Surely no one who believes that the Scriptures are inspired and sufficient can further

deny the obvious fact that the only "warfare" that these passages will allow is waged

between what we are "in Christ", and what the old man and the lusts of the flesh (acted

upon by unseen spiritual foes) would make us if they could.

In our next paper we shall have to return to some of these passages again, for we have

not yet discovered exactly what the object of these evil powers may be. That is a subject

too important to attempt here. We must therefore content ourselves with the aspect

before us, and so would turn to yet another reference to armour in the writings of the

apostle, remembering that the word hoplon, which can be seen in the English "panoply",

is translated as "armour", "weapon" and "instrument".

A reference to chapter 11: will show that the Corinthians were in danger of having

their minds corrupted by Satan and his agents. The methods adopted by the enemy were

the preaching of another "Jesus", another "spirit", and another "gospel", while the means

of defeating this attack are not expressed in terms of war or resistance, but more simply

by bringing all to the touchstone of the faith once given. Appended to the satanic

counterfeit--another "Jesus" are the words, "whom we did not preach"; to the travesty

of the other "spirit", the words, "which ye have not received"; and to the false "gospel",

the words, "which ye have not accepted". A return to the written word is the apostle's

one great protection and offensive. He needed no frenzied meetings or agonizing for

victory. The truth makes free, and the sword of the Spirit is the Word of God; all other

methods which are not found in Scripture we must repudiate as carnal weapons that well

be of no avail.

Will the reader note two expressions in the foregoing quotation from II Cor. 10:? One

is "the height", and the other "leading captive". Among those things that are enumerated

in Rom. 8: 38, 39 as possible foes over which the believers is "more than conqueror"

will be found "height", and  II Cor. 10:  shows that this spiritual enemy is closely

associated with "reasoning that exalt themselves against the knowledge of God". The

other expression, "leading captive", is found in Eph. 4: in direct proximity to the giving

of apostles, etc., for the purpose of leading the Church on to the "measure of the stature

of the fullness of Christ", and so to rise about the cunning craftiness and "wiles" of

Satan's agents. A glance at Col. 2: 14-17 will show a close connection between certain

principalities, and the imposition of undispensational teaching, shadows instead of

substance which substance (or reality) is the blessed prerogative of every member of the

Body of Christ.

One further reference must suffice for this paper, viz., Rom. 6: 12, 13:--