THIS ARMY'S PROBLEM ISN'T UNDER FUNDING

„God is strong, and he wants you strong. So take everything the Master has set out for you, well-made weapons of the best materials. And put them to use so you will be able to stand up to everything the Devil throws your way. This is no afternoon athletic contest that we'll walk away from and forget about in a couple of hours. This is for keeps, a life-or-death fight to the finish against the Devil and all his angels„

(Ephesians 6,10-12 / The Message Bible)

Take them, and put them to use! To be victorious in the spiritual battles we are engaged in, we need to put on the armor that God supplies. The commandment “put on” carries the idea of permanence, of once and for all.

An understanding of the very nature of the Christian life is in order at this point. We are under attack continuously. Satan, our enemy wants to destroy the works of Christ in and around us. He hates our peace, jealous of our joy, laughs at our commitments and ceaselessly pursues us on our searches for deeper life with the Lord. When he happens on a believer who is off guard - his tactics are predictable – he overwhelms his victims with accusations and doubts, blinds them with the poisons of hellish lies, and then takes them as hostages, captivated by the lure of deadly deceptions. There are numerous passages in the Bible, warnings regarding this issue.

Our hope is in the Lord. He wants us to be strong and divinely protected, so there are “well-made weapons of the best materials” set out for us. Christ’s army never suffers because of under funding. But we need to put on the armor of God (in the following verses the apostle writes about them in more detail)!

There was an expedition to Mount Everest in 1996 that ended in tragedy. I see the sad story of Andy Harris’ death, who happened to be the leader of the group of climbers as a portray of believers leaving the provisions of God unused for their detriment. As Jon Krakauer tells in his book Into Thin Air, on his descent form the mountain Mr. Harris became in dire need of oxygen. In his last contact with the base-camp, he radioed his predicament to his friends. When asked about his location, he told them that he was next to a cache of oxygen canisters left behind by other climbers, all empty. The colleagues he talked with on the radio had already passed by those canisters on their own return from the summit. They knew that they were not empty, but full. They pleaded with him to make use of them. But Harris’ mind was disoriented. Already starved of oxygen, his incapacitated brain failed him to recognize “the provision”, and to use the oxygen-filled container that was in his hand.

Lord Jesus! You are able to keep me from stumbling, and to make me stand in the presence of your glory blameless with great joy. I want to obey you. Amen.