Weapons of our warfare

Welcome to unseen today. Have  you noticed that we are in a battle? I bet you have. I have a helpful hint for you. Don't try to write about spiritual warfare if you don't want to experience some. Apparently the enemy did not want this posted, which probably means you need to read it as much as I needed to write it.  Read on.

Weapons of our Warfare

The weapons we fight with are not the weapons of the world. On the contrary, they have divine power to demolish strongholds.2 Corinthians 10:4

Sticks and stones my break my bones but words can never hurt me.

Don't bring a knife to a gun fight.

A day that will live in infamy.

The mother of all battles.

Each of these phrases brought a picture to your mind. Weapons and war are part of life whether we like it or not, from the days of Genesis until now. As the ability to protect ourselves against weapons improved, so did the weapons. Shields and armor reduced the danger of bow and arrows, so the Chinese invented the hwacha (Fire Cart) which could fire up to 200 flaming arrows at a time. Chain mail and suits of armor fell to gun powder and then to weapons that could fire accurately at longer and longer distances. There are also non-lethal weapons designed to hurt, disable or confuse such as sound wave weapons or EMP weapons that destroy electronics. Perhaps most dangerous are improvised weapons which look like harmless objects. If we did not know that God was in control it would be easy to walk in constant fear. Soldiers protect themselves by using armor such as helmets and bulletproof vests, and also by having safe places that they can go, like foxholes or barricades. They also learn to be wise and cautious, and understanding their enemy.

There is another battle going on at the same time. It is no less dangerous because we cannot see it. Spiritual warfare is real and it is vicious. The enemy of our souls wants to take you out and if he can't take you out he wants to make you ineffective. Just as an attacking army tailors their attack to the enemy's weakness, so do the attackers in spiritual warfare. It would be useless to fire a handgun at an enemy behind a stone wall, but cutting off supplies could weaken them. It would be a waste of the devil's time to tempt me with drugs or alcohol, so he is more likely to torment me with doubts about my abilities, fears that I am unloved and guilt over past mistakes. Temptation to commit adultery would not affect me, but financial struggles can pit my husband and I against each other if we are not careful. The doubt and resentment over whose fault it is can weaken marriage as surely as an affair. Then like fall out from a nuclear explosion, these thoughts can mushroom into criticizing other faults and envy of people who "have it all together". This saps my energy to serve my family, to serve God and to encourage people through my ministry. I am not defenseless, though and neither are you.

Just as soldiers use protective gear, we have spiritual armor, which is described in Ephesians 6:11-20

Put on the whole armor 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. Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand. Stand therefore, having  the belt of 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, with which you 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:

Each piece of the armor protects and covers us with truth, faith and peace. We also have a place to run and hide. Psalms and Proverbs are full of descriptions of God as our refuge, such as Psalms 46, as a strong tower (Proverbs 18:10), and a fortress, (Psalms 18:2 and 91:2).  We also must be wise and understand our enemy.  Paul tells us in Ephesians 5:15, therefore be careful how you walk, not as unwise men but as wise, making the most of your time, because the days are evil. Jesus cautions us in John 10 that Satan comes to steal, kill and destroy, and Peter describes him this way. Be alert and of sober mind. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour. (1 Peter 5:8)

Yes we are in a very serious battle, but there is good news. We are not in it alone. God tells Joshua "Be strong and courageous. Do not tremble or be dismayed. For the Lord your God is with you wherever you go. (Joshua 1:9) Trust your weapons. Trust your armor. Above all, trust your Heavenly Father, who will never leave you.

 

Ghost Dog

Welcome to Unseen today.  I was so glad to see the sunshine.
Most of you are like me and struggle to try again after a disappointment or frustration. Today's post is a funny look at perseverance in the face of adversity.  Read on.

Ghost Dog

Do not rejoice over me, oh my enemy, for though I fall I will rise again. Though I sit in darkness the Lord will be my light. Micah 7:8

My friend had a grandfather who was a genuine mountain man, complete with moonshine and shotguns. He also had a hound dog named Gus. Gus was a good dog but he had two faults. He was an “egg-sucker” and he would fall down and play dead when he heard a shot gun. He decided that these traits wouldn’t do in a mountain dog and was going to put the dog down. The children liked Gus and the set out to be his angels of mercy. While Grandpa was refiling his moonshine, the kids snuck in and replaced the shells in the shotgun with blanks. Grandpa went out and dug a shallow grave, and then took the shotgun and the dog out to the clearing. He fired the blanks and down went Gus. Grandpa buried him in the shallow grave and then came back to the kitchen and sat down with his jug. In a few minutes he heard a scratch at the door, and looked up to see Gus standing at the door with his tongue hanging out! He let loose with a string of colorful mountain words and said to the dog, “I could have sworn I just shot you.” Again he took the dog and the shot gun.  Again he shot the dog with the blanks and buried him. Then he stomped back to the house and sat down in the living room. He stole looks at the door and sure enough, in a few minutes Gus was back. Now his language was not only colorful but downright psychedelic!  The children were hiding behind the door laughing hysterically. He took the dog to the clearing a third time and fired the gun. Gus went down and back into the grave. When Grandpa got back to the house, Grandma decided he had had enough moonshine and gave him a beer and a bowl of peas to shell. He sat on the back porch with his peas, his beer, and his gun. Looking out toward the grave,  he told the dog, “If you come back this time, I ain’t gonna shoot you now or never. You deserve to live.” Lo and behold, he saw Gus’s front feet and then his snout poke out of the grave. As the dog came toward him with his tail wagging happily, Grandpa  picked up the gun and slammed it on the porch breaking it. Gus lived a long and happy life and was buried  15 years later in the same shallow grave.

Sometimes we feel like life has got us down. It may be a prayer that has not been answered even though you have prayed it as long as you can remember.  It could be a habit or stronghold that you can’t seem to overcome.  Today I realized that I had a resentment that was clouding my judgment and nurturing a root of bitterness( Ephesian 4:31), even though I thought I had conquered it.  Sometimes when we have fallen either because of sin or just because of circumstances, we just want to lay there and not try again. We may feel like poor old Gus, tossed in the grave over and over.God has a lot to say about this. In Romans 8:37 he declares that we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. One of my favorite verses is Isaiah 41:10.

So do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you; I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.

Another is Micah 7:8, Do not rejoice over me, oh my enemy, for though I fall I will rise again. Though I sit in darkness the Lord will be my light. One thing we must be careful of is to realize why we are more than conquerors and why we can rise again. In each of these verses and many, many more, It is because of God and his grace and his power. I can “suck it up” and power through in my own strength. The result is fleeting and flawed, like the difference between real and plastic fruit.

This week let’s make a commitment to persevere in God and his strength. We can overcome and try again and we can give others the encouragement they need to do the same.