The
image depicts the Whole Armor of God
Today,
reply is on spiritual combat. Many claiming to be followers of Jesus
Christ display an eagerness to physically fight with others, and a
mentality declaring that GOD has granted Christians exclusive
authority, divine entitlement, and full license to demonize, slander
and verbally assault their enemies, to be victorious in war, to
maintain stockpiles of weapons, and to deploy nuclear bombs
throughout the earth at their own discretion. Properly understood,
the divine goal is life using change, rather than destruction.
Therefore, believers are called and recruited to serve as fishers of
men, soul winners, and those who preserve communities by becoming
“the salt of the earth.” The present day is a season of grace
for sinners, wherein threats of damnation, punishment for sin, and
the second death are replaced by opportunity for fellowship
with divinity, gradual growth, rest, revelation, unselfish service,
and vision. In place of coercion, brute force, deception, and lies,
divinity draws to themselves and releases those living in error and
sin by using sacred tools such as healing, forgiveness, mercy,
nonviolence, prophecy, reconciliation, and spiritual rebirth.
Christians are not to behave as hoodlums and thugs; however, neither
are they to be beggarly, cowardly, undisciplined, and weak. The
followers of Christ are to display the image of GOD, and will not
make for others the choices others must demand from themselves.
Developing and mature believers are not to shrink from the life
challenges wherein sinners are helped to see and make the choice for
new life through Jesus Christ. It is written: 1st
Corinthians 3: 11-15, King James Version (KJV): 11 For other
foundation can no man lay than that is laid, which is Jesus Christ.
12 Now if any man build upon this foundation gold, silver, precious
stones, wood, hay, stubble; 13 Every man’s
work shall be made manifest: for the day shall declare it, because
it shall be revealed by fire; and the fire shall try every man’s
work of what sort it is. 14 If any man’s
work abide which he hath built thereupon, he shall receive a reward.
15 If any man’s work shall be
burned, he shall suffer loss: but he himself shall be saved; yet so
as by fire. One of the fighters in the “Yahoo! Answers” public
forum on Religion and Spirituality who uses the ID “Anonymous”
(no profile is shown) posted the following:
What
is spiritual combat?
THE
GOLDEN ARROW: And I saw heaven opened, and behold a white horse; and
he that sat upon him was called Faithful and True, and in
righteousness he doth judge and make war. His eyes were as a
flame of fire, and on his head were many crowns; and he had a
name written, that no man knew, but he himself. And he was
clothed with a vesture dipped in blood: and his name is called The
Word of God. And the armies which were in heaven followed him
upon white horses, clothed in fine linen, white and clean. And out
of his mouth goeth a sharp sword, that with it he should smite the
nations: and he shall rule them with a rod of iron: and he treadeth
the winepress of the fierceness and wrath of Almighty God. And he
hath on his vesture and on his thigh a name written, KING OF
KINGS, AND LORD OF LORDS. (Revelation 19: 11-16, KJV)
THE
DOUBLE DAGGER: Conflict Among Multiple Wills? (09/20/2019);
Justified By Church Attendance? (06/21/2019); Salvation Through Jesus
Christ (03/25/2019); Peace Or A Sword? (01/29/2019); The Lion of
Judah (01/22/2017); War and Peace? (07/17/2014); God Bless America?
(09/12/2013); Law, Slavery and Redemption (09/13/2013)
“Anonymous”,
all Christian believers on the earth are warriors in spiritual combat
against the operations of sin. Sin is understood as an “enigma”
for mankind (i.e., a puzzle or question that has no clear origin, no
fixed answer, and no reliable solution). Divinity has not put forth
sin as part of Creation, and sin has no spirit content from the
makeup of GOD, yet, the operations of sin may dominate consciousness
and self-will within created beings and living creatures. Sin
opposes the continued existence of sacred law, the Lawgiver, and of
divine order throughout the universe. Sin promotes destruction,
nonexistence, and a return to the conditions of chaos, confusion, and
movement of substance without direction and form that were in place
before the founding of heaven and earth (we say, preexistence).
Divinity
is the inseparable fullness of all spirit-matter; and where they
remain in spirit, they must be known as immortal and invisible.
Within the Godhead are to be found such elements as faith, holiness,
forbearance, hope, longsuffering, lovingkindness, oneness without
sameness, personhood, righteousness, wisdom, and wrath against sin.
Using the form of human flesh, GOD has appeared through Jesus Christ
to demonstrate that divinity are to be known by those on the earth
through sacred operations, divine process, and by receiving fresh
endowments of the same life essence (breath; spirit; word)
imparted to Adam from the makeup of the Creator. The Creator is not
an abstraction, an immaterial object, a mechanical device, or a
man-made product from human imagination, mind, and carnal reason.
Mankind is to have integrity of being, maintain self-government, and
serve as a life companion to divinity; however, humanity must
continue to exist within the boundaries and frameworks created and
provided by divinity. Included are birth, death, resurrection,
opportunity, divine prerogative, eternal purpose, possibility,
reality, time and space.
The
conflicts that exist within Creation are not all visible to the
senses of mankind, and must be resolved without continuing corruption
(decay, disintegration, rot) that is material, social, and spiritual.
Believers must contend against such obstacles as anger, arrogance,
covetousness, envy, fear, lust, presumption, exaggerated pride,
selfishness, and stubbornness. The living are not to “fight the
good fight” using gun violence and weapons of mass destruction.
Rather than as the outcome of battles that exploit the mortality of
mankind, the preservation of Creation and peace are the outcomes of
divine judgment where conflicts are resolved and disputes are settled
by applying the sanctions and standards in the law. Christians are
to wage war against sin by displaying Christ-likeness and godliness
in their lifestyles and daily routines. At every level—how
they speak, what they say, and what they do—believers
are to make choices, determinations, and sound decisions that
acknowledge and conform to meaning, quality, and value from the
Maker. Consider the following that uses language from the Bible, and
the presentation from the music ministry of the Gaither Vocal Band:
1.
Psalms 7: 9-11, King James Version (KJV): 9 Oh let the wickedness
of the wicked come to an end; but establish the just: for the
righteous God trieth the hearts and reins. 10 My defence is
of God, which saveth the upright in heart. 11 God judgeth the
righteous, and God is angry with the wicked every day.
2.
Ephesians 6: 11-18, KJV: 11 Put on the whole armour of God, that
ye may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil. 12 For we
wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities,
against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world,
against spiritual wickedness in high places. 13 Wherefore
take unto you the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to
withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand. 14 Stand
therefore, having your loins girt about with truth, and having on the
breastplate of righteousness; 15 And your feet shod with the
preparation of the gospel of peace; 16 Above all, taking the shield
of faith, wherewith ye shall be able to quench all the fiery darts of
the wicked. 17 And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of
the Spirit, which is the word of God: 18 Praying always with all
prayer and supplication in the Spirit, and watching thereunto with
all perseverance and supplication for all saints;
3.
2nd Corinthians 10: 3-5, KJV: 3 For though we walk in
the flesh, we do not war after the flesh: 4 (For the weapons of our
warfare are not carnal, but mighty through God to the pulling
down of strong holds;) 5 Casting down imaginations, and every high
thing that exalteth itself against the knowledge of God, and bringing
into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ;
There
is far more that should be said, correctly examined, and spiritually
apprehended. (For example 4.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PsDCH0Y2aiU.)
Even so, I trust this fragment will be useful. Be it unto you
according to your faith.
Image
downloaded 5:14 PM, October 10, 2019 @
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Washington,
DC
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