The LIght Of Love

Romans 13:8-14 KJV: Live in the light of Christ's love and share it with others.

The War Against Darkness

"For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places. 

Wherefore take unto you the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand. 

Stand therefore, having your loins girt about with truth, and having on the breastplate of righteousness;

And your feet shod with the preparation of the gospel of peace;

Above all, taking the shield of faith, wherewith ye shall be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked.

And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God:

Praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, and watching thereunto with all perseverance and supplication for all saints..."

                                                                         (Eph:12-18 KJV)

We are at war.  Whether we want to acknowledge it or not there is a war going on. The principalities, powers, rulers of the darkness of this world aim to make you subject to them and not to God. They will try and persecute you and you will utterly fail unless you recognize that it is not your neighbor that is battling you. It is the darkness that is trying to extinguish the light. 

You can not prevail standing on your own truth. The only truth that  ultimately prevails over evil is the Word of God who is Jesus the Christ. So before you begin your day arm yourself with the armor that God has provided you with. Take up the sword of the Spirit. Immerse yourself in the word of God. Get on your knees and pray. Communicate with God throughout the day for he is your strength and salvation. 

"The Lord is my rock, and my fortress, and my deliverer; my God, my strength, in whom I will trust; my buckler, and the horn of my salvation, and my high tower.

I will call upon the Lord, who is worthy to be praised: so shall I be saved from mine enemies."

                                                                         (Psalm 18:2-3)

God's Peace - Pr. J.

Armor of God

Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord, and in the power of his might.

Put on the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil.

For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places.

Wherefore take unto you the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand.

                                                               (Ephesians 6:10-13 KJV)

Sometimes we forget that the battle is not against each other; but, against the spiritual forces that attack every one of us. We forget and when we forget we neglect to pray even for our enemies that they might change (repent) and receive the peace of the Lord so that we all might live in peace; so that we all might live in the joy of His presence.

Yes, the evil one does manifest himself in humankind and we do find ourselves in conflicts and wars. To protect those who cannot protect themselves there are times that we must engage in physical warfare. But, even in those times the spiritual warfare must be paramount. We can never forget to wear the armor that the Lord has provided us. We are to at all times and in places wear the belt of truth, a breastplate of righteousness, shoes to help us go out and proclaim the gospel of peace, the shield of faith so that the evil one's arrows will be thwarted, the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit (which is the word of God). (Eph 6:14-18) Even as we venture forth wearing this armor we should always and in all places remember to pray.  Pray in the Spirit that we do the Lord's will and not our own. Pray that God is with us; that, the battle might be won.  

God's Peace - Pr. J

The Fight Is Against The Devil (Not Your Neighbor)

"Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord, and in the power of his might.

Put on the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil.

For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places.

Wherefore take unto you the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand.

Stand therefore, having your loins girt about with truth, and having on the breastplate of righteousness;

And your feet shod with the preparation of the gospel of peace;

Above all, taking the shield of faith, wherewith ye shall be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked.

And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God:

Praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, and watching thereunto with all perseverance and supplication for all saints;" 

                                                                                                              (Eph 6:10-18 KJV)

The lockdowns around the country this past year put a curtail on a lot of Christian gatherings whether for worship or for fellowship. There were many congregations who refused to shut down their worship services. There were also many who completely closed there doors; some opting to do virtual worship on the world wide web. This had it advantages as it reached many people who were not attending worship prior to the lockdowns. It also had many disadvantages. 

As congregations are attempting to get back to worship and fellowship as it was prior to March of 2020 many are finding that the devil had his way in separating us from one another and even turning us away from God to focus on lesser things. These lesser things for some congregations sadly are about numbers. When someone gets out of the weekly habit of worshiping it is not so easy to get back into the habit of regularly gathering for worship and fellowship.  Attendance goes down and consequently so do the offerings. When finances are hit divisiveness often follows. It's got to be someone's fault; must be the pastor's! Could be that person in the back pew that offended your neighbor. Who knows. Lots of excuses and finger pointing arise when the budget isn't being met.

In the pursuit of raising those numbers the word can end up being compromised in order to appease the itching ears and bring back the numbers. When we focus on entertaining people in order to bring back the attendance and offerings we tend to lose the focus on what worship is about. It is about worshiping God and about hearing His word. It is not about making the congregation feel good about themselves. It is, of course, a relief to know that God has forgiven our sins and made us to be His children by faith in our reconciliation to Him through the Good News of Jesus the Christ.  The faith that we have that we have been saved is found solely in the work of the Christ for us. It has nothing to do with any decisions we have made or any good things we have done. We cannot earn our salvation; therefore, worship is about worshiping the one who earned it for us. It is not to enflame the egos of the congregation. It is not to please "itching ears!"

These are all tricks of the devil to diminish our faith. This is not the time to point fingers or blame others for the state of your congregation rather stand firm against the wiles of the devil.  Do not attack your brother of sister in Christ. If you're going to point fingers then point them at the devil and stand firm, wearing the  whole armour of God:  gird your loins with truth, put on the breastplate of righteousness; shod your feet with the gospel of peace; take the shield of faith, the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the spirit, which is the word of God and pray... As a warrior for Christ put on the armour of God and pray; pray in Jesus' name that the devil depart and leave you, your loved ones, and your congregation alone. Defeat the wiles of the devil. Attacking your brothers or sisters in Christ only empowers the devil and his minions. He is smiling as he undermines your commitment to sharing the Gospel of peace in Jesus Christ our Lord and Savior.

God's Peace - Pr. J.

The Armour Of God

"Humble yourselves therefore under the mighty hand of God, that he may exalt you in due time:

Casting all your care upon him; for he careth for you.

Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour:

Whom resist stedfast in the faith, knowing that the same afflictions are accomplished in your brethren that are in the world.

But the God of all grace, who hath called us unto his eternal glory by Christ Jesus, after that ye have suffered a while, make you perfect, stablish, strengthen, settle you.

To him be glory and dominion for ever and ever. Amen."

                                                                                                 (1 Pet 5:6-11 KJV)

Day to day, we struggle against our adversary the devil. Evil lurks around every corner waiting to seduce you. If there is a chink in our armor that he can squeeze into, he will try. St. Paul advised the Ephesians to put on the armor of God so that they might stand against the wiles of the devil. He wrote:  

"Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord, and in the power of his might.

Put on the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil.

For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places.

Wherefore take unto you the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand.

Stand therefore, having your loins girt about with truth, and having on the breastplate of righteousness;

And your feet shod with the preparation of the gospel of peace;

Above all, taking the shield of faith, wherewith ye shall be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked.

And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God:

Praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, and watching thereunto with all perseverance and supplication for all saints;"

                                                                                                    (Eph 6:10-18)

 

Temptations will indeed come to all people. But, in Christ, the battle is won. Therefore,  we ought to wear the armour that he has provided us with. "Put on the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil."

God's Peace - Pr. J.

The Battle

"For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places. Wherefore take unto you the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand."

                                                                       Eph 6:12-13 KJV

Life can definitely be a battle. All kinds of things come against us. There are periods of time when it seems like it's a daily struggle to stay afloat. In frustration and anger, we may want to strike back at the people that it appears to be coming from. But, there is a better way. 

We cannot overcome anything or anyone without the help of God. In order to do battle, we must put on the armor that God provides us with remembering that it is not flesh and blood that we battle with but spiritual forces in the dark realms who wish to undo you. 

The battle is real and we must engage or succumb to the enemy.

"Stand therefore, having your loins girt about with truth, and having on the breastplate of righteousness;

And your feet shod with the preparation of the gospel of peace;

Above all, taking the shield of faith, wherewith ye shall be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked.

And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God:

Praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, and watching thereunto with all perseverance and supplication for all saints..."

                                                                                      Eph 6:14-18 KJV

God's Peace - Pr. J

Armor of God

Put on the whole armor of God, so that you may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil. For our struggle is not against enemies of blood and flesh, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers of this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places."  (Eph 6:11-12 NRSV)

 

Sometimes, we forget that the battle is not against each other; but, against the spiritual forces that attack every one of us. We forget and when we forget we forget to pray even for our enemies that they might change (repent) and receive the peace of the Lord so that we all might live in peace; so that we all might live in the joy of His presence.

 

Yes, the evil one does manifest himself in humankind and we do find ourselves in conflicts and wars. To protect those who cannot protect themselves there are times that we must engage in physical warfare. But, even in those times the spiritual warfare must be paramount. We can never forget to wear the armor that the Lord has provided for us. We are, at all times and in places, to wear the belt of truth, a breastplate of righteousness, shoes to help us to go out and proclaim the gospel of peace, the shield of faith so that the evil one's arrows will be thwarted, the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit (which is the word of God). 

Even as we venture forth wearing this armor we should always and in all places remember to pray. (Eph 6:14-18) Pray in the Spirit that we do the Lord's will and not our own. Pray that God is with us so that the battle will be won and the devil have no power over us or any whom God loves. 

 

God's Peace - Pr. J

Armor of God

"Put on the whole armor of God, so that you may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil. For our struggle is not against enemies of blood and flesh, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers of this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places."  Eph 6:11-12 NRSV

Sometimes we forget that the battle is not against each other; but, against the spiritual forces that attack every one of us. We forget and when we forget we forget to pray even for our enemies that they might change (repent) and receive the peace of the Lord so that we all might live in peace; so that we all might live in the joy of His presence.

Yes, the evil one does manifest himself in humankind and we do find ourselves in conflicts and wars. To protect those who cannot protect themselves there are times that we must engage in battle; in physical warfare. But, even in those times, the spiritual warfare must be paramount.

We can never forget to wear the armor that the Lord has provided us. We are, at all times and in places, to wear the belt of truth, a breastplate of righteousness, shoes to help us go out and proclaim the gospel of peace, the shield of faith so that the evil one's arrows will be thwarted, the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit (which is the word of God). Even as we venture forth wearing this armor we should always and in all places remember to pray. (Eph 6:14-18) Pray in the Spirit that we do the Lord's will and not our own. Pray that God is with us; that, the battle might be won and that the devil have no power over us or any whom God loves. 

God's Peace - Pr. J

Armor of God

Put on the whole armor of God, so that you may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil. For our struggle is not against enemies of blood and flesh, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers of this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places."  (Eph 6:11-12 NRSV)

 

Sometimes we forget that the battle is not against each other; but, against the spiritual forces that attack every one of us. We forget and when we forget we forget to pray even for our enemies that they might change (repent) and receive the peace of the Lord so that we all might live in peace; so that we all might live in the joy of His presence.

 

Yes, the evil one does manifest himself in humankind and we do find ourselves in conflicts and wars. To protect those who cannot protect themselves there are times that we must engage in physical warfare. But, even in those times the spiritual warfare must be paramount. We can never forget to wear the armor that the Lord has provided us. We are to at all times and in places wear the belt of truth, a breastplate of righteousness, shoes to help us go out and proclaim the gospel of peace, the shield of faith so that the evil one's arrows will be thwarted, the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit (which is the word of God). Even as we venture forth wearing this armor we should always and in all places remember to pray. Pray in the Spirit that we do the Lord's will and not our own. Pray that God is with us; that, the battle might be won and that the devil have no power over us or any whom God loves. 

 

God's Peace - Pr. J

Fight The Good Fight; The Right Fight

Put on the whole armor of God, so that you may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil. For our struggle is not against enemies of blood and flesh, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers of this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places."  Eph 6:11-12 NRSV

 

Sometimes we forget that the battle is not against each other; but, against the spiritual forces that attack every one of us. We often fail to recognize that it is the devil's work to distract us and lead us down wrong paths so that we will not follow in The Way or help others in The Way. He will lead us to infighting to the direct result that we forget that he is the real enemy. He does not want us to live  in the Lord's peace and so we, the whole church on earth, is attacked from within. 

 

Yes, the evil one does manifest himself in humankind and we do find ourselves in conflicts and wars. To protect those who cannot protect themselves there are times that we must engage in physical warfare. But, even in those times the spiritual warfare must be paramount. We can never forget to wear the armor that the Lord has provided us. We are to at all times and in places wear the belt of truth, a breastplate of righteousness, shoes to help us go out and proclaim the gospel of peace, the shield of faith so that the evil one's arrows will be thwarted, the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit (which is the word of God). Even as we venture forth wearing this armor we should always and in all places remember to pray. (Eph 6:14-18) Pray in the Spirit that we do the Lord's will and not our own. Pray that God is with us; that, the battle might be won and that the devil have no power over us or any one whom God loves. 

 

God's Peace - Pr. J

Rule of Warfare

The officers shall say to the army: “Has anyone built a new house and not yet begun to live in it? Let him go home, or he may die in battle and someone else may begin to live in it. Has anyone planted a vineyard and not begun to enjoy it? Let him go home, or he may die in battle and someone else enjoy it. Has anyone become pledged to a woman and not married her? Let him go home, or he may die in battle and someone else marry her.” Then the officers shall add, “Is anyone afraid or fainthearted? Let him go home so that his fellow soldiers will not become disheartened too.” (Deut 20:5-8 NIV)

Rules of warfare...

Moses reminds the people that when preparing for a battle that anyone who might have a reason not to go into battle fully engaged, fully focused on the battle, is to stay home.  If their minds are going to be wandering back to the wife that they have not yet married or the brand new vineyard that they've planted, they should stay home.  If their hearts are full of fear, they should not go to battle.  Fear begets fear.  Men of faint hearts should not go to battle, because their fears might be passed on to the men who they will stand next to in battle and they both will die. 

I've recently had a lot of reminders that we too are engaged in battle.  It is not a physical battle against flesh and blood.  We are engaged in a spiritual battle against the spiritual forces of wickedness in the heavenly places.  (Eph 6:12)  We are engaged in battle whether we like it or not, but I fear that we are not always truly prepared to participate in that battle and so the enemy has had the advantage.  Our minds and hearts have been focused elsewhere.  They have been focused on more worldly battles with our neighbors rather than the spiritual forces that have caused dissensions and divisions among us. 

I should probably be using the word I rather than we - maybe you have been much more fully engaged in this battle than I am. It is not that I have given up on being engaged in this spiritual battle.  It is more like other things have caused me to focus my time and energy elsewhere and sadly, I have to admit, that I have not been as fully engaged as I should be. 

At my last congregation in Michigan, just about every time the lesson regarding the parable that Jesus tells of the great banquet that people refused to attend, the choir sang a song about being invited to the banquet and making excuses that goes something like this:  "I cannot come to the banquet.  Don't bother me now.  I have married a wife.  I have bought me a cow..."  When we cannot (do not) go to the banquet table that Jesus has prepared for us, when we do not hear his word regularly to be refreshed; renewed; empowered; how can we be prepared for spiritual battle?
  
Paul gave to the Ephesians (6:13-18) and us guidelines as to how we can be prepared for and enter into for spiritual battle: 

Therefore take up the whole armour of God, so that you may be able to withstand on that evil day, and having done everything, to stand firm. Stand therefore, and fasten the belt of truth around your waist, and put on the breastplate of righteousness.  As shoes for your feet put on whatever will make you ready to proclaim the gospel of peace.  With all of these, take the shield of faith, with which you will be able to quench all the flaming arrows of the evil one. Take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God.  Pray in the Spirit at all times in every prayer and supplication. To that end keep alert and always persevere in supplication for all the saints. 

The next time you feel like you are in a war with your neighbor or maybe a family member, remember that there is more going on than meets the eye.  There is a spiritual battle being waged and if we allow ourselves to be engaged in the war that is before our eyes, we will be distracted from doing battle in the heavenly realms where the real battle is actually taking place.  What you see with your eyes may be only a symptom of the spiritual war taking place.

Put on the armor that God has given to you, keep alert and persevere in supplication for all the saints (whether you recognize them as saints or not!).  

God's Peace - Pr. J

Spiritual Warfare

put on the armor of God

"Finally, be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power. Put on the full armor of God, so that you can take your stand against the devil’s schemes." (Eph 6:10-11 NIV)

There is indeed a battle raging. However, many in the church are not even aware of it. We go about as though we are in La La Land thinking that everything is good simply because we are the church.

I'm thinking that when everything seems to be going our way maybe we ought to consider if our way is the world's way or the Lord's Way. Have we made compromises with the world in order for the world to accept us? Maybe, we need to take the time to consider who or what it is we are actually following.

Peter's first epistle reminds us that the devil is like a roaring lion. Well, the lion can be pretty quiet when it sneaking up on it's prey and the devil is not so different. He comes from behind and works his schemes while the church seems totally oblivious to the danger it is in. The devil likes to deal in deals. He would like us to compromise the Word so that we can feel safe and secure. But, safe and secure in the devil's hands is truly an illusion and a delusion.

We must fight for our lives and not just ours. We fight for all of the children of God. Christians cannot afford to be pacifists when it comes to spiritual warfare. We must take a stand, trusting in the Lord's mighty power, against the wiles of the evil one. "For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms. Therefore put on the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand. Stand firm then, with the belt of truth buckled around your waist, with the breastplate of righteousness in place, and with your feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace. In addition to all this, take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one. Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God. And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests. With this in mind, be alert and always keep on praying for all the Lord’s people." (Eph 6:12-18)

May God open our eyes that we might see the lion who preys upon the children of God.

God's Peace - Pr. Judy