(4) (For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal, but mighty through God to the pulling down of strongholds;) (5) Casting down imaginations, and every high thing that exalteth itself against the knowledge of God, and bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ; (6) And having in a readiness to revenge all disobedience, when your obedience is fulfilled.
The Apostle hath inclosed what he saith of the weapons of his warfare, within a parenthesis. But evidently not with an intention, that the Church might read them, or not; for they are very highly expressive of the Christian character. And those weapons, are too mighty, and too much needed, by every regenerated child of God, to be overlooked, or forgotten, in this day of conflict. Reader! look at a few of them only, and judge for yourself. They are, the Scriptures of God, the sword of the Spirit, and the promises of the covenant; yea, all those gifts, and strengthenings, and communications, from Christ, as an head to his body the Church. And, also the graces of the Holy Ghost. Paul hath more largely dwelt upon them, in his Epistle to the Church at Ephesus (Ephesians 6:10 &c), which I refer. But here it is very, blessed to observe, with what firmness the Apostle rests upon them, as not carnal, but perfectly distinguished from them; and being sure of success in the mighty hand of God, for throwing to the ground, all the strong holds of sin, and Satan; and bringing everything under subjection, in, and to, Christ.
Reader! while reviewing the holy armory, let us not lose sight of the great Captain of our salvation. It is not our armor, nor our use of it, which bringeth victory. We may be clad with the whole; but unless the Lord himself goeth forth, for the salvation of his people, our strength will be very weakness. Oh! how blessed, and how profitable it is, to behold Christ, fighting our battles, conquering sin, death, hell, and the grave, for his redeemed. Proclaiming war with all the foes of his people, until he hath brought the whole under their feet. Oh! for grace to eye Christ in all the way through; and for ourselves to stand still, and see the salvation of God. I pray the Reader to seek for grace in order to a right apprehension of the glorious subject, for it is most glorious. Paul indeed, calls the weapons of warfare, our weapons; because, in fact, they are ours, when put into our hands by Christ. But the war is wholly his, the victory his, the blessedness, and the triumphs, his. I make a nice distinction between those things I and yet not more nice than scriptural. The Son of God it is, that brings his captives out of the prison-house, and destroys all that would keep them in bondage. No weapons, no warfare of theirs, contributes an atom towards the victory. And all their joy ariseth from what Christ hath done for them, not by them. It is Christ's interest in us for the recovery of his spouse the Church; not our interest in him, which is the first, and predisposing cause of all. The comfort of a child of God, is not from the victories, which at times the Lord helps him to accomplish; over this foe, and that enemy; but in the full, and complete triumphs and victories of Christ himself, in destroying the very nature of sin, and death; by destroying him that had the power of death, and forever rooting out misery from among his people, Hebrews 2:14-15; Ephesians 1:10.