Be
prepared!That can mean different things
to different people.During COVID-19,
some people think this means to have 20 packages of toilet paper and an extra
freezer full of food.To others, it
means making face masks to help protect others.It may mean reading articles on the virus and what is being done to
combat it. We might change our grocery shopping hours or order our medication refills early.
Some people
feel no need to be prepared.They feel
things are blown out of proportion and life should go on as usual. They do not wear a mask in public, stop close social contact, or wash their hands after being at a store. Their thoughts may change if someone close to
them dies from the virus.What is the
balance between being prepared and not living in a constant state of fear and
anxiety? How can we turn this into an opportunity to grow and be a witness to others?
This is not
just about handling a crisis in our lives.There is something greater we need to be prepared to handle.We are in a spiritual battle.This is something we all need to take
seriously as we prepare to do battle.We
need to be aware of the enemies plans and work together as a team.We need to train for battle, and most
importantly, we need to wear the armor God has supplied for us.
Dr. Michael
Sprague shares a great story with us on this topic.
It is important to assess what is real and how we are being affected. We need to recognize our own thoughts and feelings so we can deal with them constructively. Denying where we are at keeps us from making needed changes. We need to reach out to others around us to support them in ways we can. We may be separated physically, but there are still multiple ways to stay in contact with others. Hopefully, our attention is drawn to how to help others through this difficult time after we have done what is necessary to be emotionally healthy ourselves.
There will always be new challenges in our lives. The most important preparations involve our relationship with God. As we draw close to Him, He supplies all we need for anything we must face. It is important to be prepared. It is important to recognize we are in a battle. If we are growing continually in our knowledge of God, we will not be caught off guard. Recognizing His great power and unfailing love gives us the confidence and security to deal with trials.
Ephesians 6:13 contains battle instructions. "Therefore take up the whole armor of God, that you may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand firm." (ESV)
Eph. 6:14
says, “Stand therefore, having fastened on the belt of truth, and having put on
the breastplate of righteousness,”(The Holy Bible:ESV, 2016)
Righteousness
is defined by God’s standards.It is
being perfectly good, without sin.Righteousness
is an attribute of God.It is something
we cannot obtain by ourselves no matter how hard we try to live right.There is a difference between imputed and practical
righteousness.Let’s look at imputed
righteousness first.
“Righteousness
is an attribute which stems from a covenantal relationship. “ (Elwell, 1988)A covenant is a lasting arrangement formed for mutual benefits that was well known in Bible times.There were different types of
covenants, but a well known one was the blood covenant.Living in covenant meant you were entering into a relationship that would change how you lived your life.What
is true of one partner becomes true of the other as well when you share identities.
“Contracts
and covenants differ in a few areas. In terms of initiation, contracts are made
by the exchange of promises, whereas covenants are sworn by solemn oaths. In
application, contracts are limited by the terms of the exchange of property
(“this is yours, that is mine”), while covenants involve an exchange of life
(“I am yours, you are mine”), which covers a virtually unlimited range of human
relations and duties. In terms of motivation, contracts are based on profit and
self-interest, while covenants call for self-giving loyalty and sacrificial
love. Contracts are temporary while covenant bonds are permanent, even
intergenerational. “(Hahn, 2016)
Each tribe
would choose a covenant representative head. This person represented the whole group. (Remember how Goliath represented
the Philistines and David the Israelites in the challenge to Israel?) Covenant ceremonies consisted of a
series of exchanges between the representative heads. An exchange of garments was an exchange of
identity. What is true of one is true of
the other. An exchange of weapons showed protection. You would fight for each other. The exchange
of a token possession signified that all they had was in common- resources and
debts.They would exchange names adding part of the
name from the other to their own name.If you asked for something in the name of your covenant partner, they
would fulfill your request.The exchange
of vows and blood was done with uplifted arms clasped together with the other
representative at cuts in wrist so essence of one flowed into the other.They would cut an animal and walk between the
two halves of the animal signifying, “May this happen to me if I ever break the
covenant.”It is a walk into death of
self and the right to independent living.If
the covenant is broken, one of the representatives must die.
God made a covenant with Abraham in Genesis 15. God was the only one who went between the two cut pieces of the animals.Christ is the one who
paid the price for man breaking his end of the covenant.He gave us His garment-one of righteousness-
in exchange for ours of sin.He paid the
price for our sin, but we are seen as righteous in Him when we by faith accept his provision. We are in Christ and He is in us. We are now part of the new covenant through Jesus.
“Individuals
cannot attain to righteousness, but receive it as a gift from God (Rom
3:21–5:21). There is no righteousness apart from Jesus Christ.” (Elwell, 1988)
“So God as
the righteous Judge justifies—places in a right relation with himself within
the new covenant of grace—those who believe the gospel of the Father concerning
his Son, the Lord Jesus Christ. And he justifies Jew and Greek alike on
precisely the same basis, by faith alone without works, and he makes no
distinction whatsoever between the people of the Old Covenant and the Gentiles.”
(Toon, 1996)
Practical righteousness is how we live day by day. We learn to put off the old self and put on the qualities God teaches us. It is a moment by moment choice, and an area we can continually grow in.
"Therefore,
since God has made them his own and given to them his righteousness, their duty
and privilege is to be righteous in conduct. And he promises that on the last
day and for the life of the age to come he will actually make them to be truly
and effectually righteous in all that they are, become, and do.” (Toon, 1996)
"Already there is the provision of a right
relation with God through the preaching of the gospel, but there is not yet the
experience of the fullness of righteousness as an imparted gift. Now believers
merely have the firstfruits of that which awaits them in the age to come.” (Toon, 1996) Dr. Michael Sprague, Louisiana State Chaplain with Capitol Commission, addresses the meaning of the Breastplate of Righteousness in the following video.
Eph. 4:22-24
exhorts, “to put off your old self, which belongs to your former manner of
life and is corrupt through deceitful desires, and to be renewed in the
spirit of your minds, and to put on the new self, created after the
likeness of God in true righteousness and holiness.“(The Holy
Bible:ESV, 2016) “... we should see the
point as the complete setting aside of the old ‘garments’, having nothing
further to do with them, and replacing them by new ones. What is to be Put off
is described as the old nature. As past sins are dealt with by the grace of
forgiveness, and as repentance determines to abandon them completely, all that
belongs to the old way of life, the way of the heathen that has been described
in verses 17–19, is to be set aside decisively.“ (Foulkes, 1989)
“Practical
righteousness involves both putting off and putting on. … Unlike imputed righteousness,
it’s not a once-in-a-lifetime action.It
is a moment-by-moment, day-by-day, repeated choice and action.” (Shirer, 2018)
Satan will try to tell us we are not good enough and question how God could love and forgive someone who fails so often. We need to remind him that we are clothed in Christ's garment of righteousness. We are viewed through His righteousness, and nothing we do can change that. Having a vibrant relationship with God is where our focus should be. Growing in relationship with Christ will lead to growing in righteousness. “One of the
most cunning tricks of the enemy is to get us to sink our energy into changing
instead of focusing it on cultivating health and wellness in Christ.But if we concentrate on having a vibrant,
healthy spiritual life, we’ll automatically grow and change as a result.” (Shirer, 2018)
A special thanks to Dr. Timothy R. Valentino of Evangelical Seminary for his teaching on covenant and his slides.
Works Cited
Elwell, W. &. (1988). Righteousness. In Baker
Encyclopedia of the Bible (Vol. 2) (pp. 1860-1862). Grand Rapids, MI:
Baker Book House.
Foulkes, F. (1989). Ephesians: an introduction and
commentary (Vol. 10, p.136. Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press.
Hahn, S. (2016). Covenant. In D. B. J.D. Barry, The
Lexham Bible Dictionary. Bellingham, WA: Lexham Press.
Shirer, P. (2018). The Armor of God.
Nashville: LifeWay Press.
The Holy Bible:English Standard Version. (2016). Wheaton, IL: Crossway Bibles.
Toon, P. (1996). Righteousness. In Evangelical
Dictionary of Biblical Theology (pp. electronic ed., pp.688-689). Grand
Rapids: Baker Book House.
“Therefore
take up the whole armor of God, that you may be able to withstand in the evil
day, and having done all, to stand firm. Stand therefore, having fastened on the belt
of truth, and having put on the breastplate of righteousness, and, as shoes for
your feet, having put on the readiness given by the gospel of peace.” Ephesians
6:13-15(The Holy Bible, ESV, 2016)
Truth holds
everything else together.It is an indispensible
part of our armor that protects us in spiritual warfare. Truth does not change
just because we do not accept it.Lies
from the world around us can put us in a place of defeat, despair, and feeling
a lack of worth.We need the truth that
God willingly reveals to us. John 17:17 says, “Sanctify them in the truth;
your word is truth.” (The Holy Bible, ESV, 2016)
At the fall, we lost fellowship with God
and lost sight of the truth. We chose to
follow our own way instead of God’s way. God wants to redeem us, not just for eternity, but for today as well. He wants us to choose to live for Him and yield to His way of life.
“All
Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for
correction, and for training in righteousness, that the man of God may be
complete, equipped for every good work.” 2 Timothy 3:16-17 (The Holy Bible,
ESV, 2016)We need
to become familiar with God’s Word to learn truth.God makes His Word come alive and changes our
worldview and lives through the Holy Spirit.We need to regularly let God reveal truth through His Word.
“When the
Spirit of truth comes, he will guide you into all the truth, for he will not
speak on his own authority, but whatever he hears he will speak, and he will
declare to you the things that are to come.” John 16:13 (The Holy Bible, ESV, 2016)
“these
things God has revealed to us through the Spirit. For the Spirit searches
everything, even the depths of God. For
who knows a person's thoughts except the spirit of that person, which is in
him? So also no one comprehends the thoughts of God except the Spirit of God. Now we have received not the spirit of the
world, but the Spirit who is from God, that we might understand the things
freely given us by God.” 1 Corinthians
2:10-12 (The Holy Bible, ESV, 2016) We have the
Holy Spirit living within us once we ask God to forgive us through Christ and
invite Him into our lives.God’s Spirit
helps us understand His Word, convicts, helps us apply truth to our lives, and
helps us realize who God is and who we are in relationship to God.
“It is
through the work of the Spirit that we gain the ability to know God and the
truth that can give us the capacity to walk in victory in our day-to-day
lives.Please note that we gain the
ability to know God.The Holy Spirit
never forces us to know God or be restored by His truth.But it is through the work of the Spirit that
we are given the opportunity to exchange our viewpoint on a matter with God’s”
(Evans, Victory in Spiritual Warfare, 2011)
There are
many worldviews we are exposed to in our lifetime.Truth cannot be found through just any
path.God has revealed truth to us. He does not force us to change. We choose each day whether or not we will allow God to be in charge.
“The truth
is an objective standard of reality that stands outside our experiences and
above our opinions.That standard of
truth is the Word of God.The belt of
truth is becoming more and more important because we live in a world that no
longer accepts objective truth. … Truth today is totally relative, and
‘tolerance’ is the current buzzword.That’s why you’ll hear people say, ‘What’s true for you is not
necessarily true for me.’” (Evans, 1998)
“Truth is
the great sanctifier. … (1) The truth about God.Every attribute you behold engages your love,
quickens your trust, makes you wish to serve Him.(2) The truth about Christ, His work, love,
humanity, Godhead, intercession, etc., is all quickening.(3) The truth about man.Oh, if we could have it, and see man in God’s
light- something lovable in the worst, something saveable in the lowest- how it
would take away our despair, engage our service, quicken our love.Every error of life springs from an error of
thought.A lie is the root of all
evil.”R. Glover
We need to
know the truth about God- who He is, what He has done for us, and how to be in
relationship with Him.2 Peter 1:3 says,
“His divine power has granted to us all things that pertain to life and
godliness, through the knowledge of him who called us to his own glory and
excellence,” (The Holy Bible, English Standard Version, 2016) We cannot do anything to earn our salvation or God's love. Jesus has done it all for us, and we are part of God's family through Christ. There is nothing that we can do that can separate us from His love. It is important to know who we are through Christ and what that means. Pastor Omar Zook speaks to this.
"Self-worth
is not an issue of giftedness, talent, intelligence or beauty.Self-worth is an identity issue.Your sense of personal worth comes from
knowing who you are: a child of God.” (Anderson, 1990)
“To be in
Christ is to have a new identity.Second
Corinthians 5:17 declares: ‘Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new
creation; the old has gone, the new has come!’The only way to succeed in living the Christian life is to see yourself
for who you really are in Christ. “ (Stewart, 1992)“No person can consistently behave in a way
that’s inconsistent with the way he perceives himself.If you think you’re a no-good bum, you’ll
probably live like a no-good bum.But if
you see yourself as a child of God who is spiritually alive in Christ, you’ll
begin to live in victory and freedom as He lived.Next to a knowledge of God, a knowledge of
who you are is by far the most important truth you can possess.” (Anderson, 1990)
“Satan’s
deception is reflected in the title we often give to ourselves: sinners saved
by grace.Yes, we were sinners, and we
are saved by grace.But we’re not
sinners now.That’s not our scriptural
identity any longer.We’re saints who occasionally
sin.” (Stewart, 1992)
It is important to realize that everything changes when we become a child of God. We are living from a place of victory through Christ. We are loved and forgiven and have a relationship with God. When working with other Christians who are struggling in life, we need to help them realize who they are in Christ. The truth is a powerful weapon.
“Generally
speaking, our society isn’t one that takes strong, firm stands on truth.Even the church, sadly, too often fails to
hold clear views on right living and God-honoring choices.Many people who call themselves Christians
today don’t have a strong core belief system to govern their lives. They don’t
frame their decisions around the truth of God’s Word, aren’t stable and sturdy
in their convictions, are too easily injured and wounded by others, and buckle
under pressure rather than standing tough and persevering.” (Shirer, 2018) Our struggle is not against people, and we are not fighting in our own strength. It is important to recognize lies and replace them with God's truth. As we learn more about God and His plans, we can develop a biblical worldview. Knowing who we are in Christ should change how we view ourselves, others, and how we look at life.
2
Corinthians 10:3-5 encourages, “For though we walk in the flesh, we are not
waging war according to the flesh. For the weapons of our warfare are not of
the flesh but have divine power to destroy strongholds. We destroy arguments
and every lofty opinion raised against the knowledge of God, and take every
thought captive to obey Christ, (The Holy Bible, ESV, 2016)
Works Cited
Anderson, N. T. (1990). Victory Over the Darkness.
Ventura, CA: Regal Books.
Babler, J. (2014). Biblical Crisis Counseling: Not
if But When. John Babler.
Evans, T. (1998). The Battle is the Lord's.
Chicago: Moody Press.
Evans, T. (2011). Victory in Spiritual Warfare.
Eugene, OR: Harvet House Publishers.
Shirer, P. (2018). The Armor of God.
Nashville: Lifeway Press.
Stewart, E. e. (1992). Breaking Through to
Spiritual Maturity. Gospel Light.
The Holy Bible, English Standard Version. (2016). Crossway Bibles.
