If Life is War, then we must understand that we are in a battle everyday, and we must choose our weapons wisely.
For though we walk in the flesh, we do not war according to the flesh. 4 For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal but mighty in God for pulling down strongholds, (II Corinthians 10:3-6)
Our greatest weapons are not carnal as we discussed on Day 14. Our weapons are mighty in God, for the purpose of pulling down strongholds. Our mighty weapon is DUNATOS!
DUNATOS is a Greek work that means "able, powerful, mighty, strong; Mighty in influence."
DUNATOS means STRONG IN SOUL
Dunatos has nothing to do with stature. You can be small in stature, but strong in soul, able to bear calamities and trials. It is about fortitude, tenacity, and GRIT!
Dunatos = NO QUIT
Many Christians today are on the brink of quitting. The inner battle is too tough. Temptations are too strong. Expectations are too high. Holiness seems out of reach. And the lure to stop pursuing it is powerful. The enemy would love nothing more that for you to revert to some form of religion or godliness and to deny its power!
But DUNATOS is our mighty weapon - OUR INNER STRENGTH. It doesn't quit. It insists on truth. It faces what's going on inside - Unrest, doubt, fear, guilt, shame, lack of peace, depression, distress. That’s part of war!
Dunatos is Our weapon for pulling down STRONGHOLDS
Stronghold is a word that means – castle, fortress. It also means anything on which a person relies other that the Holy Spirit of God - arguments, reasonings used to establish or support and defend a thought or opinion or the stances you take. Strongholds are walls you build up, the fort you hide behind to protect who you are!
Well, Paul says we have to come out from behind the wall and make ourselves vulnerable and lose all self-protection.
Dunatos is Our weapon for CASTING DOWN ARGUMENTS AGAINST GOD
For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal but mighty in God for pulling down strongholds, casting down arguments and every high thing that exalts itself against the knowledge of God (II Corinthians 10:4-5)
We must be willing to cast down every argument we are holding on to. Every high and prideful thing that exalts itself against the knowledge of God. Pride is arrogance. It is an overbearing attitude of superiority. Pride opposes new knowledge and sets itself up in a way that says…"I already know!"
Question: do you ever feel like God is opposing you? There is one thing God opposes. God opposes PRIDE! (James 4:6 says, "he opposes/resists the proud, but gives grace to the humble.")
Someone said: It impossible for a man to learn what he thinks he already knows!
Consider these Nuggets of Knowledge that are part of your belief system:
Knowledge of God: You have an established/set system of beliefs about who God is
Knowledge of yourself: You have an established belief about yourself
You have an established belief system about how he sees you, feels about you, relates to you. You have an established pattern of how you relate to God.
A RECENT POLL ASKED THE QUESTION: HOW DO YOU THINK GOD FEELS ABOUT YOU? NEARLY 80% SAID: I BELIEVE GOD IS MAD AT ME!
If that's your belief, who told you that? If that's your belief, consider this: How do you relate to a God who is mad at you? You show up in doubt, self-condemnation, guilt and shame and often try to work your way back into pleasing God so He will no longer be mad at you --- or --- you just keep your distance. You've found it to be safer that way! And you will potentially find yourself angry, and unhappy with life. When you're unhappy with your life, you'll believe that everyone else is too. Even God. That's where Dunatos goes to work.
DUNATOS BRINGS EVERY THOUGHT INTO CAPTIVITY TO THE OBEDIENCE OF CHRIST
In other words, it takes your thoughts and analyzes them for truth. It reveals lies you may not even realize you believe, and it uncovers the schemes of the enemy to divide and conquer your life. Dunatos brings every thought into captivity to the obedience of Christ (II Corinthians 10:6)
One last thing:
DUNATOS IS OUR WEAPON FOR PUNISHING ALL OTHER DISOBEDIENCE
II Corinthians 10:6
and being ready to punish all disobedience when your obedience is fulfilled. (NKJ)
This is interesting: "Punishing" is not about punishing the way we understand it in the English language. Our word for punish means to inflict a penalty. The word for punish here is different…it means to vindicate, to protect or defend another. In other words – you are a FREEDOM FIGHTER. You aren’t opposing God and He isn't opposing you. You aren't fighting one another. You are fighting for one another, for the freedom of one another. It feels like fighting one another when it’s about logic and reason and prideful opinions…but we aren’t fighting to be right. We are fighting for TRUTH and FREEDOM!
Jesus said: you shall know the truth and the truth shall make you free! (John 8:32, NKJ)
When we know what we are fighting for and who we are opponent really is, then we are ready for battle!
So, if you want to win the battle. Dunatos is your weapon. Dunatos is your superpower! it begins with knowing who you are in Christ.
Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places in Christ, 4 just as He chose us in Him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before Him in love, 5 having predestined us to adoption as sons by Jesus Christ to Himself, according to the good pleasure of His will, 6 to the praise of the glory of His grace, by which He has made us accepted in the Beloved. 7 In Him we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of His grace (Ephesians 1:3-7, NKJ)
THIS IS WHO YOU ARE. THIS IS WHAT YOU CAN HAVE. IT’S AVAILABLE TO YOU, BUT IT’S NOT AUTOMATIC TO YOU! HE CHOSE YOU – ARE YOU CHOOSING HIM?