a pastor whose speech was contemptible? He looked down at it. He couldn't stand it. He couldn't take it any longer. You ever have a pastor like that? Better examine yourself as to that kind of reaction if you have such a reaction. They said he was carnal, that he walked according to the flesh. He was earthly minded. He used earthly or carnal methods, walking according to the flesh. With a play on words, he responds, for though we walk in the flesh, we do not war after the flesh. His weapons were not carnal, but mighty and spiritual. And finally, they even dared to say that Paul was not in Christ. Think of that. They bragged about being Christians. They were in Christ. Christ was in them. And Paul says to them, you better think about that a little longer because we assure you that I and my assistants, my helpers, are in Jesus Christ and Jesus Christ is in us and works in us powerfully. So all these terrible charges are denied, they're turned aside, and then we have the tax in his powerful language regarding the great weapons that he used, which is the word of God, the true gospel of grace in Jesus Christ. The words of our text tonight, beloved, are very practical and up-to-date. They are to be heard and taken to heart by every professor of theology, by every minister of the gospel. by every elder and deacon in the church, for they teach how each office bearer is to think of himself, how he is to do his work, how he is to wage spiritual warfare. But no less are these words to be taken to heart by each and every believer. You have an office as well. You partake of the anointing of Jesus Christ by faith, and therefore you also are prophets and priests and kings. You are engaged in the battle, your own fight for personal holiness in this evil world, but also contending earnestly for the faith once delivered to the saints. So we call your attention to our spiritual warfare. We notice with you first of all the weapons that we use, the power that those weapons have, and the outcome of the battle. Our spiritual warfare. The weapons, their power, and the outcome. I'm finding more and more that the essentials of Reformed Doctrine Catechism class that everybody here has taken for a couple of years or more, and that a couple of dozen of you are taking right now, is extremely valuable. In the past 43 years, I've had numerous requests from adults that I teach the essentials class 30 weeks to the adults. And every time I hear that, I say, sorry, I don't have time for that kind of a thing. Let's pass the idea on to Professor Engelsma, who will bring it up next fall. He finishes his lectures on the Holy Spirit, and we'll discuss whether we want to do that as adults. In the essentials class, We learn exactly what the key points of the Reformed faith are. We learn a lot about ecclesiology, the doctrines of the church. We learn that the church may be distinguished as, on the one hand, church institute, organization, offices, and so on, and the church organism. There's also a three-fold distinction that we have learned that we want to mention at this point. The church triumphant, composed of those who have already gone to heaven as to their souls, that number is always increasing as time goes on. The church militant, or the church on earth, whose number is slowly decreasing as time moves to its end, because the Church becomes smaller and smaller as the return of Jesus Christ approaches. And thirdly, the Church latent, or at rest, or yet to be born. That number is definitely decreasing as time marches on. And you recognize that only those who believe in election and reprobation have any right at all to talk about the church latent or unborn. You and I and our children, every believer in this auditorium tonight belongs to the church militant. We are soldiers in the army of Jesus Christ, we follow the captain of our salvation, and we are more than conquerors as we do so. That's a striking phrase. More than conquerors through him that loved us. Romans 8.37. I heard a very poor funeral address on that text. The man got it all confused and all backwards. It can only mean that although we are surely called by God to fight, We engage in this warfare against an enemy which has already been defeated by Christ. And that means that the victory is ours and the victory is sure. Life is not a playground. Life is not one long picnic. Life is a battle. We're engaged in an important long warfare. Though Paul's enemies charged him with using carnal weapons of the flesh, he denies that charge completely. What are carnal weapons? Well, those that are highly esteemed by the world and the wisdom of this world, which is foolishness with God. Paul did not come with excellency of speech, not with enticing words, not with high-flown oratory, as he tells us in 1 Corinthians 2. He didn't come with human arguments, human reasoning, philosophical systems of thought, debating skills or tricks or cleverness. He didn't come with intellectual superiority. There's a danger. that attends that kind of an approach to witnessing and doing battle. We better be aware of that danger as office bearers and believers. Then we argue on their terms. The result is that the smarter one wins. the better debater wins. If you are in some contact with someone discussing issues of life and death, issues pertaining to heaven and hell, and get something straight immediately, ask that person, what do you believe about the word of God? What's your position on Holy Scripture? And if he doesn't say that he believes that the Bible is God's inerrant Holy Word, true in all of its parts, you have nothing to say to him. Simply say goodbye. When you study things and you have the right position concerning Scripture, we'll talk again sometime. There's another approach that some like to take in defense of the gospel. It really doesn't work either. And I'll call that the personality cult or the charismatic movement or method. A nice smile. Five hundred dollar suit. Hundred dollar haircut. Some seem to think that the gospel ministry is a popularity contest, and try to outdo the competition with things that appeal to the flesh. But the only weapons, beloved, that will carry the day, the only weapons that God will use, and of which he will approve, are spiritual weapons. Positively, and in the first place, our weapon is the Word of God. That sharp two-edged sword that no man can gainsay, no man can turn aside or successfully resist. That word given by inspiration which is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness. Just what you need in battle. sound doctrine, reproof or censure or rebuke, correction concerning all the lies being told about God, the lies being told about Jesus Christ and His Church and the way of salvation and the truth of the covenant. And then with that Word of God, the Holy Spirit belongs to the weapon. the spirit of truth, the spirit who knows the deep things of God, the spirit who always works in the service of Christ and is irresistible in power. Rather strikingly, when Paul sets forth the whole armor of God in Ephesians chapter 6, he ties the word and spirit together by saying, The sword of the spirit, which is the word of God. Word, spirit, and then the third weapon, or shall I say, the third aspect that belongs to the weapon of the child of God is his personal conviction that He is a servant of Christ, that he's a warring child of God. The certainty that God has called you out of darkness into his marvelous light, that he has placed you in a certain place in the church, that he qualifies you there in that position, and that he will use that position for his good. The conviction that Christ is your shield and buckler, your sure defense, your help in time of trouble is always near and will never forsake you and never allow you to be put to shame. With those weapons you are called to fight. Those weapons have been tested throughout history and have been tempered by the flames of many trials and many controversies. Never doubt their power or their efficacy. Don't be tempted to use other approaches. Be meek, be lowly of heart as Jesus was and as his faithful servant Paul was. Be ready to put your knowledge and understanding into the service of others. Be ready to draw and not repel, to lead and not force. But comes the time when discipline is called for, when holy anger is aroused, when threats are uttered, that too was the case with Jesus and with Paul. You know what's being preached in other churches? I don't advise you to go listen here and there. What's being said about Jesus Christ in most other churches? He never says a discouraging word. He is harmless. He wouldn't hurt a fly. Is that Christ in whose army we battle? Think of Jesus cleansing the temple twice, once at the beginning of his ministry and once near the end of his ministry. See him braiding a leather whip and driving out the money changers from the temple, upsetting their tables of change and loosing their birds and small animals. Paul calls some of the Christians to whom Titus ministered, always liars, evil beasts, slow bellies. I take that to understand they thought most of sitting down and eating some more. And the believers in Galatia were foolish, bewitched, because they fell for the gospel taught by the Judaizers, which was not the gospel, which was a false gospel. What's going on today? What's going on today in Reformed churches? Something we've heard about, we've read about, something very evil, the federal vision that salvation is partly by Christ and our faith in Jesus Christ and salvation is partly by our works of the law. Should we not call those who set forth a federal vision false teachers, enemies of the cross of Jesus Christ? So we are all in the army of Christ as children of God. Some here tonight are in the Army Reserves. That's the little children. Some are in basic training, the young people. And some are on active duty in the regular Army. And you enlisted in that Army when you confessed the Reformed faith of Holy Scripture. And you cannot resign your office. no discharge from the army of Jesus Christ ever. Paul says that those weapons are mighty through God. Some translations have mighty to God, mighty in God's estimation, but there's very little difference as to meaning. The might and the power of God, without any limit and completely irresistible, God has attached to and God has infused into the preaching of the Church and the testimony of believers to a lesser extent. Paul was always conscious of God's power in the preaching. Paul stood amazed by the power of his own preaching. He would travel here, travel there, wherever he had opportunity. He preached Jesus Christ, and things happened. Things happened. And Paul was struck by that. He was amazed at the results of his own preaching. He says in 1 Corinthians 1 that no matter what man may say of his chief means of grace, his primary weapon in the Christian's arsenal, it is to those that are saved, the power of God. And to those who are called, both Jews and Greek, the power of God and the wisdom of God. That's why this apostle and all truly called preachers Don't try to adorn their messages with excellency of speech or enticing words of man's wisdom. That doesn't help anything that can only get in the way of the Spirit working. Faithful professors and preachers And witnesses simply speak the Word of God so that faith does not stand in man, but in the power of God. And no one that uses the Word of the Gospel as a sword ever needs to be ashamed of the Gospel. It's the power of God Himself, and it has always been, and it will continue to be the power of God Himself unto salvation. The text gives to us two examples to set forth the power of the Word of God, two examples that show that that power is awesome in the extreme. This is the reason I prepared this sermon last year, or maybe two years ago, when I ran across these two statements. I said to myself, I've got to get into that, I've got to understand that. In verse 4 we read that it is mighty, the word of God is mighty to the pulling down of strongholds. Strongholds are walled castles, impregnable fortresses, defenses which are secure against all assault and attack. That's a figure of speech of course. That figure refers to anything in which a person relies. all those that oppose the word of God feel that they're serving the right God and they will be protected by that idle God they serve. Old Testament times, Baal, Astaroth, Molech and others, In the apostles' times, there were idols everywhere in the Grecian and Roman world. Diana of the Ephesians, Thor, the god of battle, Neptune, the god of sea travel, but also today, Islam, with their Allah and his prophet Mohammed. Buddhism, Hinduism, Taoism, strongholds of unbelief, traditional religions of the East and Middle East, Pagan religion strongly held to, more closely to home, the cults and the sects of our own land. Seven-day Adventism, Mormonism, Scientology, Unitarianism, Rationalism. So you can assemble all these altars to all these gods. And here comes the gospel of Jesus Christ. And it pulls down those fortresses of human thought. It brings crashing down to the ground those idols which cannot hear or speak or move. Children, remember that time when Israel brought the Ark of the Covenant onto the battlefield without asking God about it? They did it on their own hook. And the Philistines took the Ark of God and put it in the temple of Dagon. The next day they went in there and Dagon had fallen to the ground in front of the Ark of the Covenant. And so they set him up again. And the next day they checked it out again and he had fallen once more, breaking his arms in pieces. The Word and Spirit of Jesus Christ is able to cast down the strength and confidence of all false religions, all humanistic, materialistic, worldly religions, false Gospels. And God has given to us Protestant Reformed believers a ringside seat as this is going on. We can see this going on. in Singapore. We can see this going on in the island of Manila, in India, in China, everywhere in the world as the gospel of Christ is being preached in truth. May God's people believe that word and start to live that word. All these humanistic religions are brought crashing to the ground in defeat. Secondly, Paul says these spiritual weapons cast down imaginations and every high thing that exalts itself against the knowledge of God. The knowledge of God, of course, is the fruit of the revelation of God. God reveals himself in nature to everyone without exception. Everyone is without excuse, therefore, and God reveals himself especially in the Holy Scripture. A mighty conflict is going on between truth and error, between faith and unbelief, between the wisdom of God and the wisdom of the world, which is foolishness with God. The success of the gospel depends on its being presented not as something to be proved, not as something must be considered by those who hear it, and then they try to prove it or disprove it, it is presented as something to be believed. Thus even the thoughts of men, their inner musings, their values, their priorities, everything from within and from without, all are brought into captivity to the obedience of Christ. Indeed, when the Lord Jesus Christ ascended up on high, he led captivity captive. That psalm we sang a little while ago is very beautiful. It pictures Jesus going up to the right hand of the Majesty on high. And he ascends with all his people who he has redeemed from sin. Marching behind Him. And as He goes up on high, somewhere down the line in that train that Christ has defeated, you will find power of sin and death and hell. The power that had us in its grip. Christ came. And he made a captive of the power of captivity. He took away that which had us enslaved to itself and set us free. The outcome of this spiritual battle is spiritual weapons are used in a careful, patient way. His victory, without a single exception, It may not seem that way sometimes. The gospel being the word of God is efficacious, powerful, and will triumph over all opposition. This does not mean that all will obey it. In the church at Corinth, there were those that corrupted the truth, who denied the resurrection of the dead, who rebelled against the authority of the apostles. They were in the church, understand. Paul is not speaking of philosophers in the Grecian world. He says in his first letter that he does not judge those who are without. God will judge them. Those in the church, he will judge, and they will be judged with an even stricter judgment than those that are without. Paul had apostolic power to deliver certain men to Satan for the destruction of the flesh, that they learn not to blaspheme. That power was exceptional and temporary, but it certainly was, he has in mind, church discipline with its extreme remedy of excommunication. He's ready to use it, make no mistake. He's ready to revenge all disobedience according to verse 6. They thought he was a coward. His appearance was weak and his speech contemptible, or as he was forbearing, giving the erring members of the Church space for repentance. But very likely, many of the Corinthian congregation were cut off. Paul understood the two-fold purpose of God with the preaching of his word as expressed in Isaiah 55 verse 11. So shall my word be that goeth forth out of my mouth. It shall not return unto me void, but it shall accomplish that which I please, and it shall prosper in the things whereto I sent it. I heard a radio sermon on that passage several years ago. a man turned it upside down. He said the preaching of the gospel is like rain falling on New York City. Some of the rain fell on the parks and the terraces along the highways and on flower boxes and so on and caused growth. Most of the rain, however, fell on the streets and the parking lots and the rooftops, most of the rain went down the drain, found its way to the river and out to sea, and it didn't do anything. It was void. And that, he said, was the gospel preached in our land. Most of it doesn't do anything. It returns to God, buoyant. Isaiah quotes, no, Isaiah writes properly that that word goes out and accomplishes what God has in mind for it to accomplish. That's happening here, in this congregation. The Word is preached. The Catechism. Different series of different books. The Word is preached. We hear it. We do something with it by the grace of God. What we do is we believe it. We repent of our sins and believe the Word. And if someone does not, that word is held against him, if he does something. Paul was well acquainted with the word of Jesus in Matthew 16. Whatsoever the church shall bind on earth shall be bound in heaven, and whatsoever shall be loosed on earth shall be loosed in heaven. all those who reject the word of God, its call to repentance and faith, shall be loose from God forever and ever. But how carefully does the apostle proceed, and how carefully ought the office-bearers proceed in their labors, and how carefully parents ought to work with their God-given children. The last words or phrase of the text is, When your obedience is fulfilled, Paul will not resort to severity, to discipline, until all other means have failed, until it is clear who will submit to God and who will persist in disobedience and rebellion. Paul had labored for some three years among the saints in Corinth. He had good hope for the saints there. He keeps in mind and heart the positive purpose of the gospel, to soften, to convert, to save, and to preserve in that salvation. The positive purpose of the gospel and spirit of Christ is found in the opening and closing parts of Paul's letter to the Romans, chapter 1, verse 5. He says, the purpose of his apostleship and preaching is the faith and the obedience of the nations. And then in chapter 17 he writes that God's purpose with the gospel is to make himself known to all nations for the obedience of faith. Oh, there's precious instruction for the office-bearers here, for professors of theology as they prepare young men to be pastors and teachers in the churches of Christ, for pastors who must be faithful under-shepherds of Christ, feeding the sheep, comforting, encouraging, correcting always with the Word, and for the elders who have the oversight of the congregation, who must treat the rebellious in heart, with the proper level of discipline. Precious instruction in this passage for parents, for fathers and mothers as they strive day after day to bring the seed that God gives them to faith and the obedience of faith, to lead them in an antithetical walk in these last days, by word and by example, manifesting the meekness and gentleness of Christ, showing patience and love and understanding, always remembering where our children got their simple, depraved natures. They got those natures from us, didn't they? Confess that. They are what they are, because we are what we are. And firmness also, discipline, as the occasion requires. All right, we've spoken of the great spiritual battle in which we are engaged. We've shown what the weapons are, the powerful weapon of the Gospel of Christ in the hands of the Holy Spirit. We notice the victory that the Word and Spirit always has. Let's bring this all home in closing by speaking of these things on the personal level. What we have heard concerning the power that the Spirit and Word have in foreign land, and heathen culture, pulling down strongholds of idolatry and unbelief, and bringing the very thoughts of men into captivity to Christ. Well, beloved, that's exactly what has happened to us. A long time ago, a short time ago, it doesn't make any difference. That is what has happened to us. And that's what's happening to our children at the present time. Strongholds of our depravity, strongholds of our pride and selfishness, strongholds of our deceit and free will thoughts, of saving ourselves, of earning our own salvation by the works of the law, are cast down before Jesus Christ and made subject to his word, and were humble to the gospel. And we cry out, Lord, help thou our unbelief. We believe, but there is so much that clings to us that is of unbelief. Help us, Lord, help us. And the Lord hears, and answers, and sings. He that glorieth, let him glory in the Lord. Amen. Merciful God and Heavenly Father, we thank Thee that Thou hast called to our attention the battle that occupies us at all times. And what it is we must use in that battle and how it goes for us as we use thy word and as the Holy Spirit is pleased to use us with that word. We have a high calling. Thou art the God of our salvation. We testify to the power of thy grace. We thank thee that life is not vain, that it is real, it is earnest, Thou art watching, Thou art the strength of Thy people, and Thou dost judge all things. If miss us now with Thy blessing, pardon our sins, as we spoke and as we gave our attention to Thy word, in Jesus' name, Amen.