Getting our marching orders

In my last post I wrote about the intimacy that Christ longs to share with us. He is not interested in performance; He is interested in a relationship with you, Sergeant. His love for you knows no bounds. If you have children, you may have a little idea of how deeply Christ loves you, although I don't think we will ever know this side of heaven the full extent of it.

After Jesus told the crowd that prayer is about having an intimate relationship with God and not about saying a lot of words to impress the people around you, He offered an example:

Our Father in heaven,
Hallowed be Your name.
¹⁰ Your kingdom come.
Your will be done
On earth as it is in heaven.
¹¹ Give us this day our daily bread.
¹² And forgive us our debts,
As we forgive our debtors.
¹³ And do not lead us into temptation,
But deliver us from the evil one.
For Yours is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever. Amen. (Matthew 6:9-13)

This is undoubtedly the most famous prayer in Christendom. In my youth, everyone I knew, including me, who went to church only three or four times a year with the neighbors, knew "The Lord's Prayer."

Notice that this prayer opens with the address "Our Father." Jesus was addressing Jews here. They were not accustomed to thinking of God as their father. "Abraham is our father" (John 8:39). Paul wrote to the church at Rome, saying, "...you received the Spirit of adoption by whom we cry out, 'Abba, Father.'" (Romans 8:15) Abba is the Aramaic for father. Aramaic was the vernacular of the society into which Jesus came to minister.

This is a new level of intimacy with God for the Jews, who were loath even to mention the name of God, for fear of offending Him. Jesus (and Paul after Him) was obviously encouraging His audience to throw away any pretense, and get real with God.

The prayer continues, "Hallowed be Your name." That is "May your name be honored, revered, sacred." Obviously, this business of getting intimate with God is not about bringing Him down to our level, but rather, as Paul said, we are adopted sons of God, and as such may speak to Him as our Father, albeit with deep respect and reverence, even as I was taught to address my earthly father. Our culture has lost that respect for authority, I fear. I am troubled when I hear preachers say that God is our "pal" or our "buddy." There is even a bumper sticker that says, "God is my co-pilot." If that is the case, you are sitting in the wrong seat.

"Your kingdom come...." In Matthew chapter 3, John the Baptist, referring to Jesus, tells the people to "repent for the kingdom of heaven is at hand." Jesus embodies the kingdom of heaven, and He was already come. I believe this is a plea for the Jews to welcome their Messiah. In other words, He was telling them to acknowledge to the Father that the Messiah was indeed come, and they had accepted Him.

"Your will be done on earth, as it is in heaven." By way of demonstrating our reverence for our Creator, we promise to accede to His will in all things, just as those who already dwell with Him in heaven do.

These five short lines of prayer have accomplished several things. First, they have established Who is the Father. They have established who we are, His children. They have acknowledged that, in spite of our entering into an intimate relationship with the Creator of the universe, nevertheless we do so only with the deepest respect and reverence. They have established that we are willing to accept the Messiah, Whom He sent, and that we relinquish our own agendas in favor of His. Thus the prayer has so far set the stage for us to be able to take the concerns of our hearts to the Source of all blessings.

"Give us this day, our daily bread." Notice that this line does not ask for a year's supply of food, or a new car. This is a humble supplication for the Lord to supply our immediate need for sustenance. The Jews had not forgotten by this time in history that God had supplied them daily with manna from heaven to sustain them in the wilderness. So, Jesus tells them here that it is not unreasonable to ask God to provide for their daily need for sustenance.

"And forgive us our debts," that is, forgive us for failing to treat our fellow men with respect and dignity and generosity. "As we forgive our debtors." Jesus picks up this theme in verses 14 and 15, when He tells them, "For if you forgive men their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you. But if you do not forgive men their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses."

If we fast forward to Matthew chapter 7, we are reminded that we are not to judge others, if we do not want to be judged by the same measure. In the same spirit, we are to extend grace to others to the same extent that we would have grace extended to ourselves. Here, Jesus instructs us to ask forgiveness of the Father and extend forgiveness to our fellow man, with the caveat, that the Father will follow our lead in extending forgiveness.

In Matthew chapter 20 (vs 37-40), Jesus said to a lawyer, who was testing Him by asking what is the greatest commandment, “ ‘You shall love the LORD your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind.’³⁸ This is the first and great commandment. ³⁹ And the second is like it: ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself. ⁴⁰ On these two commandments hang all the Law and the Prophets.” As he was teaching his followers to pray, Jesus reminded them to acknowledge these two commandments before God.

"And do not lead us into temptation." This line is interesting, because God does not tempt us (James 1:13). I believe what Jesus was telling His followers here is to ask God to intercede and limit Satan's ability to tempt us. Paul wrote to the church at Corinth with a promise of God: "No temptation has overtaken you except such as is common to man; but God is faithful, who will not allow you to be tempted beyond what you are able, but with the temptation will also make the way of escape, that you may be able to bear it." (1 Corinthians 10:13) Jesus here instructs us to invoke this promise in prayer to the Father.

"But deliver us from the evil one." God certainly has the power to deliver us from Satan. We need only ask. James 4:2: "You have not because you ask not."

"For Yours is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever." Jesus tells us to end our prayers with another acknowledgment of God's sovereignty, His power, and His glory. Prayer is for our benefit. God already knows what is in our hearts, but by speaking to Him in prayer, we cement it in our minds.

Paul taught the church at Ephesus "that you put off, concerning your former conduct, the old man which grows corrupt, according to the deceitful lusts, and be renewed in the spirit of your mind, and that you put on the new man, which was created according to God, in true righteousness and holiness." (Ephesians 4:22-24) These verses contain the formula for biblical change that Paul reiterates elsewhere.

When we pray, we are, in essence, renewing the spirit of our minds. If we put off (stop doing) the things that we did in our sin nature, renew our minds (pray for guidance and holiness), and put on (start doing) the things that are of the Spirit, we will be changed by the Spirit of God. This is a package deal. We are to repent (change or renew our minds; agree with God), confess that Jesus is Lord, believe that God raised Him from the dead, (Romans 10:9-10) and we become a new creature in Christ (2 Corinthians 5:17). Then we are empowered to put off the old (sin controlled) man, be renewed in the spirit of our minds, and put on the new (Spirit filled) man, created according to God in true righteousness and holiness.

If I read this all correctly, it means that we MUST be continually in prayer, because it renews our minds. As I wrote in an earlier post, the battleground between good and evil is in our minds. Constantly renewing our minds through prayer will ensure that we are living in the Spirit. Just as the Word of God is "a lamp unto my feet and a light unto my path" (Psalm 119:105), so speaking to the Lord in prayer will "[Restore] my soul" and "[lead] me in the paths of righteousness for His name's sake." (Psalm 23:3)

"Amen." So be it, soldier.

Reporting to the Commander in Chief

In my last post, I wrote about the importance of staying connected to (abiding in) Jesus. The two primary ways we do so are prayer and scripture. In that previous post, I discussed the use of scripture in some detail, but now, Christian soldier, let's turn our attention to prayer.

What is the best source of information about prayer? Let's ask our Commander-in-Chief for marching orders. In Matthew chapter 6, Jesus addresses prayer:

"⁵ “And when you pray, you shall not be like the hypocrites. For they love to pray standing in the synagogues and on the corners of the streets, that they may be seen by men. Assuredly, I say to you, they have their reward. ⁶ But you, when you pray, go into your room, and when you have shut your door, pray to your Father who is in the secret place; and your Father who sees in secret will reward you openly.⁷ And when you pray, do not use vain repetitions as the heathen do. For they think that they will be heard for their many words.
⁸ “Therefore do not be like them. For your Father knows the things you have need of before you ask Him. ⁹ In this manner, therefore, pray:

Our Father in heaven,
Hallowed be Your name.
¹⁰ Your kingdom come.
Your will be done
On earth as it is in heaven.
¹¹ Give us this day our daily bread.
¹² And forgive us our debts,
As we forgive our debtors.
¹³ And do not lead us into temptation,
But deliver us from the evil one.
For Yours is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever. Amen.

¹⁴ “For if you forgive men their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you. ¹⁵ But if you do not forgive men their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses."

This treatise on prayer is, of course, part of the Sermon on the Mount, the most eloquent sermon on how to live to the glory of God ever given. Jesus tells us, "When you pray." He doesn't say, "If you pray," or, "You might consider praying." It is clear that we are expected to pray. How can we have a relationship with the Living God, if we don't talk to Him?

The word translated "pray" in this passage comes from the Greek " προς with, and ευχη a vow, because to pray right, a man binds himself to God, as by a vow, to live to his glory, if he will grant him his grace, signifies to pour out prayers or vows, from ευ well, and χεω, I pour out; probably alluding to the offerings or libations which were poured out before, or on the altar. A proper idea of prayer is, a pouring out of the soul unto God, as a free-will offering, solemnly and eternally dedicated to him, accompanied with the most earnest desire that it may know, love, and serve him alone." (Source)

In human relationships, we call this kind of "pouring out" intimacy; we open ourselves and are transparent and vulnerable before another human being. I believe the description of prayer in the paragraph above captures the essence of the intimacy that Christ intends for us to have with Him. He wants us to pour out our souls to Him, in the expectation that He will hear us and be moved to compassion for our desires.

Jesus goes on to tell us that the prayers of "the hypocrites" (Pharisees) are all a lot of show before men. The Jewish phylacterical prayers were long and to be delivered at the canonical hours no matter where one might be. The Pharisees "contrived to be overtaken in the streets by the canonical hour, that they might be seen by the people, and applauded for their great and conscientious piety." (Source) Jesus tells us that prayer is not about reciting liturgy (performance), but about having the most intimate intercourse with God (relationship). He tells us to go into our closet (seek solitude) and pray to the Father in secret, the only way that intimacy can be fully realized. The Father will reward this focused intimacy openly.

In addition to secrecy and intimacy, God desires for our prayers to be sincere. In other words, we art to talk to God as we would to a trusted human confidante. Flowery words and long drawn out or rehearsed prayers are not what God wants. He wants to hear from us, in the vernacular, the desires of our hearts. The fact is that God already knows what we need, but as a dear uncle of mine used to tell me, "Anything worth having is worth asking for."

I will develop this discussion further, but for now, Christian soldier, remember that your Commander-in-Chief wants you to report in to Him, frequently. Paul tells us to "Pray without ceasing." (1 Thessalonians 5:17) Go to the CIC's office (your prayer closet, physical or figurative) regularly throughout the day, and give Him an update on what is on your heart and mind. Let Him know how the battle is going; whether you need reinforcements; report on casualties (physical, emotional or spiritual); request supplies. Oh, yes! And don't forget to praise Him for who He is and what He does. For His is the kingdom and the power and the glory, forever. Amen!

Keeping in shape for the battle

Christian soldier, it's time for some spiritual calisthenics. A good soldier has to keep himself physically fit at all times, and a good Christian soldier has to keep himself spiritually fit, too. The battle continues for the souls of our brothers and sisters. It never ceases. Satan never rests; in fact "the devil walks about like a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour." (1 Peter 5:8). Thanks be to God that our Commander-in-Chief will never leave us nor forsake us (Hebrews 13:5); He is with us even to the end of the age (Matthew 28:20). As we walk daily with Jesus, He will teach us all things and "then [we] shall know the truth, and the truth shall make [us] free." (John 8:32)

But Jesus also told us, "take up [your] cross daily and follow Me." (Luke 9:23, emphasis mine) Why did He tell us to follow Him daily? Why didn't He tell us to check in, say, once a week, or on alternate Thursdays? Remember the story of the golden calf? (Exodus 32) Moses left the children of Israel and went to intercede for them with God, after God had delivered them from the land of Egypt, from the house of bondage. In fewer than forty days, the Hebrews had forgotten the God who delivered them and had Aaron make them a Gold Calf, of which they then said, "This is your god, O Israel, that brought you out of the land of Egypt!" (Exodus 32:24). How soon we forget!

You see, Captain, Jesus knows that we can't be out of His sight for even an hour without our turning our attention elsewhere. Think of the disciples in the garden of Gethsemane; they couldn't even watch for an hour, while Jesus prayed. He told them, "What! Could you not watch with Me one hour? ⁴¹ Watch and pray, lest you enter into temptation. The spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak.”(Matthew 26:40-41, emphasis mine) Jesus told the disciples "I am the vine, you are the branches. He who abides in Me, and I in him, bears much fruit; for without Me you can do nothing." (John 15:5, emphasis mine) It seems Jesus has your number

So, Christian soldier, remain in Jesus. How? Paul told the church at Thessalonica to "pray without ceasing." (1 Thessalonians 5:17) I believe the exhortation here is to be constantly aware that you are in God's presence, and constant prayer keeps you aware. Read the Word of God; and not only read it but hear it (Romans 10:17); read it (1 Timothy 4:13, Revelation 1:3); meditate on it (Joshua 1:8); share (teach/preach) it (2 Timothy 2:15); memorize it (Psalm 119:11); do it (James 1:22); and obey it (John 14:15, 23-24; 1 John 5:3).

(I humbly suggest you click on the document The Word of God: A Bible Study, under Document Links in the right hand column of this blog, and take a few minutes to complete the study. )

Another part of your spiritual workout is to learn to be aware of things to avoid. The psalmist tells us in Psalm 1:

¹ Blessed is the man
Who walks not in the counsel of the ungodly,
Nor stands in the path of sinners,
Nor sits in the seat of the scornful;
² But his delight is in the law of the LORD,
And in His law he meditates day and night.
³ He shall be like a tree
Planted by the rivers of water,
That brings forth its fruit in its season,
Whose leaf also shall not wither;
And whatever he does shall prosper.

What does it mean to walk in the counsel of the ungodly? We have been talking about walking in the counsel of Jesus. That is to study His teachings and act upon them and to remain in constant communication with Him. The psalmist warns us NOT to study the teachings of the wicked and act upon them, nor to remain in constant communication with the ungodly. The Great Commission (Matthew 28:19-20) clearly tells us to take the good news of Jesus Christ to those who are lost (the ungodly) but the Psalm makes it equally clear that we are NOT to be influenced by them.

Similarly we are not to "stand in the path of sinners." Upon first reading this line seems to be saying we should not get in the way of sinners committing their sins but let them proceed. A study of the original Hebrew, however, makes it clear that this is an admonition not to "take our stand" with the sinners. That is, we are to take a stand for God.

Neither are we to sit in the seat of the scornful. That is to say, we are not to take any part with those who scorn the precepts of God or mock those who are true believers. Instead, we are to delight in the law of the Lord and meditate in it night and day. The result will be our spiritual prosperity, as we bring forth the fruit of the Spirit (Galatians 5:22-23), watered by the rivers of living water (John 4:14).

Soldier, you are called to go into the battle, but be wary lest you defect to the enemy!! You must be in top spiritual condition to withstand the onslaught of the enemy. Your brothers and sisters are out there waiting to be rescued. Study the Word and meditate in it night and day, and pray without ceasing.

Now, drop and give me twenty. Whooo Ahhhhh!!

Evangelism begins at home...

God has a plan, a battle strategy, if you will. We have discussed the fact that the battlefield on which the cosmic struggle between good and evil (God and the evil one) plays out is the human mind/heart. Jesus said, "Go into all the nations and make disciples." (Matthew 28:19) That is, find those who are willing "to follow his precepts and instructions." (Source) Of course, he did not mean that the Twelve Apostles could do that alone.

He sent the 70 out to evangelize, telling them, "The harvest truly is great, but the laborers are few; therefore pray the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into His harvest." (Luke 10:2) Again we hear the Lord telling his disciples to recruit new laborers for the harvest. Why was Jesus so intent on "making disciples/recruiting laborers?" Was it because he wanted His club to be bigger than the Pharisees' club?

The answer is in the text from Isaiah 61:1-2 that Jesus quoted in Luke 4:18. To wit:

"He has sent Me to heal the brokenhearted, To proclaim liberty to the captives And recovery of sight to the blind, To set at liberty those who are oppressed."

Who are the brokenhearted? The captives? The blind? The oppressed? Was Jesus referring to letting prisoners out of Roman jails, or perhaps, wiping out the Romans altogether? Did he really mean to seek out everyone who was sightless and give him sight?

Soldier, we have to think bigger. In Mark 8:17-19, Jesus addresses His disciples, when they are concerned because they have no food. He reminds them of the time he fed the 5,000. He asks them, "Having eyes, do you not see? And having ears, do you not hear?" (v. 18). He was telling them to think bigger than their immediate needs. He was telling them not to rely on their own resources but to rely on the Father to provide.

Just so, in the passage in Luke, Jesus was referring to bigger things than the immediate physical needs of the people he addressed. The "brokenhearted" are people just like you and me who are despairing of ever finding peace; the "captives" are those enslaved to sin; the "blind" are those who will not see that God is the answer to their hearts' desires; the "oppressed" are those who are prisoners of war, taken captive by Satan through the lies that he has used to poison their minds.

Why are we Marching as to War? To fulfill the mission of the Commander-in-Chief. We are his soldiers in the battle for the minds/hearts of those who are brokenhearted because they are captive to sin, blinded by unbelief, and oppressed by the lies of Satan. That is the harvest to which Jesus referred. As we harvest the oppressed and Christ transforms them into disciples, the size of His army grows, providing more Christian soldiers for the fight.

"But I'm not an evangelist," you say. "I don't know how to 'bring in the harvest.' Where do I start." I believe one of the most overlooked ministries in all of American Christendom is the family. In Psalm 127:3-5, God tells us:

3 Sons are a heritage from the LORD,
children a reward from him.

4 Like arrows in the hands of a warrior
are sons born in one's youth.

5 Blessed is the man
whose quiver is full of them.
They will not be put to shame
when they contend with their enemies in the gate.

Read this Psalm carefully. "Sons are a heritage (That which is inherited, or passes from heir to heir. Remember we are adopted sons of God and co-heirs with Christ. Galatians 4:7) from the Lord, children a reward from him." Children a reward from God, and yet we reject these rewards through all manner of rationalizations: I can't afford them; they are inconvenient; how will I send them to college; they are only a lump of tissue... When it comes to building God's army, what better place to get recruits than from the Commander-in-Chief Himself...as a reward?

The psalmist goes on: "Like arrows in the hands of a warrior are the sons born in one's youth." Could God be telling us that our children are the very weapons He will use in the cosmic struggle? How does a warrior treat his weapons? Does he throw them away? Does he leave them unattended so they rust and decay? Does he make arrangements so that he cannot receive more of them, if his commanding officer desires to provide them to him? Not on your life! How are you dealing with your children, Sergeant? What shape are your arrows in?

"Blessed (divinely or supremely favored) is the man whose quiver is full (the more the better) of them. They will not be put to shame when they contend with their enemies in the gate." Well, I can't think why anyone would desire to be "divinely or supremely favored." I guess that's why we reject God's heritage, His rewards.

This verse goes on to say that the man whose quiver is full of the "arrows" God has given him has children who "will not be put to shame" by their enemies. They are brought up "in the nurture and admonition of the Lord" (Ephesians 6:4) They are trained by their parents and grandparents to fear the Lord and they learn the scriptures and Biblical precepts, so that they will "not be put to shame when they contend with their enemies in the gate." The gate refers to the gate of the city, which was the center of commerce, justice and government in Old Testament times.

What shape are your arrows in, Captain? Are they sharp? Do they have shafts that are true, so they will fly reliably to their marks? Do you have a quiver full of them? Remember, the battlefield is in the minds/hearts of men. The war is one between Truth and lies. As in any war, the side with the largest army has an advantage. While followers of Islam have more children and rising birth rates, the nations of the western world continue to have declining birthrates. Is God rewarding the Islamists more than Christians? Or are we thwarting God's plan for us to raise up His army beginning in our homes with children who are loved and disciplined and discipled and nurtured and sharpened and made true?

Time for some soul-searching, Christian soldier.

The cosmic battlefield

I have written a good deal about arming oneself as a Christian soldier. In discussing the "full armor of God," I have explored the meaning of each piece of that armor. We have talked about the Christian soldier's need to be fully committed to the battle and willing to deny himself and take up his cross daily as he marches forth girt about with the belt of truth.

The discussion now must turn to the venue of this eternal battle between good and evil. Where does this battle rage? Is it in the newspapers, or magazines of our day? Is it in some physical battleground to which we could transport ourselves on wheels or wings; at the site of a pro-choice rally, perhaps? No. The fact is that the battlefield upon which we are engaged in a life and death struggle is not a physical place but a spiritual one. The battlefield is our minds.

In Deuteronomy 6:5, we are told, "Love the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength." In Luke chapter 10:25-28, we read the following:

²⁵On one occasion an expert in the law stood up to test Jesus. "Teacher," he asked, "what must I do to inherit eternal life?"

²⁶"What is written in the Law?" he replied. "How do you read it?"

²⁷He answered: "'Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength and with all your mind'; and, 'Love your neighbor as yourself.'^d]">"

²⁸"You have answered correctly," Jesus replied. "Do this and you will live."(emphasis added).

Notice that in the Luke passage, a new element seems to have been added to the formula. The words "with all your mind" do not appear in the Old Testament version of this passage. Why the difference? The Hebrew culture does not make a distinction between a man's "heart," that is, the essence of his being, and his "mind." The two are synonymous in middle eastern thought. Luke, however, was addressing his Gospel specifically to the Greeks. To the Greeks, the mind was the main thing. Reason was king. Consequently, for purposes of clarity, Luke included the reference to the mind. To a Greek, loving God with all one's mind was more readily understandable than was loving God with all one's heart. To a Hebrew, they were one and the same.

To a great extent our modern western patterns of thought and belief follow the Greek model. Paul wrote to the Romans, "Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind." (Romans 12:2, emphasis added) Whereas, a Hebrew would speak of a change of heart, the Roman culture was built upon the Greek culture that preceded it, and understood Paul's message that the battle is for the mind.

Paul also wrote to the church at Ephesus, saying, "²²You were taught, with regard to your former way of life, to put off your old self, which is being corrupted by its deceitful desires; ²³to be made new in the attitude of your minds; ²⁴and to put on the new self, created to be like God in true righteousness and holiness." (Ephesians 4:22-24, emphasis adde) The new self that Paul refers to, of course, is that new creation he mentions in II Corinthians 5:17, "...if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come!"

Notice that Paul emphasizes that the mind must be renewed, changed, altered in order for the Christian soldier to overcome the fleshly lusts that keep us from living in the Spirit. "For the flesh lusts against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh; and these are contrary to one another, so that you do not do the things that you wish." (Galatians 5:17)

Behaviorist psychology tells us that, by providing either the proper carrot for good behavior or the proper stick for bad behavior, we can change that behavior. In other words, behaviorist psychology would have us think of behavior as a reflex which can be changed by changing the balance between pain and pleasure. It would seem that scripture refutes this idea, telling us instead that the key to behavioral change is renewing or changing the mind. This mind change is also known as repentance.

Jesus himself said, "¹⁷ Do you not yet understand that whatever enters the mouth goes into the stomach and is eliminated? ¹⁸ But those things which proceed out of the mouth come from the heart, and they defile a man. ¹⁹ For out of the heart proceed evil thoughts, murders, adulteries, fornications, thefts, false witness, blasphemies." (Matthew 15:17-19, emphasis added) Remember that, in the Hebrew culture, the heart represents the essence of a man's being. Jesus was thoroughly Hebrew. Had he been Greek, he might have said, "...those things that proceed out of the mouth come from the mind...." He was saying here, that following rules about behavior (what you eat) has nothing to do with your character, but your character (heart, mindset) has a decided effect on what comes out of your mouth. Change your heart (mind) and the change will be reflected in your words and deeds.

Why does Satan attack us through our thought life? He knows that if he can change our minds, if he can cause us to doubt what God tells us, if he can control our thoughts, then he can make us slaves to our fleshly lusts. That is why the battlefield is the mind. That is why, lieutenant, "We demolish arguments and every pretension that sets itself up against the knowledge of God, and we take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ." (II Corinthians 10:5)

He must deny himself and take up his cross...

Standing for truth is the mark of the Christian soldier. Here is another saint who has made a tough decision at great personal cost. In a letter to Notre Dame University's president, Rev. John I. Jenkins, C.S.C., Mary Ann Glendon, Learned Hand Professor of Law at Harvard Law School, declined to accept Notre Dame’s Laetare medal.

The Laetare medal is an annual award, given to an American Catholic layperson "whose genius has ennobled the arts and sciences, illustrated the ideals of the church and enriched the heritage of humanity." (Wikipedia) Mary Ann Glendon once served as the U.S. Ambassador to the Vatican. She was awarded an honorary degree by Notre Dame University in 1996.

So, why did she decline this prestigious award? Perhaps her own words (as published on firstthings.com) best describe her reasoning:

First, as a longtime consultant to the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops, I could not help but be dismayed by the news that Notre Dame also planned to award the president [Barack Obama, who is scheduled to give the commencement address] an honorary degree. This, as you must know, was in disregard of the U.S. bishops’ express request of 2004 that Catholic institutions “should not honor those who act in defiance of our fundamental moral principles” and that such persons “should not be given awards, honors or platforms which would suggest support for their actions.” That request, which in no way seeks to control or interfere with an institution’s freedom to invite and engage in serious debate with whomever it wishes, seems to me so reasonable that I am at a loss to understand why a Catholic university should disrespect it.

Then I learned that “talking points” issued by Notre Dame in response to widespread criticism of its decision included two statements implying that my acceptance speech would somehow balance the event:

• “President Obama won’t be doing all the talking. Mary Ann Glendon, the former U.S. ambassador to the Vatican, will be speaking as the recipient of the Laetare Medal.”

• “We think having the president come to Notre Dame, see our graduates, meet our leaders, and hear a talk from Mary Ann Glendon is a good thing for the president and for the causes we care about.”

A commencement, however, is supposed to be a joyous day for the graduates and their families. It is not the right place, nor is a brief acceptance speech the right vehicle, for engagement with the very serious problems raised by Notre Dame’s decision—in disregard of the settled position of the U.S. bishops—to honor a prominent and uncompromising opponent of the Church’s position on issues involving fundamental principles of justice.

Here is an example of a Christian soldier who understands that her first duty is not to the president, nor is it even to the church. Her first duty is to her Father in heaven, the author and personification of truth. Jesus told us, "If anyone would come after me, he must deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me." (Luke 9:23) Mary Ann Glendon has denied herself and taken up the cross of truth in the face of a Catholic university that has abandoned the principles of the U.S. bishops of its own parent church.

Listen and learn, Christian soldier.

Standing up for truth...

A great example of a kingdom warrior has appeared in a rather unexpected place. Of course, one of the most effective tactics in warfare is surprise. So, it should come as no surprise that this warrior loaded her slingshot and took a shot at the giant publicly, before millions of people and in a manner so winsome as to strike a powerful blow to the powers of darkness.

I refer, of course, to Carrie Prejean, a top contender for the title of Miss USA. When she was asked by one of the judges about her view of "gay" marriage, Miss Prejean smiled and said that, in her opinion, the traditional concept that marriage is the union of one man and one woman is the correct one. It is widely believed that this answer cost her the crown in this contest.

This young woman of God stood by her faith and her convictions rather than caving to political correctness or, worse, compromising her beliefs for the sake of temporal gain. She knows full well that her true reward will come in the form of the crown she will wear in eternity. Miss Prejean remembers what Jesus told us, "Not everyone who says to me, 'Lord, Lord,' will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only he who does the will of my Father who is in heaven." (Matthew 7:21) This is a young woman who has much to teach the rest of us who claim to be Christian soldiers. As Dr. Ray Pritchard wrote on Crosswalk.com:

[B]y keeping her cool under enormous pressure, she gains support from millions of people. And if she had caved and given some mumbo-jumbo answer, she might have won the pageant and would have disappeared from the cultural radar. Better in this case to speak your convictions firmly and politely and leave the results in God’s hands.

She illustrates the need for Christians with tenacious, winsome courage. Tenacious meaning we won’t give up. Courage meaning we speak out when the time comes. Winsome meaning we speak with a smile, not a frown.

When asked about controversial matters, we would all do well to take the “Joe Friday” approach: “Just the facts, Ma’am.” Brief is better. Just say what you believe, don’t make a big deal about it, and don’t try to explain it or nuance it. Short and simple with a smile wins the day.

Many see beauty pageant contestants as starry-eyed, simple-minded, narcissitic air-heads whose most controversial political stance goes something like: "I believe in world peace, feeding the hungry, and non-euthanizing animal shelters." Miss Prejean's boldness in standing for truth, in spite of the cost to her personally, is clear evidence that not all beauty queens are created equal.

Walking in the light...

OK, I know what the armor of God is all about, and I know that the Holy Spirit is there to help me understand Scripture and to guide me and comfort me. So, how do I know whether I am winning or losing against the powers of darkness?

That question can be answered by asking yourself what it looks like when Satan wins. Paul tells us a few things to look out for in Galatians chapter 5, verses 19-21:

The acts of the sinful nature are obvious: sexual immorality, impurity and debauchery; idolatry and witchcraft; hatred, discord, jealousy, fits of rage, selfish ambition, dissensions, factions and envy; drunkenness, orgies, and the like. I warn you, as I did before, that those who live like this will not inherit the kingdom of God.

Obviously, if Satan keeps us from inheriting the kingdom of God, He has won. Paul goes on to tell us what victory looks like, and where it comes from:

But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law. Those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the sinful nature with its passions and desires. Since we live by the Spirit, let us keep in step with the Spirit. Let us not become conceited, provoking and envying each other. (vs. 22-26)

The fruit of the Spirit. How do I come by the fruit of the Spirit? John the Beloved Apostle tells us in his first epistle:

If we claim to have fellowship with Him yet walk in the darkness, we lie and do not live by the truth. But if we walk in the light, as He is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus, His Son, purifies us from all^b]"> sin. (v. 6, 7)

And in his Gospel he tells us:

And this is the condemnation, that the light has come into the world, and men loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil. (John 3:19)

What does it to mean to "walk in the light" and "to love darkness?" Perhaps, it is easier to deal with the latter phrase first. When people do evil things, they like to do them where no-one can see; in some obscure location, or in a dark alley; in secret, as it were. What are commonly known as "confidence games," or "cons" for short, involve telling half truths and outright lies in order to get the "mark" to provide money for a venture which the "con man" represents as an opportunity for profit. Only, he doesn't give the "mark" all of the information; he obscures the details (one of which is that the only profit will be for the con man). The Spanish word for "dark" is "oscuro," which comes from the same root as the English word "obscure." So "to love darkness" means to be secretive, less than forthright, dishonest; or quite literally, to do things under cover of darkness, so as not to be found out.

The Apostle Paul talks about having a clear conscience (1 Corinthians 4:4; 1 Timothy 3:9; 2 Timothy 1:3). Those who love darkness do not have a clear conscience. They hide their activities and their motives. They are not "walking in the light as He is in the light."

Have you ever noticed that little children are very honest about things? Yes, I know, they can lie through their teeth if they have an ulterior motive, but they can be absolutely guileless at times. Usually those are the times when Mom and Dad wish they had a little more tact and diplomacy! "Mom, are you growing a mustache?" Jesus said, "I tell you the truth, unless you change and become like little children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven." (Matthew 18:3) He was telling the disciples that they must be guileless, be dependent on their Father in heaven. That is walking in the light.

Christian soldier, are you walking in the light? Are you being transparent with those around you? (James 5:16) Are you confessing your sins, knowing that God is faithful and just to forgive you your sins and cleanse you from all unrighteousness? (1 John 1:9) Are you speaking the truth with grace? (Ephesians 4:25, 29) Are you shunning fruitless deeds of darkness, but rather exposing them? (Ephesians 5:11)

Do you have any secrets from your wife (other than the nature of her birthday gift)? Do you have a clear conscience before the customers who patronize your business? Do you have anything you need to share with the college student who just bought your used car? Is there anything that you worry someone will find out about you? (If so, I suggest you go to your pastor and discuss this worry with him.) Remember, Satan is the father of lies and there is no truth in him. (John 8:44) Remember, too, that if he can get you to believe those lies, he wins. And if he can get you to participate in those lies, he has you firmly in his grasp. You are a prisoner of war.

Don't worry, the Commander-in-Chief has ransomed you. Remember, He came to heal the brokenhearted and set the captive free. (Luke 4:18) Walk in the light, as He is in the light, and you will have fellowship and the blood of Jesus will purify you from all sin.

All the Law and the Prophets...

"Then they said to Him, 'What shall we do, that we may work the works of God?' Jesus answered and said to them, 'This is the work of God, that you believe in Him whom He sent.'"(John 6:28-29) The Random House Dictionary ( (c) 2009) defines "believe in"as follows:

"to have faith in the reliability, honesty, benevolence, etc., of."

Thus, to believe in Him (Jesus) whom He (the Father) sent is to have faith in the reliability, honesty, and benevolence of Jesus. And plugging that definition into the passage from John, we derive that "the work of God is to have faith in the reliability, honesty and benevolence of Jesus."

If I have faith that Jesus is reliable (dependable in achievement, accuracy, honesty), honest (honorable in principles, intentions, and actions; upright and fair) and benevolent (characterized by or expressing goodwill or kindly feelings), my actions as one of His soldiers should reflect that faith. In other words, I should obey His commandments. Why would I NOT obey the commandments of someone who is reliable, honest, and benevolent? Jesus told the disciples that obedience is evidence of our love (the reverent affection due from God's creatures to God) for Him. (John 14:15) I do not love Him, conversely, if I do not obey His commandments. And carrying the argument one step further, disobedience is tantamount to having no faith in Him.

"In this is love, not that we loved God, but that He loved us and sent His Son to be the propitiation for our sins." (I John 4:10) God's love is so much more magnificent than we can even imagine. "God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us." (Romans 5:8, emphasis added) How many of your enemies are you willing to lay down your life for? Do we not owe Christ, our Commander-In-Chief, our allegiance and our love; even our very lives? Paul wrote to the Roman church, "...present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable to God, which is your reasonable service." (Romans 12:1, emphasis added)

Most of us will never be asked to lay down our lives for Christ in a literal sense, although in the current world's political climate, that is more of a risk, even in America, than it has been for some time. On the other hand, presenting our bodies a living sacrifice simply means keeping God's commandments. John wrote in chapter 5, verse 3 of his first epistle, "...this is the love of God, that we keep His commandments. And His commandments are not burdensome."

"Jesus said... '"You shall love the LORD your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind.^d]">" This is the first and great commandment. And the second is like it: "You shall love your neighbor as yourself." On these two commandments hang all the Law and the Prophets.'" (Matthew 22:37-40, emphasis added) These are not burdensome commandments, and these two encompass "all the Law and the Prophets."

So, seargent, what do you need to do to "work the works of God?" It is as simple as "love the Lord your God, and love your neighbor as yourself." The enemy of our souls is sly and crafty. His strategy, though, is simple. If he can get us to stop loving God and stop loving our neighbors, he believes he can win. Fortunately, he has already been defeated, but there is a caveat. If Satan can deceive us into serving ourselves, instead of serving God and our neighbors, he can take more of God's people down with him. Remember our mission: Set the Captives Free.

Are you ready for the battle? Put on your armor, and let's go! Hooooo-aaaaaah!

The Holy Spirit, God's strategic weapon...

The senior pastor of our congregation has been teaching about the Holy Spirit for that last few weeks. What a breath of fresh air...literally. In Acts chapter 2, the disciples gathered together on Pentecost, when "suddenly there came a sound from heaven, as of a rushing mighty wind, and it filled the whole house where they were sitting." (v. 2) Again I say, "What a breath of fresh air."

In the Old Testament we read in a number of passages that a particular person was "filled with the Spirit of God." Bezalel, the seventy elders, Balaam, Gideon, Jephthah, Lehi: these are just a few of the men upon whom the Spirit of God rested from time to time. But in the Old Testament, this condition of being filled with the Spirit, or having the Spirit upon them, was a temporary condition. It is not until Jesus has completed his work on the cross, been buried and raised again, and ascended to the right hand of the Father, that we see the Holy Spirit coming to indwell the saints permanently.

Can you understand, Christian soldier, how blessed we are that Jesus went to the Father and sent the "Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in My name, He will teach you all things, and bring to your remembrance all things that I said to you."? Prior to Pentecost, Jesus himself was the only one who was indwelt by the Holy Spirit as a condition of his being. Paul told the church at Rome, "Now if we are children, then we are heirs—heirs of God and co-heirs with Christ, if indeed we share in his sufferings in order that we may also share in his glory." (Romans 8:17). Let that sink in. We are heirs of El Eljon, the God Most High, and we are co-heirs with Jesus himself. That means that what He inherits, we inherit, too. One of those things is the indwelling of the Holy Spirit.

Jesus told the disciples, "It is for your good that I am going away. Unless I go away, the Counselor will not come to you; but if I go, I will send Him to you. ⁸When He comes, He will convict the world of guilt in regard to sin and righteousness and judgment: ⁹in regard to sin, because men do not believe in me; ¹⁰in regard to righteousness, because I am going to the Father, where you can see me no longer; ¹¹and in regard to judgment, because the prince of this world now stands condemned." (John 16:7-11) If Jesus had remained on the earth, only a small percentage of the world's population could have had contact with Him, simply because of logistical considerations.

On the other hand, after Jesus ascended to the right hand of the Father, He sent the Holy Spirit to indwell the believers. This was a masterpiece of military strategy. How many more people could be influenced by the Holy Spirit through millions of believers in whom He dwelt than could be influenced by one man, indwelt by the Holy Spirit! Jesus told the disciples, "I tell you the truth, anyone who has faith in me will do what I have been doing. He will do even greater things than these, because I am going to the Father." (John 14:12) Why? Jesus had a 3 1/2 year ministry on earth. Most of the saints have a much longer time to minister to other people. In addition, as He told us, unless he went to the Father, the Holy Spirit would not come to indwell the believers. The Holy Spirit dwelling in the saints is the post-ascension manifestation of God on earth.

So, our Commander-in-Chief has a battle strategy to outnumber the enemy, by filling each of His soldiers with the Holy Spirit, and sending us forth into the world. "When the Counselor comes, whom I will send to you from the Father, the Spirit of truth who goes out from the Father, he will testify about me." (John 15:26, emphasis added). Jesus told Pilate, "For this cause I was born, and for this cause I have come into the world, that I should bear witness to the truth. Everyone who is of the truth hears My voice." (John 18:37, emphasis added) And to the disciples He said, "And you shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free." (John 8:32)

The Father's battle strategy is to multiply the warriors, fill each one with the Holy Spirit, and send them forth into the world, armed with the truth. Our mission as Christian soldiers, again, is what? To free the prisoners of war, whom Satan has enslaved. How do we do that? By arming ourselves with the Sword of Truth, which is the word of God, and following our commander into the fray. Jesus said the Helper, the Holy Spirit, Whom He would send, would "teach you all things, and bring to your remembrance all things that I said to you." Lieutenant, He cannot bring to your remembrance all things that Jesus said to you, if you don't let Jesus speak to you. How? READ THE WORD!

How can I be a soldier, when I feel so bad?

As I was reading a daily devotional book a couple of days ago, it occurred to me that mainly what I see in this type of book are articles about the fact that, if you are troubled or suffering or doubting or in pain, Christ can help; that there is balm in Gilead. Now, I cannot and will not disagree with that sentiment, because if there was ever a Great Healer, a Wonderful Counselor, a Prince of Peace, an Everlasting Father, it is Jesus Christ. He has certainly changed my life, lifting me out of the depths of sinful living, renewing my mind and spirit and giving me abundant life.

It seems to me, though, that Christian soldiers need to lay hold of the promises of God, to trust Him and act as if we believe those promises. Promises like, "I am come that they may have life, and that they may have it more abundantly" (John 10:10); "If you abide in My word, you are My disciples indeed. And you shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free" (John 8:31-32); "I shall not want. He makes me to lie down in green pastures. He leads me beside the still waters. He restores my soul. Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for Thou art with me...Thou preparest a table before me in the face of mine enemies..." (Psalm 23:1-5); "...lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age" (Matthew 28:20); "he that believeth in me, though he were dead, yet shall he live" (John 11:25); "If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and cleanse us from all unrighteousness" (1 John 1:9). The list of God's promises goes on and on.

Patrick Dennis, in his hilarious novel "Auntie Mame," says, "Life is a banquet, and most poor suckers are starving to death." I am not convinced Dennis was talking about life in Christ, but think how much more it is true for Christians that life is a banquet (abundant). And yet so many of us Christians are starving to death spiritually. Why is that so? I believe that it is because we have decided to focus on being troubled or suffering or doubting or in pain and not on Christ, who has defeated all of those products of the Fall. Yes, He can fix all of those things, but we must focus on Him and His solutions (promises) and not on us and our problems. If we focus on the distress, Jesus won't bless.

In my studies for a master's degree in biblical counseling, I had the opportunity to study the differences between secular psychology and biblical (or nouthetic) counseling. The primary difference, in a nutshell, is that secular psychology focuses on the problem, giving it a clinical name (alcoholism, drug addiction, melancholia, paranoia) and labels the "patient" as a victim, thus absolving him of responsibility for his condition. Nouthetic counseling focuses on the solution, which is Jesus Christ. He has given us all the solutions for every problem of the human heart in His word "...that the man of God may be complete..." (2 Timothy 3:17). But the "cure" does not lie simply in the fact that He has told us what to do. We must lay hold of His word, as if it were our lifeline, because it is.

Jesus said, "I tell you the truth, unless you change and become like little children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven." (Matthew 18:3) We need to believe and act upon God's word as a child believes and acts upon what his parents tell him. How many millions of children have believed unquestioningly in Santa Claus to the point that they leave cookies for Santa and carrots for his reindeer on Christmas Eve? How much more should we believe in and act upon the word of God, which is Truth...with the faith of a child. Jesus tells us we must change. We must become like children before God. We must stop looking at the problems in our lives and look at the solution, Christ Jesus.

"¹Everyone who believes that Jesus is the Christ is born of God, and everyone who loves the father loves his child as well. ²This is how we know that we love the children of God: by loving God and carrying out his commands. ³This is love for God: to obey his commands. And his commands are not burdensome, ⁴for everyone born of God overcomes the world. This is the victory that has overcome the world, even our faith. ⁵Who is it that overcomes the world? Only he who believes that Jesus is the Son of God." (1 John 5:1-5, emphasis added) Who is victorious in overcoming the world? Everyone who believes that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and carries out His commands; and His commands are not burdensome. Is it any burden for that child to put out cookies and carrots on Christmas Eve? Absolutely not, because that child has faith that Santa will be there, just as his parents promised him. Carrying out God's commands for our lives is not burdensome, if we have the faith of a child and believe what He promises.

Why, oh why, is it so difficult for us to believe the promises of El Eljon, the God most high? We believe the promises of Madison Avenue:

"Brylcreme, a little dab'll do ya;
Use more only if you dare;
But watch out, the gals'll all pursue ya;
They love to get their fingers in your hair."

And Madison Avenue is only after our wallets. God is after our hearts and our souls. I am not sure that anyone was ever set free by the "truths" of Madison Avenue. But Jesus (He who saves His people) promised us if we abide (remain, continue, stay; continue in a particular condition, attitude, relationship) in His word, then we will know the truth and the truth will make us free.

Here's a thought: maybe if we spent as much time looking at God's rich promises, as presented in scripture, as we do looking at Madison Avenue's empty promises, presented by TV, magazine, radio, billboard, etc., we would begin to believe the promises of Jehovah Rapha, the God who heals, El Shaddai, the all sufficient one. We are not troubled or suffering or doubting or in pain because God doesn't care; we remain there, because we don't trust Him. We would rather continue sitting on our own little pity pot than admit that we don't have the answers and that He does.

Christian soldier, if you are really going to make a difference for Christ, go to the scriptures and find truth, righteousness, the gospel of peace, faith, salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God. Say, that has a familiar ring. Sounds like the full armor of God, doesn't it?

Blessed Assurance

During the Persian Gulf War of 1991, the Iraqi soldiers who had boldly marched on neighboring Kuwait were quickly dispersed by the coalition forces who came to Kuwait's defense. After about four days of counter attacks by the coalition, the Iraqis surrendered in droves. Saddam Hussein had boasted that no one could take down his army of highly trained soldiers. Nevertheless, the coalition military forces defeated them handily with very few coalition casualties in a very short time. Had it not been for the fact that then-president George H. W. Bush, commander-in-chief of U. S. forces, was a man of integrity, the coalition might have marched all the way to Baghdad. Bush, however, had stated that the aim of this action was to force Hussein's army out of Kuwait and back into Iraq. So, the coalition forces stopped at the Iraq border, true to their word.

Why did the Iraqis fall apart? There was evidence that many of them, especially the "Republican Guard," were, in fact, highly trained and capable soldiers. Hussein had amassed considerable fire power and had stockpiled arms and ammunition, before his incursion into Kuwait. He himself was prepared for protracted war. So what happened?

It is my belief that no army, regardless of how well trained and equipped they are, will prevail, unless they have an abiding faith in and commitment to their cause. War is hell, and without faith in a transcendent cause to fight for, the human heart is too frail, long to endure it. A little shepherd boy named David was sent by his father to the camp of the Israelites, as they faced the Philistines and their giant champion, ostensibly to bring lunch to his brothers and bring back to his father assurance that the battle was going well. (1 Samuel 17:17-20)

When David arrived at the Israelite camp, he found his brothers and the rest of the soldiers despondent and in disarray. The Philistine champion, Goliath, stood about 9 feet tall and had completely demoralized the army of Israel. He seemed just too powerful and intimidating. "When the Israelites saw the man, they all ran from him in great fear." (v. 24) But little David, probably 16 or 17 years of age, said, "Who is this uncircumcised Philistine that he should defy the armies of the living God?"(v. 26)

The Israelites, like the Iraqis, were focused on the might of their earthly foe, but David was focused on the transcendent cause for which Israel was fighting, the living God. David didn't see a human giant; he saw a puny, "uncircumcised Philistine" who dared to defy the armies of the living God. His assurance was that his God was bigger, stronger, more just, more faithful, and more powerful than any earthly foe. There was no question in David's mind that Goliath could be defeated, because God was with Israel. David's brothers and the rest of the Isrealite army had forgotten that.

Christian soldier, you have a transcendent cause. The advancement of the Kingdom of God is our cause. If you are to endure long in the war "against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this age, against spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places," you need assurance that God is with you. The Iraqis had a tyrant for a commander-in-chief. They had no assurance that, even if they fought valiantly, their leader would not later turn on them. He had already slaughtered tens of thousands of his own countrymen, because they got in the way of his selfish agenda.

But you, Christian, have assurance. Job, for all the afflictions he endured, was able to say, "I know that my Redeemer lives." (Job 19:25) In First John, chapter 5, the Beloved Apostle tells us, "I write these things to you who believe in the name of the Son of God so that you may know that you have eternal life." (v. 13) Paul wrote to Timothy, "I know whom I have believed, and am convinced that he is able to guard what I have entrusted to him for that day." (2 Tim 1:12) "We know that we live in Him and He in us because He has given us of His Spirit. And we have seen and testify that the Father has sent His Son to be the Savior of the world. If anyone acknowledges that Jesus is the Son of God, God lives in him and he in God. And so we know and rely on the love God has for us." (1 John 4:13-16). This is no Saddam Hussein we are serving.

As you can see from the highlighted passages:

1. Our Redeemer lives,
2. We know we have eternal life, because,
   
3. We know Whom we have believed,
   
4. When we acknowledge Christ as the Son of God, GOD LIVES IN US, and
5. We know and rely on the love God has for us.
   

It took me a long time to realize how amazing it is that we have first-hand, eyewitness accounts of the things Jesus did and said. John was there! Paul was brought into the very presence of our resurrected Lord and transformed from Saul, the persecutor and muderer of Christians, into Paul, the "ambassador in chains" who, for the sake of the gospel of Christ, was beaten, stoned, shipwrecked, and imprisoned multiple times.

Think what it means to be a Christian! "Behold what manner of love the Father has bestowed on us, that we should be called children of God!^a]"> Therefore the world does not know us,^b]"> because it did not know Him. Beloved, now we are children of God; and it has not yet been revealed what we shall be, but we know that when He is revealed, we shall be like Him, for we shall see Him as He is. And everyone who has this hope in Him purifies himself, just as He is pure." (1 John 3:1-3) We are His children, "and if children, then heirs—heirs of God and joint heirs with Christ, if indeed we suffer with Him, that we may also be glorified together." (Romans 8:17) We are God's children, His heirs; we shall be like Him. If we are willing to suffer with him (i.e., go into battle against the rulers of the darkness of this age), we will be glorified together with Him.

Sometimes, in an appeal to universal brotherhood, we hear one of Satan's captives say, "we are all God's children," and we mustn't think unkindly of those who don't accept our beliefs. Sorry! Paul tells us, "those who are led by the Spirit of God are sons of God. For you did not receive a spirit that makes you a slave again to fear, but you received the Spirit of sonship.^a]"> And by him we cry, 'Abba,^b]"> Father.'" (Romans 8:14-15) We are not God's children simply because he created us. No! We are God's children if we are led by the Spirit of God. So, Christian, you who acknowledge Jesus as the Son of God, you who are indwelt by the Holy Spirit, you who have Christ in you, the hope of glory, stand firm in the face of the enemy. Rest assured that you have a transcendent cause worth fighting for and a commander-in-chief who not only will not desert you, but who has laid down His life for you and made you a joint heir of God Almighty, Himself.

Going into battle...

Paul ends his exhortation to don the full armor of God with this: "...praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, being watchful to this end with all perseverance and supplication for all the saints— and for me, that utterance may be given to me, that I may open my mouth boldly to make known the mystery of the gospel, for which I am an ambassador in chains; that in it I may speak boldly, as I ought to speak. (Ephesians 6:18-20)

Girded for war, the Christian soldier has one more bit of preparation before he steps onto the battle field. Perhaps, the most overlooked resource the Christian soldier possesses is the power of prayer. I know, in my life, I don't take everything to my Abba Father in prayer. Why is that? I think in my case, it comes from a fear of intimacy. Understand, please, that God wants the most intimate kind of relationship with us that we can ever conceive or experience...anywhere, at any time. Twice this week, I have encountered pastors who referred to Genesis 4:1, "Now Adam knew Eve his wife, and she conceived..." This statement is one we often blow past without considering its import.

Often, we see the word "knew" in this passage as simply a euphemism for "had sexual intercourse with." The Hebrew word translated here as "knew" has a much broader meaning:

1. Yada - to know

   1. (Qal)
      1. to know 1a
   2. to know, learn to know 1a
   3. to perceive 1a
   4. to perceive and see, find out and discern 1a
   5. to discriminate, distinguish 1a
   6. to know by experience 1a
   7. to recognise, admit, acknowledge, confess 1a
   8. to consider
      1. to know, be acquainted with
      2. to know (a person carnally)
      3. to know how, be skilful in
      4. to have knowledge, be wise
   9. (Niphal)
      1. to be made known, be or become known, be revealed
      2. to make oneself known
      3. to be perceived
      4. to be instructed
   10. (Piel) to cause to know
   11. (Poal) to cause to know
   12. (Pual)
       1. to be known
       2. known, one known, acquaintance (participle)
   13. (Hiphil) to make known, declare
   14. (Hophal) to be made known
   15. (Hithpael) to make oneself known, reveal oneself

If we look at the highlighted meanings that are ascribed to this word, we see that this is a two way kind of "knowing." Not only does it indicate a deep knowledge of the other person, as described in words like, "learn to know," "perceive and see," "find out and discern," "distinguish," and "experience;" it also may mean "to make oneself known, reveal oneself." This is the kind of relationship God wants with you. One in which you know and are known by God. Of course, God already knows everything about you, but He wants to reveal Himself to you, as well.

How does God reveal himself to us? There are at least three ways. 1) Creation, 2) Scripture, and 3) Prayer. Let us contemplate the third of these, prayer. When we pray, God is not so much interested in the words we use. After all, He already knows what we need. (Matthew 6:8) What He wants is the fellowship, the closeness, the personal interaction. It is common, nowadays, for prayers to resemble a laundry list more than a conversation. We get on our knees and trot out our wish list, as if we were presenting it to a kind of cosmic Santa Claus. But what God wants is to hear from us about the things that matter to us. Are we hurting from some trauma; are we overjoyed by some blessing; are we wrestling intellectually with some passage of scripture; are we struggling emotionally with a family member who is mired in sin; are we grateful that the first robin of spring showed up in the yard today?

As we pray in the quietness of our "closet" or private space, God wants us to listen for His still, small voice. Part of prayer is listening with our hearts. Many is the time that God has spoken to my heart, when I have been patient enough to kneel quietly and listen.

The prayer that Paul covets in the passage above from Ephesians 6 is intercessory prayer, for the saints and for himself. Paul wrote this letter from prison, where he was incarcerated because of his zeal for spreading the gospel. Notice that he does not pray to be released from prison, but rather for opportunities and the boldness to continue preaching the gospel within the prison! That is a soldier undaunted. Paul is not down in the mouth. He calls himself "an ambassador in chains." He is less interested in his circumstances than he is in spreading the good news of Jesus Christ. Christian soldier, it is precisely because he has on the full armor of God that he is able to continue to engage the enemy, even as a prisoner of war.

So, pray for the saints. Pray especially fervently for the leadership of the church. An army is always interested in taking out its opponent's generals, thus leaving the troops without direction. If your pastor is preaching the Bible, you can bet he is a prime target for Satan's attacks. Pray for him; pray for his family; pray for the elders. Beseech God to protect them and to raise them up to lead us against the powers of darkness that rule the world.

We have all seen the ignominious demise of a preacher who was overtaken by sin. Often it is because he has been too effective in going to battle against the enemy. Satan doesn't like that, and will try everything in his power to take out an effective servant of the Lord. That pastor is not to be scorned, but to be nurtured back to spiritual health. Ministered to by his congregation and given an opportunity to grow strong again and re-enter the fray. Soldiers are a band of brothers, united by their common enemy and their love for one another. Let us, the church, stop shooting our wounded and begin carrying them to safety and helping them to heal and get back into the battle. "By this all will know that you are My disciples, if you have love for one another." (John 13:35)

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The Sword of the Spirit, which is the Word of God

So, we come to the final piece of the Christian soldier's armor. And in fact, it is not really a piece of armor in one sense. We generally think of a suit of armor as comprising all of the protective/defensive, that is to say the passive, pieces in the soldier's gear; the stuff he puts on his body for protection. The final piece of equipment that the Apostle Paul lists for "the full armor of God" is the "sword of the Spirit, which is the Word of God."

In the photo on the right is depicted a sword, purportedly of the era of the Roman army to which I have referred. It probably is not an accurate portrayal of the Roman gladius, and in fact there were a number of different types of swords used by Roman soldiers over the course of several centuries of Roman world domination. Suffice to say that the soldier did carry, among a host of other weapons, a sword, probably longer and narrower than that in the photo.

According to Wikipedia, "The soldier generally led with his shield and thrust with his sword. Despite the gladius being designed for thrusting at the enemy from behind the protection of the shield, all types of gladius appear to have been suitable for slashing and chopping motions." In other words, the sword was used primarily as an offensive weapon. Of course, we all know from watching Errol Flynn and other swashbucklers that one cannot wield a sword for offense, without also using it defensively.

You, Christian soldier, are called upon to use the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God, in both ways: for defense and for offense. Let us consider our Lord Jesus in the wilderness, where Satan spent 40 days tempting Him. During that time, Jesus ate nothing, and on the fortieth day, He was undoubtedly weak and hungry. Just as Satan thought Jesus was weakened not only physically, but emotionally and spiritually, as well, he made another attack: "And the devil said to Him, 'If You are the Son of God, command this stone to become bread.'" (Luke 4:3) Now, make no mistake. This thought had undoubtedly already crossed Jesus' mind. Nevertheless, He had on the full armor of God, including the sword...which is the word of God, and he parried with: “It is written, ‘Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word of God.’” (Luke 4:4) This was a quote from Deuteronomy, chapter 8.

Then, having taken Jesus up on a high mountain and having shown him all the kingdoms of the world, Satan thrust again: "Therefore, if You will worship before me, all will be Yours.” (Luke 4:7). And Jesus again parried, this time from Deuteronomy 6: “Get behind Me, Satan! For it is written, ‘You shall worship the LORD your God, and Him only you shall serve.’” (Luke 4:18) Satan, a clever chap, picked up on Jesus' tactic. His next thrust was from scripture itself. "[H]e brought Him to Jerusalem, set Him on the pinnacle of the temple, and said to Him, “If You are the Son of God, throw Yourself down from here. For it is written:


‘ He shall give His angels charge over you,
To keep you,’

and,

‘ In their hands they shall bear you up,
Lest you dash your foot against a stone.’” (Luke 4:9-11)

These quotes are right out of Psalm 91:11, 12. Notice that even our enemy uses the word of God as an offensive weapon! But Jesus had a countermove, also from scripture: “It has been said, ‘You shall not tempt the LORD your God.’” (Luke 4:12; quoted from Deuteronomy 6:16). Notice what happened at the end of this sword fight: "Now when the devil had ended every temptation, he departed from Him until an opportune time." (Luke 4:13, emphasis added).

As you can see, the word of God defended Jesus, even in his weakened condition, from the thrusts of Satan. Notice, too, that the war was not ended, just that skirmish, for we read that Satan departed until an opportune time. Satan is no idiot. He is cunning and clever. He will wait for an opportune time for his next attack. All the more reason, dear soldier, to keep the full armor of God on at all times.

Above was a clear example of using the word of God as a defensive weapon. It makes a dandy offensive weapon, as well. In Hebrews chapter 4, the writer of that book stated: "For the word of God is living and powerful, and sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing even to the division of soul and spirit, and of joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart." (v. 12) Such is the power of the word of God. Not only can it divide "joints and marrow" but even "soul and spirit." It is the word of God that advances the kingdom of God.

In the Gospel of John, Christ is referred to as the Word. In the book of Revelation, we see Christ coming in his glory to establish his kingdom once and for all, and "His name is called The Word of God...Now out of His mouth goes a sharp sword, that with it He should strike the nations." (Revelation 19:13, 15) Yes, the Word of God is an offensive weapon against Satan.

How can I, a lowly private in God's army, bring the word of God to a sin-sick world? Someone once told me that I am called to be a witness, not an attorney. I found that such a comfort to know that it is not up to me to convince people to follow Christ. My job is to put on my armor and go forth into the world confidently to share what I know of Christ. That's it. It is the Holy Spirit's job to convict of sin and righteousness and judgment. (John 16:8) Remember that Jesus promised us "another Comforter" (John 14:16) who would dwell with us. So, you needn't be fearful when we share the good news, "For the Holy Spirit will teach you in that very hour what you ought to say." (Luke 12:12)

If our job, then, is to tell what we know of Jesus, how shall we know what we know? In Psalm 119, the psalmist tells God, "Your word I have hidden in my heart." (v. 11) If we read and study the word, meditate on it, hear it from the pulpit, and teach it to others; and finally, if we commit it to memory, it will be hidden in our hearts. Then the Holy Spirit can teach us in that very hour that we need it, what we ought to say. Of course, Christian soldier, you are always to speak the truth with grace. Still, when the Holy Spirit, through the word of God, convicts someone of sin in his life, he may find it offensive, even when the word is delivered with grace. So, wield the Sword of the Spirit, which is the Word of God, from behind the shield of faith, and then let your Heavenly Father take over to do His work on the hearts of the captives you encounter.

The Helmet of Salvation

The Roman soldier was, of course, not fully equipped until he put on his helmet. The purpose of the helmet, or coolus, was obviously to protect the soldier's head, where several important senses are located, as well as the brain.

The Christian soldier, similarly, must be protected with the helmet of salvation. One of the most important things a Christian must know is that his salvation is NOT dependent on his performance. The Apostle Paul writes in Ephesians 2:8-9, "For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, not of works, lest anyone should boast." In other words, it is God's grace that saves us, not anything that we do. What a secure feeling it is to know that our salvation is not dependent on our performance.

Just as the Roman soldier's head (brain, senses, understanding) was protected by the wearing of his helmet, so our heading (eternal destiny, sense of belonging, understanding of who we are in Christ) is protected by our salvation that is bestowed on us by God's grace, through faith. In the Gospel of John, Jesus said, "My Father, who has given them to me, is greater than all; no one can snatch them out of my Father's hand." (John 10:29, emphasis added) Our salvation, because it is secure, protects our mind (brain) from the lies of Satan. When he would club us over the head with lies like, "I am not good enough to serve God," or "I have to follow all the rules I can find in the Bible, or I am in real trouble with God," we are protected by God's faithfulness. God is never disillusioned with us, because He has no illusions about us. He knows we are imperfect, fallen, that we stumble; but He sees us washed by the blood of Christ so that we are without spot or wrinkle or blemish of any kind.

The powerful protection of God's salvation is unbreakable. Isn't that the kind of protection you want as you go into the battle "against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this age?" Christian, we must never forget that we are secure in God's grace. We needn't fear Satan's wimpy weapons, when he attacks. The Lord has already given him into our hands. That happened at Calvary, when Christ won the victory over Satan by paying the ransom for our sins. So, don't lose your head in the heat of battle. Put on the helmet of salvation, and go forth, confident that God will never leave you nor forsake you.

The Shield of Faith

No Roman soldier would have dared to venture into battle without his shield. The Roman scutum was a rectangular shape molded in an arc around its long axis. It may have been constructed of overlapping strips of wood steamed and bent over a form, similar to modern day molded plywood chairs. Other sources indicate it was made from carved boards covered first with canvas and then with calf skin. The scutum was edged with iron to fend off downward or slashing blows. In the center was an iron boss or umbo, the purpose of which was to deflect spears and arrows. The scutum measured about 2 1/2 feet wide by four feet tall. It was strong enough to deflect most missiles and yet light enough to be carried long distances. It was large enough that the soldier could kneel behind it and be completely covered on two sides. Its purpose, of course, was to deflect the enemy's weapons and missiles before the soldier's breastplate was needed to protect him.

In Ephesians 6:16, Paul tells the Christian soldier to "take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one." In other words stand confidently behind your faith, which will deflect the weapons that Satan uses to attack you. Notice that the first line of defense for the Christian soldier is faith. It comes before the breastplate of righteousness.

The writer of Hebrews wrote: "Now faith is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see." (Hebrews 11:1) Is this then a blind faith? Is this faith in fairy tales? Not at all. Consider the last time you drove your car. You probably slid into the driver's seat, checked your mirrors, started the engine and drove off. Did you first look under the hood to see if the engine was still there? Did you sign up for a course in automotive science in order to learn how the internal combustion engine works, or a computer course in order to understand the marvelous electronic controls that keep our modern cars running reliably, while reducing emissions? No. On faith, you turned the key, the engine turned over and you were on your way. When you got to the stop sign at the corner, you exercised incredible faith when you stepped on the brake pedal; faith that your car would safely come to a stop and not roll on into the intersection and the path of that busload of commuters. Did you see the brakes work? Do you have any clue as to how brakes work?

The fact is we "step out in faith" every day. We trust our very lives to acts of faith frequently. We are sure of what we hope for (not colliding with that bus), and certain of what we do not see (the pistons going up and down in their cylinders; the spark plugs arcing at just the right moment; the hydraulic pressure pressing the brake pads against the rotor). These acts of faith are in man-made things. Why then do so many of us have trouble having faith in the Creator of the universe? We have several thousand years of recorded history in our Bibles, all of which chronicles the consistently faithful, patiently loving, powerfully capable, perfectly just, and inexplicably gracious character of God. And yet, we put more faith in the mechanical systems of our automobiles; contraptions invented by the finite and fallible mind of man a little over a century ago. (And I might add, a number of people have lost their lives to mechanical failures of these "modern marvels." God, on the other hand, has never failed.)

Paul tells us that faith enables us to "extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one." He did not say some of those flaming arrows but all of them. How can faith do this? Ephesians 2:8-9 explains that "...it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God— not by works, so that no one can boast." Faith is what allows us to avail ourselves of God's gift of salvation. That gift is an act of grace beyond comprehension. Grace may be defined as "undeserved favor," or getting something you don't deserve. Salvation certainly falls into that category. "For all have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God." (Romans 3:23) And "The wages of sin is death; but God's gift is eternal life through Christ Jesus." (Romans 6:23)

Faith allows us to extinguish all of Satan's flaming arrows, because Christ's death on the cross was an act of grace that paid the penalty for our sins...all of them...all of the sins in our past; all of the sins we commit today; all of the sins we will commit for the rest of our lives, before God calls us home. Think about that for a few moments, Christian soldier. ALL of your sins have been forgiven already. That means that Satan, the great accuser, HAS NO CASE AGAINST YOU!! When you feel defeated by Satan, remember that it is a lie. "What shall we say then? Shall we continue in sin that grace may abound?" (Romans 6:1) Of course not; as Paul says, how can we go on sinning, when we are dead to sin? Or, perhaps, you do not know that when we were baptized in Christ we symbolically died with Him and were resurrected with Him. Remember 2 Corinthians 5:17: "...if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation."

We are saved [from Satan's flaming arrows] by God's undeserved favor through being sure of what we hope for [God's protection and deliverance] and certain of what we do not see [No one has seen God at any time. The only begotten Son, who is in the bosom of the Father, He has declared Him. - John 1:18]. We are not called to faith in fairy tales. We have "seen" God in the incredible splendor of His creation. Jesus (a real person whose existence is documented even more in the writings of secular historians who were his contemporaries than in scripture) showed us the Father's nature and attributes. (John 14:7-11) And we have God's love letter to us, the Holy Bible, which documents His incredible grace and mercy, His love and devotion to us, His children.

So, Christian, take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one. It is your first line of defense. It is reliable, because it is underwritten by the grace of Jesus Christ who first went into battle and gave His life for us, His comrades in arms.