battle

don’t leave home without it

Posted on by Grace Day

Now what would “it” be? According to one ad from years ago “it” was a credit card. You and I, as the prospective consumers, were advised not to leave home without this particular credit card. Why? Because it’s a dangerous, unpredictable world out there. We can’t possibly anticipate what circumstances and events we will encounter when we leave home and walk out into the world, BUT – apparently, possessing this credit card will provide us with protection, provision and peace of mind. I guess the underlying premise being that money can buy you and me those three essential p’s – protection, provision and peace of mind. If only!

So what do I need to take with me every day, if not a trusted credit card? I usually dress for both the current weather and the weather forecast for the day, meaning even if it’s not currently raining or snowing, if that’s the prediction for later in the day, I take my umbrella or snow boots, gloves etc. and scraper for the car in anticipation of what I might encounter later and of what I might need in order to deal with whatever unexpected challenges might arise. Still, it’s impossible for me to be fully prepared to face every contingency, every day.

While most of us aren’t military, we may feel like we are walking into a war zone every day as we enter our workplaces or just the places we go in general as shoppers, patients, clients, spectators, classmates, fans, friends – anyplace can be a potential battlefield. No wonder we’re tired, maybe not so much physically as emotionally, mentally and spiritually. I find myself wondering, “is it just me? am I imagining this or is it real?” Ephesians 6 gives me a clear answer to my questions –

“For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms.” (Ephesians 6:12)

Ok, so there is a battle going on. It’s not my imagination after all. But it’s a spiritual battle. So, how do I prepare for this battle? What protection and provision are available to me? I think it’s going to take more than a credit card to equip me to live victoriously while facing and fighting this spiritual battle. It’s not as simple as bringing an umbrella or wearing snow boots and a heavy coat. I need more protection than that. Fortunately, Ephesians 6 outlines in detail exactly what I need to put on and take with me.

“Therefore put on the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, (I think it’s already here) you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand. Stand firm then, with the belt of truth buckled around your waist, with the breastplate of righteousness in place, and with your feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace. In addition to all this, take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one. Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God.” (Ephesians 6:13-17)

These things then, are the things I shouldn’t leave home without. It is imperative I actively put them on in order to be prepared to face the challenges the day will bring and in order to be protected from things like “the flaming arrows of the evil one.” My instructions not only include what I am to wear, but also what I am to do. The words are clear –

“Finally, be strong in the Lord and in His mighty power. Put on the full armor of God so that you can take your stand against the devil’s schemes. . . . And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests. With this in mind, be alert and always keep on praying for all the saints.” (Ephesians 6:10-11, 18)

“Be strong”, “put on the full armor of God”, “stand” and “pray” – this is not a plan for survival. This is a plan for victory! My circumstances may seem overwhelming, but God’s armor provides me the protection and the peace that I need and that He wants me to have. I dare not leave home without it! My Heavenly Father has made all of it available to me, I just have to put it on! When I do, I will be able to “take my stand against the devil’s schemes” because God’s armor contains everything I need, as long as I put on all of it (the full armor) and not just some of it.

God’s truth defeats satan’s lies. God provides His righteousness to cover me. Jesus is the Prince of peace and it is His gospel of peace that fits my feet and enables me to stand. It is His shield of faith that extinguishes all the flaming arrows of doubt before they can even reach their target (me), take root and destroy my faith. My helmet is God’s salvation, sealing me for the day of redemption, assuring that the enemy cannot rob me of the gift God has already given me. And God provides me a weapon, His Sword of the Spirit, which is His living Word. And word has it (pun intended) that this particular Sword is a pretty good weapon. Hebrews says this about it –

“For the word of God is living and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart. Nothing in all creation is hidden from God’s sight. Everything is uncovered and laid bare before the eyes of Him to whom we must give account.” (Hebrews 4:12-13)

I think that’s a pretty sharp sword indeed! And it’s a weapon I can wield in this spiritual battle I face every day. I don’t have to be afraid, discouraged, daunted or deterred in any way. I may not have today’s most prestigious or preferred credit card with me when I leave home every day BUT – I have something infinitely better. I have God’s full armor covering me and I have His presence. I have my Heavenly Father’s protection, His provision, His peace and His twenty-four/seven Presence. I have His promise –

“Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid or terrified because of them, for the Lord your God goes with you; He will never leave you nor forsake you.” (Deuteronomy 31:6)

“The Lord will keep you from all harm – He will watch over your life; the Lord will watch over your coming and going both now and forevermore.” (Psalm 121:7-8)

“And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.” (Matthew 28:20)

We think life is full of hardship and heartache today, but there is “nothing new under the sun.” Jesus told His disciples this –

“In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.” (John 16:33)

And so He has! But while in this world, I will have trouble. I am so thankful God has given me His full armor, to protect and equip me for the battle that rages all around us. Better than any credit card, the full armor of God allows me to stand firm in any and every circumstance and to always keep on praying.

sincerely, Grace Day

the battle rages

Posted on by Grace Day

“In this world you will have trouble; but take heart! I have overcome the world.” (John 16:33)

Jesus spoke those words to His disciples shortly before He was falsely accused, arrested, tried, found guilty and put to death on a cross. I wonder if His disciples recalled those words as they mourned His death following His crucifixion? At that moment in time, it certainly wouldn’t have appeared to His disciples as if Jesus had indeed overcome the world. His body lay in a tomb. It looked as though the world had won the battle.

However, only three days later, the disciples’ situation looked very different. The tomb was empty! Jesus was spending time with them! The disciples had been grieving Jesus’s death. Now they were celebrating His return, His presence with them! In seemingly an instant, everything changed. The tomb was (and is) empty. Death had been and is defeated. The disciples went from despair to hope, from doubt to faith, from disillusionment to fulfillment, from grief to joy, from fear to courage, from being abandoned and adrift to becoming bearers of the Good News. They were now Christ’s ambassadors, entrusted with carrying out His Great Commission to “go into all the world and proclaim the gospel.” The disciples were to let the world know the battle was won! Jesus had defeated death!

It is true, Jesus has defeated death, BUT – the battle is still raging today. My battle is still raging today and I’m guessing maybe yours is too? I see it and I feel it all around me. I am fighting it. I see those around me fighting it too. It is a battle fought on all fronts – physical, mental and spiritual. After all, we are triune beings, created in the image of a triune God, our Heavenly Father. So of course the enemy of our souls attacks our bodies, our minds and our spirits. I read in 1 Peter –

“Be self-controlled and alert. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour. Resist him, standing firm in the faith, because you know that your brothers throughout the world are undergoing the same kind of sufferings.” (1 Peter 5:8-9)

And that is definitely true today. Many around the globe live in countries where they are being persecuted for their faith even as I write these words. There are famines and wars and rumors of wars all around us. The battle rages around us and within us. I might as well get used to it because this will continue until the day of Christ’s return, when He will set all things right. Jesus said the outcome of the battle is secure – He has overcome. But until He comes again – the battle continues to rage on all fronts.

The apostle Paul was familiar with doing battle – both external and internal. He described His internal battle in this way.

“For I have the desire to do what is good, but I cannot carry it out. For what I do is not the good I want to do; no, the evil I do not want to do – this I keep on doing. . . . When I want to do good, evil is right there with me. For in my inner being I delight in God’s law; but I see another law at work in the members of my body, waging war against the law of my mind and making me a prisoner of the law of sin at work within my members. What a wretched man I am! Who will rescue me from this body of death? Thanks be to God – through Jesus Christ our Lord!” (Romans 7:18-25)

No wonder I am weary! I am fighting a daily battle within myself (basically I am fighting with myself) and I am fighting many battles without, simultaneously. I would wager you are too, dear readers. While good and evil face off within me, I must also face physical illnesses and challenges, (as do so many I know), face interpersonal challenges (being called to love your enemies is hard work, as is just getting along with friends, family, coworkers and strangers alike) and battle the lies of this world (which enslave) with God’s sword of truth. My Heavenly Father knows the battle is raging. That’s why He provides armor for me to wear and a weapon for me to use.

“Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God.” (Ephesians 6:17)

As I watch those I know and love battle illness, loss, loneliness, lies, hurt, fear, depression, anxiety, persecution etc., I watch our world battle with hatred, cruelty, violence, lies, poverty, fear and persecution simultaneously. There seems to be no peace from the battle at present anywhere I look. BUT – it makes a difference where I look. When I look to Jesus while I am in the midst of the many battles I seem to be fighting today and every day, I can “take heart” from these words of Jesus, spoken to His disciples before He sent them out into the world where He knew they would face many battles – trouble, hardship, persecution, rejection, unbelief –

“Peace I leave with you; My peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid.” (John 14:27)

Yes, the battle is raging all around me BUT – Jesus tells me not to be troubled or afraid. My Heavenly Father doesn’t call me to live my life in fear, but rather to live my life with courage, as I face and fight the battles that surround me. After all, He has given me His sword of the Spirit with which to fight each lie, each loss, each assault and accusation. I can know –

“For our (my) light and momentary troubles are achieving for us (me) an eternal glory that far outweighs them all.” (2 Corinthians 4:17)

I have His instructions for battle from centuries ago, still applicable for today –

“Moses answered the people, ‘Do not be afraid. Stand firm and you will see the deliverance the Lord will bring you today. The Egyptians you see today you will never see again. The Lord will fight for you; you need only to be still.’ ” (Exodus 14:13-14)

A good battle plan for me and for you, too – don’t be afraid, stand firm, wait on God, trust God, be still, let Him fight for me, let it be His strength, His way and His will that wins all the battles in my life. Let the victory be His alone!

I have His promise –

“And the God of all grace, who called you to His eternal glory in Christ, after you have suffered a little while, will Himself restore you and make you strong, firm and steadfast. To Him be the power for ever and ever. Amen.” (1 Peter 5:10-11)

I remember that –

“The Lord is my rock, my fortress and my deliverer; my God is my rock, in whom I take refuge. He is my shield and the horn of my salvation, my stronghold. I call to the Lord, who is worthy of praise, and I am saved from my enemies.” (Psalm 18:2-3)

yes, the battle rages – BUT – I will put on the full armor of God, stand firm, be still, trust God, wait on God – the battle is His –

“This is what the Lord says to you: ‘Do not be afraid or discouraged because of this vast army. For the battle is not yours, but God’s. . . . You will not have to fight this battle. Take up your positions; stand firm and see the deliverance the Lord will give you, O Judah and Jerusalem. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged. Go out to face them tomorrow, and the Lord will be with you.’ ” (2 Chronicles 20:15-17)

As I fight my many battles, I need to remember these words from Chronicles. I don’t have to be discouraged or afraid even though the challenges and obstacles are many. (they seem like a vast army for sure) God simply asks me to show up – to take my position, to stand firm, and then I will have a front row seat to witness God’s deliverance. God calls me to face the enemy, (be it illness, lies, hatred, injustice, cruelty, division, betrayal, persecution) while assuring me that He will be with me when I do.

After all, my Heavenly Father is a God who does the unimaginable, the impossible – even when the battle rages. King David knew this, which may be why he said this about God-

“You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies. You anoint my head with oil; my cup overflows.” (Psalm 23:5)

King David knew a thing or two about fighting battles. He fought the giant Goliath as well as many physical battles with horses, chariots and armies of men. He fought interpersonal battles with members of his own household and he fought spiritual battles within himself, eventually crying out to God –

“Create in me a pure heart, O God, and renew a right spirit within me.” (Psalm 51:10)

As for me, when all my battles have ceased, I want to be able to say –

“I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith. Now there is in store for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will award to me on that day – and not only to me, but also to all who have longed for His appearing.” (2 Timothy 4:7-8)

today, while the battle rages, I will stand firm, I will take up the sword of the Spirit with confidence, knowing Jesus has said – “but take heart! I have overcome the world.”

sincerely, Grace Day