Scripture : Today's full reading can be found here
Paul concludes his letter to the Ephesians with an instruction to put on spiritual armour. After all he's communicated to the church about the Christian life, about their position in Christ, about their need to be filled with the Spirit and about how they are to prize unity he concludes by saying, essentially '...and don't forget, it's a fight!'
In this fight we're given metaphorical armour to help us: Faith is like a shield, righteousness becomes like a breastplate, salvation a helmet. It has often be pointed out that all of the equipment we're given to help us in this struggle is defensive and protective; all of it that is apart from one item, the sword of the Spirit. The sword of the Spirit, we're told, is the word of God. The one thing that can help us gain ground and not simply stand it, is scripture; the Bible, the good Book, God's word.
I was reminded of this recently when praying through something I was struggling with. I have become quite good at trying to reason with my anxiety. I'll analyse facts in cold blood, I'll discuss what I'm worrying about with others, and I'll attempt to pick apart negative thought patterns and reduce them in size. All the while failing at actually picking them apart and reducing them in size. While praying (or worrying aloud as it often becomes) it struck me how little I was using the truth of scripture to help me in my struggle. I was essentially trying to break apart a mountain using only plastic hammer and chisel. It wasn't working and neither could I expect it to. Reason doesn't have anything like the power that scripture does.
Jesus when tested and tempted by the Devil in the wilderness (here) didn't try to win the argument or reason the Enemy into a corner. Instead he leaned on and trusted in the power of scripture to help him. Read it for yourself and you'll notice the repeating statement of Jesus 'it is written.' The devil tempted him with self sufficiency and independence from God and he replied with 'it is written...'. The enemy offered him success over his enemies, fame and glory and he replied 'it is written...'.
If Jesus leant on scripture this way, then I need to as well - and so do you. You cannot flourish as a believer without it, you cannot withstand the onslaught of the enemy or even the onslaught of your own sinful desires without it. We need to lean on and trust in the same truth that Jesus trusted in. And the promise comes that as we draw near to God 'he will draw near to us' and as we resist the devil 'he will flee from us.'
Weekly Challenge
Since scripture is so essential it makes sense that we give ourselves to learning it and being shaped by it. Becoming familiar with truth doesn't happen accidentally. Spend this week reciting daily the following statements that relate to our identity in Christ:
10 Finally, be strong in the Lord and in the strength of his might... 16 In all circumstances take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming darts of the evil one; 17 and take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God, 18 praying at all times in the Spirit, with all prayer and supplication.Observation:
Paul concludes his letter to the Ephesians with an instruction to put on spiritual armour. After all he's communicated to the church about the Christian life, about their position in Christ, about their need to be filled with the Spirit and about how they are to prize unity he concludes by saying, essentially '...and don't forget, it's a fight!'
In this fight we're given metaphorical armour to help us: Faith is like a shield, righteousness becomes like a breastplate, salvation a helmet. It has often be pointed out that all of the equipment we're given to help us in this struggle is defensive and protective; all of it that is apart from one item, the sword of the Spirit. The sword of the Spirit, we're told, is the word of God. The one thing that can help us gain ground and not simply stand it, is scripture; the Bible, the good Book, God's word.
I was reminded of this recently when praying through something I was struggling with. I have become quite good at trying to reason with my anxiety. I'll analyse facts in cold blood, I'll discuss what I'm worrying about with others, and I'll attempt to pick apart negative thought patterns and reduce them in size. All the while failing at actually picking them apart and reducing them in size. While praying (or worrying aloud as it often becomes) it struck me how little I was using the truth of scripture to help me in my struggle. I was essentially trying to break apart a mountain using only plastic hammer and chisel. It wasn't working and neither could I expect it to. Reason doesn't have anything like the power that scripture does.
Jesus when tested and tempted by the Devil in the wilderness (here) didn't try to win the argument or reason the Enemy into a corner. Instead he leaned on and trusted in the power of scripture to help him. Read it for yourself and you'll notice the repeating statement of Jesus 'it is written.' The devil tempted him with self sufficiency and independence from God and he replied with 'it is written...'. The enemy offered him success over his enemies, fame and glory and he replied 'it is written...'.
If Jesus leant on scripture this way, then I need to as well - and so do you. You cannot flourish as a believer without it, you cannot withstand the onslaught of the enemy or even the onslaught of your own sinful desires without it. We need to lean on and trust in the same truth that Jesus trusted in. And the promise comes that as we draw near to God 'he will draw near to us' and as we resist the devil 'he will flee from us.'
Weekly Challenge
Since scripture is so essential it makes sense that we give ourselves to learning it and being shaped by it. Becoming familiar with truth doesn't happen accidentally. Spend this week reciting daily the following statements that relate to our identity in Christ:
In Christ I am God's child (John 1:12)
In Christ I belong to God (1 Corinthians 6:20)
In Christ I have not been given a spirit of fear, but of power, love and self control (2 Timothy 1:7)
In Christ I am born of God and the evil one cannot touch me (1 John 5:18)
In Christ I am holy and blameless (Ephesians 1:4)
In Christ I am forgiven (Ephesians 1:8)
In Christ I am a saint (Col. 1:1)