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Wednesday, March 29, 2006

Part 3: The Armor of God

Ephesians 6:13
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.

As I write this entry, I have been writing other things for about 2 ½ to 3 hours already, and considered waiting, but I felt it necessary to continue. I was unsure in the last entry to include verse 13 in the discussion of Part 2 of The Armor of God, but after prayer and reflection, I felt led to use it as a “jumping off” point for the discussion of the various pieces of spiritual armor, which we will begin studying in Part 4. I have amended the schedule from last time and, instead of looking at two verses this time, I will only be discussing one. I trust this series has been helpful to you thus far, and that you will return to this blog as we continue our exploration (don’t forget to leave your comments and pass along the web address to your friends!).

In Part 2, our discussion dealt with the need for strength, and what those forces are which require Godly strength to overcome. Verse 13 seems to be a natural break in the thought, the continuation of the overall message. After explaining the enemies of the child of God, the Apostle Paul says, in essence, “So, since all of these things are against you, because this is such a serious and severe battle you face daily, you must now do what is necessary to overcome.” This brings us to Part 3 in this series.

You will recall toward the end of our previous entry, I mentioned that the key word in verse 11 was the word WHOLE. Again Paul stresses that, in order to overcome the forces against us, we must take each and every piece of God’s armor, if we have any hope of success. He says that the entire key to surviving and enduring these daily challenges rests not only in the possession of, but the utilizing of the whole armor of God.

The power of God is not like some invisible force field you’d see in a Star Trek episode, shielding us from the attack of the enemy. While it is God’s power that ultimately gives us success, there is an element of choice on our part, and the choice we make is essential.

I can perhaps best illustrate this by using an everyday example. As you are preparing to leave your home one morning, you see a flash of lightning and hear the crack of thunder rumbling in the distance. Pulling aside the curtains reveals a dark, blustery day awaiting you. The wind is whipping the tree branches around, and rain is falling in heavy sheets, obscuring your view of the end of the sidewalk, where your car awaits you.

You finish getting ready, hoping the wind and rain will lessen by the time you are finished. It does not. So, you start walking around your house collecting those items that will keep you dry on your way to the car. Gathering each item and placing them on the couch, you finally have everything at your disposal. You have a waterproof raincoat that goes almost to the ground. You have rubber coverings for your shoes. You have a hat, which is also waterproof. In addition, you have a large umbrella.

Your goal is to reach your car without getting wet, so the question presents itself: what will you choose to use? You are free to pick whatever items you wish, using all, some or none. If you choose to use the rubber shoe coverings only, you’re going to get soaked. If you choose to use just the raincoat and hat, your shoes will get wet. Just take the umbrella, and the wind will most certainly blow the rain underneath and drench your clothes. One other option presents itself. You can fold up the coat and place it under one arm, put the hat in one hand, the shoe coverings in the other, and the umbrella under your other arm, and head out into the storm.

Now, take this example and insert it into verse 13. To be able to withstand the storm effectively, without getting wet, every piece of equipment you have must be used. But it must be used properly and effectively. As I said in the previous paragraph, you can take everything out the door with you, but unless you’re using it the way it was intended, you will still get wet, even though each item was designed to keep you dry.

Satan makes sure that the storms in your life are fierce, that they blow in every direction, and that everything is done to maximize the difficulty you will face. God has provided us with the tools necessary to withstand and overcome, but only if we know what they are, where they are, and how to use them. Then, we must choose to put each one to use, otherwise those things we do end up using aren’t as effective at keeping us safe.

Now, let’s look at the rest of this verse, and once again figure out a way for us to understand it. The last part of verse 13 says, “…and having done all, to stand.” Returning once more to our example, let’s say you do end up putting on everything, the raincoat, the hat, the shoe coverings and the umbrella. Then, after adorning yourself in this fine waterproof array, you sit down in your recliner, prop up your feet, turn on the television, and enjoy your favorite program.

What’s wrong with this picture?

Those rain-protecting items are meant to be used in the rain, and if you’re going to use them, then use them! After having done all the work, it’s time to head out into the storm. You put your trust in these things to keep you dry, and once you reach your car, you find that all the work paid off. You’re ready to head off to your destination, and you’re doing it dry.

We go to church, we study and pray, and intellectually we know that the armor of God is there for us. However, we need to remember that we’re on a journey. The Lord didn’t design us to sit still, but to move. It’s safe to stay isolated, to never take a personal risk, but we never accomplish anything. God has instructed us in what His armor is, and how to use it. Now, after we have done everything, it’s time to stand. The armor will work, and once we have put on every piece, we must put it to use and stand.

God does not want us to go out into the storms of life and get drenched. When we claim to be a Christian, everything we say and do (and everything we don’t say and don’t do) reflects on the Lord. If God promised to be with us and never forsake us, if He said His grace was sufficient, if He gave us armor that will enable us to stand, then it is our obligation to do all we can to stand. We must rely on His strength to see us through, but we must be the ones to choose to use that strength.

Life is filled with storm and trials. The devil will hit us with everything he’s got, when it is and is not convenient for us, when we are taking a risk or playing it safe. Therefore it is necessary that we take up all of God’s armor. It is the only way we can overcome. Nevertheless, taking up the armor is not enough. We need to put it on and use it.

Storms will come. The key is what we will do with the storm when it does arrive. We know the enemy, we know his ruthlessness and his tricks, and we know we have the hope of beating him. It is time to stand.

So, what are the pieces of this mighty armor, and how do we use it? How do we “put it on?” That is a discussion for another time. Check back soon, and we will begin to examine each piece of Godly armor, what it means for us, and how to most effectively put it to use each and every day.

NEXT TIME: Ephesians 6:14

© 2006, Chris Keeton and Soulscape Press. All rights reserved. All material printed on this site is protected by the copyright law of the United States. It may not be reproduced, distributed, transmitted, displayed, published or broadcast without the prior written permission of Chris Keeton and Soulscape Press, obtainable by writing to soulscape@alltel.net. Altering or removing any trademark, copyright or other notice from copies of the content is not permitted. Any and all portions of material copied from the Soulscape Blog must be properly attributed to Chris Keeton and Soulscape, and cited with original blog web address.

Friday, March 24, 2006

Part 2: The Armor of God

Ephesians 6:11-12
Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil. 12 For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this age, against spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places.

In Part 1, we saw the need for strength. The first question this brings to mind is, “Why exactly do I need strength?” We need strength in order to stand firm under our trials, to stand for the Lord, to stand against Satan and sin, and to stand with our brothers and sisters. It takes strength to stand.

But with everything we tend to have going against us, the next logical question is this: “From where do we gain this strength?” The answer is found in these verses. We find the strength to stand by using the armor of God.

No matter whom you are or how strong you may be, even the strongest person is vulnerable to vicious and even deadly attack. Think back through the centuries of warfare, and you will find even the most battle-hardened soldiers would wear their armor. The wearing of armor was not a sign of weakness, but evidence of forward thinking and honest assessment of personal limitations, as well as the fierceness of an attacking enemy. To be victorious in battle, protection is needed. Even today’s soldier wears protective body armor to withstand enemy attacks.

And while there are things in this life that might require a suit of armor, physical armor is not enough. We are not fighting against physical, conventional weapons, but against weapons that can penetrate our minds, our emotions, our very spirits, if we are not extremely careful. The devil does not only through things at us that we can see and fight. He is sneaky, and he knows how to hurt us effectively.

No matter how smart, how strong, how spiritual you think you are, the devil is cunning, and will find your weakest point, in order to exploit it to his advantage and to hasten your destruction. The American Heritage Dictionary defines the word “wile” (from verse 11) as, “strategies or tricks intended to deceive or ensnare; a disarming or seductive manner, device or procedure; to influence, to entice.” (A further meaning, which will come into play in a moment, is, “to pass time,” i.e. to wile away a pleasant evening.)

As you can see, Satan will use whatever means he can to influence your decision-making process, to seduce you into making a poor choice, to trick you and then trap you. And, at the very least, he will try to get you to pass your time, to ignore the importance of every moment, and rob you of your life, one second at a time. These means all lead to one end: your destruction. This destruction is not a threat to your eternal soul. The devil wants to destroy your testimony and witness. He wants to destroy your effectiveness for the Lord’s work and kingdom.

God knows what we face daily; He knows the temptations and trials, the struggles and pain of this life. He knows these things because He Himself came in the person of Jesus, and lived our experiences, and through His own power overcame these wiles of the devil. Since we are imperfect, He shares with us the armor we require to overcome our own problems. And as we go through life, we find that there is no other way to stand and survive. Verse 12 shows us what we’re up against. It’s not difficult to look around every day and see these things against us. We must stand against these forces. We must have the armor of God upon us, in order to stand.

Briefly, I want to define these wily enemies of the child of God, using the dictionary definition, and then the practical foe we face.

PRINCIPALITIESa territory ruled by an individual, and the authority and sovereignty of that individual. This world is controlled by Satan; just turn on your television or open a newspaper and you can see that. The Christian is described as being, “in the world, but not of the world.” We spiritually stand against these forces, and while we live in this world, we do not have to be like the world. This difference automatically makes us an enemy of the ruler of this world.

POWERSability to effectively perform some act; the strength and force required to act and able to be exerted; a specific capacity or aptitude. No matter how strong you are, the devil is stronger. Satan has the ability to effectively destroy you, if you are not properly protected. He has far more power than you do within yourself alone, and his specific task is your ruin and destruction. No regular armor, no amount of wits nor preparation can defeat these powers. Something more is required.

RULERS OF THE DARKNESS OF THIS AGE, AND SPIRITUAL HOSTS OF WICKEDNESS IN THE HEAVENLY PLACES – As time moves on, there never seems to be a lack of evil. Someone is always ready to step up and take the reins of evil, and it is found from the very top to the very bottom of society. The heavenly places refer to everything around us. It seems we cannot escape evil, no matter how far we run. One reason for this is that in ourselves, we tend to take that characteristic with us. There are hosts of wickedness all around us, and we must have an adequate defense against that which can simultaneously be against us, around us, above and below us and within us.

There is no other way to stand. Alone, we are defeated before we ever begin. But with the armor of God, we can and will overcome. Armor is only effective if it is used. If you were about to face a battle, your armor would not save you if it remained in your closet, or sitting on your coffee table. It must be used. Each piece must be examined and understood, so that it is used effectively. Then, it must be carefully applied so that the protection is complete. This is true for earthly, physical armor, and it is especially true for the spiritual armor of God.

I have always been fond of finding the “key words” in various Scripture, and in these two verses, the key word is found in verse 11. That word is WHOLE.

To be successful in our spiritual warfare (a warfare in which we are all engaged, whether we acknowledge it or not; it is not a war of our choosing, for we fight it regardless; the question is whether we will win or lose that fight), it is necessary that we possess and use the WHOLE armor of God. Leave one piece out, and it’s as ineffective as if you wore no armor at all. Satan can find the smallest crack in our defenses, and if we leave out one piece of God’s armor, that is exactly where He will attack.

It is not enough to apply most of the armor. Likewise, it is not enough to follow most of the Bible, most of God’s instructions for righteous living. We must follow completely, or not at all. The enemy is fierce, and it seems as though we have no hope of success. But God’s armor is more than effective enough to give us victory, if we will only use it.

In Part 3, we will begin to explore what each piece of armor is, and how we can best use it in our daily lives. I hope you’ll join me soon as we continue this study.

NEXT TIME: Ephesians 6:13

© 2006, Chris Keeton and Soulscape Press. All rights reserved. All material printed on this site is protected by the copyright law of the United States. It may not be reproduced, distributed, transmitted, displayed, published or broadcast without the prior written permission of Chris Keeton and Soulscape Press, obtainable by writing to soulscape@alltel.net. Altering or removing any trademark, copyright or other notice from copies of the content is not permitted. Any and all portions of material copied from the Soulscape Blog must be properly attributed to Chris Keeton and Soulscape, and cited with original blog web address.

Wednesday, March 15, 2006

Part 1: The Armor of God

Ephesians 6:10
Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord and in the power of His might.

Strength is essential. It is especially necessary in the Christian life. In fact, when you consider what is required of the Christian, you realize that without strength, it’s hopeless.

Now, before you throw your hands up and say, “Well, then, what’s the use?” allow me to explain. If you or someone close to you were to make a list of your predominant characteristics, it might read something like this:

1. Is a follower, not a leader.
2. Is quiet, somewhat weak in difficult situations, blends in.
3. Has a nervous personality, tends to worry, no willpower.

Or, maybe on the opposite end of the spectrum, such a list might read:

1. Takes command in all situations, difficult or otherwise; a strong leadership presence.
2. Boisterous, fun-loving, always at ease in the largest or smallest crowds.
3. Confident, calm and collected; seems to have things “together;” determined.

Reading these lists, and accepting the idea that the Christian life takes strength, which person would be the one you would choose? It might surprise you to know that the second person described above is not the number one choice. Nor is the first person.

Confused yet? Well, both kinds of people in these descriptions have one thing in common, and that one thing is often the biggest disadvantage to the largest number of people. What is that one thing? Both describe human strength, and whether you have it in abundance or scarcity, human strength cannot be a substitute for spiritual strength.

What trips up most people is that they try to live the Christian life, make good choices, resist temptation, all by relying on human strength. The Apostle Paul knew this was impossible, which is why he told us what he did here in Ephesians 6:10. This is yet another restatement of Jesus’ words in Mark 10:27 -- But Jesus looked at them and said, "With men it is impossible, but not with God; for with God all things are possible." and again in Luke 18:27 -- But He said, "The things which are impossible with men are possible with God."

In order to be what the Lord wants us to be, in order to live the successful and effective Christian life, we must have strength. But that strength must not come from ourselves; it must come from the Lord. Recently I heard a message on the radio that stated it very well (my apologies for not properly attributing the quote, because I can’t really remember; it was either from David Jeremiah or the late Adrian Rogers). The speaker said, “What you do doesn’t make you a sinner. You do what you do because you’re a sinner.”

Likewise, what you do doesn’t make you righteous. You become righteous because of something you cannot do for yourself. You stay righteous, you remain strong not because of those things you refrain from, but by relying on a strength from above that lives within the heart of the Christian.

As a child of God, you must choose to refuse sin entrance into your life. But you cannot simply resist temptations. As a being of flesh, the tendency is to give in and partake of sin. Relying on faulty strength is a recipe for disaster. But by depending upon the strength of the Lord and the power of His might, we are able to overcome. Still, it must be mentioned that this strength is not just to avoid falling into temptation. There is more.

Satan not only throws temptations into our way to knock us off the Lord’s path, but he also does his best to weaken our testimony, to make us experience depression, fear, and doubt. These fiery darts, so to speak, are hurled at us daily. If we rely on our own strength to “keep a stiff upper lip,” we can and ultimately will give into those things that render us ineffective as children of God.

In addition, it is not only our lives which are at stake. We play a vital part in the lives of those whom we encounter daily. It is vital that they see within us a determination and strength that goes beyond the physical.

Don’t be afraid to fail. We all make mistakes, we all have bad days. But each time you feel overwhelmed, or even prideful about your own power, remember the words of Ephesians 6:10. Remember that to make it through successfully, we must be strong in the Lord and in the power of HIS might. And since the strength, power and might comes from Him, we know that anything is possible.

NEXT TIME: Ephesians 6:11-12

© 2006, Chris Keeton and Soulscape Press. All rights reserved. All material printed on this site is protected by the copyright law of the United States. It may not be reproduced, distributed, transmitted, displayed, published or broadcast without the prior written permission of Chris Keeton and Soulscape Press, obtainable by writing to soulscape@alltel.net. Altering or removing any trademark, copyright or other notice from copies of the content is not permitted. Any and all portions of material copied from the Soulscape Blog must be properly attributed to Chris Keeton and Soulscape, and cited with original blog web address.

Monday, March 13, 2006

Upcoming Events


It always seems as though circumstances arrive to make the normal flow of things, the daily plans, go awry. Still, you must deal with each situation, and do your best to keep going.

So, I wanted to share with you what’s coming up in the days and weeks ahead. As time permits, hopefully at least once a week, I will share some thoughts on a portion of Scripture that I believe is vital to each Christian, as well as the only means of defense against the enemies which try to get us down, or keep us down. That Scripture is Ephesians 6:10-20, and deals with The Armor of God.

I hope to address these verses, and these different pieces of spiritual armor, in order, one by one, in an effort to help us find the strength to face life’s challenges.

As I said, there are some things going on right now that require my focus and attention, but I will do my best to get at least one entry on this topic published on the blog each week. So, keep watching the site, study these verses on your own, and let’s look forward to the Lord enlightening us together!

© 2006, Chris Keeton and Soulscape Press. All rights reserved. All material printed on this site is protected by the copyright law of the United States. It may not be reproduced, distributed, transmitted, displayed, published or broadcast without the prior written permission of Chris Keeton and Soulscape Press, obtainable by writing to soulscape@alltel.net. Altering or removing any trademark, copyright or other notice from copies of the content is not permitted. Any and all portions of material copied from the Soulscape Blog must be properly attributed to Chris Keeton and Soulscape, and cited with original blog web address.

Sunday, March 05, 2006

Wilderness Experiences


Deuteronomy 8:2
"And you shall remember that the LORD your God led you all the way these forty years in the wilderness, to humble you and test you, to know what was in your heart, whether you would keep His commandments or not."

We all have had our own "wilderness experiences," those times where we ran and walked and trudged through countless hours, days or years, with seemingly no end in sight. The further we traverse the wilderness, the further away the end seems to be. We ask, "Why me, Lord? What good can come from this? Could you not receive more glory by delivering me from this burden?"

When we think of a wilderness, what comes to mind? A desert, usually; miles and miles of sand, scorpions and sunburn, with nary a place to rest our weary heads, nor a drink of water to cool our souls. But what we often miss is that the wilderness has its own beauty, a beauty that is only found within the wilderness itself. Where can this beauty be found? That’s the subject of the verse above.

The wilderness experience, no matter what it might be for each individual, is for a purpose. The children of Israel, upon gaining their freedom from Egypt, turned their back on the Lord and gave into idol worship. They gave into fear and unbelieving, lacking the faith that the Lord would give them victory in their conquest of the Promised Land. God was extremely angry with the Israelites, but the wandering in the wilderness for forty years was more than a punishment for past sins. It was much more.

Deuteronomy 8:2 tells us the reason God led them through the wilderness for those many years: to humble their spirits and test their souls; to show God, and the world, what was truly in their hearts; whether loving and obeying God were really as important to them as they claimed. The true punishment for the sins of Israel was that all but Joshua and Caleb died in that wilderness, without entering the Promised Land. But their descendants had to go through the wilderness, too. God was testing them as well.

The same is true of us today. While some of what we must endure is caused by our own poor choices, much of our own wilderness experience may be the Lord doing for us what He did for Israel. No matter what we go through, if we continue to trust in Jesus as our Savior and Lord, He will continually lead us through our wilderness, never leaving or forsaking us. But through the wilderness we must go. The question is, what do we learn, and what does He learn about us, through the experience?

The Lord is trying to humble us, to get us to the place where we see past ourselves and our own selfishness and pride. It’s not about how good or bad things are for us; it is not about who does what to us. It is about the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ seeing us through.

The Lord is testing us, showing us the truth about ourselves. As we recall taking tests in school, we remember the purpose of tests: to show us and the teacher what we do know and what we don’t know. By knowing these things, we see the areas we need to spend more time focusing on and improving, so that the next test brings with it the assurance that we’ve learned and grown from the experiences of the past. Sometimes this spiritual testing reveals that we are not where we need to be, that we are not acting as a Christian should, even though we thought we were. The tests are not to be taken lightly, nor looked upon as a means of making us feel unworthy, but to show us where we can and must improve, and be more like the Christ who died for us.

The Lord wants to see what is truly in our hearts. Some of us, quite plainly, have the wrong things in our hearts. That is extremely important for two reasons. First, what is in our heart doesn’t stay there; it comes out and shows itself. Second, God is looking on the heart and judging not only our actions, but our motives. We might fool everyone, including ourselves, but God is not fooled or mocked, and when the truth is revealed about what is really in our hearts, will we be proud and will God be pleased?

Finally, our wilderness experience is one way the Lord can see if we will indeed keep His commandments. It is easy to do the right thing in front of other Christians, when things are going smoothly, when everything is falling into place. But when it gets a bit uncomfortable for us, when things are falling apart around us, when there’s nothing but desert in all directions as far as your eye can see, will we still hold to the commands of the Lord? Will we hold fast to EVERY command, even if it’s not convenient or fun?

Our wilderness experiences should not be looked upon as a source of despair and depression, but as an opportunity for the Lord to help us grow, to show us what He can do and how much He loves us. Throughout those forty years, there were desperate and worrisome times, but the Lord never once let them down. At the end of their journey, the children of Israel could look back at their progress, where they came from and where they now stood. They could see the faithfulness of God, and how He used that experience to get them exactly where they needed to be.

So, look not at your wilderness as a barren landscape, bereft of joy and hope, but instead see it for what it is: a personal meeting with the Lord for your good and His glory. Don’t let your wilderness defeat you. Remember that tests can be failed, but if we learn the lessons of humility, testing, motives of the heart and obedience, our wilderness will not overcome us, but we will overcome our wilderness.

© 2006, Chris Keeton and Soulscape Press. All rights reserved. All material printed on this site is protected by the copyright law of the United States. It may not be reproduced, distributed, transmitted, displayed, published or broadcast without the prior written permission of Chris Keeton and Soulscape Press, obtainable by writing to soulscape@alltel.net. Altering or removing any trademark, copyright or other notice from copies of the content is not permitted. Any and all portions of material copied from the Soulscape Blog must be properly attributed to Chris Keeton and Soulscape, and cited with original blog web address.

Thursday, March 02, 2006

An Eerie Tie-in with Last Week's Entry

Last week, I began my entry by posing a question we have all asked: Are things ever going to get better?  Another way to phrase that question would be thus: Can things get any worse?

Ask, and ye shall receive.

Friday night, my son was admitted to the local hospital with bronchialitis, which could be described as “Yucky Lung Crud.”  Takes after his old man in that regard.  I was an extremely sickly kid growing up.  I had pneumonia fourteen times by the age of eleven (I wrote out those numbers so you would know I didn’t just accidentally hit a digit by mistake).  Since that time I have dealt with the dreaded hereditary curse of asthma.  Oh, well.  That’s life.

The problem, though, was this: I’ve never been on the parental side of an illness like this.  I have a greater appreciation for what my own parents and grandparents experienced when I was the one laying on the bed, wheezing and coughing, IVs and oxygen tubes running everywhere.

Needless to say, neither side is pleasant, especially the view from way up here in the parental section.

Throughout his hospital stay, which lasted from very early Saturday morning until Tuesday afternoon, I was impressed by two things, which I would like to share with you.

First, I never quite understood what total helplessness was.  Sure, intellectually speaking I knew, but until you see your own child struggling to breathe, laying still when he usually is bouncing off the walls, until you’re there hearing the coughs and wheezes above the whine of an oxygen tent, knowing exactly what he feels like, yet being unable to do a single thing to make it better, you don’t fully comprehend helplessness.

It is in those totally helpless times that a person’s faith is put to the test.  At that moment, I had to put into practice all that I had preached about trusting the Lord.  I knew He would see us through, and that’s exactly what He did.  But it was still difficult.

Second, I was impressed by the sheer number of people, especially children, who came through the hospital with illnesses of their own.  How many of them relied on the Lord to see them through?  Did they have the peace of knowing everything would be okay, no matter what?  I’m sure some of them did and others did not.  But from personal experience, I can say that I wouldn’t want to go through anything, good or bad, without Him to lift me up and show what “sufficient grace” really is.

Doctors say that, while my son is getting better, we should prepare for this pattern repeating itself.  It’s nothing new to me.  I wish David didn’t have to go through what I did, and am praying that he doesn’t.  But either way, I look forward to teaching him, to showing him, that the Lord will always be there when we need Him most.

Is He there for you?

© 2006, Chris Keeton and Soulscape Press.  All rights reserved.  All material printed on this site is protected by the copyright law of the United States.  It may not be reproduced, distributed, transmitted, displayed, published or broadcast without the prior written permission of Chris Keeton and Soulscape Press, obtainable by writing to soulscape@alltel.net. Altering or removing any trademark, copyright or other notice from copies of the content is not permitted.  Any and all portions of material copied from the Soulscape Blog must be properly attributed to Chris Keeton and Soulscape, and cited with original blog web address.