Now I, Paul, myself urge you by the meekness and gentleness of Christ — I who am meek when face to face with you, but bold toward you when absent!
I ask that when I am present I need not be bold with the confidence with which I propose to be courageous against some, who regard us as if we walked according to the flesh.
For though we walk in the flesh, we do not war according to the flesh, for the weapons of our warfare are not of the flesh, but divinely powerful for the destruction of fortresses.
We are destroying speculations and every lofty thing raised up against the knowledge of God, and we are taking every thought captive to the obedience of Christ, and we are ready to punish all disobedience, whenever your obedience is complete.
You are looking at things as they are outwardly. If anyone is confident in himself that he is Christ’s, let him consider this again within himself, that just as he is Christ’s, so also are we.
For even if I boast somewhat further about our authority, which the Lord gave for building you up and not for destroying you, I will not be put to shame, for I do not wish to seem as if I would terrify you by my letters.
For they say, “His letters are weighty and strong, but his personal presence is unimpressive and his speech contemptible.”
Let such a person consider this, that what we are in word by letters when absent, such persons we are also in deed when present.
For we are not bold to class or compare ourselves with some of those who commend themselves; but when they measure themselves by themselves and compare themselves with themselves, they are without understanding.
But we will not boast beyond our measure, but within the measure of the sphere which God apportioned to us as a measure, to reach even as far as you. For we are not overextending ourselves, as if we did not reach to you, for we were the first to come even as far as you in the gospel of Christ; not boasting beyond our measure, that is, in other men’s labors, but with the hope that as your faith grows, we will be, within our sphere, enlarged even more by you, so as to preach the gospel even to the regions beyond you, and not to boast cin what has been accomplished in the sphere of another.
But he who boasts is to boast in the Lord.
For it is not he who commends himself that is approved, but he whom the Lord commends.
2 Corinthians 10:1–18.
I quote this passage at length because it is my proof text of somthing all Christianity except maybe the charismatics will tell you is off limits for believers.
Here Paul the Apostle is dealing with some unfaithfulness in the Church at Corinth and he decided to rattle his sword. What sword, do you ask? Does Paul threaten to tattle on the naughty Corinthians to Jesus? No. This is the sword of direct warfare.
Paul is rattling the sword of the authority of God himself, handed to Paul after years of faithfulness to Christ, scars and bruises to prove it.
There's no way I can instruct you on how to do this. This is something that comes with years of bearing the cross, continuous communion with Christ, and the gradual rattling away of you/and increasing of the life of Jesus in entire sanctification. But I can tell you where to start.
First, the Church at Corinth was OBSESSED with power. They loved that the Holy Spirit could give them cool tricks like speaking in tongues, healing, and prophecy. But Paul takes their cool tricks and rasies them God himself.
This direct authority is based in the invisible, not the visible where you can get the backslaps of your buddies. Paul states as much in this section:
"For though we walk in the flesh, we do not war according to the flesh, for the weapons of our warfare are not of the flesh, but divinely powerful for the destruction of fortresses."
The center of the power is where the real power plays happen in the universe: in the invisible spiritual reality. Here’s some starters:
1. You must be content with less visible power and more invisible. Less flesh, more Spirit. Less carnal cool and more unlauded hidden. This is the real power folks.
2. Begin to explore in God what your authority is, and walk in that authority. Your earthly calling will likely have a lot to do with it: Paul was an apostle, his authority was mainly to help church administration. If you are in the medical field, your expertise likely aids in spiritual discernment of disease. If you are a parent, you likely have authority which can bring submission in youth. You have to begin to utilize the place you are in and walk in the spiritual power Christ has been building through what you are.
3. The next tip is a little scary and I hesitate to give this admonition. The next time you have trouble, instead of pleading to Jesus like an infant for help - try to address the problem head on. In other words, let prayer be the backup when you face a spiritual disaster. This is only for people for whom prayer has been their number one weapon for years. God will sometimes graduate them to be able to affect the situation directly with faith & spiritual gifts. Example: "We are destroying speculations and every lofty thing raised up against the knowledge of God, and we are taking every thought captive to the obedience of Christ, and we are ready to punish all disobedience, whenever your obedience is complete." No mention of prayer there, it's all "we do X, we do Y, we do Z." This is prayer as backup, direct attack as the primary weapon.
Grow up little Saint, this is real Sainthood we’re discussing.
S.D.G.