Wisdom is Better than Weapons of War

Dale M. Sides

The other day I was reading the book of Ecclesiastes, and because the Lord has called me into a season of war, I immediately snapped to attention when I saw the following verse:

Wisdom is better than weapons of war. Ecclesiastes 9:18a

Throughout my time of studying and teaching on weapons—such as the armor of light (Romans 13:12), the spoken sword of the Spirit (Ephesians 6:17) and prophecy (Ezekiel 21:14), and the angelic army (Isaiah 13:3–5)—I had never seen this truth concerning wisdom. This truth stopped me in my tracks: Wisdom is better than all these! I decided this revelation needed to be explored.

The context of Ecclesiastes 9:18 begins in verse 14 where we see the analogy of taking a city by wisdom.

There was a little city with few men in it; and a great king came against it, besieged it, and built great snares around it. Now there was found in it a poor wise man, and he by his wisdom delivered the city. Yet no one remembered that same poor man. Then I said: “Wisdom is better than strength.” Ecclesiastes 9:14–16a

King Solomon, the writer of Ecclesiastes, also penned Proverbs. I have heard that the 31 chapters in the book of Proverbs (written for youth) is just the right amount to allow one to be read each day of the month. Ecclesiastes reveals a greater depth or understanding (the standing under) of Proverbs. It is addressed to adults and has 12 chapters, which means one can be read each month of the year. Whatever this wisdom is, which is better than weapons, it behooves us to have a perpetual and habitual dose of it.

What is Wisdom?

Many years ago, I learned a definition of wisdom as, “knowledge applied.” This has served me well through the years, but I am beginning to see that there is much more to it than this basic meaning. More recently, I learned another definition of wisdom as, “knowledge of the future.” It is logical that knowledge of the future would be better than weapons of war because of the potential it would provide to plan out our strategy of victory. Although the first definition still holds true, we should also consider the meaning of knowledge of the future—especially in light of spiritual warfare.

In any type of warfare, one of the most powerful tools an army has is what the military calls “intel” (short for “intelligence”), which is knowledge of the enemy’s plans. It is good to know our opponent’s strengths and weaknesses, but how about knowing the future and what he is planning to do? This would be an incredible boost to the whole military concept of strategy.

All military planning involves trying to determine what your opponent will do and then preparing for it. Chess players try to predict their opponent’s strategy many moves ahead. In the movie Patton, which depicted the Allied Forces defeating Romel, General Patton (using his personalized expletives) said, “Romel, I read your book.” What Patton meant by this phrase was that he had successfully calculated what Romel would do. He was then able to lead the Allied Forces into victory by using that knowledge and making the appropriate maneuvers.

In establishing our India for Jesus campaign, we utilized supernatural intel. The Lord revealed, “Rameswaram must be first,” so we targeted Rameswaram as the initial beachhead for the campaign. It was because of this revelation that we had our army of evangelists in the right place at the right time for the influx of people who swarmed the island to receive tsunami relief.

In the army of the Lord, we have a potent weapon to use against the enemy that is far greater than mere guesswork—we have a revelation gift of the Holy Spirit called the word of wisdom (1 Corinthians 12:8). Many times the word of wisdom is used in conjunction with the gift of discerning of spirits, generating a formidable means to gather the necessary intel of the enemy’s activities and plans.

In the Old Testament, we see Elisha utilizing revelation from the Holy Spirit to save the people of Israel from their enemies.

Now the king of Syria was making war against Israel; and he took counsel with his servants, saying, “My camp will be in such and such a place.” And the man of God sent to the king of Israel, saying, “Beware that you do not pass this place, for the Syrians are coming down there.” Then the king of Israel sent someone to the place of which the man of God had told him. Thus he warned him, and he was watchful there, not just once or twice. Therefore the heart of the king of Syria was greatly troubled by this thing; and he called his servants and said to them, “Will you not show me which of us is for the king of Israel?” And one of his servants said, “None, my lord, O king; but Elisha, the prophet who is in Israel, tells the king of Israel the words that you speak in your bedroom.” 2 Kings 6:8–12

Probable defeat was turned into victory for Israel by the Lord revealing to one man the plans of the enemy. Just imagine how helpful this would be in spiritual warfare—to know in advance the enemy’s plans! We would then be able to pass this information on to those who are perhaps strategically planning to spiritually take a city or an area for the Lord Jesus Christ.

God Knows the Future

Herein lays a great thing: Our God knows the future!

Remember the former things of old, for I am God, and there is no other; I am God, and there is none like Me, declaring the end from the beginning, and from ancient times things that are not yet done, saying, “My counsel [including war counsel] shall stand, and I will do all My pleasure.” Isaiah 46:9–10

Through words of wisdom given to us by the Holy Spirit He can, and will many times, tell us what will happen before it does. How much better is that than superior firepower and munitions?

How much more effectively can we walk if we know what will take place in the future before it happens? We have an advantage over the kingdom of darkness! We can know what they are planning to do ahead of time, as well as what to do about it. We can do what needs to be done before it needs to be done. John 16:13 says that the Holy Spirit will show us things to come.

However, when He, the Spirit of truth, has come, He will guide you into all truth; for He will not speak on His own authority, but whatever He hears He will speak; and He will tell you things to come. John 16:13

Maybe instead of staying up late sharpening our swords, we should be petitioning God for future knowledge of the enemy’s troop movement or revelation of his ambush. Then we could ambush him while he is on the way to ambush us! He may try to strategize us and forecast what we will do, but a word of wisdom will absolutely show us what he is about to do, and it will foil his plans.

The Greatest Military Strategist

God Almighty, our Father Yahweh, is the greatest military strategist of the ages. He hid His battle plan in the great mystery which He later revealed to Paul.

However, we speak wisdom among those who are mature, yet not the wisdom of this age, nor of the rulers of this age, who are coming to nothing. But we speak the wisdom of God in a mystery, the hidden wisdom which God ordained before the ages for our glory, which none of the rulers of this age knew; for had they known, they would not have crucified the Lord of glory. 1 Corinthians 2:6–8

He hid the secret of Christ in you (Colossians 1:27) from Satan and his minions, knowing that a future time would come when He would be able to release the sons of God against the devil. We are an awesome weapon of His wisdom as we make known the will of the Father through obedience to the Holy Spirit.

To me, who am less than the least of all the saints, this grace was given, that I should preach among the Gentiles the unsearchable riches of Christ, and to make all people see what is the fellowship of the mystery, which from the beginning of the ages has been hidden in God who created all things through Jesus Christ; to the intent that now the manifold wisdom of God might be made known by the church to the principalities and powers in the heavenly places, according to the eternal purpose which He accomplished in Christ Jesus our Lord. Ephesians 3:8–11

Our God is not only the greatest military strategist, but the wisest too, and wisdom truly is better than any weapon of war.

Ask and Seek

Do you need to know the future? James 1:5 says that if any man lacks wisdom, let him ask of God who gives freely.

If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask of God, who gives to all liberally and without reproach, and it will be given to him. James 1:5

When the lives of Daniel and his companions were on the line and they needed wisdom quickly, they set themselves apart to seek mercies from the God of heaven.

Then Daniel went to his house, and made the decision known to Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah, his companions, that they might seek mercies from the God of heaven concerning this secret, so that Daniel and his companions might not perish with the rest of the wise men of Babylon.  Then the secret was revealed to Daniel in a night vision. So Daniel blessed the God of heaven. Daniel answered and said: “Blessed be the name of God forever and ever, for wisdom and might are His.  And He changes the times and the seasons; He removes kings and raises up kings; He gives wisdom to the wise and knowledge to those who have understanding. He reveals deep and secret things; He knows what is in the darkness, and light dwells with Him. Daniel 2:17–22

Let’s seek mercies from the God of heaven in order to receive the wisdom we need to defeat the works of darkness and further the kingdom of our Lord.

Wisdom may be knowledge applied, but it is also knowledge of the future, and wisdom is better than weapons of war!