Spiritual Arsenal #1: Thinking Right

As we go into the New Year, I want to equip you for the battle that lies ahead and all around. Do you have the right tools in your spiritual arsenal? In Ephesians 6:12, Paul’s words remind us that "our struggle is not against enemies of blood and flesh, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers of this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places."

In the Christian life, folks are sometimes tempted by attractive yet ineffective pieces of armor or weaponry. They too often go for flashy or showy things that do little to help others. Believers frequently fall in love with equipment that offers no aid in the battle against the forces of darkness.

I love this photo that went viral in 2015. Perhaps you know the famous football (soccer) club on the north side of London named Arsenal. One lifelong fan asked his girlfriend to take a picture of him outside the stadium. He wanted her to capture his face in front of the massive ARSENAL letters. As a joke, she decided to frame him in front of the first four letters of the club's name. She shared the photo on social media, and it circled the globe. Even the boyfriend appreciated the humor of it.

I mention this story to make you ponder your own approach to the spiritual arsenal of God. As a Christian, you are in a battle. Some Christians seem more interested in taking metaphorical "selfies" in front of God's arsenal instead of learning how to take it up and use it. They talk a big talk but carry a small stick. They don't properly prepare themselves and end up coming off as, well, as . . . well, you know. Worst of all, they end up losing the battles that matter most in life.

How can you do better? How can you invest in the right tools? And how can you actually use the arsenal of God?

The Corinthian church had plenty of folks who were improperly equipped for the spiritual battle. In 1 Cor 14, Paul addressed their deficiencies with strong language.

"In church I would rather speak five words with my mind, in order to instruct others also, than ten thousand words in a tongue" (14:19).
"What should I do then? I will pray with the spirit, but I will pray with the mind also; I will sing praise with the spirit, but I will sing praise with the mind also" (14:15).
"So with yourselves; since you are eager for spiritual gifts, strive to excel in them for building up the church" (14:12).

This is what I want you to realize off the bat about our Christian battle. It's not what some "spiritual warfare folks" will tell you about your arsenal. They often want to start with a type of name-and-claim spirituality that sounds good, looks exciting and feels like something important. But some of their tools have little to no foundation in the writings of the New Testament. And worse, their flashy tools are too often ineffectual in preparing you to face your biggest enemy.

Paul had some very concrete things to say about our spiritual battle and about the required tools for fighting it. Paul was worried about the church's witness in the world. He thought all our actions should center around our mission to lead those trapped in darkness toward the redemption of Jesus Christ. (See 1 Cor 9:19-23; 10:31-32.)

In 1 Cor 14, Paul had one crucial message: Start with your mind as a tool in the spiritual battle—for good and against evil. Learning how to think isn't just for intellectual elites. Using your mind is not the domain of ivory-tower academics. Thinking right is part of how you faithfully live out your Christian faith and how you carry out your mission.

By contrast, too many Christians—including some in ancient Corinth—believe that feeling good is more important than thinking right. They want their egos assuaged. They want to feel a spiritual buzz. They want to boast that they've accomplished something significant.

Here's what Paul seems to have said in this letter: You can destroy the church by feeding the homeless, singing a solo, laying your hands on the sick, and giving $10,000. How is this possible? If you're doing it to make yourself feel good, you've missed the point. Feel-good actions often tear down the church rather than build it up. If you believe Christianity is about doing things that feel, look or sound wonderful, then you've never grown or matured in your faith. Start by learning to think right. Your mind is a gift from God that can build up others as you humbly learn the way of righteousness.

I need to clarify what it means to think right. I'm not saying that everyone who "thinks right" will inevitably come to the same conclusions as all other "right thinkers" about every relevant topic. Rather, the kind of "thinking right" that I believe Paul expected is for you to actually use your mind! Instead of allowing your emotions or selfish desires to get the best of you, you have to think about things. Instead of just going with the flow because it's popular, you have step back and rationally reflect on the right thing to do.

This is obviously difficult. It requires work. It requires learning. It requires listening. And it requires careful reflection. But this is what it means to "think right" in order to build up your spiritual arsenal and, in the process, face down your spiritual enemy.

So what's an important step toward putting the right equipment in your spiritual arsenal? Use your mind. Fight the good fight. Pick up your first instrument in the spiritual arsenal. Put your mind to work as a God-given tool to build up the church and stand against evil.