You don't have to act like a Roman even in Rome...

The sights, sounds and even smells are unmistakable. My eyes seemed to constantly scan the scene unfolding as my walk through caused a bombardment...no better yet an eruption...of emotions buried deep from days gone by so long ago.

But, was it really that long ago? My sense of a workable timetable seemed skewed. I had last set foot here in...maybe...yes, in 2002! That had been only four short years ago, but so much had happened since that last visit making the time frame seem more expansive than it actually was. My fourth, no make that fifth, visit to America's version of the City of Lights was vastly different, however, and despite the adrenaline flow, my state of mind was far less stoic or business like than the prior four trips. This time I was truly excited to be here with my wife, family and friends.


I was back in Las Vegas...

There is no other city in the world like Vegas. I had returned to Hawaii, where I had lived at one time, with my new bride just a few years prior and enjoyed ever single moment. But the Aloha State didn't harness any of the dark, almost mocking, ghost of lifestyles past that Vegas did. My last trip here had been eventful in a number of ways. First and foremost, I had left the town that breaks most with a wad of winnings. Five figures worth to be exact. Only one of my prior four trips had resulted in me leaving money behind, but never had I been that hot. It didn't seem like I could lose as I rolled winnings into more winnings. My last visit had seen me depart full of self-admiration and even arrogance.

Despite the high note in confidence and cash flow, things would take a decisively nasty turn upon my return home. My life would begin to be turned upside down in a number of ways and a number of times eventually resembling a snow globe with me at the center of the blizzard-like scene. Chaos reigned in my life. I lived loose and free...no not free...nothing is truly free. Anything worth having comes with a price, and my way of living was paid for with intense loneliness, overwhelming guilt and crushing weights of anxiety.

As it all swept back over me like a rush of invisible locus swarming to engulf me, my love took hold of my hand. "Are you okay?" she quietly asked with genuine concern. "I'm fine. Just a lot of demons still lurking I guess," I tried to be reassuring. Not quite fully understanding the magnitude of my response yet sensing a hint of despair in my voice, she took tighter hold of my hand and inched a little closer to me as we walked. Instantly, a calmness fell over me, and I whispered a quick prayer for protection. Father, you know where I've been and the things I've done, and I gave those to You years ago. I know I've willingly put myself in this situation, but I ask for Your guidance, for strength, and your protection. I refuse to let Satan beat me down with things of the past. We are here to have fun, but only as You see proper. Thank you for loving such a mess of a man like me. In my Savior's name I come to You with this prayer.

As we moved deeper into the labyrinth of buzzing and blinking and clinking and clanking, I felt more at ease. My goal was to just come here with family and friends and have a good time. The marketing slogan proclaimed, 'What happens in Vegas stays in Vegas,' but apparently that advertising company isn't aware of or fails to acknowledge an omnipotent God that transcends more than the fear of loose lips or unflattering headlines. The real trick is to make sure nothing happens that I wouldn't want Him to see...which encompasses in fact everything.

Everyone around me in our group chatted and took in the magnificence of the world-class resort. A billion dollar establishment that set on a row of similar such establishments and stretched 3.8 miles. Real estate and revenues worth more than the GDP of many small countries. All designed with one thing in mind...to get you to put your quarter into that slot...repeatedly.

Despite my initial foreboding demeanor, I started to relax and let go of any dread that tried to linger. As we approached the back end of the enormous casino, we approached the very spot where it had all gone down. To the group, it was just another instrument of the gambling, but to me it represented a time in my life when beating the man foolishly seemed more fulfilling than
pleasing the One. As I stood staring into the enormous sports book, a calmness blanketed me.


I looked at the people sitting and gazing almost lifelessly at the Big Board. Endless odds and propositions filled the large center display floating among what seemed an endless number of screens constantly feeding updates, scores and highlights. A mecca for most any sports enthusiast, gambler or not. A small swell of pride formed as I realized that I had come here and beat the odds, but it was quickly deflated by the lasting memory of what it had cost me in the long run. Money can be the root of evil, but the love of money truly is the root of all evil. I was looking directly at some of that love mixed with unrealized delusions.

Thank you Lord for delivery me from my enemy. As I continued on, my group was unaware of the brief internal strife that had left as quickly as it had appeared. Somehow, my love was far to attuned to my inner workings not to sense the brief uneasiness of the moment. "You still okay?" she said so softly. " Yes, I am. Thank you," squeezing her hand just a slight bit more. She probably received my acknowledgement as mere politeness, but it was intended on a completely different scale...and God knew exactly what I was thanking her for from the bottom of my heart.

Man your battle stations!

You’ve heard the alarm – some for real and many just in a movie. A long siren blares and then a voice declares…

“GENERAL QUARTERS. GENERAL QUARTERS. ALL HANDS MAN YOUR BATTLE STATIONS.”

Adrenalin flows and everyone knows. It’s time to drop what you’re doing. Grab your gear. And sprint to your battle station.

We’ve all felt the adrenalin rush of life sounding the alarm – The phone call in the middle of the night; The doctors report, blunt but piecing; The notice in the mail…at work. Smooth sailing is about to turn to stormy seas. The siren is a warning the tornado is about to hit. Blood runs cold. Face turns red.

We all have this one thing in common – in this world we have tribulation. We’ve been talking all week about it. I have battle scars – I’m pretty sure you do, too. Some we talk about – others we’d just as soon forget.

The truth is – there are more battles ahead.  But that doesn’t mean we should live in fear or dread. Whatever the battle – loneliness from the loss of a loved one; the hollow hurt from a wayward child; the haunts of regret; the ache of a relationship gone wrong; the gnawing of hunger; the clawing of creditors… it may be hard – but we can win.

And in my humble opinion, here is how we can do it.

Preparation is the key to success they say. I agree. With a slight modification I call it: “Preprayeration;”(Pre-prayer-ation.)  

“Man your battle stations…” The operative word being “your.”  We have been created unique. We’re customized to best operate, under stress and in battle, in a certain way. Knowing ahead of time what gear to grab and to what station to run, BEFORE the battle starts, is key.

“Pray that you enter not into temptation,” Jesus told His disciples just before they were about to enter the biggest battle of their lives. Battles are won before the fight by those who pray.

And that is how Jesus could say on the same night in which he was betrayed;  "My peace I give to you… Let not your hearts be troubled.”

Holy Man! Wow. He was fixin’ to get beat up, ripped up and nailed up on a cross and He said – "My peace I give to you…let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid.” Think about that. It must be some powerful peace to calm that tornado of trouble about to blow.

He cues us in on how to obtain that kind of peace as He preprayers..."Not My will but Yours be done." Surrender is key to victory in Spiritual warfare.

 Victory is in the eye of the beholder. For example:  When I play a game, many times, I win by losing. The object isn’t to win the game, but to win the heart, and be champion of time well spent.  The goal is to be able to say; I have fought a good fight. The prize is to hear The Father say: “Well done.”

When we pray we are actually talking to The Champion of All. He knows what lies before.  And what we consider loss – He may see as gain. That’s why we must pray.

And then say, “OK. Father, if you can fix this mess, I’d like it. But I trust You more than myself, so, not my will but Yours be done. Amen.” 

And then even if all hell breaks loose – like it did when Jesus prayed that prayer we can say:

When peace like a river, attendenth my way,

When sorrows like sea billow roll;

Whatever my lot, Thou hast taught me to say,

It is well, it is wll, with my soul.

~

Are We There Yet?

“Are we there yet?” If you are a parent, you have heard that impatient question on a road trip. You probably remember asking it of your own mom or dad, ten minutes into a two-hour drive. Lately, I have been asking the same question of my heavenly Father, but I already know the answer: No, we are not there yet. We have not arrived at Destination Peace and Unity, a place Jesus desires for His Church.

The topic for this week is battle strategy. A spiritual battle strategy is needed because we are “not there yet” (i.e. “the new heaven and the new earth.” Rev. 21). If you are like me, I am not a fan of language that confuses and sometimes divides Christians on the very battleground we are talking about here, so bear with me while I offer my own weak definition of the topic.

Battle strategy refers to one’s spiritual plan of action in combating evil (wrongdoings, human state of rebellion against God, and the presence of evil in the world) and in making progress in bringing the Gospel (the Good News of God) to others. It is akin to a military strategy--the Apostle Paul instructs us metaphorically in the Letter to the Ephesians to “put on the armor of God,” which includes truth, salvation, faith, the Gospel, peace--in other words, remember who you are: a child of God saved by faith in Christ Jesus through His death on the cross, instructed to live in love and peace as we share the Gospel, enabled by the Holy Spirit’s power.

We do live in a world of good and evil, of the material and the spiritual, and yes, I believe in angels and demons. But I first and foremost believe that the powers of darkness (demons, Satan) have already been conquered at the cross (“And having disarmed the powers and authorities, He [Jesus] made a public spectacle of them, triumphing over them by the cross” Colossians 2:15).

Too often, we believers act as if a battle against Satan is still to be fought around every corner. Too often, we ignore the battle in our own hearts and the anger, hatred, resentment, racism and nonsense that line its walls.

“If it is possible, as far as it depends on you, live at peace with everyone” (Romans 12:18).

Unfortunately, we are not there yet, are we? Every week, it seems, we face a battle of wills--our own, and others--instead of following the battle plan of our Lord.

Here are four “weapons” that wield great power: love, prayer, thankfulness and humility. I fail at these every day and when I am successful, it only comes through the power and grace of God, and by choosing obedience over selfishness.

Regarding love, Jesus said, “Anyone who loves me will obey my teaching. My Father will love them, and we will come to them and make our home with them (John 14:23). If we love God and actually obey the Word, we are winning the battle. If we love others, we are winning the battle. “Above all, love each other deeply, because love covers over a multitude of sins.” (1 Peter 4:8).

Prayer: 1 John 5:14-15 encourages us, “This is the confidence we have in approaching God: that if we ask anything according to his will, he hears us. And if we know that he hears us - whatever we ask - we know that we have what we asked of him.” “With this in mind, be alert and always keep on praying for all the saints” (Ephesians 6:18).

Thankfulness: Being thankful even in the direst of circumstances defeats hopelessness; it may not change our circumstances, but it changes us. “And whatever you do, whether in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him” (Colossians 3:17). Anne Voskamp offers wise words in her book, One Thousand Gifts: “The brave who focus on all things good and all things beautiful and all things true, even in the small, who give thanks for it and discover joy even in the here and now, they are the change agents who bring fullest Light to all the world” (p. 58).

Humility: We believers who speak very sincerely about putting on the armor of God, should not forget the set of clothes Paul describes in Colossians: 
“Therefore, as God’s chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience” (Colossians 3:12).

In summary, tools for battle for overcoming the evil one and success as a Gospel-giving Church are believing and proclaiming the name of Jesus; reading, believing and acting on the Word of God; and displaying a unity that so reflects God’s love that the world WILL know that Jesus is real and so is His love. Are we there yet?

"...to defend against all enemies, foreign and domestic."

Warfare is a subject matter I'm unfortunately adept to address...


From all recollections, I always wanted to be a Marine. While my preferred path of fighter pilot to space shuttle astronaut was derailed by a refractive defect in my eyes resulting in viewed images falling short of focus on the retina (read myopia), I still pressed on in pursuit of a commissioning in the storied Corps.

That dream came true June 7, 1986 on the campus of Vanderbilt University with my family as witness.

Being a military officer requires a tremendous amount of study in the tactics and strategies of great military leaders of the past. In the words of George Santayana:

"Those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it."

While there were required readings on the matter, I took on a personal 'extracurricular' interest in the people that history has judged as great military strategist. To this day, there is a copy of Art of War by Sun Tzu and The End of an Empire  (about the role of Attila the Hun in the collapse of the Roman Empire) on my office bookshelf.

Many of the same principles applied in order to maximize the chances of success in combat can be directly related to the spiritual warfare that all of us wage. Don't take for granted that all is appropriately applied here. Souls are in the balance each and every day, and ultimately, will spend eternity in only one of two places. As an obedient soldier for God, my job is to be ready to serve when and where He wants...and how He wants as well.

Being ready are the operable words. I can only be ready if I properly train. Prepared. Know my enemy. God's word tells me I'm much stronger with others at my side, so that involves coordination and effective communications. The underlying foundation to all this is commitment. War is never easy. Never fast. Disciple is required and that disciple must be driven by unwavering commitment.

So what exactly is my role in the spiritual warfare being fought? Well, I've been promoted to higher rank as my commitment and experience have both aged. I'm no longer an all important grunt or foot soldier fighting the one-on-one battles in a microcosm of the larger war. I'm now expected to lead others...not by barking or threats but rather by my example. If I expect others to be prepared, I must be even more so to demonstrate how important the principle is to our ultimate goal.

I can't afford to forsake the assembly thereby marginalizing the importance of the church in God's plan. My knowledge of Scripture must be second to none and always growing, and I must be quick with the Truth and even quicker to carve out the damages caused by deceit and deceptions.  Knowing other eyes fall upon me, I must be forthcoming with my failures and sincere in my pleas for forgiveness. I must be also diligent in offering forgiveness and loving support to someone who has stumbled.

At no time should I seek glory or even acknowledge accolades for myself because it is written that
Pride goes before destruction, a haughty spirit before a fall. All glory goes to the One I serve...for only He is truly worthy.

Even though (and unlike any other battle before) I know the final outcome of my efforts are based on an unbreakable promise, my resolve must be to fight and lead with all my might until my last breath closes my life here and starts my life eternal with Him.

I have been commissioned by Him...I must and will serve with honor.

Who Has Your Back?

Who Has Your Back?

I thought, my husband, Marcel should write this. He is a war buff. He is not as interested in the blood and gore, as he is in studying what brought soldiers to victory.

So, what is MY strategy in spiritual battles?

The place to start off is basic. I have to believe that there is a war. God’s Word says it is a spiritual battle. We can sometimes go from one extreme to another. We can give the enemy of our souls way too much attention. On the other hand, we can deny there is a war.

There is a war. This does not negate the victory, which Jesus wrought for us, at the Cross, It is quite the opposite; it acknowledges that, because of the Victory He won, we can battle the powers of darkness from a position of authority and power.

Rather than a strategy, I recognize my position in this battle. First, I am an Intercessor. Then, I am a Stretcher Bearer.

Intercession means going between and pleading for another…mediating or representing another. Jesus models this for us. He intercedes for us day and night.

I had quite dramatic experiences, a couple of times I prayed. It was not the norm, but it increased my faith to know, I was not just praying to the wind.

 I knew, by the Spirit of God, that I was praying for a man in a cabin in Maine. It was as if, I was soaring over the United States. God pinpointed this certain location. I saw it was Maine. As I zeroed in on it and zoomed towards it, it was as if, I pierced this man’s heart, with my words. I believe that this man had yet to come, to the saving knowledge of the Lord. However, the Lord knew him and where he lived in this remote area of Maine.

Another time, I could see a Middle Eastern woman. I was even given her name. Having been abused by her husband, she was missing some front teeth. She needed a “go between” to pray on her behalf.  She was not only in darkness physically, she was in darkness spiritually. There have been reports of the Lord Himself appearing to people in that region of the World. I prayed that she might encounter that type of revelation, but if not, that she would somehow hear the truth of Jesus.

One of the schemes of the enemy is that of blinding people to the truth. His plan for the unsaved is an attempt to keep them in darkness and deceived. Even the saved can be harassed. They can suffer the wounds of battle, especially when they are unaware of their standing in God and their authority thereof.

The other role is that of a Stretcher Bearer. This term came from WW1 when the wounded were carried out from the battle. I believe that the key here is that they were taken away from the fray to a safe place and then tended to.

There are people inside and out of the Body of Christ, who may need to be cared for.  Hurts…wounds…trauma… being pummeled by a barrage of slings and arrows and shots can all make a person helpless and battle weary.

It is really not as important to know how they came to be in need of help, as it is to help them. How is this accomplished? We can help them by offering them our presence and tenderness. Haven’t we all experienced medical personnel who are not compassionate at all? It makes us wonder how our attendants ever decided to go into the medical field. When the wounded experience authentic love and caring, they will know, deep within their soul that Jesus is a “real deal”.

I am convinced that many have interceded for me, before I accepted Christ into my life. Some were known to me. I believe with all of my heart, that many are nameless and faceless to me. Perhaps, when I go to meet the Lord, face to face, they will be revealed to me. Wouldn’t that be cool?

I have been carried by many stretcher bearers, when I stumbled and was battle weary. That happened often at the beginning of my walk. Sometimes, it still is true today.  I have had believers come beside me, while I needed healing and rest…respite and restoration. In turn, I have done the same.

We are called to love and “join the service,” so to speak. Am I standing in the gap for others, in prayer?  Am I willing to carry another? Do I rejoice with those who rejoice and also weep with those who weep? Will I sacrifice sleep and my personal “to do” list, to carry others in my heart? Can I be attentive to them…up close and personal?

Will you?

Linda Maynard

The victory's already been won...but there are still battles to fight.

A little over a year ago, I wrote about the fellow pictured here over on Tony C Today (click here).  It was a tongue in-cheek piece about Church Guy, a fictitious alter ego I'm accused of playing from time to time by my better half.

She didn't find it so funny, apparently...

While the post was in fun, there were some fundamental truths about me sprinkled throughout. First, my wife is extremely vital to me and compliments (and tolerates) my demeanor very well. Second, I am a pretty laid back guy who has mellowed with age. Third, I don't hold a grudge. Well, at least not for very long.

But the most telling truth about me from the post can also be seen, some times subtly and some times not, in my post here on Kingdom Bloggers. I honestly try to live my life by the greatest commandments according to Jesus (Mark 12:30-31).

Does my focus on loving God and loving others make me weak and vulnerable to attacks by Satan? I personally don't think so and use Jesus as the ultimate template for how I conduct my philosophy. Joyce mentioned the full armor of God in her post Tuesday. I've always found it interesting that the spiritual battle gear doesn't have anything protecting the wearer's back. There could be a number of reasons for this fact, but as a former Marine, I like to think there's nothing protecting our backs because God wants Christians always on the attack!

So while I can focus on my love for God and my love for my fellow man, I can still be a mean, nasty soldier for God when it comes to Satan. God has helped me find perspective and balance in my life for this too. Make no mistake...without God I would be defenseless and devoured by evil in the blink of an eye! But keeping God close in my life and always in focus gives me the strength I need to wage daily spiritual warfare.

Does that mean Satan never wears me down or wins a battle from time to time? Absolutely not. But those times I can directly correlate to times I'm not focused on what I should be. While it all seems fundamentally simple, Satan is a most worthy adversary and will win his share of battles. My job is to keep my eye on the eternal prize God has promised, and to reach out to as many souls as I possible can with His love.

Not very often have military commanders gone into a battle knowing the ultimate outcome ahead of time, and in all the cases I'm aware of where they did...God had shared His plan with them well  in advance..

The battlefield of the mind

Most of my experience with spiritual warfare have centered in the mind; centered in my mind. There's been two main types of experiences I've encountered; one is what I call the late night assaults, and the other is lies.

I don't know if it's because I get physically tired, or because the hardships of the day start to take the toll by the end of the day, or what, but I've often encountered what I used to think were intense emotions toward the end of the day. I've since come to see these intense emotions as spiritual attacks; those feelings of loneliness, failure, and hopelessness absolutely do not line up with the Word of God, so I know they are not true.

Joyce made a really good point in her post yesterday about how we need to be prepared, so that when attacks come, we can experience victory. As I'm faithful to read from the Word each morning and meditate on scripture here and there through out the day, two things happen. I store up resources, and the Holy Spirit uses God's words to transform the way I think. Both of these are helpful because when those assaults come at night, because of the Holy Spirit's transformation of my mind, I can now recognize them for what they are. There was a time in my life when I would believe these emotions. I'd get into thinking about how friendless I was and how lonely I felt, or contemplate all the ways I'd failed in life, or just have a great big there-is-no-hope fest. But now I'm able to recognize these as attacks of the enemy and to sometimes quote God's word back to these thoughts. Or if I'm just too weak for even that, I can at least speak the simple fact aloud that just because I feel something, does not make it true. That emotions are transitory and I chose to base my life on the unchanging Word of God. I can call out to God for help. Then I can do the very practical thing and go to bed. I don't need to get more done that day, my body needs rest.

Late night assaults are different from lies because lies aren't as emotionally charged, but they just might be more insidious. There are lies all around me in our culture and lying thoughts that sometimes come to my mind; it really is a battlefield. I think that's why, when God describes His amour in Ephesians 6:10-18 , one of the pieces listed is the belt of Truth. In the King James it actually says to gird your loins withTruth. I've always found that interesting since procreation comes through our loins; so it protects me to create from Truth.

What about you, have you ever felt assaulted by intense emotions or lies?

Demons, Dungeons and Dragons

When we think of spiritual warfare, we tend to conjure images right out of Dante’s Inferno.  We see demons rising up to grab us.  If you’ve ever been to one those Christianized Halloween spook houses where the demons in black turtlenecks and tights slither in to take the unrepentant soul to hell you know what I’m talking about.  Scary stuff!  The hosts of heaven and the hordes of hell vying for your soul as the hounds of heaven chase you.

As I thought about this topic for this week, I thought, hmmm, chasing demons.  I know more about that then I ever wanted to know.  We’ve lived in houses with all sorts of “issues.”  Believe me, it’s real and it’s scary.  I’ve walked through houses with the Bible reciting out loud prayers and scripture followed by lots of anointing oil. 

While I do believe in this stuff, I think sometimes we get so diverted by the sensational that we forget that when the Bible talks about spiritual warfare, it talks about putting on the armor of God.  The emphasis is not just on the battle, but the preparation. 

There is something about watching the horrific events in Japan* that makes me think of spiritual warfare.  Like the earthquake, the need to “battle” often comes unexpectedly.    Life is going at a reasonable pace.  Life is good.  God is good.  The flowers are blooming and the birds are singing.  Then seemingly out of nowhere the earthquake comes.  It might be a small tremor of doubt, fear, disbelief, discouragement, or depression that grips the heart.  Sometimes those smaller tremors do serious damage to the soul. 

Or like the dreadfulness in Japan, it may be a major earthquake.  Those times when nothing in your life makes sense and you barely exist.  You see death and destruction everywhere – it might be physical, it might be emotional.  But it is real!  You wander around confused, scared, and in shock.  You are like the walking dead.  We are hard pressed on every side … perplexed … persecuted… struck down (2 Corinthians 4:8-9). 

Spiritual warfare is like the Japanese earthquake experience in another way, preparedness.  The earthquakes of life are going to come.  The tremors may seem unrelenting.  There may be a major shift in your life that changes everything and leaves you feeling pressed, perplexed, persecuted, and struck down.  

I’m reminded of the parable of Jesus.  Maybe you sang the parable when you were a kid.  It’s the one about the wise man and the foolish man - the one where the wise man builds his house upon the rock and the foolish on sand.  You can read it here or enjoy this delightful video about the parable. 

The Japanese were wise.  They’ve built buildings to withstand the inevitable earthquake.  They have a plan for survival.  I suspect that they will ultimately fare much better and recover faster because of it.  Rather than focusing on the demons, dungeons, and dragons, it is wiser to focus on preparedness.  Putting on the whole armor of God is a good place to start.  Remembering that the part of the scripture that I quoted from 2 Corinthians is not the full story – here is the full story:

We are hard pressed on every side, but not crushed; perplexed, but not in despair; persecuted, but not abandoned; struck down, but not destroyed.

The key to spiritual warfare is preparedness.  The last line of the Sunday School song based on the parable of the wise man and the foolish man is this – SO BUILD YOUR LIFE ON THE LORD.  That’s where the emphasis should be, building yourself up in this most holy faith.

Jude 1:20-25 But you, dear friends, by building yourselves up in your most holy faith and praying in the Holy Spirit, ²¹ keep yourselves in God’s love as you wait for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ to bring you to eternal life.
Be merciful to those who doubt; save others by snatching them from the fire; to others show mercy, mixed with fear—hating even the clothing stained by corrupted flesh.  To him who is able to keep you from stumbling and to present you before his glorious presence without fault and with great joy— to the only God our Savior be glory, majesty, power and authority, through Jesus Christ our Lord, before all ages, now and forevermore! Amen.

* I am in no way implying that the earthquake in Japan is a result of demonic activity.  While I never discount the supernatural, earthquakes are natural phenomena.  Prayer, aid, and acts of mercy are the appropriate response. 

Spiritual Warfare: Staying Up When the Chips are Down

Like Job, there are lots of calamities that God can allow the adversary of our souls to inflict upon us. After all Satan went to God to ask if he could attack Job and try his faith. The only skills on his resume, are theft, murder and destruction.

This week your Kingdom Bloggers are going to tell you how they hold the shield of faith in the face of the Devil's fiery darts and survive spiritual attack.

I have heard it preached that the mind is the battle ground of Satan, and for sure it is one of the fronts that he works on to discourage us. As I read Job this morning, the passage about the clay pots and boils made my skin feel itchy. The death of family members and all the loss that he sustained, it made me sad. However; I think there is more to the story. Before I give Satan all the credit, consider this passage:

Luke 20:18 Everyone who falls on that stone will be broken to pieces; anyone on whom it falls will be crushed.

Apparently there are two choices, be broken, or be crushed; pick one. I will take broken for $100. In the very same way the fragrance was released from the alabaster box by breaking it, so the spirit of God is released from you and me. It is not released through our own skill, talent, ability, or confidence, but in our utter dependence on the Lord - you know, when we are weak he is strong - that sort of thing.

What does that have to do with spiritual warfare and having our heavenly clock cleaned by the enemy of our souls? Everything. Paul said that our faith was a shield that could extinguish ALL the fiery darts of the enemy. (Ephesians 6:16) Jesus said that there is violence in the Kingdom as well. (Matthew 11:12) The writer of Hebrews assured us that we are not those who shrink back. (Hebrews 10:39) And certainly we know that letting the sun go down on our anger is a foothold for the Devil. (Ephesians 4:27)

So who is this spiritual giant of the Bible that responds to this sort of biblical truth? Not me.

Here is how that translates in David's life. For many years I have desired to serve the Lord - more than I care to admit. It seems that each time I step out, there is a significant demonic backlash. (I have written a 4-part series on the demonic HERE) Getting to Brazil for a mission trip was one of those times. (HERE is that story.)

I have had enough interactions with the demonic realms to know they are real, but the toughest and most common of the Devil's wiles, are the subtle ones. They are the everyday emotions that don't line up with biblical truth. They are connected to the roller-coaster of thoughts the day I have a review at work, or someone from leadership calls and leaves a message: "We need to talk.." They come on strong when I haven't held my tongue with a family member, or I say something to a co-worker without thinking. Even the stress that I feel during the commute, none of it is God. I know, pathetic, right?

As I start to look at the root of some of these things, I see all sorts of negative shaping, and lifetime of wrong responses. Then, when the chips are down, I have a plethora of old movies to play; I am overwhelmed. That's when I read Job and I feel a little better. This morning I was pondering why God would have picked him. Here is what I found:

Job 3:25 What I feared has come upon me; what I dreaded has happened to me. 
26 I have no peace, no quietness; I have no rest, but only turmoil.”

What I found interesting was that he feared, past tense. Before any of this ever came to visit his life, he feared it would happen. Otherwise he would have said, "I don't know where this came from, it was totally unexpected!"

As much faith as I have for certain things, I also have some fear. Fear is not of God, and like Job, it can be an open door for spiritual attack. When I act on that which is NOT the truth of God, then I am just asking for trouble - and I have often found it. The good news is that even when I fail in the battle, God uses that for my own good - but more on that next week!

How about you, how do you stay in the battle? Do you have fear?

Less Is More

Less of Dave means more of Jesus.  When I admit to Jesus and myself that I am in a spot that I can't fight through, Jesus shows up. By laying down my pride, I have overcome my greatest weakness, my ego.
When Jesus shows up, there are attitudes, sins, misconceptions that I have to lay down.  These weaknesses of mine simply cannot exist in His presence.

Now, during these times of humility and honesty, I don't really feel His presence.  But, I know my Savior has come through for me.  Because only with Jesus less is more.

And He said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for My strength is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore most gladly I will rather boast in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me.
2  Corinthians 12.9

You don't have to act like a Roman in Rome...

The sights, sounds and even smells are unmistakable. My eyes seemed to constantly scan the scene unfolding as my walk through caused a bombardment...no better yet an eruption...of emotions buried deep from days gone by so long ago.

But, was it really that long ago? My sense of a workable timetable seemed skewed. I had last set foot here in...maybe...yes, in 2002! That had been only four short years ago, but so much had happened since that last visit making the time frame seem more expansive than it actually was. My fourth, no make that fifth, visit to America's version of the City of Lights was vastly different, however, and despite the adrenaline flow, my state of mind was far less stoic or business like than the prior four trips. This time I was truly excited to be here with my wife, family and friends.

I was back in Las Vegas...

There is no other city in the world like Vegas. I had returned to Hawaii, where I had lived at one time, with my new bride just a few years prior and enjoyed ever single moment. But the Aloha State didn't harness any of the dark, almost mocking, ghost of lifestyles past that Vegas did. My last trip here had been eventful in a number of ways. First and foremost, I had left the town that breaks most with a wad of winnings. Five figures worth to be exact. Only one of my prior four trips had resulted in my leaving money behind, but never had I been that hot. It didn't seem like I could lose as I rolled winnings into more winnings. My last visit had seen me depart full of self-admiration and even arrogance.

Despite the high note in confidence and cash flow, things would take a decisively nasty turn upon my return home. My life would begin to be turned upside down in a number of ways and a number of times eventually resembling a snow globe with me at the center of the blizzard-like scene. Chaos reigned in my life. I lived loose and free...no not free...nothing is truly free. Anything worth having comes with a price, and my way of living was paid for with intense loneliness, overwhelming guilt and crushing weights of anxiety.

As it all swept back over me like a rush of invisible locus swarming to engulf me, my love took hold of my hand. "Are you okay?" she quietly asked with genuine concern. "I'm fine. Just a lot of demons still lurking I guess," I tried to be reassuring. Not quite fully understanding the magnitude of my response yet sensing a hint of despair in my voice, she took tighter hold of my hand and inched a little closer to me as we walked. Instantly, a calmness fell over me, and I whispered a quick prayer for protection. Father, you know where I've been and the things I've done, and I gave those to You years ago. I know I've willingly put myself in this situation, but I ask for Your guidance, for strength, and your protection. I refuse to let Satan beat me down with things of the past. We are here to have fun, but only as You see proper. Thank you for loving such a mess of a man like me. In my Savior's name I come to You with this prayer.

As we moved deeper into the labyrinth of buzzing and blinking and clinking and clanking, I felt more at ease. My goal was to just come here with family and friends and have a good time. The marketing slogan proclaimed, 'What happens in Vegas stays in Vegas,' but apparently that advertising company isn't aware of or fails to acknowledge an omnipotent God that transcends more than the fear of loose lips or unflattering headlines. The real trick is to make sure nothing happens that I wouldn't want Him to see...which encompasses in fact everything.

Everyone around me in our group chatted and took in the magnificence of the world-class resort. A billion dollar establishment that set on a row of similar such establishments and stretched 3.8 miles. Real estate and revenues worth more than the GDP of many small countries. All designed with one thing in mind...to get you to put your quarter into that slot...repeatedly.

Despite my initial foreboding demeanor, I started to relax and let go of any dread that tried to linger. As we approached the back end of the enormous casino, we approached the very spot where it had all gone down. To the group, it was just another instrument of the gambling, but to me it represented a time in my life when beating the man foolishly seemed more fulfilling than
pleasing the One. As I stood staring into the enormous sports book, a calmness blanketed me.




I looked at the people sitting and gazing almost lifelessly at the Big Board. Endless odds and propositions filled the large center display floating among what seemed an endless number of screens constantly feeding updates, scores and highlights. A mecca for most any sports enthusiast, gambler or not. A small swell of pride formed as I realized that I had come here and beat the odds, but it was quickly deflated by the lasting memory of what it had cost me in the long run. Money can be the root of evil, but the love of money truly is the root of all evil. I was looking directly at some of that love mixed with unrealized delusions.

Thank you Lord for delivery me from my enemy. As I continued on, my group was unaware of the brief internal strife that had left as quickly as it had appeared. Somehow, my love was far to attuned to my inner workings not to sense the brief uneasiness of the moment. "You still okay?" she said so softly. " Yes, I am. Thank you," squeezing her hand just a slight bit more. She probably received my acknowledgement as mere politeness, but it was intended on a completely different scale...and God knew exactly what I was thanking her for from the bottom of my heart.

Stomp!

If you’ve lived in the world of charismania for very long you’ve sung a bunch of songs about the devil. When I was a little girl, I learned that:

 The devil is a sly ol’ fox, if I could catch him I’d put him in a box,

I’d take the box and throw away the key for ol’ those tricks he’s played on me.

This was followed by hand clapping to a rousing chorus of:

I’m so glad I’ve been converted (3x just in case the first didn’t take) I’m trusting in the Lord.

I guess they are still teaching this meaningful song to children. You really should check out this little boy singing it. He hasn’t been converted though, he got salvation. See it here, it’s adorable.

I suppose this song is supposed to build up ones faith just like the more adult versions such as:

I went to the enemy’s camp and took back what he stole from me. He’s under my feet.

I tell you I’ve gotten quite moved by that song a few times as I put the devil under my feet with excited jumping and stomping. If you watch this video, you’ll see quite a few people very excited to put the enemy under their feet. You’d think with all of this, the devil would never show up again.

Or how about this one if you are a little bit older:

Victory is mine, victory is mine, victory today is mine. I told Satan to get thee behind. Victory today is mine.

It seems Satan likes that King James English too and the use of the word thee.

If you are singing along with me, some of you are no doubt shouting by now. We could have a Holy Ghost breakdown if we tried. A few strong exhortations with some hallelujahs would have our faith exploding. We’d be ready to whip that sly ol’ fox’s butt. If only it were that easy.

Several years ago, I was a camp counselor. Of course, they told me that there was some unwritten rule that you had to be under the age of 30, preferable under the age of 25 to be a camp counselor. However, one of my daughters begged me. The old mother  went to camp, slept on a cot, took showers in cold water in the centralize bathroom outside our cabin, dealt with little prima donnas who would have preferred a cool college age counselor, and almost got saved all over again. After all everyone gets saved during church camp. Every day in chapel we’d sing another catchy song about the devil and spiritual warfare.

I don’t think the song ever caught on like the sly ol’ fox one or stomping the devil under our feet. So you probably don’t know it nor has any one put it on youtube. That year at camp though, it was our theme song.  With extreme enthusiasm, we asked God to take us to the front lines of the battle – where the Lord is marching on.

God answered that prayer for me. If you’ve been in the frontline of a spiritual battle you realize this wasn’t exactly what you bargained for…All that stompin and excitement can give way to exhaustion and lack of faith.  After months of frontline detail, I found myself severely battle fatigued.

One day when the spiritual fatigue was particularly bad, I thought about that camp song. I remember clearly that I was engaged in a great spiritual activity, I was changing the sheets on the bed. As I walked around the bed several times, tucking and tugging and straightening, I said out loud with more enthusiasm than I had at camp:

God, you know how I sang that song about going to the frontline. I don’t want to go to the frontline anymore, I take it all back. This was followed by my ranting about how stupid that song was, that they should never have taught me that song and work me up into a spiritual fervor to declare such a thing.

This went on for a while. Then I thought about how driven I am to excel, to be the best. I thought about how people tell you, this is a spiritual test. I always thought I should be in the spiritual AP or honors class.  I was strong, and ready to face all the challenges. After all, I’d been putting that sly ol’ fox in a box since I was about two years old. That day I asked God to put me in the remedial class. I said no more AP or honors classes for me. I just want to pass with the ordinary class--No more of this frontlines business for me!

Okay, so you thought this week we were supposed to talk about victory. Doesn’t this sound a bit like defeat? I should have known I had power because I had sung “We’ve Got the Power” and “Faith is the Victory.” (Thought I’d throw another song or two in there to pump us up a bit so we don’t get too deflated.)

This is about victory. This is about realizing your own limitations and that you can’t fight alone.  I fought on then and I am still fighting on. I didn’t give up, God didn’t answer my prayer and send me to the remedial class. God gave me more strength to fight another day.

Several years later, I saw Lord of the Rings. As I watched Aragorn at the Black Gate, ready to go into battle, my spirit leaped with excitement. This time it was a more realistic excitement than stompin the devil under my feet.  For I now understood what it was like to rise up out of my own weariness, weakness, defeat and fear to fight on another day.

I need to hear this often – maybe you do too.

Sons of Gondor! Of Rohan! My brothers. I see in your eyes the same fear that would take the heart of me. A day may come when the courage of Men fails, when we forsake our friends and break all bonds of fellowship, but it is not this day. An hour of wolves and shattered shields when the Age of Men comes crashing down, but it is not this day! This day we fight!
By all that you hold dear on this good earth, I bid you stand, Men of the West!

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. Ephesians 6:13