Scripture

We use God’s mighty weapons, not worldly weapons, to knock down the strongholds of human reasoning and to destroy false arguments. We destroy every proud obstacle that keeps people from knowing God. We capture their rebellious thoughts to teach them to obey Christ.

Observation

Paul appeals to the Corinthians with the gentleness and kindness of Christ. Some people think Paul is only bold at a distance, confusing his gentleness with timidity when he is with them.

Our weapons are not the fleshly weapons of the world. We use God’s weapons to demolish strongholds and to bring every rebellious thought under Christ’s reign.

Some people might think Paul boasts too much about his authority, but it is authority that comes from Christ and builds people up.

Application

The weapons of our warfare as Christians are not fleshly weapons, but are spiritual in nature.

Paul mentions here strongholds. These are areas of our life where satan has been so entrenched that we are not even aware there is a problem.

Strongholds might be deeply embedded habits or thought patterns that we think are “normal” but are in fact contrary to the gospel.

Strongholds need to be pulled down by an honest look at ourselves in the presence of the Holy Spirit. The weapons that destroy them are prayer and God’s word, that is the normal Christian disciplines.

As we submit ourselves to God’s word and apply it to every part of our life, we notice over time that we no longer believe the way we once did. Strongholds, attitudes, and behaviours become obliterated by the grace of our Lord.

Prayer

Lord, please show me strongholds that satan has established in my life. give me the grace to pull these things down. Amen.

Scripture

For God is the one who provides seed for the farmer and bread to eat. In the same way, he will provide and increase your resources and produce a great harvest of generosity in you.

Observation

Paul quotes Psalm 112 which says that God’s people share freely and give generously to the poor. God provides seed for the sower and bread to eat. In the same way, He will increase their resources and produce a harvest of generosity in them.

God will enrich the Corinthians in every way. When Paul takes their gift back to Jerusalem, the believers there will praise God for this generosity and they will pray for them with deep affection.

Application

God provides the farmer with the seed to sow as well as bread to eat. The test for sustainable farming in the ancient world was that even in the most severe of famines, some grain had to be saved to sow the following year. To fail to do this would lead to further suffering.

As Christians who are under God’s grace, we need to both sow into God’s kingdom and also retain some money to meet our own needs. There is no glory to God if we give away everything we have and then become dependent on others.

So discernment in the Holy Spirit is needed in knowing how to spend and invest the resources that God has given us.

In any event, if we are faithful to the Lord, we will reap a great harvest of generosity. The harvest God is looking for is not just a harvest of wealth, but a harvest of generosity. H wants our hearts changed to the point where the first question we ask we ask is, “How much how much can I give?”

Prayer

Lord, please develop in me this generous heart that seeks to give rather than get. Amen.