Onward and Upward fellow Soldiers

Grace and peace to you as we head off to war,

 

You do know we're at War? Right? Every day our old nature rears it's ugly head like a Zombie that just won't die. Our flesh constantly assaults our minds seeking to cause us to stray from our heaven bound path. Even the Devil gets in on the action, prowling about like a hungry Lion looking for someone to devour. However, I want you to know that on this team you never have to play solo. You are not alone in this deadly battle, dear friends, but it's still your duty to fight. Fight like a justified sinner ought to. Fight the temptation to doubt God at His word. Fight for the joy of your faith and for the fate of all the souls around you who depend on your care. May the grace of God help keep the supply lines open between you on the front lines and the power of Christ in His Word.

 

"Finally, be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power. Put on the full armor of God so that you can take your stand against the devil’s schemes. 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. 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. Stand firm then, with the belt of truth buckled around your waist, with the breastplate of righteousness in place, and with your feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace. In addition to all this, take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one." Eph. 5:10-16 

 

I'd like to point out by example how we "take up the shield of faith" and make use of it for our protection. You remember the story in Mathew 4 where Jesus is lead out into the wilderness to be tempted by Satan? Each time Satan tempted Jesus, it was a temptation to doubt what God said was true. I think this is clear because each time Jesus blocked him with a clear affirmation of faith in the Word of God by saying "It is written". In other words, "Satan you are lying because what you said goes against what the clear Word of God says in the Scriptures." This is encouraging, because it means we can enjoy greater victory in our lives over the sin of doubting God's Word.  It's only a matter of our knowledge of and our trust in it. By the grace of God we can strengthen our own shields by treasuring the Word of God more than we currently do. Is the time you spend dwelling on and meditating on the Word of God growing? Are you praying for God to make you desperate and hungry for His Word? There is always room to make it more valuable and more treasured, always. The only way that God has designed us to fight doubt, despair, anxiety, fear and all the other temptations is through faith in His true Word. You see, the root of all sin is disbelief in the true Word of  God. Therefore the axe that slays the root of sin will always be a faith and trust in the Author of truth and His everlasting Word. By the grace of God may we all grow in our love for and use of the shield of faith.

 

For the Joy of Your Faith,

Teagan