14 Now thanks be to God who always leads us in triumph in Christ, and through us diffuses the fragrance of His knowledge in every place.
15 For we are to God the fragrance of Christ among those who are being saved and among those who are perishing.
In the Lord, we have the powerful tools in order to triumph in times of temptation, to recognize the attacks of the enemy and to be able to fend them off through the skillful use of the armor of God, as well as, according to the book of Revelation, the blood of Jesus and the Word of God. We are fighting against a real enemy, not one who is made of flesh and blood, but who works in the spiritual realm to bring defeat into our lives - but through reliance on Christ, we can overcome.
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In Ephesians 6, Paul lays out for believers in Christ the powerful spiritual weapons that we have access to and can appropriate in our battle against Satan and his forces:
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.
14 Stand therefore, having girded your waist with truth, having put on the breastplate of righteousness,
15 and having shod your feet with the preparation of the gospel of peace;
16 above all, taking the shield of faith with which you will be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked one.
17 And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God;
18 praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit...
Maybe you heard about the exploits of a Texas pastor named Benny Holmes. According to ChristianHeadlines.com, last year he made headlines for holding an alleged package thief at gunpoint. He pointed his 45 mm pistol at the grandmother attempting to steal a package from his front yard to make her “feel the fear of God.”
Well, recently, Pastor Holmes was in the headlines once again. Christian Headlines quotes an ABC 13 report that the pastor, Benny Holmes, heard suspect Lee Marvin Blue attempting to gain entry into The Church of New Beginnings in Baytown and shot the man once in his right shoulder.
The suspect was sent to a nearby hospital; his condition is unknown.
After the incident, Holmes prepared a sermon, instructing his congregation to arm themselves.
Well, there is more to the story - ChristianHeadlines.com cites a Charisma News report that Holmes called 9-1-1 himself and the pastor is heard guiding the burglar to ask Jesus into his heart while they wait for police to arrive.
“Do you know Jesus?” Holmes asks.
The pastor then tells Blue to repeat after him.
“Say, ‘Lord Jesus, Forgive me. I have sinned. I repent. Come into my heart. Live inside of me. And I won’t do this again. In Jesus’ name.’”
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.
14 Stand therefore, having girded your waist with truth, having put on the breastplate of righteousness,
15 and having shod your feet with the preparation of the gospel of peace;
16 above all, taking the shield of faith with which you will be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked one.
17 And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God;
18 praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit...
Maybe you heard about the exploits of a Texas pastor named Benny Holmes. According to ChristianHeadlines.com, last year he made headlines for holding an alleged package thief at gunpoint. He pointed his 45 mm pistol at the grandmother attempting to steal a package from his front yard to make her “feel the fear of God.”
Well, recently, Pastor Holmes was in the headlines once again. Christian Headlines quotes an ABC 13 report that the pastor, Benny Holmes, heard suspect Lee Marvin Blue attempting to gain entry into The Church of New Beginnings in Baytown and shot the man once in his right shoulder.
The suspect was sent to a nearby hospital; his condition is unknown.
After the incident, Holmes prepared a sermon, instructing his congregation to arm themselves.
Well, there is more to the story - ChristianHeadlines.com cites a Charisma News report that Holmes called 9-1-1 himself and the pastor is heard guiding the burglar to ask Jesus into his heart while they wait for police to arrive.
“Do you know Jesus?” Holmes asks.
The pastor then tells Blue to repeat after him.
“Say, ‘Lord Jesus, Forgive me. I have sinned. I repent. Come into my heart. Live inside of me. And I won’t do this again. In Jesus’ name.’”
The burglar followed the pastor's instructions.
Certainly Pastor Holmes is devoted to security and protection. I'm not sure I would have handled the package-stealing grandmother in that way, but he certainly took a bold step to defend against a burglar. I think it's interesting that he preached a sermon to encourage his parishioners to arm themselves.
I do think that church security is important these days. When you consider the Charleston shooting and other instances in which those attending church have been killed or injured, plus the number of church arsons that continue to be perpetrated, these trends point to a need for a real emphasis on protecting the church attendees and the property.
But, I think a discussion of this latest incident involving the Church of New Beginnings can include the concept of arming ourselves spiritually. We can think about whether or not we are adequately prepared when we are attacked by our unseen, spiritual enemy.
We have to acknowledge that there is a real enemy who seeks to do us harm. The Bible is clear - Jesus said that Satan, the thief, comes to steal, kill, and destroy. He is roaming about like a roaring lion, according to 1st Peter 5.
Recognizing that Satan and his forces are aligned against the people of God, we are called to arm ourselves spiritually. Paul talks about putting on the full armor of God, by which we stand strong. a But, we also have to make sure that we are not creating opportunities through which the devil can operate. Unconfessed sin and a lack of commitment to follow Christ wholeheartedly represent areas in which we make ourselves vulnerable to the enemy's attacks.
And, when attacks come, we have to acquire, from the Spirit of God, the sensitivity to discern what the devil is up to so that we can respond with the strength of the spiritual resources that the Lord has provided. We can have victory, but we have to make sure we are walking in the Spirit so that we can sense the enemy's tactics against us.
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