Before you put your pants on . . . 2 Corinthians 10.3-6

A proper world view.

Being a parent is both a great blessing and a limitless responsibility. I remember hearing that being a mother is like cutting part of your heart out of your body and letting it walk around without you. Oh,
there is so much joy watching your babies grow, take their first steps,
learn to talk, and grow into children and then young adults. There are so many things to teach them, including those things children must be both aware of and wary of…

Similarly, Paul was like the spiritual parent of all the churches he spawned as he spread the gospel. He wanted his young offspring to be fully aware of themselves as followers of Jesus Christ in a non-believing world. He taught them of the spiritual battle that was always going on around them:

“We are human, but we don’t wage war as humans do. We use God’s mighty weapons, not worldly weapons, to knock down the strongholds of human reasoning and to destroy false arguments. We
destroy every proud obstacle that keeps people from knowing God. We
capture their rebellious thoughts and teach them to obey Christ. And after you have become fully obedient, we will punish everyone who remains disobedient.” 2 Cor. 10.3-6

Paul’s warning was not just to the first-century Christians, it is as relevant, if not more, for us today. Many people fail to recognize that the deceiver, Satan, has set himself against all that is good, all that is holy, healthy and helpful. I’ve
come across those who do not want to countenance the truth of evil, but
my dear friends, that does not mean it does not exist! Remaining
ignorant of the way the enemy works means that you are choosing to be
unaware, and you are choosing to leave your fort undefended.

Recognizing then that there is a war brought about by the powers of darkness that would rob us of joy, truth, honor and generally lead us astray, we are not without resource. Indeed, we who are Christ’s followers have been given ‘weapons’ with which to gird ourselves. Our weapons are God-given--the Word of God, righteousness, faith, the gospel of peace, and the power of prayer. Paul called these things the ‘armor of God’, and told the believers to put on the full armor of God, and then they would know his strength and his power!

So, when you put on your deodorant in the morning, remember to put on the armor of God. I had a mental image of Tom Cruise putting on his flight gear before assuming his place in the cockpit—why? Because that prepared him for flight. The NFL player does not step onto the playing field without helmet and protective gear—why? Because those are his protection, enabling him to play the game well AND without fear. Now, you--you are a child of the King, so walk in righteousness and truth, and gird your loins with time with God--in his Word and in communion
with him. Picture yourself putting on the righteousness of God, kinda’ like your own harness, and carrying his word within you. ‘Got it? Deodorant…soul armor…and okay, now you can put your pants on!

The world uses different ‘weapons’—lofty thinking, scientific knowledge, personal influence and intellectual rhetoric all laced with insidious
pride, but we have TRUTH. It is this TRUTH we use to overcome strongholds, which are what they sound like, fortresses built on false thinking/falsehoods. It is the TRUTH of Christ that destroys lofty arguments that keep people in darkness. “We destroy every proud obstacle that keeps people from knowing God,” Paul wrote. This indicates strong action and intention on the part of the people of God.

Knowledge of the evil one’s ways is beneficial. He will remind you of your past, tell you that you are no good, that you’re never going to change…he will rip you off of the joy God has in
mind for you, causing you to worry and be anxious. Do not let him. Know who you are in Christ, and never forget whose you are.

I am praying for you.

Christine