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.
Ephesians 6:12 (NKJV)
However, the point that was being made by the study was that most of those redeemed sinners do not realize that they are in this war. They have been made ineffective by the schemes of the Devil!
What I further realized during this class, is that I was not as effective as I could be in the Power of Christ's Might. We are given commands to equip ourselves in Ephesians 6. We are given defensive armor and a very powerful offensive weapon... the Word of God. We are given a second offensive weapon as well, as the study reminds us, the ability to speak directly with the Commander (God Himself) through prayer to call for strength, guidance, assistance, and wisdom.
In light of that realization, I am endeavoring to read the Word and engage in prayer on a regular basis. I need to understand the tools available to me as part of Christ and understand my enemy better. My enemy, as the study also points out, is not people. My enemy is the Devil and the ideologies and sinful actions he disseminates into the world.
For those of you who might be interested, the source book (written by Dr. David Jeremiah) of our study is: I Never Thought I'd See the Day: Culture at the Crossroads.
Now back to what I said that I would do differently in this post... I have started reading Galatians 1 and thought that I would offer up my observations and questions regarding this chapter here. Here we go!
Paul leaves no doubts in verse 1! He clarifies that he is an apostle not because man has said so, but because God made Paul one. This to me is very important in that God is directly giving Paul his mission and his knowledge. Paul did not learn it from another person and yet it matches exactly the messages presented by the other Apostles! Additionally, In verse 1 and continuing in verses 3-4, he reaffirms the basic Gospel message. That Christ was sent to Earth, died and was raised back to life for the sole purpose of making the only way for man to be reunited with God.
Paul is then forced, in verses 6-10, to call out the readers of his letter for straying away from the Gospel so quickly after having received it. I wonder how often that applies to me? How many times do I set aside a portion of Scripture because I don't agree with it? My honest hope and prayer is that the answer is: very few times. In reality though, one time is one time too many. He references those who present a message different from that which he originally delivered. The goal of those who present this different message is simply to pervert the True Gospel. The punishment Paul describes in verse 9, that those who change the True Gospel will be accursed is the same warning given in Revelation for those who add or take away from the Bible:
For I testify to everyone who hears the words of the prophecy of this book: If anyone adds to these things, God will add to him the plagues that are written in this book; and if anyone takes away from the words of the book of this prophecy, God shall take away his part from the Book of Life,from the holy city, and from the things which are written in this book.
Revelation 22:18-19 (NKJV)
Paul once again makes effort to ensure that those who read his words know that what he preaches was given to him by God. He does not hide the fact that he was a great persecutor of Believers and that after his conversion experience he did not meet with other teachers or apostles. After three years of his own ministry he went to Jerusalem and met with Peter for 15 days (only see the apostle James while he was there). After that he went to Asia Minor to continue his ministry and the churches in Judea knew him only by reputation and not by sight.
Paul knew who he was in Christ Jesus and what his mission was! I hopefully strive in the same vein.
Humbly in His service...
Joe
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