Weapons Not Carnal

by Frederick Hoehn, copyright 2016, all rights reserved.

Chapter 1

 4 "For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal, but mighty through God to the pulling down of strong holds,
 5 Throwing down imaginations, and every high thing that exalts itself against the knowledge of God, and bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ,
 6 And having a readiness to revenge all disobedience, when your obedience is fulfilled." (from 2 Cor chapt 10)

The weapons of our warfare are not carnal, but they're mighty.  

Carnal weapons are not as mighty as spiritual weapons.  Carnal weapons such as knives, clubs, firearms.    

In Luke 10:19, Jesus tells us--

"See, I give you power to tread on serpents and scorpions, and over all the power of the enemy, and nothing shall in any way hurt you." (Luke 10:19)

Sometimes, as we live life, we acquire some enemies.  

Toward the end of his life, my Dad was somewhat like an enemy.  That was mainly due to the fact that I'm a Christian and Dad chose not to be.  

So we had different values, Dad and I.  

 14 Don't be unequally yoked together with unbelievers, for what fellowship does righteousness have with unrighteousness?  And what communion does light have with darkness?
 15 And what agreement does Christ have with Belial?  Or what part does the believer have with an unbeliever?
 16 And what agreement does the temple of God have with idols?  For you are the temple of the living God, as God has said, "I will live in them, and walk in them, and I will be their God, and they shall be my people."
 17 "So, come out from among them, and be separate," says the Lord, "and don't touch the unclean thing, and I'll receive you,
 18 And will be a Father to you, and you'll be my sons and daughters, says the Lord Almighty." (from 2 Cor chapt 6)

Christians and unbelievers are just not likely to become close friends.  

 15 For we are to God a sweet fragrance of Christ, in those who are saved, and in those who are destroyed.
 16 To one we are the odor of death to death, and to the other the fragrance of life to life.  And who is sufficient for these things? (from 2 Cor chapt 2)

To unbelievers, we Christians sort of stink.  

But if my Dad was not a friend, he was certainly not my worst enemy.  

No, the real enemies are the demons and their leader, Satan.

Demons are fallen angels who rebelled against God at the time that Satan rebelled against God.

They want to steal, to kill, and to destroy like Jesus said in John 10:10

They are spirit-beings, so we don't normally see them with our natural eyes.

Someone might say, "Well, I'm not going to believe in something I can't see."

You believe in atoms, don't you?  We can't see atoms, but we know they exist.  

If there were no atoms, there could not be an atom bomb, such as the atom bombs dropped on Hiroshima and Nagasaki, ending the war with Japan more than half a century ago.  

And in Luke 10:19, Jesus has given us Christians power over all the power of the enemy.  

More about how to become a Christian at the end of chapter 2.  

But if our weapons are not carnal, then what are our weapons?

Luke 10:19 gives us authority, as Christians, to cast out demons from people (including from ourselves if we have some).  And also in Mark 16:17,18--

 17 "And these signs shall follow those who believe, in my name they'll cast out devils, they'll speak with new languages,
 18 They shall pick up snakes, and if they drink any deadly thing, it won't hurt them.  They shall lay hands on the sick, and they'll recover."

If you're a Christian, to cast out demons, you open your mouth, and command the demon or demons to go and not return.  

But Jesus did say that some demons don't go unless we fast and pray.  Fasting is just not eating for a while.

Before Lester Sumrall cast out those demons from the woman bitten by demons in the Philippines, he fasted for one day and prayed. 

That's in his book, "Demons, the Answer Book," by Lester Sumrall.  (go to Lesea.com)

Please also see my book, "How to Cast Out Demons."

What other spiritual weapons do we Christians have?

Jesus said, "...whatever you bind on earth shall be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven." (Matt 16:19)

In other words, heaven backs you up when you bind and loose.  

We should put binding and loosing to work.  

Someone might say, "But the Lord was talking to Peter."

Yes, but Peter's been promoted to heaven.  You and I are some of his replacements, if you're a Christian.    

So how do we use that?

You talk like this--  "I bind all evil spirits that would hurt my finances, in Jesus' name."

"I loose ministering spirits to fight for financial prosperity for me and my family."

The ministering spirits are the angels. (Heb 1:14, King James Version)

If you see that the demons are trying to do something against you or your family, open your mouth and command them to cease in their operations and desist in their maneuvers, in Jesus' name.  

Another thing we Christians can do is speak things into existence, as per Mark 11:23--

"For truly I say to you, that whoever shall say to this mountain, be removed, and be thrown into the sea, and doesn't doubt in his heart, but believes that the things that he says shall happen, he shall have whatever he says."

You can move a mountain.  You speak the words, you don't doubt in your heart but you believe that what you say will happen.  

Dr. Norvel Hayes has said, "If you have cancer, that's your mountain.  COMMAND IT TO GO." (Mark 11:23)

But you can use that with any physical affliction.  

We are able to speak things into existence because we are made in the image of God, who spoke the worlds into existence.  

And God said, "Let us make man in our image, after our likeness, and let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the birds of the air, and over the cattle, and over all the earth, and over every creeping thing that creeps on the earth." (Gen 1:26)

But what if you need a car?  Then say, "I speak into existence the car that I need, with automatic transmission, economical gas miles per gallon..."    (or whatever specifications you want)

Then you don't doubt in your heart but believe that what you say will happen, as per Mark 11:23

Chapter 2

I believe that Christians are not nearly doing enough of speaking things into existence.  

Charles Capps said the Lord told him, "I've told my people they can have what they say, but (instead) they are saying what they have."

See his book, "God's Creative Power Will Work for You," (go to Charlescapps.com)

After Moses was promoted from Earth to heaven, his replacement was Joshua.  

In Josh 1:8, God told Joshua--

"This book of the law shall not depart out of your mouth, but you shall meditate in it day and night, so that you'll observe to do according to all that is written in it, for then you'll make your way prosperous, and then you'll have good success."  

If the word doesn't depart from our mouths, then we are speaking God's word, the Bible, such as "Whatever I do prospers." (Psa 1:3)

But there's another powerful weapon for Christians.

Unfortunately, not all Christians have it.  

Jesus said, "But you'll receive power, after the Holy Ghost has come on you..." (Acts 1:8)

In addition to Engineering work, I've worked as an Electrician, and as a Mechanic.  I can assure you that power tools will help you get your work in those trades done faster.  

Power screwdrivers, power saws, power drills.  

If you have a tree in your backyard that needs to come down, you could go at it with your pocket knife.

You could try a hacksaw.

You could use a Boy Scout hatchet.

You could use an ax.

Or, you could pull the cord on a chain saw, and rev. that baby up, and have the tree down in very short order.  

There's a powerful weapon available to Christians as a spiritual weapon.  And that is the Baptism with the Holy Ghost with the speaking in unknown tongues (languages).

And Jesus wants every Christian to have the Baptism with the Holy Ghost with the speaking in unknown tongues.  

Unfortunately, some Christians have been taught against it.  

Just very recently, as I was channel surfing on TV, I passed a channel where I saw the face of a Pastor on the East Coast who I believe is a Christian, but he teaches against the Baptism with the Holy Ghost.  

He's going to have a hard time explaining that to the Lord on Judgment Day, and he will suffer loss, as per 1 Cor chapt 3, because his teaching against the Baptism with the Holy Ghost is wood, hay, stubble.  

He might mean well, but his Theology is dead wrong.

If the Baptism with the Holy Ghost has been done away with, how did I receive it at about age 14, and how am I able to pray in unknown tongues every day of my life?

Moreover, In Matthew, Mark, Luke, and in John, John the Baptist says that Jesus is the baptizer with the Holy Ghost.  

And in Hebrews 13:8, we're told that Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, and today, and forever.

So if Jesus was the baptizer with the Holy Ghost, then He still is.  

So, since Jesus is the baptizer with the Holy Ghost, if you're a Christian, ask the Lord Jesus to baptize you with the Holy Ghost.

When you pray, believe that you receive the things you ask for, and you shall have them. (Mark 11:24)

The evidence of the Baptism with the Holy Ghost is the speaking in unknown tongues (languages).  

It's an unknown language because the person speaking it doesn't understand that language.  

You'll pray in a language that you never learned.  

How can a person speak in a language he never learned?

Because the Holy Ghost will give you the words in that strange language, and then YOU ADD YOUR VOICE, and speak out those words that the Holy Ghost gives you to speak.  

I sometimes use the example of the word, "kamsahamnida."

Do you know that word?

Most Americans don't know that word.  

But even if you don't know the meaning of that word, when you saw it in print, didn't you try to sound it out?

And if you heard someone speak that word, you could repeat it after them, even if you don't know the word.

And that's how it is with the Baptism with the Holy Ghost.  You speak out the words that the Holy Ghost (or, Holy Spirit, or Comforter) gives you.  

That word kamsahamnida means "Thank You" in Korean.  

But you don't speak in unknown tongues until Jesus has baptized you with the Holy Ghost.  And He wants you to have it.   

After Jesus baptizes you with the Holy Ghost, then pray some in unknown tongues every day.  You'll be a stronger Christian for doing so.  

One time, I was having some trouble with my wife.  We disagreed about something.  I had said everything that I knew to say to support my position.

I went to the bedroom and lay on the bed and prayed in tongues.  Probably for not more than an hour.  

Then I felt peace.  

I went out to the kitchen area where my wife was, and the problem had evaporated.  Thank God.  

Dr. Norvel Hayes said a Pastor asked Norvel to go with him to the carpet store because the church needed some carpeting.  

Hayes went along.  

When they arrived at the carpet store, the Lord told Norvel to go aside by himself and pray in tongues, and he did.

The Pastor came back to Norvel and happily announced that the carpet store man was going to just donate to the church all the carpet they needed.  

Christians should be praying in unknown tongues every day.  It is the will of God for every Christian.  

Use for yourself, also, the spiritual weapons of Ephesians chapter 6--

 11 Put on the whole armor of God, so you'll be able to stand against the wiles of the devil.
 12 For we don't wrestle against flesh and blood, but against princedoms, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against wicked spirits in high places.
 13 So, take to yourselves the whole armor of God, so that you'll be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand.
 14 Stand therefore, having your midsections clothed with truth, and having on the breastplate of righteousness,
 15 And for shoes, the preparation of the gospel of peace,
 16 Above all, taking the shield of faith, with which you'll be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked.
 17 And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God,
 18 Praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, and staying awake regarding that, with all perseverance and supplication for all saints...

In vs 12, above, we have the four categories of demons.  

Jesus said, "You MUST be born again." (John chapt 3)

To become a born again Christian, obey Romans 10:9,10--

"That if you confess the Lord Jesus with your mouth, and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you're saved.  For with the heart man believes for righteousness, and with the mouth, confession is made for salvation."

___James chapter 1
 1 James, a servant of God and of the Lord Jesus Christ, to the twelve tribes that are dispersed around, greetings.
 2 My brothers, count it all joy when you fall into various temptations,
 3 Knowing this, that the testing of your faith works patience.
 4 But let patience have its perfect work, so you'll be perfect and complete, lacking nothing.
 5 If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask God for it, who gives to all men liberally, and won't find fault, and it shall be given to him.
 6 But let him ask in faith, nothing wavering.  For he that wavers is like a wave of the sea driven by the wind and tossed.
 7 For let that man not think that he'll receive anything from the Lord.
 8 A double minded man is unstable in all his ways.
 9 Let the brother of low degree rejoice in that he is exalted,
 10 But the rich, in that he is made low, because as the flower of the grass he'll pass away.
 11 For the sun has no sooner risen with a burning heat, but it withers the grass, and the flower of it falls, and the grace of the fashion of it perishes, so also shall the rich man fade away in his ways.
 12 Blessed is the man that endures temptation, for after he's been tested, he'll receive the crown of life, that the Lord has promised to those who love him.
 13 Let no man say when he is tempted, "I am tempted by God," for God can't be tempted with evil, nor does he tempt any man,
 14 But every man is tempted, when he is drawn away by his own lust, and enticed.
 15 Then when lust has conceived, it produces sin, and sin when it's finished, produces death.
 16 Do not err, my beloved brothers.
 17 Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and comes down from the Father of lights, with whom is no variableness, nor shadow of turning.
 18 He chose to father us with the word of truth, so that we would be a kind of first fruits of his creatures.
 19 So, my beloved brothers, let every man be swift to hear, slow to speak, slow to anger,
 20 For the anger of man doesn't accomplish the righteousness of God.
 21 So, lay apart all filthiness and the unnecessary naughtiness, and receive with meekness the engrafted word, which is able to save your souls.
 22 But be doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving your own selves.
 23 For if anyone is a hearer of the word, and not a doer, he is like a man seeing his natural face in a mirror,
 24 For he sees himself, and goes his way, and immediately forgets what kind of man he was.
 25 But whoever looks into the perfect law of liberty, and continues in it, he being not a forgetful hearer, but a doer of the work, this man shall be blessed in his deed.
 26 If any man among you seems to be religious, and doesn't bridle his tongue, but deceives his own heart, this man's religion is for nothing.
 27 Pure religion and undefiled before God the Father is this, to visit the fatherless and widows in their affliction, and to keep himself unspotted from the world.

___James chapter 2
 1 My brothers, don't have the faith of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Lord of glory, with respect of persons.
 2 For if a man with a gold ring comes to your assembly in fancy clothes, and a poor man in dirty clothes comes in also,
 3 And you have respect to him that wears the fancy clothes, and say to him, "Sit here in a good place," and say to the poor, "Stand there, or sit here under my footstool,"
 4 Aren't you then partial in yourselves, and have become judges with evil thoughts?
 5 Listen, my beloved brothers, hasn't God chosen the poor of this world rich in faith, and heirs of the kingdom that he has promised to those who love him?
 6 But you have despised the poor.  Don't rich men oppress you, and bring you before the judgment seats?
 7 Don't they blaspheme that worthy name by which you're called?
 8 If you fulfill the royal law according to the scripture, "You shall love your neighbor like yourself," you do well,
 9 But if you have respect of persons, you commit sin, and are convicted by the law as sinners.
 10 For whoever shall keep the whole law, and yet offend in one point, he is guilty of all.
 11 For he that said, "Do not commit adultery," also said, "Do not kill."  Now if you don't commit adultery, yet if you kill, you've become a breaker of the law.
 12 Speak in such a way, and do, as those who'll be judged by the law of liberty.
 13 For he shall have judgment without mercy, that has shown no mercy, and mercy rejoices against judgment.
 14 What does it profit, my brothers, though a man says he has faith, and doesn't have works?  Can faith save him?
 15 If a brother or sister needs clothes, and lacks daily food,
 16 And one of you says to them, "Depart in peace, be warmed and filled," but you don't give them the things that are needed for the body, what good is that?
 17 Even so faith, if it doesn't have works, is dead, being alone.
 18 Yes, a man could say, "You have faith, and I have works, show me your faith without your works, and I'll show you my faith by my works."
 19 You believe that there is one God, you do well, the devils also believe, and tremble.
 20 But don't you know, O vain man, that faith without works is dead?
 21 Wasn't Abraham our father justified by works, when he had offered Isaac his son on the altar?
 22 Do you see how faith worked with his deeds, and by works faith was made perfect?
 23 And the scripture was fulfilled that says, "Abraham believed God, and it was counted to him as righteousness, and he was called the friend of God."
 24 You see then how that by works a man is justified, and not by faith only.
 25 Likewise also wasn't Rahab the prostitute justified by works, when she had received the messengers, and had sent them out another way?
 26 For like the body without the spirit is dead, so faith without works is dead also.

___James chapter 3
 1 My brothers, don't be many masters, knowing that we'll receive the greater condemnation.
 2 For in many things we offend all.  If any man doesn't offend in word, the same is a perfect man, and able also to bridle the whole body.
 3 See, we put bits in the horses' mouths, so they'll obey us, and we turn around their whole bodies.
 4 Look also at the ships, which though they're so large, and are driven by fierce winds, yet they're turned around by a very small helm, wherever the captain wants.
 5 Even so, the tongue is a little member, and boasts great things.  See how great a matter a little fire kindles!
 6 And the tongue is a fire, a world of sin, so is the tongue among our members that it makes dirty the whole body, and sets on fire the course of nature, and it is set on fire by hell.
 7 For every kind of animals, and of birds, and of snakes, and of things in the sea, gets tamed, and has been tamed by mankind,
 8 But no man can tame the tongue, it is an unruly evil, full of deadly poison.
 9 With it we bless God, the Father, and with it we curse men, who are made after the likeness of God.
 10 Out of the same mouth proceed blessing and cursing.  My brothers, these things ought not to be.
 11 Does a fountain send out at the same place sweet water and bitter?
 12 Can the fig tree, my brothers, produce olive berries?  Or a vine, figs?  So no fountain can yield both salt water and fresh.
 13 Who is a wise man, possessing knowledge among you?  Let him show out of a good lifestyle his works with meekness of wisdom.
 14 But if you have bitter envying and strife in your hearts, don't glory, and don't lie against the truth.
 15 This wisdom doesn't descend from above, but is earthly, sensual, devilish.
 16 For where envying and strife is, there is confusion and every evil work.
 17 But the wisdom that is from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, and easy to be reasoned with, full of mercy and good fruits, without partiality, and without hypocrisy.
 18 And the fruit of righteousness is planted in peace by those who make peace.

___James chapter 4
 1 Where do wars and fightings among you come from?  Don't they come from your lusts that war in your members?
 2 You lust, and don't have, you kill, and desire to have, and can't obtain, you fight and war, yet you don't have, because you don't ask.
 3 You ask, and don't receive, because you ask wrongly, so you can consume it on your lusts.
 4 You adulterers and adulteresses, don't you know that friendship with the world makes you an enemy of God?  Whoever therefore wants to be a friend of the world is an enemy of God.
 5 Do you think that the scripture says for nothing, "The spirit that lives in us lusts to envy?"
 6 But he gives more grace.  So he says, "God resists the proud, but gives grace to the humble."
 7 Submit yourselves therefore to God.  Resist the devil, and he'll run away from you.
 8 Draw near to God, and he will draw near to you.  Cleanse your hands, you sinners, and purify your hearts, you double minded.
 9 Be afflicted, and mourn, and cry, let your laughter be turned to mourning, and your joy to heaviness.
 10 Humble yourselves in the sight of the Lord, and he'll lift you up.
 11 Don't speak evil about each other, brothers.  He that speaks evil about his brother, and judges his brother, speaks evil about the law, and judges the law, but if you judge the law, you're not a doer of the law, but a judge.
 12 There is one lawgiver, who is able to save and to destroy, who are you that judges someone else?
 13 Go on now, you who say, "Today or tomorrow we'll go into such a city, and continue there a year, and buy and sell, and make a profit,"
 14 Actually, you don't know what will happen tomorrow.  For what is your life?  It is a puff of steam, that appears for a little time, and then vanishes away.
 15 For you ought to say, "Lord willing, we'll live, and do this, or that."
 16 But now you rejoice in your boastings, all such rejoicing is evil.
 17 Therefore to him that knows to do good, and doesn't do it, to him it is sin.

___James chapter 5
 1 Go on now, you rich men, cry and howl for your miseries that shall come on you.
 2 Your riches are corrupted, and your clothes are moth eaten.
 3 Your gold and silver are rusted, and the rust of them shall be a witness against you, and shall eat your flesh like fire.  You've heaped treasure together for the last days.
 4 See, the wages of the laborers who have reaped down your fields, which you've kept back by fraud, shouts, and the shouts of those who've reaped have entered into the ears of the Lord of Sabbath.
 5 You've lived in pleasure on the earth, and been wanton, you've nourished your hearts, like in a day of slaughter.
 6 You've condemned and killed the just, and he doesn't resist you.
 7 Be patient therefore, brothers, until the coming of the Lord.  See, the farmer waits for the precious fruit of the earth, and has long patience for it, until he receives the early and latter rain.
 8 You also be patient.  Establish your hearts, for the coming of the Lord is getting near.
 9 Don't grudge against each other, brothers, so you won't be condemned, see, the judge stands at the door.
 10 Take, my brothers, the prophets, who've spoken in the name of the Lord, for an example of suffering affliction, and of patience.
 11 See, we count them happy that endure.  You've heard of the patience of Job, and have seen the end of the Lord, that the Lord is very pitiful, and of tender mercy.
 12 But above all things, my brothers, don't swear, not by heaven, nor by the earth, nor by any other oath, but let your yes be yes, and your no, no, so that you don't fall into condemnation.
 13 Is anyone among you afflicted?  Let him pray.  Is anyone merry?  Let him sing psalms.
 14 Is anyone sick among you?  Let him call for the elders of the church, and let them pray over him, anointing him with oil in the name of the Lord,
 15 And the prayer of faith shall save the sick, and the Lord shall raise him up, and if he has committed sins, he'll be forgiven.
 16 Confess your faults to each other, and pray for each other so you'll be healed.  The effective, fervent prayer of a righteous man is does a lot of good.
 17 Elijah was a man subject to the same kind of passions that we are, and he prayed earnestly that it wouldn't rain, and it didn't rain on the earth for three years and six months.
 18 And he prayed again, and the heaven gave rain, and the earth produced its fruit.
 19 Brothers, if any of you strays from the truth, and someone converts him,
 20 Let him know, that he that converts the sinner from the error of his way shall save a soul from death, and shall hide a multitude of sins.