The Time is Near

Posted on by korgrocker

“God blesses the one who reads the words of this prophecy to the church, and He blesses all who listen to its message and obey what it says, for the time is near.”
Revelation‬ ‭1:3‬ ‭NLT‬‬

Right at the beginning of his book, the Apostle John, the writer, said it was a prophecy. It is common for Christians to expect a prophecy to tell of some future event that has not yet happened. A revelatory glimpse of the future granted to a chosen person from God, through the inspiration of the Holy Spirit. Well, this book is full of such events, portrayed in graphic and pictorial, even apocalyptic, language that is both fascinating to read but difficult to understand and relate to in our world today, particularly our physical world. But a prophecy can be more than that. Our “revelatory glimpses” can apply to the here and now, as God unfolds a situation or problem that has somehow eluded the attention it should have had through personal or pastoral care, bringing admonishment and exhortation as part of a prophecy. Such matters are in this book as well. 

John spoke out a blessing, to be bestowed on those who read this book to the church. A blessing direct from God. But when did we last hear a passage from Revelations dispensed from the pulpit? It is not a book commonly read because it needs a sharp mind to discern its meaning. In other places in the book it makes for uncomfortable reading and listening. But the blessing continues to those who listen to this book being read. There is much in John’s writings to bring a blessing, if we only take the time to read and study, listen and apply, the truths within. 

John finishes this verse by introducing a sense of urgency. He said “the time is near“. Other translations use different phrases such as “the time of fulfilment is near” (AMP), or “the time is almost near” (CEV). The KJV uses the phrase “the time is at hand“. But all these translations bring across the impression that what is contained in this book will soon happen. But it begs the question – if John said the time is near 2000 years ago why hasn’t what he wrote about happened yet? How near is near? There will be several answers to this question, just as there are several different events and situations mentioned in the book. “Near” started before the ink dried on John’s parchment and will continue until the end of time. This book did not describe a single point in time but set out a series of events that will encompass time as we know it but also might even push the boundaries of eternity. To start getting our affairs in order is probably a bit premature if all we take from Revelation is a picture of the end of the world. Jesus told us in Matthew 24:36, “However, no one knows the day or hour when these things will happen, not even the angels in heaven or the Son himself. Only the Father knows”. So we need to trust our Heavenly Father with this. Sadly, there is always someone who pops up with a pronouncement that the world will end on such and such a time, only to find that the time comes and goes, with no end in sight.

There is much more in Revelation, however, that does apply to the hear and now. Timeless parts of the prophecy that we do well to take note of and apply in our own lives and the lives of our churches. So we pilgrims tramp on, studying the words of John, allowing the Holy Spirit to reveal to us what God wants us to read and hear. The Book of Revelation is an amazing book. Yet again, God used a man incarcerated in a prison cell, set apart from every day life, to hear and record His Word. A man in a special place at a special time in history. And John faithfully wrote down what he was told. 

Dear Lord. We thank You for Your servant John and his faithfulness. We pray that the legacy of his words helps us to grow in our pilgrimage to become more like You. Amen.

A Revelation

Posted on by korgrocker

“This is a revelation from Jesus Christ, which God gave Him to show His servants the events that must soon take place. He sent an angel to present this revelation to His servant John, who faithfully reported everything he saw. This is his report of the word of God and the testimony of Jesus Christ.”
‭‭Revelation‬ ‭1:1-2‬ ‭NLT‬‬

In this new season, I believe God has led me to consider the Book of Revelation. Not an easy ask, I think all my readers will agree, but this last book in the Bible is there for a reason and is there to be read. And the Holy Spirit will reveal what He wants us to see. So hopefully you can bear with me as I journey, or more likely stumble, through this book, perhaps revealing something of help, both to myself and to fellow pilgrims on our separate journeys through life.

The first two verses are very clear. This book is a direct revelation from Jesus. It was given to Him by His Father in Heaven. Its purpose was “to show his servants the events that must soon take place”. Pausing there, who are His servants? They will be all of us who have decided to follow Jesus. All those who call themselves Christians, because they have accepted Jesus as their Lord and Saviour. We now serve Him. By doing His work wherever we are. So, Jesus wanted to reveal things to us. Continuing, what are these events? We don’t know yet, but they will “soon take place“. This book gives us a glimpse, often in apocalyptic language, often apparently, at least to us, confused and unclear, often referring to realms unknown to us, of what is to come. These “events” can only be shown as a glimpse or a hint because we lack the understanding necessary to fully comprehend what they are. As a rather poor analogy, imagine trying to describe a modern smart phone to someone alive 100 years ago. They might get a glimpse of how valuable it could be in terms of communication, but the rest of its capability would be lost on them.

Moving on through these two verses, Jesus sent an angel to reveal what was going to happen, to the old Apostle John, now exiled on the island of Patmos. He was the last of Jesus’ Apostles, and he was entrusted to record for posterity what he was told. We’re told he did this “faithfully”. But then such a wonderful man could do nothing else. And the angel took him into incredible places, where he could see what was coming.

And then the second verse ends with the assurance that what he wrote was the “word of God” and the testimony from Jesus. I think we can agree that this last book in the Bible must be very important, and one we should persevere to try and understand. 

Lord Jesus, as we venture with anticipation into this book over the coming days and weeks, I pray that You lead us and guide us, and reveal to us what You want us to see. In Your Precious Name. Amen.

Final Blessings

Posted on by korgrocker

“Peace be with you, dear brothers and sisters, and may God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ give you love with faithfulness. May God’s grace be eternally upon all who love our Lord Jesus Christ.”
Ephesians 6:23-24 NLT

Paul finished his letter to the Ephesian church with a blessing. There is something powerful about speaking out a blessing. A God-focused blessing does something profound in Heavenly realms. As it is uttered, angels pause in their duties, enjoying the moment. Demons in other places cringe as the words echo around their spiritual realms. The devil moves away to find an easier place to undertake his nefarious works. 

Paul’s blessing included three fundamental God-principles. Firstly His peace. In this war-torn world, Russia and Ukraine are, as I write, fighting a war I thought I would never see in my lifetime; peace is a precious commodity and one I pray for daily. A lack of peace destroys us. There is so much strife in our relationships, our families, our communities. Sometimes it is despairing to see so many people who seem to prefer a lack of peace in their lives. A God-peace is precious. It soothes our troubled souls. It brings relief to our mental conflicts and distress. So at every opportunity, we must, as peace-loving pilgrims, speak out God’s peace, avoiding conflict wherever possible.

Paul’s second blessing was to ask God, our Heavenly Father, to give us ”love with faithfulness”. And Paul reminded us that God is also the Father of Jesus, making Him our elder brother. How amazing is that! And we open up our spiritual receptors to receive God’s love, which we can then faithfully pass onto others. We feel God’s love penetrating deep within our spirits, melting away the tensions, softening any hard bits that are calloused by contact with the unloving world around us. Our neighbours, friends, and family members, may not be feeling God’s love for themselves, so we have the opportunity to share our messages of hope and love with them. It’s amazing to watch a hardened God-denier soften when told that God loves them regardless of their rejection of Him. 

Paul finishes with his third blessing. Grace. Eternal grace. God’s Riches At Christ’s Expense is a great way of remembering what He has done for us. God’s grace covers us. It manifests in love regardless of how we behave. Grace sees Christ’s righteousness when we deserve judgement. Grace pours from God’s throne without limit. And it is there for us whenever we are feeling a bit wobbly. When we are unsure and feeling a bit insecure. And it never ends – Paul prays that it will be eternally with us. 

I love the blessing that we find in Numbers 6:24-26. Let’s finish with it today.

May the Lord bless you and protect you
May the Lord smile on you and be gracious to you
May the Lord show you His favour
And give you His peace.

Final Greetings

Posted on by korgrocker

“To bring you up to date, Tychicus will give you a full report about what I am doing and how I am getting along. He is a beloved brother and faithful helper in the Lord’s work. I have sent him to you for this very purpose—to let you know how we are doing and to encourage you.”
Ephesians 6:21-22 NLT

No social media, internet, email, texts or WhatsApp in Paul’s days. Instead, communication was all about quill pens and personal visits. Paul was obviously allowed visitors into his prison cell. Perhaps they were able to bring him food, keeping him up to date with all the latest news. Able to pray with him. And of course assess how Paul was “getting along”. Note that Paul used the wording, “to let you know how we are doing”. Paul was obviously not just on his own – there were others possibly imprisoned with him. But perhaps the Roman church was supporting Paul, and it was to them that Paul referred.

One of his visitors was a man called Tychicus. He popped up several times in the New Testament, mentioned for supporting and serving Paul’s ministries and missionary journeys. One of those shadowy characters who were never obviously involved in up-front ministries, though he may well have been, but nevertheless performed very important serving roles. Paul’s opinion of Tychicus was glowing – he was a “beloved brother” and a “faithful helper“. And of course he was devoted to doing the “Lord’s work“. What a testimony!

On this occasion, Tychicus’ service to Paul was to travel from Rome to Ephesus, to bring Paul’s Ephesian friends the news about what was happening to him in Rome, and to encourage them. No mean ask in those days. Even though the Roman civil engineering skills had opened up travel routes and opportunities, there would also have been some potentially hazardous sea journeys involved. But not even a hint that he was unwilling to make the journey. A willing servant who was sent for a purpose.

Back to our pilgrim illustration. Paul planted a church in Ephesus. A fellowship of believers who cared for each other and were growing together, encouraging one another on their journeys. What role do we pilgrims have in our local church? Or are we making our own journey alone? Jesus said that He would build His church, implying that we pilgrims should be a part of one. This may not be an easy request, because some local churches we consider are far from ideal, perhaps having a vision different to ours, or involved in liturgies which we don’t agree with, but there will be a local church that we should be a part of somewhere. Even if we have to move house or job to join it. However, having said that, of course there are some parts of the world where to be a church member is an impossible dream because of local or national persecution. But Jesus cares for us all regardless of our circumstances. And where possible, His caring is often dispensed through a local church.

As pilgrims, what role do we have in our local church? Are we in an up-front ministry? Only a few are called for such a role. Or are we a Tychicus? In a support and serving role? Or just a pew warmer, not really involved in much at all? These two verses today emphasise the role pilgrims should have. We must always be looking for a way to serve our fellow brothers and sisters. Always looking for a way to encourage and love, with a “can-do” attitude. Always willing to devote our time and resources to support the brothers and sisters, who, like Paul was, are at the sharp end of building Jesus’ church.

Pray For Me

Posted on by korgrocker

“And pray for me, too. Ask God to give me the right words so I can boldly explain God’s mysterious plan that the Good News is for Jews and Gentiles alike. I am in chains now, still preaching this message as God’s ambassador. So pray that I will keep on speaking boldly for him, as I should.”
Ephesians 6:19-20

So far in this Epistle, Paul has been dispensing wise and helpful words for the benefit of his friends back in Ephesus. He’s been praying for them, encouraging them, blessing them and revealing God’s truth, and now, as if he senses that he is coming near the end of his letter, he suddenly turns to consider himself. And so he should. Locked up in a probably disgusting prison cell, in chains, it has been amazing at what has flowed from his pen. But not a hint of self-pity. Quite simply, he asks for his friends back home to pray for him. Even then, I would have expected his prayers to be focused on his circumstances – the cold cell, the damp, the lack of sanitary facilities, the rats, his chains, poor and insufficient food. But none of this. He only wanted them to pray for him, that he would, at every opportunity, be able to share the Gospel, the Good News, with everyone to whom he had access. So a passing jailor would frequently receive Paul’s message. A soldier at the end of his shift. Fellow prisoners in adjacent cells. They all knew what Paul stood for. On occasion, he would have been taken out to meet a magistrate or some other dignitary, once again being processed through the next step in the Roman legal system. But no hint of wanting prayer for his protection, from abuse, from ridicule, from an aggression unknown in our culture. He wanted prayer for the courage to speak out clearly and boldly so that there would be no excuse for his hearers if they rejected his message. The Jews would have been incensed that this ex-Pharisee was preaching that they should intermingle with the hated Gentiles. The Gentiles too would have been upset that someone was rubbishing their gods. All in all he would have been unpopular at best and constantly vilified at worst. 

But I can feel his anguish as he clenched his fists, digging his finger nails into the palms of his hands, crying out to God for more power, more opportunities, more of the right words to penetrate into the cultural fog of his day. And to help him in his mission, he asked his friends to pray for him. Was it a pointless prayer? Something he felt he should ask so that the Ephesians could think they were doing something useful to help him? No – he really valued their prayers. He believed, in faith, that God would answer them, granting him the right words and opportunities he so desperately desired.

So what about us? Do we ask for prayer from those around us? From our church family? From our pastor or minister? Or do we continue to live on in our circumstances, too proud to admit we need help? Here’s a revelation – pilgrims need prayer. Constantly. For their health, their life, their witness, their journey. And God has given us the means to help one another – prayer. Prayer changes things. God listens to our prayers and delivers answers. Paul knew the value of prayer, and so should we. Note that I’m talking to myself here as well – I’m not good at asking others to pray for me. But thankfully God hasn’t finished with me just yet. 

Let’s resolve today to ask some one to pray for us. We never know – there might be a life-changing answer just waiting to be delivered, an answer that is timely and profound. Bringing clarity into our lives. Unstopping an obstacle. Removing a hurdle. Healing an illness or condition. Our journey with God is exciting – we never know what He has for us next. With prayer we might just get to find out.

Spiritual Praying

Posted on by korgrocker

“Pray in the Spirit at all times and on every occasion. Stay alert and be persistent in your prayers for all believers everywhere.”
Ephesians 6:18 NLT
“Well then, what shall I do? I will pray in the Spirit, and I will also pray in words I understand. I will sing in the Spirit, and I will also sing in words I understand.”
1 Corinthians 14:15

We are pilgrims marching along the corridors of life, fully equipped with our armour for defence against the devil’s attacks. And at all times in our journey we are in communication with our loving Father, who watches over us and leads and guides us. But the “in communication” bit is crucial. Carrying on the analogy of the Roman soldier, that has been in our thoughts over the previous few days, we have to be in contact with base, where our Father is. Imagine a modern soldier, who would normally be in radio contact with his fellow soldiers elsewhere, being suddenly unable to connect with them? In the decades after the 2nd World War, occasionally a Japanese soldier appeared on global media, having been discovered still at his post in remote terrain somewhere – he had been unable to make the connection with his base and learn about the change in circumstances. Unfortunately in our churches today there are people who have lost connection with their Base, but continue with their liturgies and customs regardless.

Paul was aware that communication with Father is of paramount importance. And the spiritual radio set God has made available to us is powered, not by batteries, but by the Holy Spirit Himself. And we pilgrims avail ourselves of that power and pray. We pray in the power of the Spirit. By allowing the Holy Spirit into our prayers, we immediately access what our Father in Heaven wants us to pray about. He leads and helps us in our prayers. How many times has a thought popped into my mind about someone or some issue and in the process of praying about it I wonder where the thought came from? It was the Holy Spirit of course, gently leading, gently reminding, gently nudging, helping me to pray in line with God’s will.

“Praying in the Spirit” can also mean praying in tongues. This is more contentious in some Christian circles, but nevertheless, to those who can speak in tongues, this is an important part of their prayer life. The implication of the verse from 1 Corinthians above, is that praying in the Spirit using tongues is not understood, even by the speaker. As a tongue-speaking pilgrim myself, I am aware sometimes of an urgent need to pray, but about what I do not know. Speaking my prayers in the Heavenly language God has supplied me with somehow makes sense, as I experience a lift in my spirit as it connects with God’s Spirit. A mystery perhaps, but somehow important and relevant to many Christians, including me.

Paul finishes the verse with the exhortation to be alert. We need to constantly be on our guards, always aware that the devil is constantly cooking up schemes to separate us from God, not just so we will end up in a blind alley somewhere, but because he will try and frustrate us in our efforts to share the Gospel with the lost world around us. So we pray for our fellow believers. Those in our churches and fellowships. Those in our countries. And especially for those being persecuted in other parts of the world. 

So I appeal to all pilgrims reading this today, including myself – we must keep our spiritual batteries fully charged up in the Holy Spirit. A life disconnected from God doesn’t work. We will instead end up in remote terrain somewhere, cut off from the very Life Source we need in these troubled days.

Final Items

Posted on by korgrocker

“Put on salvation as your helmet, and take the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God.”
Ephesians 6:17

So we come to the remaining items of armour from Paul’s analogy – the helmet and the sword. So far he has listed the belt of truth, the breastplate of righteousness, the shoes of the Gospel of peace, and the shield of faith. He looks at his soldier companions in his prison cell, and wonders for a few moments about what the helmet achieves. It protects the soldier’s head from a blow that would otherwise kill him. The head contains the brain and it is particularly vulnerable to an enemy’s attack. So it is with us – our brains are where battles are fought and won or lost. In 2 Corinthians 10:4-5 we read, “We use God’s mighty weapons, not worldly weapons, to knock down the strongholds of human reasoning and to destroy false arguments. We destroy every proud obstacle that keeps people from knowing God. We capture their rebellious thoughts and teach them to obey Christ”. Paul had his finger on human thinking and behaviour when he wrote these words. He correctly noted that “human reasoning”, “false arguments” and “rebellious thoughts” are all strongholds. Places where our thinking can be trapped into an apparently indestructible state of falsehood. Our human minds can develop all sorts of tricks to tick all of Paul’s boxes. Consider the following scenario. A thought pops into our minds. But intuitively we know that what we are thinking is driven by our sinful natures, and in our minds we then go through thoughtful gyrations to try and rationalise that our resulting actions won’t be too bad, or that we can even repent of what we intend to do at a later time. Paul summed up our problem very well in Romans 7:23. “But there is another power within me that is at war with my mind. This power makes me a slave to the sin that is still within me. Oh, what a miserable person I am!”. Paul knew the value of the helmet of salvation. If we read on in Romans 7 and 8 we see how our salvation is essential to fending off these attacks. 

The second weapon in this verse is the “sword of the Spirit”. This is the only offensive weapon mentioned by Paul, and it is extremely effective in fighting off the devil’s schemes. Again this morning I am conscious that the devil doesn’t want me to write these words because he knows the power that we have at our finger tips – the Word of God. In His temptation in the wilderness Jesus used His knowledge of the Scriptures to frustrate the devil’s onslaught. Three times Jesus refuted the devil’s temptations with references to Scripture and we read that because of this the devil finally left Him, for another “opportune time”. The devil has no defence against the Word of God. None at all. The Bible we have access to, wherever it is, on paper or on our smart phones, tablets or on-line, is a powerful weapon that should not be underestimated. A Roman soldier, if under physical attack, would not dream of not using his sword in some way. He would not forget it and leave it strapped to his side. With his shield and his sword, protected by all the other items of armour, he would have been a fearsome opponent in hand to hand combat.

One thing we should note. Our Roman soldier didn’t one day put on all his armour and become a warrior. He would go through a period of training. With fellow soldiers, they would have trained together to develop the combat skills needed. The skills needed were not automatically available. I’m reminded this morning about young David, in the passage in 1 Samuel 17. “Then Saul gave David his own armour—a bronze helmet and a coat of mail. David put it on, strapped the sword over it, and took a step or two to see what it was like, for he had never worn such things before. “I can’t go in these,” he protested to Saul. “I’m not used to them.” So David took them off again. He picked up five smooth stones from a stream and put them into his shepherd’s bag. Then, armed only with his shepherd’s staff and sling, he started across the valley to fight the Philistine“. David had never used the traditional armour and weapons of his day, so they were no good to him. However, he was equipped with a very effective weapon that he had trained himself to use. I can imagine that on many occasions he had taken his sling and lobbed stones at the equivalent of tin cans, in his days spent watching his father’s sheep. And we read that when wild animals turned up hoping for a tender, juicy, lamb steak, then they received some well-aimed missiles, hitting them in painful places, discouraging them from their endeavours. David’s response to King Saul was basically that he couldn’t fight the traditional way because he had not been trained. 

The illustration of David is crucial to our journey as a pilgrim. Without being trained in the right way, we will inevitably fall by the wayside and never reach our promised destination. So we must read the Word of God, absorbing the Scriptures into our minds, getting used to our armour. Our training in the university of life constantly improves our skills. But occasionally we will be knocked down by the devil’s onslaughts. We will be bruised and battered. Full of remorse for not having done better in the fight. And we find that our loving Heavenly Father is there for us. He picks us up, dusts us off, forgives us and helps us on our way, loved and healed and ready for the next steps in our journey. What an amazing Father we have!

Fiery Arrows

Posted on by korgrocker

“In addition to all of these, hold up the shield of faith to stop the fiery arrows of the devil.“
Ephesians 6:16 NLT

So far we’re doing well, working through our defensive armour. Paul has suggested the belt of truth, the breastplate of righteousness, and the shoes of the Gospel. But he thinks we also need a shield. Now, the Roman soldiers were very skilled with their shields. Not only was the shield an essential part of their body armour, but it had a corporate purpose as well. The Roman soldiers on occasion formed a column of men with shields positioned above, at their sides and at their front and back. It became known as a testudo or tortoise formation. It was very difficult for an enemy to pick them off, because there was nowhere an arrow could penetrate.

But what form do these “fiery arrows” take. Don’t forget that our adversary the devil, is a master of telling lies. We saw that a couple of days ago.  So he will try and deceive us. A bit like the scammers who ring people up with an investment opportunity that sounds so good and plausible that, before they know it, they have committed their savings to a dodgy scheme. The devil will on occasion sound so plausible, twisting the meaning of Scriptures, or telling lies about all sorts of things that might be of interest to us, that we have to be on the ball, always aware of his schemes.

Why did Paul describe the enemy’s barbs as being “fiery“? Perhaps some of the “arrows” he fires at us are shameful memories. From a time before we came to faith in God. And they induce in us a red face, fired up and flushed with shame. A flaming arrow is also more destructive, achieving more damage than an ordinary arrow would. 

So two things about the shield of faith. Firstly, as Christians, we each have one. Even a new Christian will be equipped with such a piece of armour. After all, we came to God through faith, believing that Jesus is who He said He is, and that is sufficient to protect us even when the devil is doing his utmost to destroy us. Secondly, just as a troop of Roman soldiers, we can join together with other Christians to form our own tortoise formation, each of us using our faith to help protect us all. A Christian on his or her own, perhaps going through a wobbly patch, and susceptible to a whisper of deceit, is easily picked off by the devil. There is safety in numbers, in the church. So we must never stop joining with other Christians, as the writer to the Hebrews said in Hebrews 10:25, “And let us not neglect our meeting together, as some people do, but encourage one another, especially now that the day of his return is drawing near“.

We’ll finish this morning’s blog with a scripture written by another Apostle in 1 Peter 5:8-9a,“Stay alert! Watch out for your great enemy, the devil. He prowls around like a roaring lion, looking for someone to devour. Stand firm against him, and be strong in your faith…”. So listen out for a prowler and keep your shield handy, just in case.

Shoes

Posted on by korgrocker

“For shoes, put on the peace that comes from the Good News so that you will be fully prepared.” Ephesians 6:15 NLT

“and with your feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace.“
Ephesians 6:15 NIVUK

Paul glances at the feet of his fellow occupants in the prison cell. They were wearing shoes, and he proceeded to muse about their potential spiritual equivalent. What do Christians wear on their feet, he wondered? What was it that pilgrims everywhere need to be prepared for in their journeys onward and upward? And then he had a light bulb moment (well, he would have had, had light bulbs been invented in those days!). He had a new revelation of the Gospel. Now, that’s something we can stand firm on. It’s something that will always confuse the devil’s attacks because he knows that the Gospel, the Good News about Jesus and all that He did for us, is truth. The devil may ask us a difficult question about our faith, or tell us a lie as he did with Eve in the garden. He may bring doubts into our minds, but us pilgrims can just respond with the truth we know, that regardless of anything he says, the devil can never deny the truth of the Gospel. He thought that he had defeated the Son of God, by getting Him crucified on a cross, not realising that it was all God’s plan, and that Jesus would rise again on the Sunday morning, the third day after.

So we are ready. Shod with the Good News. And we bring it right up to date with our messages of hope, our testimonies of what God has done for us, all founded on His amazing plan. We have Good News to tell a world absorbed by bad news. We can share our hope for the future with a society that has no hope even for the present. A counter-cultural message that will pierce the enemy’s darkness with a shaft of pure light, penetrating and exposing his lies. I can just imagine Paul getting quite excited in his cell, as he realised that regardless of his situation, or the fragility of the early churches he founded, the power of the Gospel was insurmountable. And, folks, it still is today. 

In another letter, this time to the Roman church, Paul wrote, “For I am not ashamed of this Good News about Christ. It is the power of God at work, saving everyone who believes—the Jew first and also the Gentile. This Good News tells us how God makes us right in his sight. This is accomplished from start to finish by faith. As the Scriptures say, “It is through faith that a righteous person has life”“. The Gospel. The Good News. And it’s not a wishy-washy statement, just a few boring words. Paul said that, “It is the power of God at work, saving everyone who believes”. And he was exactly right. He spoke the truth. And the devil keeps well away when we stand on the truth of the Gospel. He knows he can’t touch us.

Belt and Braces

Posted on by korgrocker

“Stand your ground, putting on the belt of truth and the body armour of God’s righteousness.”
Ephesians‬ ‭6:14‬ ‭NLT

Now we’re getting into the nitty gritty of how Paul advised devil resistance. For the third time in this short section, he exhorted his readers to “stand“. “Stand your ground“, “stand firm“, “standing firm” all appear between verses 11 and 14. In the face of an onslaught, when the fight or flight emotions flood in, just to stand seems a bit counter-intuitive. But Paul, writing under the Holy Spirit’s direction and influence, knew what he was talking about. There he was in his prison cell, probably chained between two Roman soldiers, suddenly struck by how he could use the armour they were wearing as an illustration of the spiritual armour his friends in Ephesus would need. 

The first item that caught his eye was the soldiers’ belts, which he straight away associated with the “belt of truth“. He could see immediately that truth was an important defensive weapon to be used against the devil’s attacks. The devil is very good at telling lies. In fact, Jesus warned us of his propensity for lying, as we read in John 8:44, “For you are the children of your father the devil, and you love to do the evil things he does. He was a murderer from the beginning. He has always hated the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he lies, it is consistent with his character; for he is a liar and the father of lies“. But we have access to the absolute truth, because it is contained within God’s Word. Perhaps the devil is whispering things in your ear this morning, like “you’re rubbish”, or “you really messed up yesterday”, or he prevails on someone else to malign you on social media. All such comments can be distilled as lies, because the absolute truth is that you are a child of God. And so am I. I’m conscious as I write this blog today, that the devil is not happy with the words I’m using. He’s telling me I’m running out of time and need to be doing something else. But I’m determined to write down the truth about God’s love for His children. About how He created us, planned for us before the world was even created, put us together in our mother’s wombs. About how we are so wonderful to Him that we are the apple of His eye (Psalm 17:8) and have our names written on the palm of His hand (Isaiah 49:16). These things are the truth about us. Not the lies the devil is using. So we stand firm in the truth about who God is and His relationship with each one of us. 

The second item Paul noticed that his soldier-jailors were wearing, was their body armour. Their breastplates, protecting their hearts and vital organs from attack. And he associated this with righteousness. You see, it is our hearts that are the place where our relationship with God resides. Not our physical hearts, but that part of our spirit that softens when we think of God and His people, where the love for Him flows, where we feel the whisper of His love-breath, sweet and always there if we listen for it. Unfortunately, the sin and hassles of life will harden the walls of our hearts. But we have the truth before us that He will always forgive, always be loving, always be there for us. Because of the sacrifice of Jesus at Calvary, when He died for us and exchanged His righteousness for our sins, we always can claim, and have access to, God’s righteousness. We confess and repent, He forgives. So the next time the devil accuses us of sin and tries to drive us down the tubes, we can stand because before God we are righteous. And there is nothing the devil can do about that. He was defeated by Jesus at the Cross. Keep Romans 8:1-2 in mind, “So now there is no condemnation for those who belong to Christ Jesus. And because you belong to him, the power of the life-giving Spirit has freed you from the power of sin that leads to death“. The devil will try to condemn us because of our sins. Jesus says otherwise – I know who I want to listen to!

So we have an effigy of a Roman Soldier. And the belt and breastplate are glowing there like burnished gold, inducing a wobble into the devil’s tactics. Amazingly, there’s more – next thrilling instalment tomorrow.