“For though we walk in the flesh, we do not war according to the flesh. For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal but mighty in God for pulling down strongholds, casting down arguments and every high thing that exalts itself against the knowledge of God, bringing every thought into captivity to the obedience of Christ” (2 Corinthians 10:3-5).
Like any good author, Paul the Apostle employed various literary devices to capture and engage his reader’s attention. We can find one such example in the passage quoted above. In this instance, Paul employed the same word (“flesh”) in two different contexts. The first instance (“though we walk in the flesh“) serves as a reference to our everyday lives. The second instance (“we do not war according to the flesh“) refers to the human-oriented strategies that one might use against an opponent.
When used in a spiritual context, the word flesh speaks to the weaknesses that are common to humanity as well as the best (or worst) anyone can do in his or her own strength. Thus, a person who lives “in the flesh” is someone who depends entirely upon his or her natural ability without any guidance, direction, or help from God. One Biblical version clarifies this idea by rendering 2 Corinthians 10:3 in the following manner: “We live in this world, but we don’t act like its people” (CEV).
This portion of Scripture also makes use of a related term: carnal. When used in this manner, “carnality” involves a preoccupation with the body and the satisfaction of whatever it may desire. Carnality might best be described by the phrase, “If it feels good, do it.” In general, a carnal person is someone who is more concerned with looking and feeling good and less concerned with being good.
Another important word within this passage is stronghold. In first-century military parlance, a stronghold referred to a type of fortress that offered refuge to the citizens of a city under siege. Today, we might equate the idea of a stronghold with the kind of institutionalized thinking that rejects the existence of a Creator or the credibility of Jesus’ resurrection. While such embedded strongholds are resistant to human strategies. they can be successfully penetrated through the use of God’s spiritual artillery…
“For the word of God is living and powerful, and sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing even to the division of soul and spirit, and of joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart” (Hebrews 4:12).