Though a warrior is often asked to perform an assignment or fight in a place that takes him out of sight of his commander, they remain in contact. Contact provides direction, support, supplies, and perhaps even the ability to return from the field. But if contact is lost because the all the commanders are dead, then any war is all for naught.
The Captain of our salvation is very much alive, more than able to sustain us as we remain in contact with Him.
Jesus said to [Mary], "Do not cling to Me, for I have not yet ascended to My Father; but go to My brethren and say to them, 'I am ascending to My Father and your Father, and to My God and your God.' "
~ John 20:17 (NKJV)
It is possible that Jesus' disciples rejoiced in a risen Lord with a newfound view of Him as invincible King, Who would remain to establish His kingdom with power. While Jesus allowed them to touch Him and thereby believe His bodily resurrection (Matthew 28:9, John 20:27), He bid them not cling to Him, for He would soon depart again.
He nonetheless remains very much in contact with us, even as He institutes a new kingdom with power, establishing His spiritual rule in the hearts of men and women. Jesus has secured the penultimate victory over the penalty of sin, and we now jointly fight spiritual battles over the power of sin, until the final victory defeats all presence of sin—and death itself:
And if Christ is not risen, your faith is futile; you are still in your sins! … If in this life only we have hope in Christ, we are of all men the most pitiable. But now Christ is risen from the dead … He must reign till He has put all enemies under His feet. The last enemy that will be destroyed is death.
~ from 1 Corinthians 15:17-26
Paul concludes his depiction of our spiritual armor with the admonishment to be "praying always … being watchful to this end with all perseverance" (Ephesians 6:18). He knows flesh and blood cannot win spiritual battles such as the combat with temper / lust / pride, or the war against fear, or the struggle when evil words pierce, or the conquering of outrageous offenses with forgiveness.
But if we are willing to fight, these opportunities to advance our Lord's spiritual kingdom can be won with spiritual perseverance—and all else available through constant communication with the Living God in prayer.
As Your kingdom is established in Heaven, Your kingdom come, Lord, through us, by Your power. Maranatha! Come, Lord Jesus, reign in us!
Comments are welcome (including respectful disagreement) and will receive a reply.
You may also contact author via Twitter – @anne4JC
or e-mail – buildingHisbody [plus] @gmail.com
Copyright 2012, Anne Lang Bundy, all rights reserved.
Sunday, April 8, 2012
Saturday, April 7, 2012
Spiritual Armor: The Word
My friend's testimony goes something like this.
He visited church as a child with a friend. The Sunday School teacher told them that when the devil tempted Jesus, Jesus defeated him with The Word, so when the devil comes after us, we can also defeat him with the power of The Word. My friend ran home and excitedly reported this discovery to his mother, who asked what word should be used. My friend said, with some disappointment, that he didn't know, because the teacher never did say which word it is that defeats the devil.
But one of the soldiers pierced His side with a spear, and immediately blood and water came out. And he who has seen has testified … so that you may believe. For these things were done that the Scripture should be fulfilled …
~ John 19:34-36 (NKJV)
Which Scripture is fulfilled by Jesus' birth and ministry, death and resurrection?
The entirety of it.
Which Word defeats the devil?
The entirety of it.
"The reason some of us are not healthy spiritually is because we don't use the Bible as the Word of God, but only as a textbook."
~ Oswald Chambers
I defy any person to read through the Bible in a year and not discover new power in the process, no matter how many times it is done. Scripture is not static, but dynamic. Though recorded with ink and paper, or on hard drives, or in human memory, the Word of God is "living and powerful" (NKJV), "quick and powerful" (KJV), "alive and active" (NIV), because the Word of God is personified in the Son of God (John 1:1,14).
We have opportunity to know The Word and build our lives on Him (Wednesday's post). If we will train daily with The Word, applying it in to everyday situations, we will be ready to wield The Word as the sword of the Spirit in the hour of attack.
All other pieces of armor are defensive. A sword may be either defensive or offensive, useful to not only repel an attack, but also to strike at the heart of the enemy.
But if we take up the sword and are not well practiced with its use, it is a weapon which may turned back upon us.
"To speak of 'mere words' is much like speaking of 'mere dynamite.' "
~ C.J. Ducasse
Lord, You are beautiful and glorious, as our Father, as Jesus the Savior and Living Word, as the Spirit of Truth. Please draw us to know You, and to practice applying Your Word daily, so we are well trained in its use against the enemy.
Comments are welcome (including respectful disagreement) and will receive a reply.
You may also contact author via Twitter – @anne4JC
or e-mail – buildingHisbody [plus] @gmail.com
Copyright 2012, Anne Lang Bundy, all rights reserved.
He visited church as a child with a friend. The Sunday School teacher told them that when the devil tempted Jesus, Jesus defeated him with The Word, so when the devil comes after us, we can also defeat him with the power of The Word. My friend ran home and excitedly reported this discovery to his mother, who asked what word should be used. My friend said, with some disappointment, that he didn't know, because the teacher never did say which word it is that defeats the devil.
But one of the soldiers pierced His side with a spear, and immediately blood and water came out. And he who has seen has testified … so that you may believe. For these things were done that the Scripture should be fulfilled …
~ John 19:34-36 (NKJV)
Which Scripture is fulfilled by Jesus' birth and ministry, death and resurrection?
The entirety of it.
Which Word defeats the devil?
The entirety of it.
"The reason some of us are not healthy spiritually is because we don't use the Bible as the Word of God, but only as a textbook."
~ Oswald Chambers
I defy any person to read through the Bible in a year and not discover new power in the process, no matter how many times it is done. Scripture is not static, but dynamic. Though recorded with ink and paper, or on hard drives, or in human memory, the Word of God is "living and powerful" (NKJV), "quick and powerful" (KJV), "alive and active" (NIV), because the Word of God is personified in the Son of God (John 1:1,14).
We have opportunity to know The Word and build our lives on Him (Wednesday's post). If we will train daily with The Word, applying it in to everyday situations, we will be ready to wield The Word as the sword of the Spirit in the hour of attack.
All other pieces of armor are defensive. A sword may be either defensive or offensive, useful to not only repel an attack, but also to strike at the heart of the enemy.
But if we take up the sword and are not well practiced with its use, it is a weapon which may turned back upon us.
"To speak of 'mere words' is much like speaking of 'mere dynamite.' "
~ C.J. Ducasse
Lord, You are beautiful and glorious, as our Father, as Jesus the Savior and Living Word, as the Spirit of Truth. Please draw us to know You, and to practice applying Your Word daily, so we are well trained in its use against the enemy.
Comments are welcome (including respectful disagreement) and will receive a reply.
You may also contact author via Twitter – @anne4JC
or e-mail – buildingHisbody [plus] @gmail.com
Copyright 2012, Anne Lang Bundy, all rights reserved.
Friday, April 6, 2012
Spiritual Armor: Ownership
If Jesus died for our salvation, how do we obtain that salvation?
I respectfully part company with those who say salvation is a simple matter of "accepting" Jesus as Savior. I believe salvation is a gift of God to those who 1) believe from the heart that Jesus is Living God, raised from the dead, and 2) truthfully testify that Jesus is LORD (Romans 10:9-10).
Salvation, I would argue, is a matter of ownership. Jesus died on the cross not that we might merely be delivered from Hell and thereby live as freed men, but that we might be delivered from the stain of sin and live in fellowship with God as His adopted sons and daughters, fellow heirs in the kingdom of Jesus, because we make Him our Lord.
Now there stood by the cross of Jesus His mother … When Jesus therefore saw His mother, and the disciple whom He loved standing by, He said to His mother, "Woman, behold your son!" Then He said to the disciple, "Behold your mother!" And from that hour that disciple took her to his own home.
~ John 19:25-27 (NKJV)
The beloved disciple needed no further directions from his Lord. John did not simply set Mary up in an apartment and periodically check in on her, but took her into "his own home" as his own mother. He served from the heart, as a true disciple, doing His Lord's will to the fullest.
"Not everyone who says to Me, 'Lord, Lord,' shall enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father in heaven. Many will say to Me in that day, 'Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in Your name, cast out demons in Your name, and done many wonders in Your name?' And then I will declare to them, 'I never knew you; depart from Me, you who practice lawlessness!' "
~ Matthew 7:21-23 (NKJV)
Paul calls the fifth component of spiritual armor "the helmet of salvation." As a helmet, salvation declares that we are property of the Lord God Almighty. Our minds are protected from fatal attack when we wear obedience to our Lord as our covering. In submission to the King's authority, we are ambassadors of it—with access to all power of Heaven and Earth.
All this is available to us when the enemy attacks.
All this is ours because our beloved Lord died as a ransom to make us His Own.
Thank You, precious Savior, our Lord and our God, our King and our Friend.
Comments are welcome (including respectful disagreement) and will receive a reply.
You may also contact author via Twitter – @anne4JC
or e-mail – buildingHisbody [plus] @gmail.com
Copyright 2012, Anne Lang Bundy, all rights reserved.
I respectfully part company with those who say salvation is a simple matter of "accepting" Jesus as Savior. I believe salvation is a gift of God to those who 1) believe from the heart that Jesus is Living God, raised from the dead, and 2) truthfully testify that Jesus is LORD (Romans 10:9-10).
Salvation, I would argue, is a matter of ownership. Jesus died on the cross not that we might merely be delivered from Hell and thereby live as freed men, but that we might be delivered from the stain of sin and live in fellowship with God as His adopted sons and daughters, fellow heirs in the kingdom of Jesus, because we make Him our Lord.
Now there stood by the cross of Jesus His mother … When Jesus therefore saw His mother, and the disciple whom He loved standing by, He said to His mother, "Woman, behold your son!" Then He said to the disciple, "Behold your mother!" And from that hour that disciple took her to his own home.
~ John 19:25-27 (NKJV)
The beloved disciple needed no further directions from his Lord. John did not simply set Mary up in an apartment and periodically check in on her, but took her into "his own home" as his own mother. He served from the heart, as a true disciple, doing His Lord's will to the fullest.
"Not everyone who says to Me, 'Lord, Lord,' shall enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father in heaven. Many will say to Me in that day, 'Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in Your name, cast out demons in Your name, and done many wonders in Your name?' And then I will declare to them, 'I never knew you; depart from Me, you who practice lawlessness!' "
~ Matthew 7:21-23 (NKJV)
Paul calls the fifth component of spiritual armor "the helmet of salvation." As a helmet, salvation declares that we are property of the Lord God Almighty. Our minds are protected from fatal attack when we wear obedience to our Lord as our covering. In submission to the King's authority, we are ambassadors of it—with access to all power of Heaven and Earth.
All this is available to us when the enemy attacks.
All this is ours because our beloved Lord died as a ransom to make us His Own.
Thank You, precious Savior, our Lord and our God, our King and our Friend.
Comments are welcome (including respectful disagreement) and will receive a reply.
You may also contact author via Twitter – @anne4JC
or e-mail – buildingHisbody [plus] @gmail.com
Copyright 2012, Anne Lang Bundy, all rights reserved.
Thursday, April 5, 2012
Spiritual Armor: Faith
When things go south, how much latitude does God get before the human heart forgets to sing, "Lord, You are good and Your favor / mercy / love endures forever"?
So then Pilate took Jesus and scourged Him. And the soldiers twisted a crown of thorns and put it on His head, and they put on Him a purple robe. Then they said, "Hail, King of the Jews!" And they struck Him with their hands.
~ John 19:1-3 (NKJV)
If we attach God's goodness to human ease and comfort, then this world gives satan—"accuser"—ample opportunity to cast doubt upon either God's love and wisdom, or His ability to work good from all things.
And He, bearing His cross, went out to ... where they crucified Him, and two others with Him, one on either side, and Jesus in the center.
~ John 19:17-18 (NKJV)
Jesus, the perfect God-Man, was further perfected by His suffering. By cooperating with His Father's faultless plan, Jesus could only increase in favor as "Beloved Son." Yet the devil would have God's adopted sons and daughters believe that difficulty and suffering testify to loss of favor with the Father.
The primary spiritual weapon used against us is lies. The ability to whole-heartedly engage in spiritual warfare is contingent upon faith that one battles in cooperation with the God who achieves victories exceeding their cost.
"Faith is the bird that feels the light and sings to greet the dawn while it is still dark."
~ James S. Hewett
Comments are welcome (including respectful disagreement) and will receive a reply.
You may also contact author via Twitter – @anne4JC
or e-mail – buildingHisbody [plus] @gmail.com
Copyright 2012, Anne Lang Bundy, all rights reserved.
So then Pilate took Jesus and scourged Him. And the soldiers twisted a crown of thorns and put it on His head, and they put on Him a purple robe. Then they said, "Hail, King of the Jews!" And they struck Him with their hands.
~ John 19:1-3 (NKJV)
If we attach God's goodness to human ease and comfort, then this world gives satan—"accuser"—ample opportunity to cast doubt upon either God's love and wisdom, or His ability to work good from all things.
And He, bearing His cross, went out to ... where they crucified Him, and two others with Him, one on either side, and Jesus in the center.
~ John 19:17-18 (NKJV)
Jesus, the perfect God-Man, was further perfected by His suffering. By cooperating with His Father's faultless plan, Jesus could only increase in favor as "Beloved Son." Yet the devil would have God's adopted sons and daughters believe that difficulty and suffering testify to loss of favor with the Father.
The primary spiritual weapon used against us is lies. The ability to whole-heartedly engage in spiritual warfare is contingent upon faith that one battles in cooperation with the God who achieves victories exceeding their cost.
"Faith is the bird that feels the light and sings to greet the dawn while it is still dark."
~ James S. Hewett
Comments are welcome (including respectful disagreement) and will receive a reply.
You may also contact author via Twitter – @anne4JC
or e-mail – buildingHisbody [plus] @gmail.com
Copyright 2012, Anne Lang Bundy, all rights reserved.
Wednesday, April 4, 2012
Spiritual Armor: Gospel of Peace
As any soldier knows, proper footwear is vital to traction, stamina, and strength for fighting. In spiritual warfare, the Gospel of Peace is the source of our solid standing.
Jesus answered, "You say rightly that I am a king. For this cause I was born, and for this cause I have come into the world, that I should bear witness to the truth. Everyone who is of the truth hears My voice." Pilate said to Him, "What is truth?"
~ John 18:37-38 (NKJV)
How do we discern the truth? Satan is known to masquerade as an angel of light (2 Corinthians 11:14) and to distort truth for his own purposes (Matthew 4:5-6). We must not only be able to distinguish between the voice of our King and the voice of the enemy, but also be able to recognize whether truth is rightly applied or misappropriated.
Such knowledge begins with familiarity. There is a time to wield God's Word as a sword (the post planned for Thursday). Until then, we build a firm standing on the Gospel as the foundation for our lives.
"Therefore whoever hears these sayings of Mine, and does them, I will liken him to a wise man who built his house on the rock: and the rain descended, the floods came, and the winds blew and beat on that house; and it did not fall, for it was founded on the rock."
~ Matthew 7:24-25 (NKJV)
A spiritual attack may storm in on various battlegrounds. Vicious words may rain down upon us, troubles may flood us, the ways of the world may blow against us, anti-Christian contempt may beat upon us. When we have adequately prepared, we are ready to withstand the storm in peace.
"To be prepared for war is one of the most effectual means of preserving peace."
~ George Washington
Comments are welcome (including respectful disagreement) and will receive a reply.
You may also contact author via Twitter – @anne4JC
or e-mail – buildingHisbody [plus] @gmail.com
Copyright 2012, Anne Lang Bundy, all rights reserved.
Jesus answered, "You say rightly that I am a king. For this cause I was born, and for this cause I have come into the world, that I should bear witness to the truth. Everyone who is of the truth hears My voice." Pilate said to Him, "What is truth?"
~ John 18:37-38 (NKJV)
How do we discern the truth? Satan is known to masquerade as an angel of light (2 Corinthians 11:14) and to distort truth for his own purposes (Matthew 4:5-6). We must not only be able to distinguish between the voice of our King and the voice of the enemy, but also be able to recognize whether truth is rightly applied or misappropriated.
Such knowledge begins with familiarity. There is a time to wield God's Word as a sword (the post planned for Thursday). Until then, we build a firm standing on the Gospel as the foundation for our lives.
"Therefore whoever hears these sayings of Mine, and does them, I will liken him to a wise man who built his house on the rock: and the rain descended, the floods came, and the winds blew and beat on that house; and it did not fall, for it was founded on the rock."
~ Matthew 7:24-25 (NKJV)
A spiritual attack may storm in on various battlegrounds. Vicious words may rain down upon us, troubles may flood us, the ways of the world may blow against us, anti-Christian contempt may beat upon us. When we have adequately prepared, we are ready to withstand the storm in peace.
"To be prepared for war is one of the most effectual means of preserving peace."
~ George Washington
Comments are welcome (including respectful disagreement) and will receive a reply.
You may also contact author via Twitter – @anne4JC
or e-mail – buildingHisbody [plus] @gmail.com
Copyright 2012, Anne Lang Bundy, all rights reserved.
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