The Weapon

...and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God. Ephesians 6: 17b

Have you ever handled a sword?  Ever actually held a sword in your hands...felt its weight...imagined yourself wielding it...using it as a weapon in a fight for your life?

As a mother of boys, I have handled many types of swords: plastic, foam, paper, wooden..swords that light up, shiny swords, noisy swords.  I've stepped into countless battles.  I've confiscated them, hidden them, put them in time-out, broken them, tossed them out, thrown them away, beaten myself over the head for buying them...but, never truly handled a real sword until a few months ago.

The bell rang.  Grant opened the door.  I heard a brief conversation.  Then, I saw my son come back into the living room, bright eyes, filled with wonder and a hesitant smile on his face: "look what I got, Mom!" He said.  I turned my head and saw him holding in his hands a mesmerizing, long, skiny, shiny, purple and gold item.  My mind knew what it was, but my brain refused to register.  "It's Link's Sword!" He said.  My fear was confirmed.  "They delivered it here to our house, because they couldn't give it to me at school!  It's a real sword! Touch it!  It's real! It's my Senior gift from my Band section."  I stood up and received it in my hands as Grant placed it on them with great care.  I couldn't believe it...it was metal.  I took it out of its sheath...it was sharp.  My heart sank.  "We have a real weapon in the house now!" Grant said that with all the excitement a 17 year old boy could muster.  I put on a smile and said: "don't show it to your brother.  Keep it hidden.  Be extremely careful with it.  WOW, is it cool?!!!! I love it! Put it away, now!"

As we examine the items of the armor of God, we finally get to the sword.  The weapon.  All of the other items we've looked at have been mostly for protection.  Not this one.  The sword of the Spirit is for attacking.  Without it...we are left huddled up, curled into a ball behind the shield.  Obviously, however...when preparing us for battle, God places the sword in our hands with one purpose: to use it!  Lord, have mercy!

But, what is the sword of the Spirit?  Well...it is none other than the Word.

The Word is that double-edged sword that Jesus used to stab the enemy right on the heart, not only when the Pharisees relentlessly tried to trick Him during His ministry here on earth, but also when it taunted Him in the dessert (Matthew 4: 1-25).   And the Word is placed in our hands to be used in all matters, because it is profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, that the man of God may be competent, equipped for every good work. (2 Timothy 3: 16-17)  And most important of all, the Word is Jesus Himself, who has been since the beginning...from the beginning, the Word was with God, and the Word was God. (John 1: 1).  And He is coming again, in full glory, and we will see how, from his mouth came a sharp two-edged sword (Revelations 1: 16).

The sword of the Spirit is a precious gift indeed.  It is one that mesmerizes us when we face its beauty, while it scares us when we realize its power.  But, unlike the frantic advice I gave Grant when he received his gift, the sword of the Spirit is not meant to be hidden and kept away from our brothers and sisters.  The sword that is the Word is meant to be shared with the world.  We can't hide it under a bushel, no!  The Word is the lamp to our feet and a light to our path! (Psalm 119: 105).  How are we to charge ahead without it lighting the way?  This sword is to be consumed whole, eaten, so it can be used.  And if we ever are to store it, it ought only to be stored up in our hearts! (Psalm 119: 11)

Yes, we have a weapon in our house, so beware...I hope it never gets used in any way! 

Yes, we have a weapon in our hearts...let's make sure we use it every day.

Foolproof Protection Helmet

Take the helmet of salvation...Ephesians 6: 17a

Chances are that most of us have heard or read about the ill and long lasting effects of concussions.  The research is very conclusive and extremely scary.  Entertainment venues, however, have not really been very forthcoming with producing movies and shows reflecting this reality.  I can only think of one movie that deals with this devastating issue.  The movie is, of course, Concussion.  This 2015 film starring Will Smith, puts the spotlight back on the dangers of football. Smith portrays Dr. Bennet Omalu, the Nigerian immigrant who was the first to publish research on the degenerative brain disease he called chronic traumatic encephalopathy, or CTE. (npr.org)  Interestingly enough, Dr. Omalu was working at the Allegheny County Coroner's Office in Pittsburgh, while doing his research...right in our backyard.

The movie shows how Dr. Omalu's research was dismissed by the NFL, calling it a failure.  It took years for the NFL to actually acknowledge the link between concussions sustained in football and long-term neurological effects.  The controversial findings, however, keep the spotlight away from the reality.  People who benefit from sports like football and others, do not want to hear the truth about the dangers that concussions truly cause on the players.  They dismiss it or/and ignore it, because the cost of really paying attention to this fact would be too high for them to pay.  At the expense of the lives of the players, most look the other way.

Yes, in some sports like football, there is a helmet that marketers might sell as "concussion-proof."  In reality, the helmet doesn't really protect the brain fully. It's not really foolproof.  And, there are other sports that don't even include helmets as part of their gear.  Take soccer and rugby for instance.  No helmet whatsoever.  Players withstand concussions all the time, and there's really not much said about it.

I'm not really trying to advocate for anything here.  It's just that, Ephesians 6: 17a made me think of all these.  When considering the helmet of salvation, and thinking about how much more players would suffer without a helmet, made me realize how crucial this piece of the armor really is.  Unlike the sport helmets, the one Paul talks about is, indeed, a death-defeating helmet, 100% guaranteed.  And, without it...our chances of making it through the battle are null.  The helmet ensures our salvation, hence the name. We risk much more than repeated concussions if we don't wear it.  One single blow without it, will mean total annihilation.  So, we better make sure we have it on every day!

But, what is it?  And how do I get it?

Well, like everything that brings salvation...it has to be something to do with Jesus.

Nothing else saves us.  Not hefty bank accounts.  Not full-coverage insurance policies.  Not fortified mansions.  Not strong governments.  Not armies or bunkers. Not tight knit communities.  Not loving families.  Not committed spouses.  Not bigger barns.  Our lives will be demanded from us at any moment.  And the only thing that truly matters then, is the saving power of Christ, who ensures the eternal salvation of our souls.

He is Our Helmet.

He is Our foolproof protection.

He is Our salvation.

Unlike the football helmet, which still allows concussions to occur, even when properly fastened, the helmet provided by God does not disappoint.  Let's just make sure we have it on.  Amen!  

The Readiness of Peace

...and with your feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace. Ephesians 6: 15

I like walking.  It makes me feel purposeful. Some say I walk really fast.  Dylan is always complaining that I leave him behind all the time...hmm...not sure why he'd say that? If anything, he is the one who's always dragging his feet.  Actually, often, everyone seems to move in slow motion.  Why can't people just walk faster?  Especially at the grocery store, what's with the lollygagging? It drives me CRAZY! GET OUT OF MY WAY!!!!

Sigh...

OK...maybe, it might be me...

The truth is that, walking slowly to me is a sign of being lost, and in a way, of not being ready.  I know it's not true.  But, that's how I feel.  I slow down only when I'm not sure where I'm going...and I really dislike that.  I also slow down when I'm not ready, when I'm distracted...and that makes me uncomfortable.  I like the feeling of being in control, knowing exactly where I'm going and how to get there.  I like to feel like I'm ready to just jump and do what I have to do.  I do not like inaction.  Do it now, regret it later!  That's pretty much my motto.  After all, isn't that what this verse is all about? Isn't' Ephesians 6: 15 telling us we must be ready?  Ready to swiftly jump to action?

The image that comes to mind when I read: feet fitted with readiness...is the winged feet logo!

But, then...what about the "gospel of peace?"

We are supposed to be fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace...what is that all about?

I don't know, but somehow, in my mind, the words "peace" and "readiness" do not mesh well.  Readiness to me implies being on the edge.  I think of a sprinter runner: on your marks, ready, set, GO! BOOM! Exploding speed!  The image in my mind does not convey much "peace."  On the contrary, heart pounding adrenaline is what I imagine.  So...I don't get it?

Is Paul trying to tell us that we need peace to be ready?  How is that possible?  I don't understand?

I am not an expert on the concept of peace.  I wonder if that's why I am always so exhausted.  If I am honest with myself, I don't have peace in much of what I do.  I jump right on it, and I do it as fast as I can...because I believe that getting it done is the goal...but...where's the peace?

Maybe the kind of readiness that God wants from me is a different thing.  Maybe He wants the readiness that emerges from knowing that we do not have to do it all...that He is in control, and that all we have to do is trust His Word, which will in turn, develop a sense of peace in our soul that will allow us to be ready for whatever we face...because knowing the Gospel is knowing that He has paid it all, and that all to Him we owe.

I know I am very, very far from experiencing this type of readiness.  But, I do understand now, that I must become as familiar as possible with His Gospel, because the more I read it, the more I know Him, and the more I know Him, the more I trust Him...and the more I trust Him...the more peace flows like a river in my soul.

I guess I better start looking back to make sure I'm not leaving anyone behind...after all, what's the point of being ready and getting it done fast, if...in the end...I'm flustered and alone?

Jesus is Our Righteousness

...with the breastplate of righteousness in place... Ephesians 6: 14b

Dylan:  "Mama, how much is 8x3?"

Me:       (insert MAJOR silent eye-rolling and deep sigh...)

Dylan:  "I guess it's been a long time since I've been in school, huh?"

Me:       (insert double facepalm that also serves to disguise a chuckle)

Dylan:  "Hey, but did you notice how earlier, I used the word: 'elevate' before? Pretty impressive, huh?"

Me:       (insert head on desk in sign of utter defeat)

It has certainly been a looooong time since kids have been to school...indeed...and for a teen who thinks books are the devil, not being in school is tragic.  However, there's been an interesting turn this summer...Dylan has began to read... I mean, honestly, it's not like a "legit" interest in reading has suddenly awoken into his soul.  Not really. Books ARE still the devil. Dylan's reading efforts are mostly the product of bribery.  Apparently Grant offered to pay him a dollar for every book he reads...the implications and nuances of this arrangement are too complex to discuss in this post...but...regardless...it's working.  Dylan has read a couple of books!  Which is AMAZING! So, once in a while, he would use a word that not normally one would expect Dylan knowing, let alone, using appropriately in the right context within a casual conversation...so he makes sure everyone notices.  And I'm very proud of him for that.

As a non-native speaker of English, I encounter thousands of words and expressions on a daily basis that I am not familiar with...so...I try to pay careful attention, and when the right context comes up, I try to incorporate them as best as I can.  However, often, I need to pause and realize that the potential opportunities for me to incorporate some terms are very slim.  Such is the case with two words in Ephesians 6: 14b... "breastplate" and "righteousness."  

I don't know about you, but neither of these two words populate my conversations on a daily basis.  I'm not entirely sure I know what meaning they actually convey.  So, I had to enlist the help of my good friends Merriam & Webster to clarify.  

The breastplate is is a device that soldiers wear (or used to wear) over the torso to protect from injury.  I guess, the 21st century equivalent would be a bullet proof/kevlar vest that law enforcers wear or should wear (I wish it was available to all, but, unfortunately apparently it is not).  The purpose of this type of device is to guard vital organs in case of an attack.  It mostly protects the heart.

Righteousness...o this word...so misunderstood.  It is simply defined as acting in accord with divine or moral law : free from guilt or sin.  Who could ever achieve a perfect state of righteousness?  

As we prepare for the spiritual warfare that we endure each and every day, Paul indicates we most put on the "breastplate of righteousness."  But...even looking up the meaning of these two words, I can't figure out how to apply them!

sigh...

I cannot figure out how to put on this piece of armor?!  I'm not a righteous person.  I am not free from sin.  I am not fully obedient to the divine law...not even a little bit.  How am I supposed to put on righteousness so my heart and other vital organs are not exposed?

The only way to avoid walking into battle with my vital organs completely unprotected is by walking with Jesus.  Paul knows about this.  He wrote Romans and other books where he tells us how Jesus is the ONLY ONE Righteous; and how He inputted, or gave us, or placed His righteousness in us.  Therefore, as we belong to Him, we are covered by His righteousness.  The breastplate that guards our hearts is Jesus Himself!

We have to put on Jesus everyday.  We have to fix our eyes on Him and allow His presence to invade us daily.  We need to remember how, for our sake he made him to be sin who knew no sin, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God. 2 Corinthians 5: 21

We must remember every single day that we belong to Him, and that our righteousness comes from our faith in Him, And be found in him, not having a righteousness of my own that comes from the law, but that which comes through faith in Christ, the righteousness from God that depends on faith. Philippians 3: 9

Therefore, every morning, as we get out of bed, we declare that Jesus is Lord, and that He is the One who places His protection on us as He covers us with His Righteousness so we can go and do what we must.

The sight of Dylan, laying on a couch, reading a book is otherworldly to me.  It helps me believe that he will be OK, after all.  If Dylan can make reading into a habit, so can I make it a habit to proclaim that Jesus is Lord, and to believe that I walk fully protected by His Righteousness, deeply into the heat of the battle.

No Belt, No Chance

Stand firm then, with the belt of truth buckled around your waist... Ephesians 6: 14

There was a Jim Carrey movie back in the 90s called Liar Liar.  I'm not recommending it or anything, but there was a moment, when Carrey's character is "explaining" to his 5 year-old son that sometimes, "adults just have to lie."  He was trying to make the kid "understand" that lying was often necessary in order not to hurt people's feelings.  He proceeded to give the child several examples so the boy would see the picture and accept the fact that lying is essential for the good of society.  The little boy didn't buy it.  The damaging experiences he had had in his short life due to his Father's habit of lying were enough to help him understand that lying was not the best course of action.  There was a sense that the young child knew that whereas the truth might sometimes hurt, the pain caused by constant lying chips away at the heart, leaving an open wound that stays open and never truly heals.

Telling the truth is, indeed, often the hard thing to do.  It's no wonder that Ephesians 14 starts by saying "stand firm..." One surely must stand firm when preparing to tell the truth.  I imagine a cowboy in an old western movie...John Wayne style...feet firmly planted...hands on his belt.  The belt...the belt of truth buckled around the waist.  

What does a belt do?  Imagine John Wayne without a belt.  I mean, really?!  Just the thought makes me laugh, right?  The belt fastens everything.  It keeps the whole outfit in place.  No belt, no pants, no weapons, no dignity, ...no "grit,"

 

no chance...

Without the belt of truth securely buckled around our waist we enter the battle ready to lose it.

The truth is what keeps us in it.  The truth sustains us and maintains us on the right path.  The truth gives us freedom:

So Jesus said to the Jews who had believed him, “If you abide in my word, you are truly my disciples, and you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.” John 8: 31-32

No matter what the world and society tell us, lies make us slaves to the father of lies...lying is his native tongue and when we do it, we speak his language, which identifies us as his kin,

You belong to your father, the devil, and you want to carry out your father’s desires. He was a murderer from the beginning, not holding to the truth, for there is no truth in him. When he lies, he speaks his native language, for he is a liar and the father of lies. John 8: 44

Even if it might seem as if we are doing someone a favor by lying...in the long run, that lie that might have seemed as the sensible thing to do, becomes the gangrene that rots the flesh of the very relationship we sought to save...leaving nothing in the end, but hurt, pain and brokenness often too great to be mended or restored.  

Therefore, we must make sure we buckle that belt of truth on every morning to get our outfit together.  We need the grit of truth if we are going to have a chance in the battles we must fight.  In Jesus' Precious Name.  Amen!

The Struggle is Real

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. Ephesians 6: 12

Struggles...wow...that is certainly a concept the entire world has been dealing with during the last 4 months.  I don't have to go into details here. You know what I'm talking about.  You've felt the struggle too.  It seems like the whole world is collapsing...and we are left helplessly broken, to witness it as we crumble with it.  The current situation can very much cloud our days with a sense of hopelessness and negativism that brings us down to a pit of desolation and despair.  

I know...we are supposed to make the best out of what we've got.  We should find the things to be thankful for.  We need to concentrate on the blessings.  I try...but often I fail.

I know that filling my minutes, hours and days with thanksgiving will keep my mind from wandering into its dark corners.  I look out the window and I give thanks for the wonderful, sunny days and blue skies!  I sure do.  I praise God for the magnificent sunsets and glorious mornings.  I am grateful for the air conditioning and for my great patio where I spend most afternoons.  I give thanks a million times to God for keeping me and my loved ones safe, healthy and protected.  I am overflowing with gratitude for the jobs we are still able to do, which are how God provides for our physical needs in a magnificent way.  I am thankful for streaming services and the Internet which keep us entertained as a family.  I am counting my blessings and yes, the discipline is keeping me afloat.  The exercise allows my joy to stick around rather than vanishing in thin air...on most days...

However, there are other days...sigh...

And I wonder why?  

Nothing has changed...why should I feel any different?

Well, I think that's sort of what Paul is talking about in Ephesians 6: 12...our battles are not really our own.  They aren't all against seen enemies either.  We are actually immersed in a spiritual warfare that happens in the realm of the unseen.  It is not a material war in the traditional sense.  It happens in the spiritual world.  However, it impacts the material and the physical realms just the same. It isn't much unlike the stupid virus that is plaguing the world...have you ever thought how much easier it would be if we could actually see it in plain sight??  We would be better able to combat it if we could only see it!  It's the same with the struggle against the spiritual forces of evil:  we can't really see these forces, can we?  But we know they are here, attacking us, ready to implant themselves in our healthy organisms so they can destroy us in one swift blow.

It is very hard to protect ourselves from what we cannot see coming.  

The good news is, we don't have to.  The battle is the Lord's.  We are in it, yes...and there are things we must do, of course.  BUT, He is the Divine Commander.  He is in the Heavenly Realms...we aren't.  That, by itself, tells us how much it is a battle that transcends us.  However, our Heavenly Leader has equipped us with an armor so we can do our part:  to take our stand against the devil's schemes.  

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. Ephesians 6: 13

That is our command.  

Now, let's continue to read the instructions as to what this "armor" is all about.  May the Light of the Holy Spirit guide us into the fitting room and show us what to do.  Amen!