Pulling Down Strong Holds
Paul did not rely on his human personality, his natural ability, or his own intellect, emotions, and will to accomplish God’s purpose. No indeed! He did not war after the flesh. They would soon discover that if it ever came to a confrontation. His critics seemed to think that when it came to a showdown it would be simply a battle of wills or a matter of clever arguments and heated passions. They were quite sure they could brow beat even Paul when it came to that. “I’ll not be using those kinds of weapons,” Paul warns them.

For Paul was liberated by his beliefs (2 Cor. 10:3b-5), by his faith in Christ, and by his sure confidence of the indwelling, filling, and anointing Spirit of God. He now describes the kind of weapons he regularly employed in all spiritual warfare—and Paul recognized something his critics did not grasp, that the battle was purely spiritual in nature and in scope. As they looked at Paul’s arsenal, now displayed for them, it might well have caused even his bitterest critics to tremble. Confronted with these weapons even Satan’s hosts tremble.

First, his weapons are displayed: “For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal, but mighty through God to the pulling down of strong holds” (10:4). He reveals both their spiritual character and their spiritual capacity. They are not “carnal.” Our weapons are the very opposite of that. They are of a spiritual nature. The Word of God is one of our weapons.