2 Corinthians_11
Scripture: 2 Corinthians 11:13-15 13 For such people are false apostles, deceitful workers, masquerading as apostles of Christ. 14 And no wonder, for Satan himself masquerades as an angel of light. 15 It is not surprising, then, if his servants also masquerade as servants of righteousness. Their end will be what their actions deserve.
Observation-What does it say? In his first letter to the Corinthians, Paul wrote to deal with some areas of sin that they desperately needed to uproot. In 2 Corinthians, we see Paul praising them for their repentance (7:8-13). In chapter eleven, we see Paul making a defense for his ministry to them, and in doing this he warns them to guard themselves and stay away from the false profits. All throughout the Bible, we see the importance of guarding ourselves against the world. In Proverbs 4:23-27 we learn to guard our hearts because from here “flow the springs of life.” To the Ephesians, Paul writes about the armor of God and using the shield of faith to “extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one” (6:16). Peter, the rock, tells his readers not to be surprised by the trials of fire which we will endure as the price of following Christ (4:12-19). Suffering, attacks from the enemy, and false teaching are to be expected in our walk with Christ.
Understanding-What does it mean? One of the things I have learned, during the twelve years as a police officer I have had thus far, is that I have to enter every day being prepared to fight. And that fight might possibly be for my life. When I get ready for my shifts, I hide my body armor under my shirt, lace up my heavy leather boots, secure my gun-belt, and I check to make sure the ballistic shield and helmet are in my car. When I am at home, I exercise my body to prepare it for a fight that may or may not come. I watch videos on tactics, both good and bad, in order to develop a plan on how to overcome an attack. I have worked to develop the warrior mindset needed to protect those who cannot protect themselves.
I often think of the language from Paul and Peter of our Christian walk, and know that we live in a world that is under siege from a spiritual enemy. We are fighting a spiritual war, and if we are not careful we will be just another casualty. We need to train our hearts and our minds to decipher the attacks, and we need to diligently train ourselves to be prepared for a battle that will most definitely come. “Therefore I run in such a way, as not without aim; I box in such a way, as not beating the air; but I discipline my body and make it my slave, so that, after I have preached to others, I myself will not be disqualified” (1 Corinthians 9:26-27).