My favorite movie of all time is Monty Python and the Holy Grail. If you have not seen this movie, stop reading this, go rent the movie, and watch it. Then, come back here when you are done watching.
Welcome back. Great movie wasn't it? Lots of funny moments and lines. I was right, wasn't I? It's a true cinematic treasure.
I enjoy many scenes from the movie, and can probably recite several scenes if prompted. The one I want to talk about today relates to the Holy Hand Grenade of Antioch. It's the scene with the killer rabbit. The priest reads a passage from the book of Armaments. You know the book? Just between 2 Opinions and the book of Hesitations?
In all seriousness, there is a battle out there that we have been called to. We are told who the battle is with and how we will stand against them. The details are spelled out in Ephesians 6: 10-20 (feel free to read it). Verse 12 tells us our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the powers of this dark world and spiritual forces of evil. This is pretty heady stuff because we are used to dealing with the things we see and hear (flesh & blood). Here we are told that there are forces arrayed against us working in the background amongst the shadows.
For such a daunting task, how will we be able to prevail?
Luckily for us, God gives us the means necessary to handle this situation. The terminology Paul uses here solidifies his claim that this is an actual battle. Paul describes many pieces of the armor here. The belt of truth, the breastplate of righteousness, feet fitted with readiness that comes from the gospel of peace, and the shield of faith. He adds later the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, the word of God.
I love this terminology because it gives me the sense that we are moving forward and not staying in a defensive position. All these pieces of armor do not signal a run and retreat sort of mentality. Many times, Christians believe we need to be passive. This is good at times, but not entirely what we are called to do. He describes the word of God as a sword, which is not a defensive weapon. We speak the Word for it is true and speak against the forces of the enemy. We are armed with the shield of faith which protects us from the attacks of the enemy. This is an analogy, but it describes how we are to use these things given to us.
We don't face this enemy alone. God gives us all these things that are needed. He is our protection, our strength, and our salvation. We cannot win this battle by our own hand. We don't create these weapons we are using at all. If we do not have faith in God, the enemy with all his lies and deceits can easily get us to turn away. This isn't to mean we won't struggle or that we won't have our moments lacking faith. But, the enemy has a harder time dislodging us if our eyes and faith are on God. Try as he might, the enemy will not defeat God - but he keeps trying.
The armor of God is reassurance to all of us and a reminder. We are reminded that there is spiritual warfare and its very active. Paul exhorts us that our true enemy is not flesh and blood. We need to remember that. It's very easy to look at the people around us (esp. those who are different) as our enemies. We waste our time fighting battles that are distracting and wasteful against our non-enemies. Rather than loving people around us and speaking truth and letting God do His work, we spend the time separating ourselves or thinking ill of the people here. The influence and warfare from the spiritual realm is where the war is. The sin, not the sinner is an enemy. Our job is to fight that. God desires that the sinners (we are sinners too) repent and turn back to Him. That isn't accomplished if we are bloodying and bruising those around us.
Luckily, as I have said God provides the resources. We just need to be armed in God's armor, and not ours. Let God lead the charge and follow Him into the battles that lay ahead.
Welcome back. Great movie wasn't it? Lots of funny moments and lines. I was right, wasn't I? It's a true cinematic treasure.
I enjoy many scenes from the movie, and can probably recite several scenes if prompted. The one I want to talk about today relates to the Holy Hand Grenade of Antioch. It's the scene with the killer rabbit. The priest reads a passage from the book of Armaments. You know the book? Just between 2 Opinions and the book of Hesitations?
In all seriousness, there is a battle out there that we have been called to. We are told who the battle is with and how we will stand against them. The details are spelled out in Ephesians 6: 10-20 (feel free to read it). Verse 12 tells us our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the powers of this dark world and spiritual forces of evil. This is pretty heady stuff because we are used to dealing with the things we see and hear (flesh & blood). Here we are told that there are forces arrayed against us working in the background amongst the shadows.
For such a daunting task, how will we be able to prevail?
Luckily for us, God gives us the means necessary to handle this situation. The terminology Paul uses here solidifies his claim that this is an actual battle. Paul describes many pieces of the armor here. The belt of truth, the breastplate of righteousness, feet fitted with readiness that comes from the gospel of peace, and the shield of faith. He adds later the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, the word of God.
I love this terminology because it gives me the sense that we are moving forward and not staying in a defensive position. All these pieces of armor do not signal a run and retreat sort of mentality. Many times, Christians believe we need to be passive. This is good at times, but not entirely what we are called to do. He describes the word of God as a sword, which is not a defensive weapon. We speak the Word for it is true and speak against the forces of the enemy. We are armed with the shield of faith which protects us from the attacks of the enemy. This is an analogy, but it describes how we are to use these things given to us.
We don't face this enemy alone. God gives us all these things that are needed. He is our protection, our strength, and our salvation. We cannot win this battle by our own hand. We don't create these weapons we are using at all. If we do not have faith in God, the enemy with all his lies and deceits can easily get us to turn away. This isn't to mean we won't struggle or that we won't have our moments lacking faith. But, the enemy has a harder time dislodging us if our eyes and faith are on God. Try as he might, the enemy will not defeat God - but he keeps trying.
The armor of God is reassurance to all of us and a reminder. We are reminded that there is spiritual warfare and its very active. Paul exhorts us that our true enemy is not flesh and blood. We need to remember that. It's very easy to look at the people around us (esp. those who are different) as our enemies. We waste our time fighting battles that are distracting and wasteful against our non-enemies. Rather than loving people around us and speaking truth and letting God do His work, we spend the time separating ourselves or thinking ill of the people here. The influence and warfare from the spiritual realm is where the war is. The sin, not the sinner is an enemy. Our job is to fight that. God desires that the sinners (we are sinners too) repent and turn back to Him. That isn't accomplished if we are bloodying and bruising those around us.
Luckily, as I have said God provides the resources. We just need to be armed in God's armor, and not ours. Let God lead the charge and follow Him into the battles that lay ahead.
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