“For though we live as human beings, we do not wage war according to human standards, for the weapons of our warfare are not human weapons, but are made powerful by God for tearing down strongholds. We tear down arguments and every arrogant obstacle that is raised up against the knowledge of God, and we take every thought captive to make it obey Christ.” (2 Cor 10:3-5)
My morning reflectio, like many others, flows out of a conversation I had at the Waffle House. I was seated at the low bar talking with a 4 men who are regular customers. One of them brought up the pagers that are exploding in Lebanon and the whole conversation turned to examples of how the world now is a more evil place. One man said he feels like his marriage is under attack, and another how his kids are being misled in school and they are becoming more and more disrespectful at home. I know these men and they all claim to be Christians. So I asked them, what is the Bible telling you in your time in God’s Word. Their tone changed and they became defensive saying they do not read their Bible daily, and my reading the Bible daily does not change the situation of the world. Inside I wanted to explode and push back but I did not, instead I came home and wrote.
You have an enemy who hates you, hates your spouse, hates your children, hates your family. He despises the Christ that is in you and that you also claim over your family, and the enemy will uses any and all resources at his disposal: any weapons, all the demon minions, incantations, to bring down, kill and destroy you. You know you live every day in the midst of a broken, fallen world, where evil is real. Just look around! Look at the news! And that evil you see out there is out to get you.
(1 Peter 5:8) “Be sober and alert. Your enemy the devil, like a roaring lion, is on the prowl looking for someone to devour”
What are you going to fight him with? What are you going to punch him in the face with? What weapons are you going use to not just defend, but push back the literal hell that He wants to bring down on you?
Are you going to Throw money at him? Are you going to try to work harder, get a promotion, better job, better pay, gain more power and prestige, earn more so you can throw more money at him and buy him out? He is the “ruler of this world.” He has more wealth and is richer and has more power than you can ever dream of achieving.
Are you going to retreat into your fortress, your castle, the nice home with the crucifix hanging somewhere in it on some wall and then puch your garage door button, close garage door and keep him out?
Are you going to try to use logic or reason with him? Do you really think you can outsmart Satan who has been here deciding and destroying humanity since the beginning of creation?
Do you think if you exercise tolerance, political correctness and be passive he will just leave you and your family alone? It is not going to happen! You have no hope and there is nothing humanly possible to distract or deter you enemy, stop him from hating you, hating your spouse, hating your children and wanting to destroy you.
Nothing humanly possible, however with the weapons of God it is more than possible. The passage of scripture above tells us:
“For though we live as human beings, we do not wage war according to human standards, for the weapons of our warfare are not human weapons, but are made powerful by God for tearing down strongholds.”
Read Ephesians 6 and the full armor of God.
God supplies you with the armor and the weapons you need to fight and conquer the enemy, but you have to put them on and pick them up.
You do not put on the armor daily and then you know you are battling an enemy that is armed to the teeth daily and then wonder why and complian to God why you have no peace, anxiety, depression, your family is struggling, your children are struggling, your marriage is struggling, and you have physical health issues, mental health issues
The sword with which you are able to punch Satan in the mouth with, and not just defend your family with, but drive away the enemy is The Word of God contained in that Bible on a desk somewhere or an app on your phone. “and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God.” Eph. 6:17”
Each day you think to yourself, I do not have yo spend time in God’s word, you are basically saying you are going to face your armed enemy who hates you with nothing in your hand. And worse, you are in effect saying, your spouse and children who you probably encouraged to follow Jesus, and continue to encourage them in their faith, you are now leaving them out on their own and are not worth protecting, not worth the time spent that day in your Bible arming yourself with the Sword of the Spirit. And you are setting the disastrous example to them of how to walk into battle unarmed against an enemy who hates them.
My family, I pray today is the day you take seriously that there is an enemy out there, that once you and your family claims to be a follower of Jesus, hates you, hates your spouse and hates your children. And take seriously your absolute necessity to arm yourself with the “powerful weapons of God for tearing down strongholds,” strongholds the enemy continuously tries to raise around your family as if your life depends on it. And if your life does not matter that much to you, at least do it because the lives of your spouse and children require you to daily open your Bible, read God’s Word, and arm yourself with the “Sword of the Spirit” with which you can protect them and punch the enemy in the face, by though and in the name of Jesus. Please pray the same for me. God bless you my friends!
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