2 Corinthians 6:7 says, “by truthful speech, and the power of God; with the weapons of righteousness for the right hand and for the left.” Here, the apostle Paul describes the spiritual weapons that believers have access to in order to fight spiritual battles and advance God’s kingdom. Based on the context, these “weapons of righteousness” refer to godly virtues, spiritual tools, and Holy Spirit-empowered resources that help believers walk in holiness and share the gospel effectively.
Specifically, some key weapons of righteousness mentioned in this passage include:
- Truthful speech – Communicating God’s truth accurately and honestly.
- Power of God – Relying on God’s divine power and strength, not our own.
- Righteousness – Living a morally upright life that honors God.
- Purity – Maintaining spiritual and moral purity by rejecting sin.
- Knowledge – Understanding and applying God’s truth correctly.
- Patience – Persevering through trials and hardships.
- Kindness – Showing Christlike care and compassion to others.
- Holy Spirit – Depending on the Spirit’s guidance and empowerment.
- Love – Expressing God’s unconditional love.
- Hope – Having confident expectancy in God’s promises.
Essentially, living a spirit-filled life is one of the greatest weapons of righteousness. As believers walk in step with the Holy Spirit and exhibit the fruit of the Spirit – love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control (Galatians 5:22-23) – they wield powerful weapons against evil spiritual forces. Other weapons include prayer, God’s Word, faith, praise, ethical living, and proclaiming the gospel.
When Paul urges believers to take up the “weapons of righteousness,” he uses military imagery to highlight the reality of spiritual warfare against sin and satan’s kingdom. Just as a soldier suited up in armor is equipped for battle, Christians must utilize righteousness-oriented spiritual tools to fight effectively. These tools enable them to protect themselves against temptation, demolish spiritual strongholds, minister in love, and advance the Kingdom of God.
Notably, Paul says these weapons of righteousness equip both the “right hand and the left.” This depicts spiritual readiness and competency in using godly virtues and Spirit-empowered resources to handle any scenario – whether ministering through compassionate care or defending truth against deception. Just as proficient soldiers can wield weapons well with either hand, mature Christians must utilize righteousness-based weapons skillfully in all of life.
In summary, the key weapons of righteousness described in 2 Corinthians 6:7 include virtues like honesty, purity, patience and hope, depending on the Holy Spirit’s power, applying God’s truth accurately, persevering through hardship, expressing Christlike love in caring for others, and proclaiming the gospel. As Christians utilize these weapons skillfully, they are equipped to advance God’s Kingdom and defeat the powers of darkness.
1. Truthful Speech
One of the first weapons of righteousness Paul mentions is “truthful speech.” Communicating God’s truth honestly and accurately is foundational to Christian witness. Jesus described Himself as “the way, the truth and the life” (John 14:6). As His followers, Christians are called to emulate Christ by speaking truthfully and representing God’s truth and biblical worldview accurately to others.
This requires avoiding falsehood, exaggeration, deception, manipulation, or twisting God’s Word. Rather, it means speaking the truth in love (Ephesians 4:15), declaring sound doctrine (Titus 2:1), and reasoning persuasively for the hope we have in Christ (1 Peter 3:15). Communicating truthfully upholds righteousness by honoring God’s character, presenting His gospel clearly, exposing deception, and modeling integrity to attract others to Christ.
According to Paul, righteous speech should be graciously seasoned with salt (Colossians 4:6). Salt adds flavor, purification, and preservation. Similarly, Christians’ communication of truth should be sensible, insightful, genuine, and lead to perseverance in godliness. Truth is a powerful spiritual weapon, so we must wield it responsibly for God’s purposes.
2. Power of God
Another vital weapon of righteousness is reliance on God’s divine power. Scripture makes it clear that victory over sin and darkness cannot be achieved in our human strength alone. Zechariah 4:6 says, “Not by might, nor by power, but by My Spirit, says the Lord.” We need spiritual resources beyond ourselves.
Through faith, believers have access to the same dynamic power that raised Jesus from dead and transformed the timid disciples into bold Kingdom witnesses (Ephesians 1:18-21). God’s resurrection power is infinitely greater than any human abilities or satanic opposition. But it only flows as we yield to the Holy Spirit daily, instead of trying to manufacture outcomes in our own feeble strength.
This requires total dependence on Christ, not self-effort. As Paul says in Colossians 1:29, “I labor, striving according to His power, which mightily works within me.” Abiding in intimate communion with God is the key to experiencing His righteousness-enabling power. His strength is made perfect in human weakness (2 Corinthians 12:9). The power of God triumphs over every obstacle when wielded in humble faith.
3. Righteousness
Righteousness itself is a weapon against spiritual darkness. To “take up the weapons of righteousness” implies living uprightly according to God’s moral standards – His righteous requirements. Sinfulness grants the enemy inroads, while righteousness shuts these access points.
1 John 3:7 declares, “Little children, let no one deceive you. He who practices righteousness is righteous, just as He is righteous.” As believers walk in holiness, they reflect God’s character and radiate His light into dark places. Righteous living includes both avoiding overt sins and growing in positive Christlike virtues.
Paul urges Christians to “put on the new self, created after the likeness of God in true righteousness” (Ephesians 4:24). Through Christ, believers can display righteousness in conduct, speech, attitudes, and relationships. This righteousness is empowered by the sanctifying work of the Holy Spirit within every believer. Clothing ourselves daily in virtues of biblical righteousness is a powerful spiritual weapon.
4. Purity
Closely related to righteousness is the weapon of purity. Maintaining ethical and spiritual purity gives no foothold to the powers of sin and deception. Paul wrote, “Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind” (Romans 12:2). As believers resist ungodly influences and guard their hearts with Scripture’s truth, they wield purity as a weapon.
The Bible calls Christians to moral excellence and innocence in a crooked world (Philippians 2:15). Just as impure water cannot quench thirst, compromised holiness diminishes Christian witness. Therefore believers must take up weapons of righteousness like purity, integrity, holiness, and wholesomeness to have maximum Kingdom impact.
Paul exhorted Timothy, “Keep yourself pure” (1 Timothy 5:22). Purity in motives, thought-life, relationships, and conduct should characterize mature believers. Scripture calls us to be “blameless and innocent, children of God without blemish” (Philippians 2:15). Walking in purity and rejecting worldly corruption is a vital aspect of wielding our weapons of righteousness skillfully.
5. Knowledge
Knowing and properly applying God’s truth is another weapon of righteousness. Paul wrote to Timothy, “All Scripture is inspired by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, for training in righteousness, so that the man of God may be adequate, equipped for every good work” (2 Timothy 3:16-17). Scripture equips believers for battle by renewing their minds and exposing deception.
Knowledge of God’s Word enables Christians to discern truth from falsehood, withstand enemy attacks, and implement Kingdom values in practical ways. This knowledge must move from merely academic facts into sincere heart conviction and hands-on application. As James 1:22 states: “Be doers of the word, and not hearers only.”
Understanding and obeying the Scriptures’ moral instructions unleashes God’s power into lives and communities. Proverbs warns, “A people without understanding comes to ruin” (Hosea 4:14). But those armed with biblical knowledge can skillfully combat sin and satanic traps to walk in greater freedom and righteousness.
6. Patience
Patience is listed among the fruit of the Spirit (Galatians 5:22), highlighting its place as an essential Christian virtue and weapon of righteousness. The ability to persevere calmly through suffering and wait on God’s perfect timing is crucial for believers in spiritual warfare. Impatience leads to rash decisions, foolish mistakes, weariness and discouragement.
But Christlike patience denies fleshly impulses for immediate relief or deliverance. It endures discomfort while awaiting God’s breakthrough. James urged believers to “Let patience have its perfect work, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking nothing” (James 1:4). Developing righteous patience deepens character, unlike worldly shortcuts.
Patience also enables relationships that reveal Christ to others. Paul wrote, “The Lord’s bond-servant must be kind to all, able to teach, patient when wronged” (2 Timothy 2:24). Patience empowers peacemaking, bridges differences, and calms relational conflicts that create entry points for the enemy. Wielding righteous patience applies God’s eternal perspective to temporal trials.
7. Kindness
Kindness is an oft-overlooked weapon of righteousness available to believers. The book of Proverbs says, “A gentle answer turns away wrath, but a harsh word stirs up anger” (Proverbs 15:1). Christlike kindness defuses tension and opens doors to share truth gently. It also conveys God’s heart of compassion – “the kindness of God leads to repentance” (Romans 2:4).
Unlike the insincere flattery of the world, biblical kindness values people created in God’s image. Ephesians 4:32 says, “Be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, as God in Christ forgave you.” Expressing divinely-inspired kindness, compassion, and forgiveness emulates God’s loving nature. It serves as a compelling witness that softens hard hearts to seek God.
Believers clothed in godly kindness are also less prone to quarrels and dissension. When Christians treat opponents, persecutors, and even enemies with Christlike kindness, they wield a disarming spiritual weapon that combats evil with good.
8. Holy Spirit
Reliance on the Holy Spirit’s guidance and empowerment is foundational to using all weapons of righteousness skillfully. Zechariah 4:6 declares, “‘Not by might nor by power, but by My Spirit,’ says the Lord.” Any victories believers achieve are fully credited to the Spirit’s enablement.
The Holy Spirit imparts spiritual gifts, power, courage, conviction, wisdom, and divine love – resources that far exceed human abilities. As Christians yield more of themselves to the Spirit’s control, He births righteousness within them. They must walk in step with Him to experience empowerment.
Romans 8 promises that by the Spirit’s life-giving power, believers can put to death sinful deeds and enjoy freedom from condemnation. The Spirit ushers believers into intimacy with Jesus Christ and the Father, providing access to heavenly resources. Wielding the Holy Spirit as a weapon requires submission to His lordship in every area.
9. Love
Agape love is the preeminent weapon of righteousness, empowering all others. The apostle Paul eloquently wrote, “Love is patient, love is kind…It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres” (1 Corinthians 13:4, 7). This Christlike love is humble, selfless, and unconditional.
Jesus commanded His followers to “love one another as I have loved you” (John 13:34). Expressing compassionate, merciful, forgiving love like Christ’s is foundational to representing Him well. It is the primary distinguishing mark of Christians, instrumental for evangelism.
God’s loving nature also enables fellowship, harmony, and humble servanthood within the church. Believers who learn to wield love righteously in relationships and toward outsiders unlock one of the most potent weapons against satan’s kingdom – which is characterized by hatred, selfishness, cruelty, and pride.
10. Hope
Finally, maintaining genuine hope and joyful expectancy regarding God’s promises and eternal Kingdom is a weapon of righteousness. This hope is founded on the certainty of Christ’s resurrection and His finished redemptive work. It uplifts believers amid hardships and persecution.
Scripture repeatedly emphasizes hope. Titus 1:2 describes “hope of eternal life which God, who cannot lie, promised before time began.” Colossians 1:23 exhorts believers to “continue in the faith, stable and steadfast, not shifting from the hope of the gospel.” Anchoring to biblical hope stabilizes believers amid turbulent times.
Hope declares that satan’s reign is temporary and will give way fully to God’s eternal Kingdom. Believers can joyfully anticipate the fulfillment of Christ’s victory and coming reign. This empowers endurance and righteous living today. As Hebrews declares, “faith is the assurance of things hoped for” (Hebrews 11:1). Wielding confident scriptural hope shines light into darkness.
In summary, these ten weapons – truthful speech, God’s power, righteousness, purity, knowledge, patience, kindness, the Holy Spirit, love, and hope – comprise the spiritual arsenal granted to believers for combating sin and spreading the true gospel. Just as skilled soldiers must grow proficient in utilizing provided weaponry, Christians must learn to wield these weapons appropriately through practice and dependence on the Holy Spirit. As Paul declared, they demolish enemy strongholds as believers live obediently in God’s might and righteousness.
