The Lord rescues the humble but brings down the haughty (2 Samuel 22:28). God opposes the proud and favors the meek (James 4:6–7, 10 1 Peter 5:5–6 Psalm 149:4 Proverbs 18:12). Pride, Scripture reveals, is Satan’s predominant attitude and primary pitfall (Isaiah 14:13–14 Ezekiel 28:2, 17). Paul’s gentle, humble attitude established a powerful spiritual weapon against the prideful stance of his opposition. The believer’s approach to pulling down strongholds is to present the truth of God’s Word and let the Holy Spirit reshape the other person’s thoughts, heart attitudes, and perceptions (Hebrews 4:12). The “message of the cross” had become foolishness to these spiritual rebels, but Paul knew that it held the power of God (1 Corinthians 1:18). Pride and intellectualism had exalted their thinking and blinded them to the truth. Paul faced this stronghold in the Corinthian church. Thoughts contrary to the truth of God’s Word are like a mental wall of resistance-a stronghold. In the same way, through faithful obedience to God’s commands, Christians pull down spiritual strongholds. The massive walls of Jericho collapsed in an instant by the mighty hand of God. Humanly speaking, the whole episode seemed absurd, “But God chose the foolish things of the world to shame the wise God chose the weak things of the world to shame the strong” (1 Corinthians 1:27). The battle was the Lord’s, fought His way, and according to His instructions. When God’s people in Joshua’s day, by faith, followed the Word of God and obeyed His commands, the walls of Jericho fell (Joshua 6:1–27). Jericho’s walls are like the walls of resistance in the minds of rebellious people, and they must be torn down. An Old Testament illustration of “pulling down strongholds” is found in the battle of Jericho.
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The only way to successfully engage in spiritual warfare is to abandon carnal methods and worldly attitudes and follow the Lord’s command. They evaluated Paul’s ministry “according to the flesh” (2 Corinthians 10:3) and not according to the Spirit of God.Ĭhristians cannot fight spiritual battles with weapons of the flesh. They completely missed the divine power that endowed his ministry. Paul knew his struggle was not against flesh and blood enemies but against “the powers of this dark world” and “spiritual forces of evil” (Ephesians 6:12).īecause of Paul’s humble attitude, the false teachers judged him by his external presence, finding him “timid” and “unimpressive” (2 Corinthians 10:1, 10). He did not rely on human strategy and wisdom, but on power supplied by the Lord. Paul depended on spiritual weapons of warfare that held God’s power to pull down strongholds. His power rested in the gospel that he preached (Romans 1:16), not in himself. Instead, Paul had operated in Christlike meekness (Matthew 11:29). He had not lorded it over the people, trying to impress them with an overpowering personality or oratorical flair. He had founded the church in “the humility and gentleness of Christ” (2 Corinthians 10:1). Paul realized that the battle he faced in Corinth was spiritual warfare.
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In this context, pulling down strongholds refers to demolishing walls of resistance in people’s minds, particularly how the rebellious Corinthians were thinking about Paul and the nature of his apostleship.
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As part of his defense, Paul stated, “For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal but mighty in God for pulling down strongholds” (2 Corinthians 10:4, NKJV).
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In 2 Corinthians 10, Paul challenged these rebels, including the false teachers, and reinforced his apostolic ministry. These deceivers were stirring up division, causing many to resist Paul’s authority. False teachers were wreaking havoc on the church Paul had founded in Corinth.