Armor Up!
"Put on the full armor of God so that you can stand against the schemes of the devil." - Eph. 6:11 (CSB)
Have Christians surrendered the fight? Have Christ's followers forgotten that we are engaged in a battle, a war -- not with other human beings, but with "evil, spiritual forces in the heavens"? Are we just "happy" to go along and hope for, look for, believe that that we can live our best lives now? That "hey . . . I signed a card, walked an aisle, got wet in a pool, had a preacher declare that I'm a Christian now, and became a member of so&so church - so everything is a-ok." And the war rages, and many lose, and zero fruit for the glory of God is produced, and the church grows weaker and weaker.
We should not be OK with the present state of affairs. Most churches are happy if they survive week to week -- financially, and a few folks show up. We measure health all too often with man-cantered numbers -- number of buildings, number of families on roll, number of dollars in budget, number of staff people, numbers given to missions. "Keep the numbers climbing and climbing!!" To me that sounds like corporate America. But are genuine disciples being made -- do we see a yearning for holiness and righteousness? Do we find people working in the Scriptures, and obeying the Scriptures? Do we see weeping for the lost? Do we see evangelism? Are the prayer meetings the most or least attended services at the church? Does the church even pray at all? Is there genuine worship of God or are we doing whatever we can to appeal to the fleshly nature of fallen man in hopes that they'll come in and make us bigger and bigger?
Are Christians standing in this evil day? Are we getting up daily, and putting on the whole armor of God? Are we fighting?
Are we girded about with the belt of truth? -- Lives anchored in the truth, living not as hypocrites but genuinely, fully-devoted followers of the Lord Jesus?
Are we wearing the breastplate of righteousness? -- Are we guarding our heart and mind and emotions from attacks of the evil one? Do we pay attention to what is going IN - aware that the enemy is sly, a liar, a disguise artist?
Are we anchored, on sure footing that we are indeed reconciled to God through the finished work of Jesus? Do we know that we have peace with God and nothing can shake us -- making us bold in this evil day?
Oh friends, as John Piper has declared, "Man redeemed is man at war." Realize this. It is serious. Hell and defeat is real.
But, oh, lest we forget -- "the One who is in you is greater than the one who is in the world." (1 Jn 4:4)
Stand Christian, and having done all -- STAND. Stand in the power of the victorious, risen, devil-defeating, grave-conquering Savior. He is our strength. Be strong in the Lord and in the power of His might!
Have Christians surrendered the fight? Have Christ's followers forgotten that we are engaged in a battle, a war -- not with other human beings, but with "evil, spiritual forces in the heavens"? Are we just "happy" to go along and hope for, look for, believe that that we can live our best lives now? That "hey . . . I signed a card, walked an aisle, got wet in a pool, had a preacher declare that I'm a Christian now, and became a member of so&so church - so everything is a-ok." And the war rages, and many lose, and zero fruit for the glory of God is produced, and the church grows weaker and weaker.
We should not be OK with the present state of affairs. Most churches are happy if they survive week to week -- financially, and a few folks show up. We measure health all too often with man-cantered numbers -- number of buildings, number of families on roll, number of dollars in budget, number of staff people, numbers given to missions. "Keep the numbers climbing and climbing!!" To me that sounds like corporate America. But are genuine disciples being made -- do we see a yearning for holiness and righteousness? Do we find people working in the Scriptures, and obeying the Scriptures? Do we see weeping for the lost? Do we see evangelism? Are the prayer meetings the most or least attended services at the church? Does the church even pray at all? Is there genuine worship of God or are we doing whatever we can to appeal to the fleshly nature of fallen man in hopes that they'll come in and make us bigger and bigger?
Are Christians standing in this evil day? Are we getting up daily, and putting on the whole armor of God? Are we fighting?
Are we girded about with the belt of truth? -- Lives anchored in the truth, living not as hypocrites but genuinely, fully-devoted followers of the Lord Jesus?
Are we wearing the breastplate of righteousness? -- Are we guarding our heart and mind and emotions from attacks of the evil one? Do we pay attention to what is going IN - aware that the enemy is sly, a liar, a disguise artist?
Are we anchored, on sure footing that we are indeed reconciled to God through the finished work of Jesus? Do we know that we have peace with God and nothing can shake us -- making us bold in this evil day?
Oh friends, as John Piper has declared, "Man redeemed is man at war." Realize this. It is serious. Hell and defeat is real.
But, oh, lest we forget -- "the One who is in you is greater than the one who is in the world." (1 Jn 4:4)
Stand Christian, and having done all -- STAND. Stand in the power of the victorious, risen, devil-defeating, grave-conquering Savior. He is our strength. Be strong in the Lord and in the power of His might!
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