What does it mean to walk in the flesh (2 Corinthians 10:3)?

True to this character, Paul beseeches the Corinthians rather than issuing peremptory commands to them. There were some however who thought of him as though he were a man who walked according to the flesh. This led him to give us the important statement that follows as to the character of both his walk and warfare. Verse 3 is instructive, inasmuch as both senses in which the word flesh is used are brought together in it. We walk in the flesh; that is, in the bodies of flesh which we have derived from Adam. But we do not war after the flesh; that is, according to the Adamic nature which is connected with our bodies.

In so saying Paul of course referred to himself and his co-workers, and also he stated what normally should be true of every Christian. But is it true of us? Do we recognize the true character of the flesh — that is, of the Adamic nature — and treat it as a condemned thing? It is normal for Christians to walk "after the Spirit" (Rom. 8:4), but that is not mentioned here, only inferred.

He beseeches them that he may not be obliged to use his authority as an apostle when among them, against those who had wronged him by their false charges. He had written in boldness, yet he could also act in boldness and with authority when he was present with them. They had accused him that he was walking on the same level with them, that is, "according to the flesh." This he repudiates by saying that he walks in flesh, (note in the Greek the word flesh is without the definite article; not "in the flesh", but "in flesh"), which is quite a different thing. He was a man like other men; but when it came to warfare, he waged no fleshly conflict. He acknowledges that he has no wisdom in himself; as to flesh he is powerless, he is cast upon God. How different from these false teachers, his accusers who walked in pride and boasted of wisdom and were governed by selfish motives. The weapons he used were not fleshly, but mighty through God; the weapons which the Holy Spirit supplies. And this spiritual warfare means "the pulling down of strongholds, casting down imaginations, and every high thing that exalts itself against the knowledge of God, and bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ."

"Bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ" does not refer, as the context plainly shows, to the apostle's own thoughts, but rather to those of his adversaries, who were seeking at Corinth to corrupt the truth of Christianity. There were two forms of opposition with which the apostle had to contend: first, that springing from Judaizing teachers; and, secondly, that connected with philosophy — both of which were alike antagonistic to the truth. (See Col. 2.) It is to the latter, we apprehend, the apostle chiefly alludes in this scripture. His opponents, taking advantage of his absence, had sought to undermine his authority and influence, and had insinuated, among other things, that he "walked according to the flesh." (v. 2.) To this he replied by saying, "Though we walk in the flesh, we do not war after [according to] the flesh." There is the widest difference possible between walking "in" the flesh, that is, in the body (compare Galatians 2:20), and "according to" the flesh, for this latter would mean to be governed by it. The apostle gives the reason for his distinction. "The weapons of our warfare," he says, "are not carnal [fleshly], but mighty through God to the pulling down of strongholds" — seats of the enemy's power, like Jericho of old in its typical significance. He then avows the object of his warfare, which was to cast down "imaginations," the "reasonings," as the word is, of man's corrupt mind, in short, philosophy; and every high thing that exalts itself against the knowledge of God, as man's intellect and fancied wisdom are ever doing, looking down with scarce concealed pity on those who receive the revelation God has been pleased to make in His word; and lastly, in his holy warfare, bringing into captivity every thought, from whatever quarter it may come, every activity of man's mind, to the obedience of Christ. Whether reasonings, high things, or thoughts — all alike are regarded as opposed to the knowledge of God, and hostile to Christ; and Paul, as a true soldier, sought to overcome them all, to reduce them into captivity to the authority of Christ. Not that any of these could serve Christ — that would be impossible; but his aim was to compel them by force and power, with his mighty weapons, to acknowledge the supremacy of his Lord and Master, and to place them as helpless captives at His feet.

"For walking in the flesh we war not according to flesh." All who live here below can say the former; how few, the latter — at least as the apostle could. But it was because the weapons of his warfare were not fleshly but mighty "with" God, "before," "according to," or "for," Him. Flesh prides itself on its own resources within which it entrenches itself against God, who works in His children when dependent, least of all in His own when independent. The enemy was seeking to bring back again fleshly wisdom, which like all that is of the first man attracts nature and exalts itself against the knowledge of God, for this is inseparable from Christ, and from Christ dead and risen. If we war not according to flesh, it must be by pulling down reasonings and every high thing exalted (or exalting itself thus) and leading captive every thought unto the obedience of the Christ. This is the object and effect of dependence, as wrought by the Spirit of God. For there is nothing harder to man than contentedness with being nothing; nor does aught hinder the obedience of Christ more than subtle self-seeking.

Such is the way the apostle sets forth beseechingly the authority he had received in the Lord against the detraction of adversaries who were even yet exercising a poisonous influence over the saints. Nothing was farther from him than the fleshly, vacillating, and tortuous policy they attributed to him. But these are the common tactics of the enemy. The first to brand others with lack of spirituality, of fidelity or even integrity, are those who are themselves guilty in these very respects, and spend their breath in a restless endeavour to imbue all they meet with their own surmisings; until they seem at last not only to believe their every impression, but to be satisfied that rancour is true love and invective nothing but faithfulness to Christ. The apostle, after showing that it is one thing to walk in flesh, another to walk according to it, declares that we do not war according to flesh. He puts it not as a merely personal question of fact, but as a matter of general christian principle and practice. The warfare of the saint derives its character from Christ. The liberty to which we are called gives no licence for flesh, as if violence or vituperation were consecrated in His service. His name gives no just plea to war according to flesh, but on the contrary reproves such carnality, and ought to awaken suspicion of the end because of the way. The arms of our warfare, powerful as they are with God to overthrow flesh's strongholds, are of small value in carnal eyes. The apostle insists on all being reduced to the obedience of Christ, and on readiness to avenge every disobedience when their disobedience should have been completed. What are we here for if not for that obedience? Yet grace and wisdom would first deal with what most openly and seriously dishonours God; and then, when conscience answers to the word, would look for more, yea for all that is pleasing in His sight. God is in the assembly, His dwelling, His holy temple (however men may forget or fritter down the solemn fact), and surely there to give efficacy to His own word and will, as He then was to vindicate by His power the authority of His servant when undermined or denied.

Verse 3. "For though we walk after the flesh, we do not war after the flesh." He accepts here the insinuation (already sufficiently refuted in chapter 1) which his detractors were never weary of repeating, in order to administer with more effect the strong and searching admonition which succeeds. He will let his adversaries know, that though a follower of peace, he has weapons, and can use them with victorious effect. He was waging a warfare, not after the flesh, but against the flesh; as they would find to their early and entire discomfiture who persisted idly or maliciously to question his apostleship and service as a minister of God, or sought enviously to exalt themselves at his expense.

The point here is not exactly our walk, but rather our warfare. Is the believer then called to warfare? He is: and to warfare of a very aggressive sort. His weapons however like the warfare are not fleshly but spiritual.

(Vv. 4, 5.) Not warring according to the flesh, in his conflict with the enemy he had no use for fleshly weapons. He found that the meekness and gentleness of Christ were the weapons used by God. Five smooth stones and a sling seemed feeble weapons with which to meet a full armoured giant, but one stone in the hands of a youth was mighty through God to bring down the giant. So the meekness and gentleness of Christ, used by a man whose bodily presence was insignificant, were "mighty through God" to pulling down the strongholds of Satan, bringing to nothing the proud reasonings of the human mind that exalts itself against the knowledge of God, and in bringing every thought into submission to Christ.

"But I myself Paul entreat you by the meekness and gentleness of the Christ, [I] who according to appearance [am] mean among you but absent am bold toward you — but I beseech that present I may not be bold with the confidence with which I count to be daring against some that count of us as walking according to flesh. For walking in flesh we do not war according to flesh. For the arms of our warfare [are] not fleshly but powerful with God to the pulling down of strongholds, pulling down reasonings and every height that exalts itself against the knowledge of God, and leading captive every thought unto the obedience of Christ, and being in readiness [or ready] to avenge every disobedience when your obedience shall have been fulfilled." (Vers. 1-6.)

But I myself Paul entreat you by the meekness and gentleness of the Christ, [I] who face to face [am] mean among you but absent am bold toward you — 2 but I beseech that I present may not be bold with the confidence with which I think to be daring against some that think of us as walking according to flesh. 3 For walking in flesh we do not war according to flesh. 4 For the arms of our warfare [are] not fleshly but powerful with God to the pulling down of strongholds, 5 pulling down reasonings and every height that exalteth itself against the knowledge of God, and leading captive every thought unto the obedience of Christ, 6 and being ready to avenge every disobedience when your obedience shall have been fulfilled.