The Attitude of the Armed

At 1:52 AM, a Pacific Beach, California resident heard someone breaking into his home. Fearing for his wife and young child’s safety, the homeowner retrieved a gun and fired at the intruder, who suffered a wound to his ankle and fled the scene. Police apprehended the suspect, took him for medical treatment and then to jail. (The San Diego Union-Tribune). This is not a political speech prepared by the NRA.  I am establishing a specific, documented attitude that people possess when they are threatened.  

Defenseless people under attack feel engulfed by a sense of helplessness.  They pull back into a defensive mode, they lose confidence and their attitude changes from defiance to compliance.  This kind of fear and panic gives rise to surrender.  But, what happens to a fully arsmed person under attack?  A Justice Department report points out that, “Americans use guns in self-defense as many as 4,110 times every day.  Guns are used 50 times more to save life than to take life.” Studies indicate that firearms are used over 2,000.000 times a year for protection, and that the presence of a firearm, without a shot being fired, prevents crime in many instances. Shooting usually can be justified only where crime constitutes an immediate, imminent threat to life, limb, or, in some cases, property. 

In the book of Numbers, Israel and the barbarian tribes of Canaan were in a conflict.  The tribes of Reuben and Gad, however, declined to fight.  At one time, they were gung ho, ready to fight at the drop of a hat.  Now, they lost their courage.  Rarefied bravery turned into a wide yellow stripe down their backs.  Moses did not like the request. “Shall your countrymen go to war while you sit here? Numbers 32:6. Why did these tribes back out? Fear? Afraid to lose? Could they visualize their families being slaughtered and their lives in ruin and chaos?  Whatever the reason, they finally decided to arm themselves and join the fight.  

The church of the Lord Jesus Christ is in a war.  Anyone who is slugging it out in the trenches of spiritual warfare knows that Satan has not called a truce.  The stakes are heaven and hell.  Families hang in the balance.  Our way of life is threatened.  Cutting and running is not an option.  It is fight or die. The worst thing you can do is avoid the conflict, take the easy way out and expect the enemy to leave you alone.  Even though the Lord fights our battles, we must not go unarmed.  Anyone going into diplomatic services is not issued a weapon. Anyone going into military service gets a weapon and is trained in how to use and care for it. God has not called the church to engage in diplomacy with Satan. He has called us to be soldiers.  God has supplied the church with an arsenal of sophisticated and powerful weapons.  

What are you thinking?  (Bad things are going to happen; I am going to lose the battle; I am a failure; the devil is out to get me; he always trips me up on my weaknesses?) These are the fears and trepidations of the unarmed.  Armed people have a different attitude.  Arm yourself with spiritual weapons.  Take up the weapon of prayer.  Take up the weapon of fasting.  Take up the weapon of the Word of God.  These are spiritual weapons. “For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal, but mighty through God to pull down strong holds; so cast down imaginations, and every high thing that exalts itself against the knowledge of God, and bring into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ.” 2 Corinthians 10:4.  You may think you are defenseless, vulnerable and abandoned.  But you’ve got God’s HIGH TECH weapons system!  God has well-armed and outfitted his church against all enemies! Only the unarmed have reason to fear! Go forward! You are armed and dangerous! 

Comments

[fran]

We used to sing: "If you're in the battle for the LORD and right, keep on the firing line.
If you'd win, my brother, surely you must fight, keep on the firing line.
. . .a coward in the service will find no place....

A couple of days ago after reading this scripture: "And He saw that there was no man, and wondered that there was no intercessor: therefore His arm brought salvation unto Him; and His righteousness, it sustained Him.
And He put on RIGHTEOUSNESS as a BREASTPLATE, and an HELMET of SALVATION upon His head; and HE put on the GARMENTS of VENGEANCE for CLOTHING, and was CLAD with zeal as a CLOAK." (Isaiah 59:16 & 17)

~and, of course, the remaining verses let us know what He will do, if we will do our part!

The old saints (namely, Mother Gillespie) used to sing about being in the Army of the LORD!
"I've Got My War Clothes On!" is one line that came to mind.

"Be not afraid of sudden fear, neither of the desolation of the wicked, when it cometh." (Proverbs 3:25) and Isaiah 59:19 ... "When the enemy shall come in like a flood, the spirit of the LORD shall lift up a standard against him."

O Bishop! forgive me for taking advantage....but, you provoke me!...to good works! Thank you! My husband and I benefit so much from reading your writings that we know come from the depth of your soul...even the admonishing, correction, and instruction, is encouraging. Because He chastises, we know He loves us!