Guest Post by Freed Radical
Stand firm on this passage from God’s word as we do spiritual battle to recover and rebuild our nation and world, and defeat the evil that seeks to destroy us.
35 Contend, O Lord, with those who contend with me;
Fight against those who fight against me.
2 Take hold of buckler and shield
And rise up for my help.
3 Draw also the spear and the battle-axe to meet those who pursue me;
Say to my soul, “I am your salvation.”
4 Let those be ashamed and dishonored who seek my life;
Let those be turned back and humiliated who devise evil against me.
Prayer:
Lord, shall I as one man rise up against a thousand? Or shall I rather step aside and let you fight for me, with your infinite power and armies of angels prepared for battle? I cannot even see the spirits who control my human enemies. I have decided to trust in you, and fall in line with your plan, and marvel at your protection and victory on my behalf. You love me with a depth I can hardly fathom. You forgive my sins, and have adopted me as your son. I trust you with my life, and the life of my family. To you only will I give the glory.
We engage in spiritual warfare by first consulting the scriptures to learn what God thinks about himself, about us, our situation, and his adversaries, and what he is doing today and is planning to do. We come into agreement with what God thinks, and his plan, and ask him to do battle on our behalf in the ways he has stated. These prayers are intended to change situations in our natural world, but they also change our hearts as we come to know the heart of God. As we pray together to defeat the forces of evil, we become a closer knit family of God, intent on accomplishing his purposes and living in Christian community. Please join in this spiritual battle by praying the scripture above, out loud, confident that God hears us and loves us, his children.
The prayer above is only a suggestion. Pray as you are led by the spirit. No need for eloquence as our Father simply loves to hear the voices of his children as we bare our hearts to him.
Take time to read this passage in context, to get the bigger picture, by clicking on the link at the beginning of the passage. The Christian life is not all about spiritual warfare, and there is always a bigger picture!
(image credit: pixabay)
Amen!!!
10 Finally, be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power. 11 Put on the full armor of God, so that you can take your stand against the devil’s schemes. 12 For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms. 13 Therefore put on the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand. 14 Stand firm then, with the belt of truth buckled around your waist, with the breastplate of righteousness in place, 15 and with your feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace. 16 In addition to all this, take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one. 17 Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God.
18 And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests. With this in mind, be alert and always keep on praying for all the Lord’s people.
Ephesians 6:10-18
The keys to spiritual victory:
Depend on Jesus (v-10)
Stand your ground (v-11 & 13)
Know your enemy (v-12)
Prepare for battle (v14-17)
Commit to prayer (v18-20)
Take up a damn big sword of vengeance and assist the Lord who says vengeance is His.
nice post,thanks 4 taking the time–
If God be for us, who may stand against us?
Lovely and uplifting.
But not for me. The restorative part anyway.
And it was given unto him to make war with the saints, and to overcome them: and power was given him over all kindreds, and tongues, and nations. Rev 13, about The Beast.
Someone’s got to be in the group starved, beaten, hounded, beheaded. That’s my group I think. Easy for me. I’m old. My fear is for those with little ones. What a terrible choice they face.
If you see victory or restoration to a Godly Nation before Our Lord’s return, maybe that’s your group. Performing the role given you is Spiritual Warfare too.
Maranatha.
The scripture you quote is regarding tribulation Saints converted post rapture that will face the first Beast of Revelation.
All true pre-rapture church believers will not be there.
The thing is folks this is going to happen and can’t be stopped except by God at the second coming of Jesus.
We must pray and be strong in and share the faith, the good news, the love of christ, always, snatching souls from the enemy one by one as we work and play and go about our daily lives until our last breath or until the Rapture.
Whatever comes first.
Exceptional.
Yes EWS, it is a tribulation scripture. But whether we believers are raptured pre, mid or post trib or not at all, there will be persecution before the Man of Perdition begins his rule. It’s building now. So it’s a somewhat foundational verse for the the part I’m thinking I’ll play.
Always good to read a believer who knows his stuff.
Thanks
Hollow man, you got timing. Lol.
Pray harder!!!
Vote harder!!!
Both will give you the same results.
There are 150 psalms. Why don’t you post the other 149 for the next 149 consecutive days, and be sure to include some moar sermonizing …. Pray harder!!! That would be fun.
When did TBP become The Bible Platform? Very disconcerting …
You seem to have a clueless pitiful life stuck.
We’ll pray harder for you
Eyes Wild Slut – blow him, asshole.
Disappointed in you, music mafia guy. Your posts often are factual and logical.
But when stucky hisself raises the banner of illogical disdain, the worshipful minions, like Eloi when the Morloch summon, are powerless to resist.
Didn’t know you were one of them.
PMS – gee, I will not be able to sleep at night knowing I disappointed you.
Stuck has earned the right to say whatever he wants around here. Eyes should keep his mouth shut. Stuck wasn’t talking to him. You, eyes, etc, have done zero for this site. Stuck on the other hand is most worthy.
You can blow me.
Stuck is most worthy. What a shame. Perhaps you Stuckholmers should be more discrete about your obsession with male pudenda.
Rapture, rapture, rapture …
That’s pretty much ALL you know and talk about.
I would say it is your life that is clueless and most pitiful.
Oh my! Stucky doesn’t approve!
Stuckholmer syndroners, to your keyboards!
Stucky,
You have the right to opinion and we believers have ours. You might try giving your life to Jesus and I think you’d be less miserable. Just sayin’. You can bash me all you want. You’ve a gifted mind hate to see it go to waste.
Dr – that is some huge judgement you are laying on. If he is not a Christian, his mind goes to waste? What the fuck?
Not my point or intention…by the way did I mention you in my comment? Didn’t think so. Best mind your own business. I could care not if anyone chooses to be a Christian or not. But living in constant misery and taking it out on others for their beliefs is in my humble opinion a great waste of mental effort. I find peace in my religion and offer it freely to others. You can take it or leave it because we each have free will. That’s all, hate to see anyone waste their life in that manner.
Doc – my biz around here is anything I deem it to be. You Bible thumpers need to save that stuff for church. Stuck is currently occupied, so I tend to get annoyed with asshats that crap on him. He hasn’t wasted his life. That you say so again shows what a complete asshole you are. I think I remember something about not judging others lest you be judged.
You Bible thumpers do a hell of a lot of judging.
Thank you Llpoh … (And also, mygirl).
For the last 4+ years I have been attending to dying loved ones.
I was there for the last 10 hours of my dad’s life … Giving him sips of water from a straw, and holding his hand, letting him know he’s loved and to not be afraid.
I was by Ms Freud’s bedside when she took her last breath. I was there for her last conscious act, when she took my hand and put it to her lips, her last act of love.
And now I attend to all my mom’s needs, to save her from the indignities, and horrors, of spending her remaining days alone in a nursing home.
So, The Judgers here say I am wasting my life? Well, I know three people who would beg to differ!
Thanks, again.
Stucky,
I said nothing about you wasting your life in the care of the ones you love. That is a noble and very trying effort and when it takes place over an extended period it emotionally burns one out. Trust me I am in the same boat you are with my Dad and my Mother in law. We have the same goal, to keep our loved ones out of the horror of a nursing home especially in the time of the Coof. I was not and am not trying to judge you or anyone else. I just to see in your writing how at times you are caught in misery and flat hate caused by your situation which I now much better understand. What I meant by seeing it as a waste is that I can also see your intuitive knowledge and honesty in your writing at other times and when you’re having a bad day that is lost. Everybody has bad days, sometimes bad weeks, months and years. Been there done that. Stress is a bitter enemy and it can get us all. Try 32 years of having to make life and death decisions on a daily basis. I don’t care if it’s “just a dog” to many people in today’s world, it’s often the only F’ng family they have and they’re unwilling/unable to lose. I truly feel your pain brother. I’m not some Evangelista trying to draw sheep into some fold. I refuse to go or be a member of an organized Church. Been there, done that and I’m done with that scam. I do believe myself a Christian and that’s between me and my Lord. All I was trying to do was to throw you a lifeline that has saved my ass. My mind has been to some very dark places at times and my faith has always turned it around for me. You can take it or leave it. Gods love and gift is freely offered to all. You get no judgements from me, you have free will. I just hate to see you crawl into a hole and I can tell when you have by how you write. That’s what I think is a waste.
Llpoh,
You and Stucky are good friends that is as plain as the sunrise every morning. Excuse me for my earlier comment. As a friend you have every right to stand up for someone you love. I am not being intending to judge, just trying to help. Stucky’s pain is very evident.
Thanks for this post, doc.
I know you meant well. I appreciate the “lifeline”. You are a good man, and I appreciate your friendship here.
God Bless ….
God bless you too Stucky! We’re all in this crazy shit show together. Take care and be strong and I know on some days it takes everything you’ve got just to keep your head above water.
Where does all this hatred and vitriol you throw at others materialize from? Seriously. Whether you choose to believe in God .. or not, it is no way to live life. I believe you are older than me. I find it difficult to believe you don’t already know that. For the record, at times your posts are a definite credit to this website and very, very enjoyable.
Where does all this hatred and vitriol you throw at others materialize from?
Perhaps the hatred and vitriol you claim he has should be directed at yourself and your hatred of women? The mote in your eye escape notice? I love how all the sanctimonious little Bible thumpers who call for women to be treated as chattel and second class citizens, fit only for breeding and cleaning house is the same group who also condemn and damn ALL Jews and anyone else whom they deem untermenschen, are so quick to claim a higher and more moral ground.
There’s a name for people who talk out of both sides of their mouth, a name for people who talk the talk while not walking the walk that they talk. Is it Christian? Why no, it isn’t.
Oh, Stucky…(and Reality Doug, too, for that matter),
I don’t do religious debates anymore. Was raised in an atheist home and been there, done that so many times that I’m over it. I spent years studying, observing, and witnessing before conversion. Any questions I write are rhetorical only, I’m not looking for a reply, but I will lay down some food for thought.
Your anger and misery come through loud and clear often. How do you feel about suffering? Is there any point to it all? Many Christian writers believed suffering was necessary to life. Have you ever witnessed anyone who has suffered and leaned closer on God, and as a result some good came about their suffering that touched, maybe even saved, other’s lives? I’ve seen it happen many times. While we don’t understand it all, can we not see how God can bring good out of pain if we lean closer to Him and allow ourselves to be sharpened spiritually by going through pain? Nobody will escape suffering. I have cried real tears over things God has placed in my life, and I don’t understand it all. But, I choose to believe there are reasons for it, and as I lean on Him more and more I become stronger which impacts other’s lives as well.
I think you (and Doug) let your intellect get in the way far too much. Maybe you can *think* your way into faith (or out of it), but I couldn’t. How is it that men far greater than you and I, like Tolkien and Solzhenitsyn, believed in God? Does that not make you pause and think that there is a possibility that He is real, and there may be some truth to Christianity? I’m amazed at how many writers and thinkers I most admired were Christians. Were they fools? Can we not train ourselves to see as Tolkien, Solzhenitsyn, Dostoevsky, C.S. Lewis, Kierkegaard, Flannery O’Connor, and many others did in how they saw God as an ever-present reality?
Have you ever read Dante’s Divine Comedy? God sends Virgil to rescue Dante lost in a dark wood. Virgil could see things that Dante could not in his brokenness. I believe, you too, are lost in a dark wood. Get out of your head for a moment. Your intellect may not be able to perceive the Spirit, but there are other ways to know Him.
Instead of focusing on the falsity of Christianity, maybe look for its meaning. C.S. Lewis said, “meaning is the antecedent condition of truth and falsehood.” Being a Christian is not like closing a business deal, but instead, like falling in love with God. Becoming a Christian is like falling in love. You are on a path that includes people, events, and small miracles that can ultimately draw you closer to being in love with Him. Waiting for the moment of perfect clarity is a deception.
Have you read The Last Battle by C.S Lewis? The Dwarfs are so afraid of being duped by unreal happiness that they cannot allow themselves to be taken out of their REAL unhappiness. They cannot see that they’ve reached Aslan’s land and stay locked in their gloom. Are we so weary of being deceived that we should trust only what we look at? (credit to Lewis) Does this describe you?
The only person who practiced Christianity perfectly was Jesus. Don’t judge the faith by the flaws of its followers. C.S Lewis says, “…the ultimate deception of Hell is to disguise Heaven’s joy.” Are you falling for that deception?
You may never fully free yourself from doubt, but that is no reason to stay away from God.
You makes ton of assumptions about me … All of them wrong.
Sure, I’m angry about many things in this country. And you’re not??
But, miserable? Nope. Judgmental much?
And what makes you think I DON’T believe in God?? Because I question received doctrine too much? Because I don’t believe as I am SUPPOSED to, according to some “authority”?
I have news for you … I believe in God. I literally pray and meditate every single day … Sometimes for hours.
I’ve read almost all of CS Lewis … Onward and upward!!
Glad to hear you testify, Stucky.
He aint lying. Why are the haters gonna hate? Does not my fathers house have many mansions.
I’ve lost two careers and a home to Covid. And because I chose to speak out (getting publicly eviscerated in the local opinion columns as a result) I’ve probably lost the few friends I had left as well. So I’m not much in a praying state of mind. But I am ready to fight for myself and for those I love. That’s easy when most of the world has become your enemy.
1 Corinthians 15:1-4 KJB… “Moreover, brethren, I declare unto you the gospel which I preached unto you, which also ye have received, and wherein ye stand; By which also ye are saved, if ye keep in memory what I preached unto you, unless ye have believed in vain. For I delivered unto you first of all that which I also received, how that Christ died for our sins according to the scriptures; And that he was buried, and that he rose again the third day according to the scriptures:”
Blessed be the LORD my strength, which teacheth my hands to war, and my fingers to fight:
~Psalm 144:1~KJV
How can you fight with spiritual warfare by praying from the same scriptures that your enemies use to justify their actions and that turn your neighbors against you?
What a strange translation to mention battle-axes. I’m not bible scholar, but that sounds less realistic than that stock image of a danish helmet being very ‘christian’.
We should not ask god to do battle on our behalf, that is cowardice. He already does his part. We should be making ourselves ready to do ours.
If you think prayer is some magic formula, you might as well learn the runes.