Even though we walk in the flesh, we do not war after the flesh. 2 Corinthians 10:3
The earliest known gun was a crude cannon in 1326 in England, designed to ignite gunpowder to fire an arrow. For the centuries and millennia leading up to that point, men depended on their own strength to wield such weapons as swords, spears, battle-axes, and such, when they went into conflict. Even the archers required great strength to bend their bows. Much blood was spilled in battles involving those early weapons. However, with the advent of gunpowder, man no longer needed to depend on his own strength, as long as he could use his guns and bombs skilfully. The bloodshed of ancient battles was small compared to the carnage possible with firearms. Medieval warriors would have blanched in horror at the devastation caused by the weaponry of the first and second world wars. Spiritual warfare is even more incredible when compared to warfare on the physical level.
When we think of fighting, we usually equate success to the best use of muscles and marksmanship. While true of physical strife, we need a different approach when it comes to spiritual strife. Against the formidable enemies that war against our soul, we need protection against such darts and bombs as lies, temptations, and discouragements. We need to do battle with the sword of the Spirit, which is the Word of God. That is why we need to become accustomed to its character, become skilled in its employment, and become dependent on its power. In a physical battle, a book is an unlikely weapon, other than the occasional blow with a geography book in the hands of an angry teacher. But the Book of Books is the only weapon God has given to us in terms of offense. To withstand the devil, we need to use the Word of God, just as the Lord Jesus did during His temptation.
The wonderful thing about our dependence on spiritual weapons, including the Sword of the Spirit, the shield of faith, the helmet of Salvation, and breastplate of righteousness is that the power behind them is not our own. Just as the man with the gun depends on a power other than his own, so we use spiritual weapons with a firm reliance on God’s power, not our own.
Whether we like it or not, we are in a war. We know the final outcome of that war is victory, although only by trusting in our spiritual weapons from God can we win our battles along the way. -Jim MacIntosh