Sword of the Spirit
Todd L. Thomas
In his letter to the church at Ephesus, the apostle Paul
speaks of the heritage of the children of God, that we who
put our hope in Christ "have been destined and appointed
to live for the praise of His glory!"
(Ephesians 1:12)
The apostle also reminds the early believers that through
their salvation and faith in the Lord, they have been stamped
with the seal of the "long-promised Holy Spirit".
(Ephesians 1:13)
This same promise belongs to believers today. The
Holy Spirit is the guarantee of our inheritance and the
reward of unshakable faith in the Lord Jesus Christ.
Ancient Ephesus was a center of pagan worship rituals,
primarily the worship of Diana, the goddess of fertility,
whose temple was built there. She is said to have been
the most worshiped deity in Asia at the time.
Paul clearly warned his listeners, "Take no part in and
have no fellowship with the fruitless deeds and enterprises
of darkness, but instead, let your lives be so in contrast as to
expose and reprove and convict them."
(Ephesians 5:11)
Again, this advice should be heeded by believers today. As the
early church at Ephesus lived within one of the epicenters of ritualistic
pagan debauchery in the ancient world, so America today has bowed her knee
to a rapid increase of widespread and appalling wickedness across our land.
Our eyes and ears are regularly assaulted on a daily basis
with both profane words and images of filth and foolishness,
not only on television and the Internet, but screaming from the covers
of once respectable magazines displayed at the checkout counters
of supermarkets and other consumer venues nationwide.
Respect for the law and authority figures has waned significantly,
while lawlessness is on the increase.
Common sense seems to no longer exist. Pride, vanity, and haughtiness
are the rulers of the day, along with a very dangerous air of technology-
obsessed distraction. The once established barriers between right and wrong
have become so obscured in our society that even the so-called experts
of human behavior are shaking their perplexed heads. They too, have no answers,
unlike the prophet Isaiah, who, speaking to the people of his time,
declared: "Woe to those who call evil good, and good evil,
who put darkness for light and light for darkness, who
put bitter for sweet, and sweet for bitter!
Woe to those who are wise in their own eyes, and
prudent and shrewd in their own sight!"
(Isaiah 5:20-21)
Many Christians, myself included, were tiffed when former
President Obama declared, "America is no longer a Christian nation."
Perhaps the real reason why his statement bothered us so much is
because deep down we realized he was speaking the truth.
While America was founded by people who believed in and held
deep reverence for the Word of God, our nation has fallen away from
the very laws and precepts which have defined us as "One nation under God".
What we have become is sorely reflected, again, by the words of Isaiah:
"Therefore, as the tongue of fire devours the stubble, and as
the dry grass sinks down in the flame, so their root shall be like
rottenness and their blossom shall go up like fine dust-because
they have rejected and cast away the law and the teaching of the
Lord of hosts and have not believed but have treated scornfully
and have despised the word of the Holy One of Israel."
(Isaiah 5:24)
Despite what we are witnessing my fellow brothers and sisters in Christ,
it is important that we remember to walk by faith in our daily lives, but,
more importantly, to keep our focus on Him and how much He loves us.
more importantly, to keep our focus on Him and how much He loves us.
As Paul reminds us, "Therefore, whether we are at home, on earth
away from Him, or away from home and with Him, we are constantly
ambitious and strive earnestly to be pleasing to Him."
II Corinthians 5:9
APOSTLE PAUL'S GUIDE FOR DAILY LIVING
EPHESIANS CHAPTER 6:10-18
1. Be strong in the Lord! He has empowered you, the believer,
through your union with Him; draw your strength from Him,
that strength which His boundless might will provide for you.
2. Put on the full armor of God, the armor of a heavy-armed
warrior of the faith which God will supply you with, that you may
be able to successfully stand your ground against all the
schemes and strategies and deceit of Satan.
3. We are not wrestling in our daily lives only with flesh
and blood opponents and situations, but we are in a supernatural
battle against the unseen powers of wickedness in the heavenly sphere.
4. Therefore, it is vitally important for believers to put on God's complete
armor, that you may be able to resist temptation and stand firm on
the evil day of danger, and, having done all that the crisis demands,
remain standing- firmly rooted in the promises and truth
found within the Word of God.
5. My fellow brothers and sisters in Christ, keep tight and
secured the belt of God's truth around your middle, and keep
your integrity as a breastplate, along with good character and decency,
which comes through being in right standing with God.
6. Prepare your feet in preparation for battle, so that
you can face the enemy with firm-footed stability, with prompt and
ready response produced by the good news of the Gospel of peace.
7. Lift above all the covering shield of saving faith, to deflect
the flaming missiles of deception launched by the evil one.
8. Put on the helmet of salvation in Christ and take up the sword
that the Spirit wields, which is the convincing and subsequently
convicting Word which God speaks.
9. Pray often, and at all times in the Spirit, on every occasion,
throughout all the seasons of your life.
10. Keep alert. Watch with strong purpose and cultivate
perseverance, providing intercession on behalf of all of
God's consecrated people. Especially remember our brothers
and sisters in areas of the world who have been killed and those who
are being terribly persecuted for their faith in the Lord Jesus Christ.
11. Pray for those who are walking in spiritual darkness in America,
that they will come to know the love and mercy and forgiveness
found only in and through our Lord Jesus Christ.
12. Pray for our president, members of his administration, for the
members of Congress and the Senate, and the Supreme Court, and all
the institutions of national, regional, and local government and
others in places of authority, especially for those in law enforcement.
May God bless them and have mercy on them.
May they seek His wisdom and guidance daily in making
decisions in their lives and for the nation.
And may God bless and have mercy on America.
May grace, God's undeserved favor, be will all who love
our Lord Jesus Christ with undying and incorruptible love.
Amen and Amen.
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