Good day dear friends. May the awe and wonder of God's amazing creation bless and strengthen your journey today; in Christ Jesus I pray, amen.
Our text for today comes from Ephesians 6: 10 Finally, be strong in the Lord and in the strength of his power. 11 Put on the whole armor of God, so that you may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil. 12 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.13 Therefore take up the whole armor of God, so that you may be able to withstand on that evil day, and having done everything, to stand firm. 14 Stand therefore, and fasten the belt of truth around your waist, and put on the breastplate of righteousness. 15 As shoes for your feet put on whatever will make you ready to proclaim the gospel of peace. 16 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. 17 Take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God. 18 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. 19 Pray also for me, so that when I speak, a message may be given to me to make known with boldness the mystery of the gospel, 20 for which I am an ambassador in chains. Pray that I may declare it boldly, as I must speak. (NRSV)
Some years ago, our men's Sunday school group studied a book entitled, Why Men Don't Go to Church. The cover sold the book, a man, head back, mouth open, sitting in a church pew, sound asleep. I just tried finding it on Amazon.com and could not find it. It must be out of print. But the cover told the story, most men find church boring and not challenging. What challenges they do find in church they resist; holding hands, praying aloud, etc. The book makes the case for churches to focus more on the things of the Bible that speak to men, such as battle and warfare, and this passage falls in that category. Paul in his writing, it is believed, was under house arrest and a Roman soldier was assigned to his home to guard him. Paul must have talked at length to that soldier about Jesus, and about everything else. The uniform and all its components must have fascinated Paul. Every part of that armor plays an important part in keeping the soldier alive. The Roman army was the most advanced of its day and their experts had designed it to allow soldiers to fight and keep on fighting in fierce battles. Paul as he reflects and prays on his inner struggles with fear and doubt and the uncertainty of what each day might bring to him, realizes that we, too, as believers, have at our disposal the same armor. Paul know that we daily stand "against the wiles of the devil," fighting off the real enemy of our souls, "rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers of this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places." (v. 12). What we have at our disposal, through fervent prayer, is everything we could possibly need: "The belt of truth around your waist," standing strong in the conviction that God provides for our every need, even hunger; we cannot be misled or easily led away by falsehoods that God does not care nor provide for us. Truth is on our side when we line up with God. Our "gut feeling" should be the truth of God. Our heart is protected by "the breastplate of righteousness," knowing that as we strive to do what is right in the sight of God, our heart will be protected. When we know we are doing wrong and being led away from God, our heart suffers and breaks. God's love protects us and provides for our heart. Our love for God and for those of God also protects us in our knowing that we are loving as God intended. Our shoes indicate our willingness to be ready to go wherever it is that God might have us go to share "the gospel of peace." If you don't think shoes are important, talk to someone about to go on a hike or a journey over rugged terrain. Speak to one who collects shoes and ask if shoes are important. If you still doubt their importance, go and price some hiking boots or good running shoes. One who tires out or suffers from foot pain soon shortens the time spent on task or on vacation.
Paul then addresses the "shield of faith, with which you will be able to quench all the flaming arrows of the evil one." In recent months, guided by our children, we have watched more of our share of medieval shows which featured many sword fights. The best defense against a sword is a good shield and knowing how to use it. As these warriors stormed castles, the flaming arrows that rained down from above usually ended up embedded in the shield rather than the body of the warrior. Paul knew that with our dominant arm we would use our sword, and with our other arm we would use the shield to protect us from the blows that come from our enemy. A strong faith in God helps us with doubt, despair. and fear. No one can say that their mind never gets these sorts of thoughts, but the shield of faith helps us remember who we are and Whose we are. Then Paul speak of the helmet, "the helmet of salvation," which is our protection of our brain and eyes. Salvation, that right relationship we have with God through Jesus Christ, speaks to us about how important we are to God and how God will do anything to keep and protect us. It is in our brain that negative thoughts enter and with the assurance and promise of "salvation" we fight off these destructive thoughts. Paul then turns to the "sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God." By our reading and using our Bibles, we have that sword to not only defend but to advance our beliefs as we share the good news with those who have yet to hear or receive. And the closing verses deal with the importance of prayer. John Wesley in his commentary on this passage said that all of the above are necessary but we need to engage in incessant prayer that shows our daily dependence on God, not just on the gifts that God gives (Notes, 6:18-20).
You're all set for a great day! Make it so!
PRAYER: Loving and Merciful God, You provide all things for us especially that which we need to be strong in You. May all of these gifts be ours but may we also remember our need to daily stay connected to You; in Christ Jesus we pray, amen.
Have a great and blessed day in the Lord!
Eradio Valverde
