It is 3:12 a.m., here in the Mountain Time Zone. Yes, it is safe to say that my circadian clock is "messed up". This GA girl wants to be home. Lord willing, by this time tomorrow, I'll be sleeping in my own bed. Your prayers are appreciated for us, as we face a long travel day ahead.
So, as I tried to sleep, I was hearing this over and over in my head:
"Onward Christian soldiers, marching as to war,
With the cross of Jesus going on before."
Onward, Christian Soldiers -
I was "raised" in the Baptist church. My mother was the church pianist/organist and my Daddy "led the singin'." I remember singing this song and having not the slightest idea what it meant! What in the world? Soldiers? War? What war? In my little community in north GA, most everyone went to some kind of church and held a common standard of morality, it seemed. It took me a long time to really "get it".
An important aspect of the Christian life is the realization that our worldview, which flows from the gospel of Jesus Christ we preach is vastly different from the popular worldview. And, our belief system appears to be getting more unpopular as time goes on.
The truth is that the world apart from those who believe in the gospel of Jesus Christ has always been full of people who, to some degree or other, are warring against our faith. The problem is that we, the Church, have often been oblivious.
Oblivion and "la la la la la" are not effective weapons of war. They result in the enemy forces winning and your side getting stomped. So, let's break this down.
The first thing we have to realize is that the world we see and move through every moment of every day is just the tip of the iceberg. There is a whole "other world", a spiritual world, operating behind the scenes of this temporal world we experience with our five senses. In this spirit plane, the angels of God and the forces of spiritual darkness are at constant war. Whether we are conscious of it or not, whether people are Christian or not, ALL are affected by, influenced by, participating in this warfare.
So, that's the first step: realize that you are at the nexus of a grand and ongoing spiritual war, which won't end until God throws Satan into the Lake of Fire for eternity. If you fail to believe this, you are defeated before you start.
Some people have this false image of angels, picturing them as little cherubs, flitting about playing little harps. This is a deception of our spiritual enemy, the devil and his forces of evil. Never underestimate your opponent. God's angels are WARRIORS. This could be an exhaustive study in itself, but to give you a tantalising taste, read Daniel chapter 10. In this chapter, one of God's mighty warriors is telling how he was battling against the spirit prince of the country of Persia, for many days, and that this prevented his arriving to speak to Daniel sooner.
One of the clearest passages concerning the reality of our spiritual battle is given by the apostle Paul in Ephesians 6:12-18. I'm going to present this passage to you in two Bible versions, the KJV and The Message. You will see very clearly that it is Father's intention that His children be warriors as well. Satan stands ready to oppose you, the respresentative of the living Savior, every moment of every day. Are you prepared?
New KJV:
12 For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this age,[a] against spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places. 13 Therefore take up the whole armor of God, that you may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand. 14 Stand therefore, having girded your waist with truth, having put on the breastplate of righteousness, 15 and having shod your feet with the preparation of the gospel of peace;16 above all, taking the shield of faith with which you will be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked one.17 And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God; 18 praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, being watchful to this end with all perseverance and supplication for all the saints—
The Message:
12 This is no afternoon athletic contest that we'll walk away from and forget about in a couple of hours. This is for keeps, a life-or-death fight to the finish against the Devil and all his angels. 13 Be prepared. You're up against far more than you can handle on your own. Take all the help you can get, every weapon God has issued, so that when it's all over but the shouting you'll still be on your feet. 14 Truth, righteousness, 15 peace, 16 faith, 17 and salvation are more than words. Learn how to apply them. You'll need them throughout your life. God's Word is an indispensable weapon.18 In the same way, prayer is essential in this ongoing warfare. Pray hard and long. Pray for your brothers and sisters. Keep your eyes open. Keep each other's spirits up so that no one falls behind or drops out.
So, second, we've got to gather our weapons. After making sure we realize we are soldiers in a mighty, spiritual conflict, Paul admonishes us to "dress for battle" every day.
Have you gotten dressed this morning?
Please don't forget to view every circumstance of your life in this light. Did you have an argument with your spouse yesterday? Did you hurt someone's feelings unintentionally? Did you cheat a business associate? Did you {insert relevant sin here}? This is all part of the battle. Recognize these spiritual attacks for what they are and GO TO WAR!
We'll examine these verses in more depth tomorrow.
Father, I fear that I have done a very paltry job of sharing about this important principle of the Christian walk. I pray that You will enlighten the hearts of those reading these words and praying this prayer with me today. Thank you for allowing Your children to fight on your side, the winning side. Thank you that we can REST in the assurance that You are in control, that You allow the conflict for Your honor and glory, but that ultimately You are the King of Kings and Lord of Lords, reigning now and who will reign for eternity. I am blessed to serve such a King. As those of us who call you Lord and King go forward into life this day, please help us to use the mighty weapons you have given us and to never shirk from "fighting the good fight of faith". To You be all the honor and glory and power, forever and ever! Amen.
No comments:
Post a Comment