Although we live in the world, we don’t fight our battles with human methods. Our weapons that we fight with aren’t human, but instead they are powered by God for the destruction of fortresses. They destroy arguments… (CEB)

Have you ever had a great aunt start telling you all about the local news in her small town… only to have you nod along, wondering what she is talking about? As she talks, you might be thinking, “I don’t know why it’s a big deal that Amos moved the cheese one isle over in the local corner mercantile. Who’s Amos anyway?” A little history about a situation can give helpful context, maybe even make it more interesting, and the same is true for our text today.

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In A Guide to Biblical Studies of Greece and Turkey, it says: “No city in the ancient world both benefited and suffered from its location more than Corinth. Situated on the main north-south route between northern and southern Greece, and with two good ports that linked it to Italy on the west and Asia Minor on the east, Corinth quickly became a center for commerce. But the location of Corinth also had its downside. The city often found itself caught in the middle between hostile neighbors, Athens to the north and Sparta to the south. Armies crisscrossed its streets as often as merchants, and more than once the city had to arise from ashes and rubble.”

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Corinth was no stranger to strife, soldiers, and war. In fact, the church there may have seen this as their biggest threat. With its people constantly facing the possibility of war, I can see how they might have begun to think this. Paul founded the church in Corinth in AD 52 and then sent his letters only three years later. The worldview of this young church was undoubtedly being influenced by what they were seeing and experiencing every day.

And let’s face it: life isn’t easy. When we think we have it figured out, along comes a giant monkey wrench to mess it up. When this happens, it’s easy to see our enemy as whatever threat looms largest in the moment: the teacher who gave a bad grade on a paper you worked so hard on, a boss who, no matter how hard you work, never gives you any recognition, or an ex who is spreading lies about you. We are not unlike the people of Corinth. We perceive enemies around us every day, and we throw up our walls, getting defensive and even angry.

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But what Paul is getting at is this: the way we look at the daily battle must be different. We are, as children of God, set apart, and thus, we need to see the world through a Kingdom worldview. When we see our enemies through HIS eyes, man, it changes the battlefield.

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First and foremost, we know that whatever battle we are in is temporary; the war has been won – praise God! Second, we don’t fight to beat the enemy; that has already been done. As today’s verse says, we fight to break down the strongholds the enemy has on us and the people around us.

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How could seeing the world around us with the eyes of Jesus, with his passion for his people, change things? We might see brokenness instead of enemies. We might see a scared child instead of an angry opponent. When we approach the world around us with this perspective, we grab hold of the tools we have been given by Jesus that empower us to break down the walls around ourselves and those we are sent to show Christ to, bringing them instead the love, joy, and hope that Jesus gives.

Jesus, you saw me in my sin and rescued me. Jesus, you won the war! As I go through my days, give me your eyes for the lost, the same eyes you had on me. Change my mindset as I interact with my enemy to show them your love, joy, and peace. Jesus, you are so good, and I praise you for who you are. Amen.