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Showing posts with the label Warfare

Warrior Strong

From 1980 until 2001, the U.S. Army slogan was "Be All You Can Be" and the rest of it was "in the Army". It has morphed from "Army of One", "Army Strong", into the present "What's Your Warrior?", with each lasting a few or more years in various recruiting campaigns. I kind of like the present one, but the "Be All You Can Be" one really speaks of what God desires of his 'army' of believers - he wants us to be mature and complete, becoming all he intends for us to be - not as an Army of One, but as Warriors in his army of billions upon billions. My brothers and sisters, you will have many kinds of trouble. But this gives you a reason to be very happy. You know that when your faith is tested, you learn to be patient in suffering. If you let that patience work in you, the end result will be good. You will be mature and complete. You will be all that God wants you to be. (James 1:2-4 ERV) Warriors become strong ...

The Battle is On!

There are days when I feel ever so grateful and aware of each breath, each rhythmic thump of my heart, and each wisp of air as it gently passes through my hair. The moments don't pass me by unnoticed - keenly aware of the people surrounding me, the challenges ahead of each of them, and the enjoyment we find in just being together. Perhaps we get too caught up in life at times to even realize the type of fight we all are really in with each new step we take. In the specific moments we take to actually pause long enough to look around, we often discover we are in the fight of our lifetime - not alone in this fight, because others are right there, dukes raised, readying themselves for their own fights! God is strong, and he wants you strong . So take everything the Master has set out for you, well-made weapons of the best materials. And put them to use so you will be able to stand up to everything the Devil throws your way. This is no afternoon athletic contest that we'll walk aw...

Fight until the finish

God is strong, and he wants you strong. So take everything the Master has set out for you, well-made weapons of the best materials. And put them to use so you will be able to stand up to everything the Devil throws your way. This is no afternoon athletic contest that we’ll walk away from and forget about in a couple of hours. This is for keeps, a life-or-death fight to the finish against the Devil and all his angels. Be prepared. You’re up against far more than you can handle on your own. Take all the help you can get, every weapon God has issued, so that when it’s all over but the shouting you’ll still be on your feet. Truth, righteousness, peace, faith, and salvation are more than words. Learn how to apply them. You’ll need them throughout your life. God’s Word is an  indispensable  weapon. In the same way, prayer is essential in this ongoing warfare. Pray hard and long. Pray for your brothers and sisters. Keep your eyes open. Keep each other’s spirits up so that no one fal...

The enemy within

Beware of no man more than of yourself; we carry our worst enemies within us . (Charles Spurgeon) I have heard many a conflicted soul tell of the battle with those enemies within - bringing them to their knees more than once. There are those who see those enemies as something we must be rid of in order to move on, but I wonder how the Apostle Paul would see that one. He prayed, evidently repeatedly, requesting some "thorn" be removed that gave him a constant battle of some sort. Allegedly, it was something that kept him from getting too high a perception of himself - keeping him humble. I wonder if some of the "enemies" within are really those types of things that help to keep us humble? So to keep me from becoming proud, I was given a thorn in my flesh, a messenger from Satan to torment me and keep me from becoming proud.  Three different times I begged the Lord to take it away.  Each time he said, “My grace is all you need. My power works best in weakness.” So n...

What are we seeking to win?

For we are not fighting against flesh-and-blood enemies, but against evil rulers and authorities of the unseen world, against mighty powers in this dark world, and against evil spirits in the heavenly places. Therefore, put on every piece of God’s armor so you will be able to resist the enemy in the time of evil. Then after the battle you will still be standing firm. ( Ephesians 6:12-13 NLT ) A German soldier by the name of Erin Rommel is quoted as saying, " Don't fight a battle if you don't gain anything by winning ." There are a whole lot of battle lines being drawn in the sand these days - but I am afraid some just don't warrant our time or attention! I honestly have had to ask why some of these marches, protests, media campaigns, and rather large crowds of disagreeable people are doing what they are doing. I don't even know if some of these individuals in the crowd know what it is they are doing. Some may actually just be following along because they...

Take a lesson from war

Have you ever been in a situation where you just knew no matter how hard you tried to make your opinion count, no matter how hard you fought for a particular matter, the verdict or outcome was already decided, despite your best efforts to direct the course otherwise?  What was your emotional outcome in those circumstances?  Wasn't it a deep sense of defeat and discouragement?  You tried so hard, but the outcome could not be changed despite all the efforts on your part.  There are just times in life when it is wiser to walk away than to continue to engage in the battle, my friends.  Now, this may seem a little "defeatist" at first, but not really.  Consider the energies directed at the "fight" you stand no chance of winning and then how much more those same energies could do in the matters you do have an influence in.  When those energies are redirected toward the stuff you can actually affect, you at least feel a sense of reward and hope in the outcom...

Is it "AND" or perhaps "OR"

Do you ever feel beat up?  You know, like when no matter how hard you try to move one step forward, you feel like you are taking two steps backward?  No matter what you do, you just cannot seem to break free of whatever it is that is keeping you in the muddle you are in.  Sometimes I think this is just my own doing - because I have bitten off way more than I can chew.  My plate is overloaded and the only way to be clear of the pressure is to get some of the stuff off my plate which really doesn't belong there in the first place.  Then there are other times when I just cannot tell you why I am feeling a little oppressed and pushed down, but it happens.  I think those times might just be when the enemy of my soul wants me to get distracted from what is important in life.  How about you?  Sometimes you just need to push some of the stuff back off your plate, other times you might just need to push back against the one who is "bullying" your soul! G...

Need to lay down that armor a while?

Weary:  Physically or mentally exhausted by hard work, exhaustion, or strain.  The origin of this word has its basis in the old English word used to describe the condition of crumbling, breaking down, or tottering.  I think this comes very close to describing the condition of mental strength when we are at the point of weariness, doesn't it?  We are almost crumbling into pieces - if not on the outside, maybe on the inside.  We find ourselves just not able to go on much longer - because we are at the point of being broken down by the pressures of life.  There is a condition of both mind and body which leaves us kind of "tottering" on the edge - so weary we just don't know if we can go on any longer.  I have heard it said that those who take care of others all the time are often the ones who need a little care themselves.  I observe caregivers all the time, on the brink of exhaustion, but constantly giving out of themselves to give and give again. ...

In the thick of things?

There are certainly times in life when we just feel like we are "in the thick of things" - you know what I mean - so totally "involved" in something that you almost feel "consumed" by whatever it is.  For a soldier, the greatest opportunity for being wounded, or even killed, is when he/she is in the "thick of the battle".  It is the "busiest" or most "active" part of the battle where the soldier has the greatest risk.  The same is true for each of us in life.  The busiest, or most active part of our circumstances places us at the greatest risk. When I walk into the thick of trouble,  keep me alive in the angry turmoil.   With one hand  strike my foes, w ith your other hand  save me.   Finish what you started in me,  God .   Your love is eternal—don’t quit on me now.  (Psalm 138:7-8 MSG) Our psalmist is pleading with God, knowing that he will "walk into" the thick of trouble and the angry turmoil.  In essence, he ...

Your destiny awaits!

Destination - the purpose for which someone is destined.  Really we can thing of being "destined" as being set apart for a particular purpose - we have a "use" defined for our lives.  Our "destination" is "in Christ" if we have entered into relationship with him.  If not, our "destination" is rather uncertain. 25-27 But now you have arrived at your destination: By faith in Christ you are in direct relationship with God. Your baptism in Christ was not just washing you up for a fresh start. It also involved dressing you in an adult faith wardrobe—Christ's life, the fulfillment of God's original promise. (Galations 3:25-27 The Message) The awesome point of this passage is the "direct" relationship we have with God through Christ.  The Apostle Paul has spent better than half of this letter to the Galations explaining the purpose of the Law of Moses as "pointing to" the destination he now reveals -...

What enemy?

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As those out to get me come closer and closer,  they go farther and farther from the truth you reveal; b ut you're the closest of all to me,  God ,  and all your judgments true.   I've known all along from the evidence of your words  that you meant them to last forever. (Psalm 119:150-152 The Message) There are definitely times when we feel our "enemy" breathing down our neck and just want to run like a crazy person from the "threat" we feel.  In a literal sense, we have "enemies" who come against us - - someone who is determined to make life miserable for us.  In a spiritual sense, we have one really big enemy - - Satan.  In an emotional sense, we have lots of "enemies" - - fear, pride, lust, just to name a few.  Regardless of the "enemy", we need to hear the words above:  The closer they get to us, the farther they are from the truth God reveals when we draw closer to him! If we look at the emotional enemies a...

The trumpet call

1-3   God  spoke to Moses: "Make two bugles of hammered silver. Use them to call the congregation together and give marching orders to the camps. When you blow them, the whole community will meet you at the entrance of the Tent of Meeting..." (Numbers 10:1-3) The instructions to Moses were to make two bugles (or horns) of hammered silver.  These were to be used to communicate with God's people that it was either a time for worship, warfare, or to move on to their next place of occupation.  Whenever the horns were sounded, Israel was to hear clearly the instruction God was giving.  Depending on the sounding of the horns, the people would be "clued into" God's will for their lives at that moment. Today, we don't have such a "clear" example of "hearing" God's will for our lives, but the three "calls" of the horns still apply to us.  The first "sounding" of the horn was a call to worship - a call to assemble toge...

Invitation to be prepared

13-18 Be prepared. You're up against far more than you can handle on your own. Take all the help you can get, every weapon God has issued, so that when it's all over but the shouting you'll still be on your feet. Truth, righteousness, peace, faith, and salvation are more than words. Learn how to apply them. You'll need them throughout your life. God's Word is an indispensable weapon. In the same way, prayer is essential in this ongoing warfare. Pray hard and long. Pray for your brothers and sisters. Keep your eyes open. Keep each other's spirits up so that no one falls behind or drops out. (Ephesians 6:13-18) We are in a battle - life is never easy.  Our passage today is best known as describing the weapons of our warfare.  In the Message Bible, the passage does not outline "putting on" or "taking up" these weapons / pieces of armor.  Instead, it gives us the reminder that there is a great deal of attention that must be paid in "being p...