As a drunk man staggers out of a bar, a firetruck races past, siren wailing and lights flashing. Immediately, he starts chasing the engine, running as fast as he can until he finally collapses. “If that’s the way you want it,” he yells, “you can keep your stupid ice cream!”
It’s amazing how blinded we have become in this world. We see fame and fortune with non-spiritual eyes, and think that’s what life is all about…………..
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Buechner, Frederick. The Magnificent Defeat.
We walk down the streets of a city – not just the poorer streets either – and the faces come at us like dead leaves in the wind, one face so much like another in its emptiness and defeat that it takes the most concentrated effort to see it as a human face at all, unique, individual, like the face of no other human being who has ever lived or will live. These are the invisible men of our world; we look at them without really seeing them. We fight to be visible, to move into a place in the sun, a place in the family, the community, in whatever profession we choose, a place where we can belong, where there is light enough to be recognized as a person and to keep the shadows at bay. We feel that we must conquer a territory in time and space that will be ours. And that is true. We must.
If that is the goal of this war of conquest that we all must wage, there are also the adversaries with whom we have to wage it; and they are adversaries of flesh and blood. They are human beings like ourselves, each of whom is fighting the same war toward the same end and under a banner emblazoned with the same word that our banners bear, and that word is of course Myself, or Myself and my Family, or Myself and my Country, Myself and my Race, which are all really MYSELF writ large.
…it is the war of flesh against flesh: to get ahead, to win, to gain or regain power, to survive in a world where not even survival is had without struggle.
…what is the armor to wear in such a war? Not, certainly, the whole armor of God here but, rather, the whole armor of man, because this is a man’s war against other men. In such a war, perhaps, you wear something like this. Gird your loins with wisdom, the sad wisdom of the world which knows that dog eats dog, that the gods help those who help themselves and charity begins at home. Put on the breastplate of self-confidence because if you have no faith in yourself, if you cannot trust to your own wits, then you will never get anywhere. Let you feet be shod with the gospel of success – the good news that you can get just about anything in this world if you want it badly enough and are willing to fight for it. Above all, take the shield of security because in a perilous world where anything can happen, security is perhaps what you need more than anything else – the security of money in the bank, or a college degree, or some basic skill that you can always fall back on. And take the helmet of attractiveness or personality and the sword of wit. In a world where the competition is fierce, to dress well, to be able to speak well on your feet, to be good at games, may actually make the difference between winning and losing. In the war of conquest, that is to say, in the war that we all wage for a place in the sun, it is the armor of man rather than the armor of God that will serve you best; and although I cannot value that armor as highly as some would value it, I also cannot mock it because the armor of man serves its purpose all too well, and because I wear some of it myself, and so do you.
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We can see this all too well in our mixed up world. If we look, we can see people all around us who are searching for something. They have bought into what they have heard all their lives, but still haven’t found what they are looking for. Alcoholism and drug abuse run rampant throughout our communities and college campuses.
But, we as Christians, are called to a different battle. In order to fight in this battle, we must lay down the armor of men and pick up the armor of God. Our battle is spiritual not physical. No physical tool or weapon could even begin to be used.
Psalm 44
6 For I will not trust in my bow, neither shall my sword save me.
7 But thou hast saved us from our enemies, and hast put them to shame that hated us.
8 In God we boast all the day long, and praise thy name for ever. Selah.
My heart has no desire to stay
Where doubts arise and fears dismay;
Though some may dwell where those abound,
My prayer, my aim, is higher ground.
Higher Ground – Johnson Oatman Jr.
10Finally, be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power.
Genesis 1
1In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth.
3And God said, Let there be light: and there was light.
4And God saw the light, that it was good: and God divided the light from the darkness.
6And God said, Let there be a firmament in the midst of the waters, and let it divide the waters from the waters.
7And God made the firmament, and divided the waters which were under the firmament from the waters which were above the firmament: and it was so.
11And God said, Let the earth bring forth grass, the herb yielding seed, and the fruit tree yielding fruit after his kind, whose seed is in itself, upon the earth: and it was so.
16And God made two great lights; the greater light to rule the day, and the lesser light to rule the night: he made the stars also.
17And God set them in the firmament of the heaven to give light upon the earth,
20And God said, Let the waters bring forth abundantly the moving creature that hath life, and fowl that may fly above the earth in the open firmament of heaven.
21And God created great whales, and every living creature that moveth, which the waters brought forth abundantly, after their kind, and every winged fowl after his kind: and God saw that it was good.
22And God blessed them, saying, Be fruitful, and multiply, and fill the waters in the seas, and let fowl multiply in the earth.
24And God said, Let the earth bring forth the living creature after his kind, cattle, and creeping thing, and beast of the earth after his kind: and it was so.
25And God made the beast of the earth after his kind, and cattle after their kind, and every thing that creepeth upon the earth after his kind: and God saw that it was good.
26And God said, Let us make man in our image, after our likeness: and let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over the cattle, and over all the earth, and over every creeping thing that creepeth upon the earth.
27So God created man in his own image, in the image of God created he him; male and female created he them.
God will never leave nor forsake us.
11Put on the full armor of God so that you can take your stand against the devil’s schemes.
1 Peter 5
8 Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour:
9 Whom resist stedfast in the faith, knowing that the same afflictions are accomplished in your brethren that are in the world.
10 But the God of all grace, who hath called us unto his eternal glory by Christ Jesus, after that ye have suffered a while, make you perfect, stablish, strengthen, settle you.
Without God, we are still wearing the armor of man, and have no hope of resisting.
12For 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.
Our battle is spiritual, not physical. We are supposed to love our enemies, because they’re not the ones we are really fighting against, anyway.
Revelations 12
7And there was war in heaven: Michael and his angels fought against the dragon; and the dragon fought and his angels,
8And prevailed not; neither was their place found any more in heaven.
9And the great dragon was cast out, that old serpent, called the Devil, and Satan, which deceiveth the whole world: he was cast out into the earth, and his angels were cast out with him.
10And I heard a loud voice saying in heaven, Now is come salvation, and strength, and the kingdom of our God, and the power of his Christ: for the accuser of our brethren is cast down, which accused them before our God day and night.
11And they overcame him by the blood of the Lamb, and by the word of their testimony; and they loved not their lives unto the death.
13Therefore put on the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand.
2 Timothy 1
10But is now made manifest by the appearing of our Saviour Jesus Christ, who hath abolished death, and hath brought life and immortality to light through the gospel:
11Whereunto I am appointed a preacher, and an apostle, and a teacher of the Gentiles.
12For the which cause I also suffer these things: nevertheless I am not ashamed: for I know whom I have believed, and am persuaded that he is able to keep that which I have committed unto him against that day.
14Stand firm then, with the belt of truth buckled around your waist, with the breastplate of righteousness in place,
www.dictionary.com
truth
2. conformity with fact or reality; verity: the truth of a statement.
3. a verified or indisputable fact, proposition, principle, or the like: mathematical truths.
4. the state or character of being true.
5. actuality or actual existence.
6. an obvious or accepted fact; truism; platitude.
7. honesty; integrity; truthfulness.
We must test the spirits to see if they are of God. The benchmark that we must use is God’s word. We must also hide God’s word in our heart, so that when we hear something that sounds a little bit off, we will be able to tell.
It seems like no one wants to admit that there is true and false in the world today – everyone wants a shade of gray. People want to play semantics, to distract from the issue at hand.
www.dictionary.com
righteous
1. Morally upright; without guilt or sin: a righteous parishioner.
2. In accordance with virtue or morality: a righteous judgment.
3. Morally justifiable: righteous anger.
It’s not our righteousness, because our righteousness is as filthy rags. It is only by having accepted Jesus as Savior in our lives that we may stand before God without guilt or sin.
Psalms 26
1Judge me, O LORD; for I have walked in mine integrity: I have trusted also in the LORD; therefore I shall not slide.
2Examine me, O LORD, and prove me; try my reins and my heart.
3For thy lovingkindness is before mine eyes: and I have walked in thy truth.
4I have not sat with vain persons, neither will I go in with dissemblers.
5I have hated the congregation of evil doers; and will not sit with the wicked.
6I will wash mine hands in innocency: so will I compass thine altar, O LORD:
7That I may publish with the voice of thanksgiving, and tell of all thy wondrous works.
8LORD, I have loved the habitation of thy house, and the place where thine honour dwelleth.
9Gather not my soul with sinners, nor my life with bloody men:
10In whose hands is mischief, and their right hand is full of bribes.
11But as for me, I will walk in mine integrity: redeem me, and be merciful unto me.
12My foot standeth in an even place: in the congregations will I bless the LORD.
15and with your feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace.
We must be ready in season and out of season. You never know when someone will ask you a question about God or being a Christian.
Example:
Person 1: “What has God done in your life?”
Person 2: “It was brisk Autumn day when I came into this world…..”
Chances are, they’re not writing a biography… You don’t need to tell all the bad stuff from your life, just tell how God delivered you…
16In addition to all this, take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one.
I want to live above the world,
Though Satan’s darts at me are hurled;
For faith has caught the joyful sound,
The song of saints on higher ground.
Higher Ground – Johnson Oatman Jr.
Shields used to be covered in leather that was soaked in water before battle. When the flaming arrows hit the shield, they would be extinguished. When a Police S.W.A.T. team enters a building, the guy in front may carry a shield to protect himself. There are many types and sizes of shields, but the main purpose of a shield is to protect the persons body against attack.
Faith is believing in things that we haven’t seen. When our faith is strong, it will deflect the lies of our enemy.
17Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God.
A soldier wears a helmet to protect his head from bullets and shrapnel. A Christian has the helmet of salvation and security in Jesus, who overcame hell and rose the third day, to protect our minds from those little lies that try to creep in.
18And 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.
Revelations 12
7And there was war in heaven: Michael and his angels fought against the dragon; and the dragon fought and his angels,
8And prevailed not; neither was their place found any more in heaven.
9And the great dragon was cast out, that old serpent, called the Devil, and Satan, which deceiveth the whole world: he was cast out into the earth, and his angels were cast out with him.
10And I heard a loud voice saying in heaven, Now is come salvation, and strength, and the kingdom of our God, and the power of his Christ: for the accuser of our brethren is cast down, which accused them before our God day and night.
11And they overcame him by the blood of the Lamb, and by the word of their testimony; and they loved not their lives unto the death.
12Therefore rejoice, ye heavens, and ye that dwell in them. Woe to the inhabiters of the earth and of the sea! for the devil is come down unto you, having great wrath, because he knoweth that he hath but a short time.
