Good soldiers show up

Christpoint Church

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A soldier crouches, readying himself for the attack. When the fighting begins, it will be swift and decisive. He is only as strong as the team around him and only protected and successful as the armor he wears. His only offensive weapon is the sword. He doesn’t have the luxury of launching spears or firepower from an undisclosed location. He is not offsite from his enemy. His only pathway for success is to engage his opponent face to face. He absorbs every blow and expels energy with each swing of his own sword. There are no gray areas in warfare; he must kill or be killed. Soldiers enlist. Good soldiers show up. But, the best soldiers are well trained if they’re novice or well experienced if veteran. All battles are important, but the greatest battle is the one in front of them.

God never designed us for distant warfare or he would have equipped us with spears instead of swords. In the 6th chapter of Ephesians, in the 12th verse, Paul calls out the enemy by four distinct personalities but one distinct entity when he calls them “the rulers, the authorities, the cosmic powers, and the spiritual forces of evil.” With that kind of enemy, we will need a God-sized armor, and I think he gives us that covering in 1 Peter 2:9 when he calls the armored warrior to be more than just a soldier. He calls us to be a priest. For every level of attack by the enemy, in Ephesians 6:12, God gives the same number of counter and offensive attacks, in 1 Peter 2:9. When “the rulers” of darkness approach, then we are reminded that we are “a chosen race,” handpicked by God for this day and this excursion. When “the authorities” over evil advance, then our defense is not in our own strength but in the title of “a royal priesthood.” That means as much as the enemy wants to shroud us with lies about ourselves and implant a defeatist mentality, the lord covers us as his and calls us his priest. Priest are God’s chosen instruments to lead his people into righteousness. Then to hear the words “the cosmic powers” brings a cold shiver, and, if it wasn’t for the fact that God calls us a holy nation, we could lose, simply be intimidation alone. God doesn’t call the unholy, holy. He reserves that right for his children. And last, but not least, the devil would love for us to run and hide at the mention of an “evil spiritual force.” To hear the words “evil and force” brings a spirit of fear, and, if it wasn’t for the fact that God calls us “a people of his own possession,” we would give up the fight before the battle began. God doesn’t lose, and his army doesn’t have to either. None of these priestly attributes, in 1 Peter 2:9, are inferior counterattacks from a superior foe. They are, in themselves, superior over every attack and everything that exist.

God is not just building an army (men can do that); he’s building a war machine of priest. In the 6th chapter of Ephesians, verses 13 and 14; he says a strange thing through Paul. He tells us that when we’ve done all we can, to stand, then we must keep standing. But he introduces the armor of God as the battle attire for Christian victory. He knows our deepest thoughts, our strengths, and our weaknesses. He knows and is very clear in the fact that we will try to handle the attack on our own. He even tells us that we will get to the brink of giving up at the end of verse 13. Cosmic powers have a way of beating down the average Joe, and, in that carnal mindset, we will think of giving in. That’s when he says, in verse 14, “Hey, I think you’re going to need this,” then pitches us an armor fit for a priest, given by a king to win wars against rulers.

If you’ve ever given thought to quitting, riding the fence, giving up the walk ,or simply taking some time off, then join the club. We’ve all been there. The difference between someone who loses and someone who wins is that the someone who wins knows the someone who designs the armor for someone who will use it to defeat someone who wants to defeat you. The question is, which someone will you be? There’s a clear path to victory, and it goes through the whole armor of God.

Stay on board as we take a deeper look at each piece of armor in the coming weeks. You can find us here each week, online through Facebook, on our website, app, or in person each and every Sunday, at 9 a.m. and again at 11 a.m. We are Christpoint Church. We’re here to stay. We’re located on the square, in Sparta, and we’re simply real people, living real lives, serving a real God. Welcome home.   

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