Generally speaking, the word “aggression” has a negative ring. News headlines speak of terrorists, rebels, and rogue nations acting as aggressors. On the playground, the class bully is an aggressor, and in the corporate world it is perpetrated by individuals and firms. One doesn’t have to be a pacifist for the word “aggression” to strike a negative cord.
I’d like to suggest, however, that in the spiritual world aggression is not only good, it is necessary. In fact, unless we are aggressive in waging spiritual war against sin, we will find ourselves severely injured, as Paul states in 2 Corinthians:
For though we walk in the flesh, we are not waging war according to the flesh. For the weapons of our warfare are not of the flesh but have divine power to destroy strongholds. We destroy arguments and every lofty opinion raised against the knowledge of God, and take every thought captive to obey Christ…. 2 Cor 10:3-5
