The Holy One calls to me this morning at a time and within the world that seems to be spiralling out of control. The understanding that we are in a white knuckle battle with dark evil forces comes at first light.
The Holy One takes me to His Word in 2 Corinthians 10:3 as a reminder about the "weapons" of our warfare. I feel His Presence and listen close for His voice:
"Your mind is the battlefield. The real enemies you face are not flesh and blood but dark spirits who inhabit the unseen realm. Train your mind, control your thoughts and guard you heart and you will defeat the enemy".
As I ponder His exortation to discipline my thoughts, I wonder about the "weapons" He speaks about in His Word?
When I think about Divine weapons we have to go against an unseen enemy, on a mental battlefield, the challenge is obvious. In the midst of the process, the Holy One calls to my mind I Samuel 17:45-47.
David was facing his Goliath, a physical giant with physical weapons, but when I break down the real enemy he was dealing with, I see that the forces against him were targeting his confidence in his God. Hurling insults and issuing threats of harm, captivity, and death, evil tried to mentally defeat him before any physical engagement took place. The carnal weapons of the enemy were designed to emphasize his power but fear was the real threat to David's victory.
As with us, the real battle he was experiencing, past the giant before him, was his understanding of Yahweh, God of Israel and Lord of his heart.
David was able to see that Goliath's taunts were an assault on the knowledge of Yahweh, and the denial of truth about His power over all foreign gods of the enemy; a real spiritual battle on earth's turf.
David answered the taunts of Goliath,
"You're coming at me with a sword, and a spear, and a javeline, but I am coming at you in the name of Yahweh the God of the armies of Israel, whom you have challenged. Today Adonai will hand you over to me. I will attack you and lop your head off and give the carcasses of the army of the Philistines to the birds of the air and the animals in the land. THEN all the land will know there is a God in Israel and everyone assembled here will know that God does not save by sword or spear for this is Adonai's battle and He will hand you over to us."
Today we face similar battles and the taunts of impending defeat by an arrogant giant. Satan is the one hurling his lies and threats of his pseudo power over us against the knowledge of our God, but our weapons are Divine and designed to defeat those of the enemy.
The Divine weapons we fight with are:
Truth, Righteousness, The Good News of God's love, Trust (Faith) in His plan of victory for us, His Word, as the sword of the spirit and The undefeatable power and presence of the Holy Spirit within (Who keeps us from falling victim to evil's lies).
The battle looms large as humanity struggles against the lies of evil about things most of us have always taken for granted like gender identity, traditional marriage between a man and a woman, life in the womb.
Truth has been so distorted by opinions that people can no longer even look at their physical bodies as true eidence that they are either male or female.
How much longer Yahweh will put up with such conflict in His created world is unknown, but until He moves us out, it's up to us who know Him, to go with Him into battle for the souls of men not yet given over to such depravity of defiance and use the divine wapons He has provided us for our victory in Him.
The Holy Spirit is calling. Can you hear Him?
