Verse
(For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal, but mighty through God to the pulling down of strong holds;) – 2 Corinthians 10:4
Meaning of 2 Corinthians 10:4
The verse 2 Corinthians 10:4 is one of the most quoted verses to anyone who is struggling with physical health, mental health, relationship, or career. Here the author, Paul, is also talking about the challenge he is facing with the new church and its members. Instead of attacking the disrupting people, he mentions that these challenges are spiritual in nature. In other words, the verse ‘(For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal, but mighty through God to the pulling down of strong holds;)’ means that as Christians, every struggle, including physical pain, is a spiritual battle and a believer must ask and trust God to help them with the battle.
Interpretations of 2 Corinthians 10:4
The verse 2 Corinthians 10:4 is known to acknowledge the supernatural influence on Christians. A few interpretations of the verse are given below.
Interpretation #1 Paul wants Christians to be afraid
This interpretation of 2 Corinthians means that the Apostle Paul wants the readers to be constantly watchful and live in fear of something happening. Hence, according to the part of the verse ‘For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal’ the reader, along with being watchful, is also fearful of problems he or she might face. Additionally, the person may also blame spiritual entities or reasons for health issues, natural disasters, or even disagreements they may face at work.
Interpretation #2 Non-Christians do not struggle
In this interpretation, the readers assume that Christians are constantly under stress from external forces, whether it is physical, mental or spiritual. They also believe that Christians are attacked by radical groups and consider them the opposite force of God. Hence the verse ‘(For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal, but mighty through God to the pulling down of strong holds;)’ in this version implies that Christians are struggling people or groups but the person who do not follow Jesus Christ as their religious head have a comfortable or a peaceful life.
Interpretation #3 Paul is pointing at physical sickness only
Here the reader understands that the word ‘carnal’ means flesh. Hence, in this version, he or she believes that Paul is talking about physical health issues while comparing it to a spiritual battle. Additionally, churches also teach believers that sickness is mostly the result of an attack by Satan or evil spirits. Hence the verse ‘(For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal, but mighty through God to the pulling down of strong holds;)’ means that a Christian must pray harder for healing and fight the evil spirits that is causing the diseases and believe that God will heal him or her.
Interpretation #4 The fight is with disbelief and conflicts among Christians
In this interpretation, the reader uses the context of the verse 2 Corinthians 10:4, which are verses 3 and 5 in the same chapter. Also, Paul is highlighting the conflict within the church where the new Christians were causing disruptions and questioning his authority. Here, Paul is comparing these struggles with spiritual battles as the evil spirit and false teachers as they are known to deceive people. Christians believe that disruptions in every area are caused because of Satan as he dislikes anyone who follows Jesus Christ. Hence the verse, ‘(For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal, but mighty through God to the pulling down of strong holds;)’ here means that a believer must consider their faith as a weapon to fight against spiritual attacks at church that can disrupt unity, including physical, emotional or mental health challenges.
Historical background of 2 Corinthians 10:4
The 2nd book of Corinthians or 2 Corinthians was perhaps written around 55 A.D. and 56 A.D. by Paul during his stay in Macedonia. There is a one-year gap between the 1 Corinthians and 2nd Corinthians. Paul tries to encourage Christians to follow Jesus and also gives them instructions on how to be a faithful Christian while helping other members. He sends Timothy to deliver the letter and returns to Ephesus. 2 Corinthian chapter 10 is a warning to the members of the Corinth church as well as chastising them for not staying united or respecting authority.
Literary Devices of 2 Corinthians 10:4
The verse 2 Corinthians 10:4 is used to teach people about the spiritual realms and the conflict between God and Satan. The literary devices used in 2 Corinthians 10:4 is given below.
Theme – The major themes in 2 Corinthians 10:4 are conflicts, disbelief, temptation, spiritual warfare, and defense.
Assonance – The verse also has good use of vowel sounds in repetition, and few are in quick succession. For example, the sound of /o/, the sound of /uh/, the sound of /aa/, the sound of /u/, in ‘(For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal, but mighty through God to the pulling down of strong holds;)’.
Consonance – The verse 2 Corinthians 10:4 also has repeated consonant sounds with few in quick succession. For example, the sound of /r/, the sound of /n/, the sound of /t/, and the sound of /l/ in ‘(For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal, but mighty through God to the pulling down of strong holds;)’
Alliteration – The verse has one repeated consonant sound in the beginning of the word, which is not in quick succession. For example, the sound of /w/ in ‘For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal,’.
Extended Metaphor – The phrase ‘weapons of our warfare’ is an extended metaphor for faith or prayer.
Metaphor – The phrase ‘strong holds’ is a metaphor for troubles.