Tag: spiritual warfare

On The Winning Side

Posted on by pastorunity

God has your six.

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Shaking, almost uncontrollably, I lunged toward a small rope ladder on the side of a Japanese container vessel in the Bearing Sea. It was dark, and the freezing rain stung my face as I made my way up about 20 feet to the deck of a vessel the Coast Guard deemed suspicious enough to investigate. I was part of a six-man boarding team whose mission was to clear the ship of illegal drugs or contraband. As the group’s newest member, I was positioned in the second row, armed only with a can of military-grade mace. That first turn we took, I was overwhelmed by the foreign whispers resonating through the darkened hall to the point my shaking must have been noticed by one of the two sailors behind me. Leaning up to my left ear, my shipmate simply said, “McCracken, we got your six; “six” referring to the number on a clock in relation to the 12; in other words, he was saying my back was covered.

Many times, in my fourteen years of military training, in both the Army and Coast Guard, this concept had been reinforced; soldiers and sailors protect each other’s six. Even our military’s modern armor reflects this as the Kevlar bulletproof inserts and shielding are to be worn on the front, never the back. This is not unique, the Roman military in the Apostle Paul’s day maintained the same practice. When Paul wrote to the church in Ephesus, he likened the spiritual resources available to the Christian soldier to the military’s practical ones. The Apostle Paul said to “take up the whole armor of God” so that Christians could stand victorious on the battlefield of the faith. The word “whole” speaks to the completeness of the armor God issues to each Christian in His army; in other words, nothing is lacking; God supplies all that is needed to achieve victory. But, if we look closely at each component of our “God issued armor,” there appears to be a point of vulnerability.

In the book of Ephesians, Paul identifies six distinct pieces of armor the Christian must don when engaging in spiritual warfare; the belt of truth, breastplate of righteousness, shoes of peace, the shield of faith, helmet of salvation, and the sword of the spirit. Every part of the body is covered, or are they? Notice that each piece of armor is designed to protect the wearer from the top, bottom, front, and sides; the breast, head, feet, and shield, yet God’s supply locker has nothing to cover the back! Remember that young and scared sailor on the Japanese ship, concerned about what he couldn’t see or defend lurking behind him? It was that quiet and reassuring voice that whispered, “We got your six,” that instilled a sense of peace and calm.

There are a few reasons God does not provide for our back:

1. Retreat is never an option for the Christian. There should never be a time when a Christian soldier should turn their back on the enemy and run for fear. God has defeated that miserable snake and given every believer the power to storm the gates of Hell (Mt. 16:17-19).

2. As Christians soldiers, we should all be protecting each other’s six. There’s no place for disunity among the ranks of God’s army, hence no need to fear an unprotected back when surrounded by Christian comrades (John 15:13).

3. Our Commander is always with us. As we march into spiritual war, I can almost hear the Commander-our Heavenly Father-whispering through the ranks of those overwhelmed, anxious, and scared, “I got your six.” No matter who might conspire against us, abandon their post beside us or hurl weapons at us, God will always protect us (Isa. 54:17).

The battlefield of our faith has never been so active as it is in our current culture. And, more and more Christian soldiers have walked away from the battle, hung up their armor, and given up the fight; many viewing victory as a hopeless and hurtful cause.

There is one nugget in Paul’s address to the Christian soldiers that perhaps can encourage you. Before Paul tells each believer to put on the armor of God, he first says to “Stand.” In Paul’s day, that was a wrestling term, and the only wrestler that could stand was the victor after the match. By Paul telling us to stand before we put on our armor for battle, he reminds us that Jesus has already obtained victory through the cross. The war is not ours, but His, and He has already fought and won; we are now just marching home carrying the banner of our victory and fending off any disgruntled enemies along the way!

Scripture: “Therefore take up the whole armor of God, that you may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand firm. Stand therefore, having fastened on the belt of truth, and having put on the breastplate of righteousness, and, as shoes for your feet, having put on the readiness given by the gospel of peace. In all circumstances take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming darts of the evil one; and take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God, praying at all times in the Spirit, with all prayer and supplication. To that end, keep alert with all perseverance, making supplication for all the saints” -Ephesians 6:13-18, ESV

Question: Have you gotten so discouraged, fighting for your faith, that you have given up? Have you surrendered to this world? Resigned just to hide out and wait until your Commander calls you home?

Prayer: Father, thank you for reminding me of your power inside of me. At times I feel so lonely as if I am the only one on the battlefield. May I have the faith to believe that you are enough, even if everyone else does abandon me, your power and presence are more than sufficient. Please give me the strength to continue and the power to overcome. May I be so confident in you that I march boldly through this world as a victorious child of the King. Thank you for overcoming the world, sin, and Satan, and thank you for the reminder that I am on the winning side. May I be faithful in your fight today. In the name of Jesus Christ, I pray. Amen.

David and Goliath; A story that didn’t have to be?

Posted on by pastorunity

Fear of man always diverts the godly to paths of dishonor.

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The stage was set for one of the greatest battles of all time. On one hill, the Army of God, and on the other, the Philistines gathered, both surveying a great valley dividing the two. The Philistines sent out their champion, Goliath, to challenge Israel’s greatest soldier. Every morning for forty days, Goliath would leave his camp, stand in the valley facing the Army of God, and shout, “This day I defy the ranks of Israel! Give me a man and let us fight each other”, with only silence birthed from shame as the response. While the Philistines stood firm, as if the victory was already theirs, the Army of God, led by the spiritually embattled King Saul, remained frozen on the opposing hill “dismayed and terrified” (I Sam. 17:11, ESV).  

Four miles away, a young David had been called in from his shepherding duties, by his father, to pack and deliver food for his three older brothers who were serving in King Saul’s army.  Upon arriving at the Israelite camp, David overheard Goliath’s daily challenge. Filled with confusion and anger, David said to his brothers, and all in earshot, “What shall be done for the man who kills this Philistine and takes away the reproach from Israel? For who is this uncircumcised Philistine, that he should defy the armies of the living God?”

I am sure you know the rest of this story, but let’s rewind a bit because I don’t believe this was a battle that ever should have happened. Every single commentary, Bible lesson, and sermon I have ever read, studied, or heard, overlooks verses one and two of this account and immediately rushes to the David and Goliath encounter. What if God has another nugget to be mined revealing a more powerful treasure?

According to I Sam. 17:1-2, “Now the Philistines gathered their armies for battle. And they were gathered at Socoh, which belongs to Judah, and encamped between Socoh and Azekah, in Ephes-dammim. And Saul and the men of Israel were gathered, and encamped in the Valley of Elah, and drew up in line of battle against the Philistines.” King Saul had been abandoned by the prophet Samuel for his rebellion against the will of God. Probably hearing this news, the Philistines-one of the oldest enemies of the Nation of God-decided to take advantage of this weakness by launching an attack. Yet Saul seemed to regroup, and with courage marched to meet the Philistine army and “drew up in line of battle,” ready and willing for war.

Picture if you will a Civil War depiction of the battlefield; both armies facing off, ready for the trumpet to blow, calling soldiers to arms as they charged to meet their opponent. A much different picture than what we see by the time we get to verse 11, where King Saul and his entire army were marked with fear, cowering in the shadows with no hope. What happened? One large man with a loud voice of opposition. That’s it. One person struck so much fear into the hearts of God’s people; they even chose to follow his commands and change their direction. Just when King Saul was about to give the order to “charge,” Goliath shouts, “Why have you come out to draw up for battle? Am I not a Philistine, and are you not servants of Saul? Choose a man for yourselves, and let him come down to me. If he is able to fight with me and kill me, then we will be your servants. But if I prevail against him and kill him, then you shall be our servants and serve us.” Why didn’t King Saul shout “charge” anyway? Why did he listen to this smelly, large, blasphemous giant, instead of saying, “Who do you think you are?! Step aside or be trampled upon, God is on our side, and He never loses a battle!” I believe if King Saul and his army had the same attitude as young David, the Army of God might never have even known the name Goliath; as the moment he stepped out of the Philistine ranks, an arrow would have dropped him followed by the feet of a thousand soldiers stomping his flesh to the ground. 

We must not be quick to judge, though; we also struggle with the same temptation that faced King Saul, having a fear of man over trust in God. And, frequently, it is usually only one loud voice of opposition that strikes fear into our hearts, ultimately crippling and rendering us useless in the Army of God. It happened with Elijah when Jezebel sent a letter. It happened when a few families filed a lawsuit to stop prayer in public schools in 1962. Or a year later, in 1963, when one parent complained about the Bible being read in the classroom. How many times in our history have the voices of a few struck fear into hearts that conformed to their commands?

I wonder what would have happened on the battlefield that day if Saul would have trusted in God more than he feared a man. I indeed wonder where we would be as a country today if more of us would have trusted God over our fear of man. Would we still be enjoying the Bible-based curriculum in our schools? Would our children still stand and say the pledge of allegiance followed by morning prayer in our classrooms? Perhaps we are struggling as a nation because we remain on a hill defeated in fear instead of in the valley fighting in the name of God. 

Scripture: “The fear of man lays a snare, but whoever trusts in the Lord is safe” -Proverbs 29:25, ESV, “The LORD is on my side; I will not fear. What can man do to me?” -Psalm 118:6, ESV

Question: Have you allowed fear of man to dictate your actions or justify your inactions? 

Prayer: Father, please open my eyes to your power. There are so many in our current culture that opposes you, your Word, and your people. They are attacking our beliefs, disputing the truth, and persecuting your children. Please give me the strength to stand firm in my faith, no matter how loud the opposition is or how strong they may be. May I rise every morning ready to put on the armor of righteousness and prepare for a battle that you have already won. Father, I want to be a faithful soldier that never cowers or retreats, but one that trusts your promises, relies on your power, and remains in your presence. In the name of Jesus Christ, I pray. Amen.