Shade Tree Wisdom 9/8/09

Air was still this morning, so the walking was a bit so-so. It surely helps when there is a slight breeze. But the yellow boxes are on schedule, so there must be school today.

The culture, the society, we are living in is not friendly to our faith. Satan attacks, and his strategy is to find weaknesses and bore in. His question – the question he always uses – is, “Are you sure God said that?” For an example, just examine the many shadings and varieties of religion in existence today. Basically they fall by the wayside from truth just by that question, “Are you sure this is true?” Or “we are living in 2009, after all, and the world is different today”.
Fortunately, the Christian is prepared for such events by a wise and caring God. Do you really think that our Lord would send His own Son, Jesus Christ, to die for sinners, and then leave us to face Satin’s clever, and constant, attacks by ourselves? St. Paul writes, “God demonstrated His own love for us in this, while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.” Romans 5, 7. He said, “At just the right time, when we were still powerless, Christ died for the ungodly.” 5,6.

We are children of God by Holy Baptism. He paid a terrible price to win our salvation. We are His treasure, do you really think He would leave us by ourselves? Unarmed, helpless in the situation we are in when we are “in the world, but not of the world”. John 17,15.

St. Paul describes it in his letter to the Ephesians. He wrote it because their culture was antagonistic to their faith. So Paul writes, “Be prepared. You’re up against far more than you can handle on your own.” Eph. 6,10.MSG. He then describes the weapons. “The belt of truth. . .the breastplate of righteousness, feet fitted with the gospel of peace,. . the shield of faith, the helmet of salvation, and the Sword of the Spirit, which is the WORD of God, And prayer.” 6,14-18.

Read the whole warning about this battle again in verses 10-20. The belt of truth is simply the truth God has given us plainly. So that we can see Satan’s offered lies easily. Being able to say “It is Written ” is always a good defense.

Then the “breastplate of righteousness”. The Apostle is speaking here of a righteousness that comes from outside of us. Gal. 3,7 describes it, “For as many of you as were baptized into Christ have put on Christ.” In the letter to Corinth Paul wrote, “God made him to be sin for us who knew no sin. That we might be made the righteousness of God in Him.” 1 Cor. 5,21.

So when the attack comes, and it will, and Satan says, “There you go, doing the same thing you said you wouldn’t. Do you really think God will listen to YOU?” You stand there armed with “the breastplate” for God has declared you are righteous.

And, “The sword of the spirit which is the Word of God”. It is the only way to fight. If you are not certain the WORD is totally true, if you do not believe it is inerrant, then you have a broken sword in your hand and are already defeated. But when you have it, like Luther you can take your stand. “HERE I STAND. I CAN DO NO OTHER”. Then the victory in Christ is ours. “He’s judged, the deed is done, The Kingdom ours remaineth”.

GPD 9/8/09