I am glad that someone with the background and theological aptitude such as Phil Johnson, the PyroManiac, wrote on the subject of spiritual warfare, calling his blog post "Real spiritual warfare is not like a round of Doom". He followed that up with "Picking up where we left off Tuesday..." and also "Now, let's get personal." These posts are excellent and you would do well to read them.
The concept of spiritual warfare has been so abused, misused and hyped by various segments of the church, thereby leaving it bereft of the real Biblical meaning of the phrase. Most of the time "spiritual warfare" is turned into "spiritual fanfare!" What with marches, prayer walks, shouting and thinking that walking over a piece of real estate they have now claimed the land for the Lord! Nothing is claimed for the Lord like that! Didn't that real estate already belong to the Lord? He is already the Lord of the universe. He doesn't need us walking over soil to claim it for Him!
"(4) For the weapons of our warfare are not of the flesh but have divine power to destroy strongholds. (5) We destroy arguments and every lofty opinion raised against the knowledge of God, and take every thought captive to obey Christ" (2Co 10:4-5 ESV)
It is very clear that spiritual warfare has nothing to do with the physical world we live in! Verse 4 ends with destroying strongholds and verse 5 starts with explaining what those strongholds are: arguments and lofty opinions against the knowledge of God and taking thoughts captive. Ok, so now we know what those strongholds are. Note that Paul does NOT say that these strongholds are demons!
How will we destroy those strongholds then? It has to be through the preaching of the unadulterated Word of God and the bold proclamation of the gospel! It is the truth of God that will destroy the arguments and opinions that stand against God!
Let's stop all this "charismaniacal" fanfare and get down to the nitty-gritty of true Biblical spiritual warfare!
Are you with me?!
Just thinking...
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