Ephesians 6:10-20 Expansion

by | Nov 12, 2022 | Bible, Church, Conflict, Religion, Security, Spiritual Warfare | 0 comments

From Logos

Ephesians 6:10-20 describes spiritual warfare. In putting on the full armor of God, and confronting evil, what happens when evil manifests in the physical realm? What happens when the fiery darts are real and aimed at our children, families, and communities? The interplay between these verses and Nehemiah 4:17 are a major theme that we develop on “The Wall”. Below I expand on the verses 10-20 of Ephesians 6.

10 Finally, be strong in the Lord and in the strength of His might. 11 Put on the full armor of God, so that you will be able to stand firm against the schemes of the devil. 12 For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the powers, against the world forces of this darkness, against the spiritual forces of wickedness in the heavenly places. 13 Therefore, take up the full armor of God, so that you will be able to resist on the evil day, and having done everything, to stand firm. 14 Stand firm therefore, HAVING BELTED YOUR WAIST WITH TRUTH, AND HAVING PUT ON THE BREASTPLATE OF RIGHTEOUSNESS, 15 and having STRAPPED ON YOUR FEET THE PREPARATION OF THE GOSPEL OF PEACE; 16 in addition to all, taking up the shield of faith with which you will be able to extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one. 17 And take THE HELMET OF SALVATION and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God. 18 With every prayer and request, bpray at all times in the Spirit, and with this in view, dbe alert with all perseverance and every request for all the saints, 19 and pray in my behalf, that speech may be given to me in the opening of my mouth, to make known with boldness the mystery of the gospel, 20 for which I am an ambassador in chains; that in proclaiming it I may speak boldly, as I ought to speak.

New American Standard Bible (La Habra, CA: The Lockman Foundation, 2020))

EXPANSION

10 Finally, be strong in the Lord and in the strength of His might. 11 Put on the full armor of God, so that you will be able to stand firm against the schemes of the devil. 12 For our struggle is not against [a]flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the powers, against the world forces of this darkness, against the spiritual forces of wickedness in the heavenly places. 13 Therefore, take up the full armor of God, so that you will be able to resist on the evil day, and having done everything, to stand firm. 14 Stand firm therefore, having belted your waist with truth,

John 14:6
6 Jesus said to him, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life; no one comes to the Father except through Me.

14 and having put on the breastplate of righteousness,

Isaiah 59:17
17 He put on righteousness like a breastplate,
And a helmet of salvation on His head;
And He put on garments of vengeance for clothing
And wrapped Himself with zeal as a cloak.

Philippians 3:9
9 and may be found in Him, not having a righteousness of my own derived from the Law, but that which is through faith in Christ, the righteousness which comes from God on the basis of faith.

1 Thessalonians 5:8
8 But since we are of the day, let’s be sober, having put on the breastplate of faith and love, and as a helmet, the hope of salvation.

15 and having strapped on your feet the preparation of the gospel of peace; 16 [b]in addition to all,

Isaiah 52:7
7 How delightful on the mountains
Are the feet of one who brings good news,
Who announces peace
And brings good news of happiness,
Who announces salvation,
And says to Zion, “Your God reigns!”

Galatians 5:15
15 But if you bite and devour one another, take care that you are not consumed by one another.

taking up the shield of faith with which you will be able to extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one.

John 5:4
4 For an angel went down at a certain season into the pool, and troubled the water: whosoever then first after the troubling of the water stepped in was made whole of whatsoever disease he had.

17 And take the helmet of salvation and the

Isaiah 59:17
17 He put on righteousness like a breastplate,
And a helmet of salvation on His head;
And He put on garments of vengeance for clothing
And wrapped Himself with zeal as a cloak.

1 Thessalonians 5:8
8 But since we are of the day, let’s be sober, having put on the breastplate of faith and love, and as a helmet, the hope of salvation. 9 For God has not destined us for wrath, but for obtaining salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ, 10 who died for us, so that whether we are awake or asleep, we will live together with Him. 11 Therefore, encourage one another and build one another up, just as you also are doing.

17 sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God.

Hebrews 4:12
12 For the word of God is living and active, and sharper than any two-edged sword, even penetrating as far as the division of soul and spirit, of both joints and marrow, and able to judge the thoughts and intentions of the heart.

John 6:63
63 It is the Spirit who gives life; the flesh provides no benefit; the words that I have spoken to you are spirit, and are life.

Quakers and War

by | Nov 12, 2022 | Bible, Church, Conflict, Religion, War | 0 comments

Some of the most courageous heroes on the battlefield are members of the “peace religions” – Quakers, Mennonites, Seventh Day Adventists, etc. who serve in harms way, unarmed, in order to support the armed combatants. Typically, they are medics or chaplains who minister to the physical and spiritual needs of those engaged in armed combat. The theology driving this belief is rooted in scripture, and like many aspects of the Word, can be interpreted in different ways. Emma Hulbert at the Friends Committee on National Legislation offers:

“True pacifism is not inaction; it is non-violent resistance to injustice. However, Quakers are not united on this issue, and there are no easy answers to be found. Each Friend must discern for themselves their relationship to the ethics of pacifism.”

Article at the link: https://www.fcnl.org/updates/2022-03/quaker-pacifism-context-war

Nehemiah’s Wall

by | Nov 12, 2022 | About, America, Bible, Church, Conflict, Culture, History, Politics, Religion, Security, Spiritual Warfare, Theologians, Theology, War | 0 comments

Nehemiah’s Wall serves as both metaphor and inspiration at Kingdom Defense.

The Book of Nehemiah tells the story of how Nehemiah rebuilt the walls of Jerusalem so that followers might once again worship God in safety. Nehemiah accomplishes this daunting task in a remarkably brief period of time using common folks who built with one hand while defending their actions from enemy attack with a weapon in their other hand.

The biblical account of “Nehemiah’s wall” is well known. Nehemiah was a Jew in Persian captivity. He was the cupbearer to the Persian King Artaxerxes. In 444 b.c, Nehemiah was granted permission to return to Judah and rebuild the dilapidated walls and gates of Jerusalem, which had been destroyed during the Babylonian invasions in the early sixth century.

When Nehemiah arrived in Jerusalem, he toured the city walls to assess the damage. He faced opposition as he made plans and directed the people in rebuilding the city walls. He was threatened as he persisted. Nehemiah had opposition from enemies and opposition from the people he was leading(1).

The Bible says that the threat was so great from outside the city Nehemiah posted armed guards along the walls to protect the city until the building was done. Men were armed and ready to fight while they worked daily to build the wall. The book of Nehemiah shows that Judah at the time was surrounded by enemies and under constant threat of attack. Nehemiah and his crew worked with great urgency and astonishing speed in order to rebuild the wall.

More on Nehemiah

‘Christian Nationalist’ used in political warfare

by | Nov 11, 2022 | America, Church, Conflict, Culture, Judicial, Media, Politics, Security, Spiritual Warfare, War | 0 comments

The attack goes like this. If you are Christian and consider yourself a patriotic American, then you are considered to be a threat to America by certain activist groups operating within the United States of America.

The label “Christian nationalist” is appearing more frequently and is being used to silence people of faith, according to experts.

Article at the link: https://www.christianpost.com/voices/faux-term-christian-nationalist-used-in-political-warfare.html

Michael Flynn’s Holy War

by | Nov 11, 2022 | America, Church, Conflict, Culture, History, Judicial, Media, Politics, Religion, Spiritual Warfare, War | 0 comments

Retired Army LTG Michael Flynn is a lightening rod for attack and criticism. Since resigning from the Trump team and undergoing an underhanded persecution by the Department of Justice, Flynn has emerged as public enemy #1 for those who see the dreaded Christian Nationalist under every rock. I watched the full PBS documentary below and found it fascinating.

This from the promo for the documentary:

How did Michael Flynn go from being an elite soldier overseas to waging a “spiritual war” in America? In collaboration with the Associated Press, FRONTLINE examines how the retired three-star general has emerged as a leader in a far-right movement that puts its brand of Christianity at the center of American civic life and institutions and is attracting election deniers, conspiracists and extremists from around the country.

Captain of the host of the LORD

by | Oct 31, 2022 | Bible, Church, Conflict, History, Religion, Security, Spiritual Warfare, Theology, War | 0 comments

The story of Joshua has long confounded many Christians because of the violence. In Joshua 5:13-15, Joshua confronts an unknown soldier with drawn sword:

15 “And it came to pass, when Joshua was by Jericho, that he lifted up his eyes and looked, and, behold, there stood a man over against him with his sword drawn in his hand: and Joshua went unto him, and said unto him, Art thou for us, or for our adversaries?

14 And he said, Nay; but as captain of the host of the LORD am I now come.

New American Standard Bible (La Habra, CA: The Lockman Foundation, 2020)