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Alert And Fighting
Brian Mashburn
August 31, 2008
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Alert And Fighting
"Them's fightin' words." Any honest reading of Ephesians 6:10-18 will bring you to the conclusion that Christians live with a wartime mentality. Paul's words are dramatic and striking, vividly explaining the passionate fight required to have a life of wholeness and holiness...the life of Christ.
Thomas a' Kempis imagined Jesus saying it to him in this way...
"My child, you are never secure in this life, and while you live you will always need spiritual armor. You live among enemies and are continually assaulted on the right hand and on the left. Therefore, if you do not use the shield of patience to defend yourself on every side, you will not be long without a wound.
Moreover, if you do not fix your heart on Me with a sincere willingness to suffer all things for Me, you cannot endure the heat of this combat or attain the crown of the saints in heaven. You should, therefore, go courageously through it all, and stand strongly against whatever opposes you.
To the one who overcomes, manna is given, but for the one too lazy to fight, there is only much misery."
Paul agrees, telling Christians to "take your stand against the devil's schemes" explaining the powerful war-gear of Christ.
What is this war-gear? What is potent enough to win in life?
Truth. Do you tell it in every circumstance?
Righteousness. Are you living rightly? Holy?
Peace. Do you have this with God? With yourself? Others?
Faith. Do your actions expect God to show up?
Salvation. Are you free in every way? Whole?
The Holy Spirit. Are you working alone?
There is SO MUCH more to say. But instead of saying it, Paul ends this
section with a profound exhortation to pray. Four times, actually. Pray. Pray. Pray. Pray.
God wants you whole - completely healed and restored in heart. And God wants you holy - living a life set apart from, but totally within, the world. And God wants you alert and fighting for it with Him as a part of your life of wholiness.