whole armor of God

Children of the Day

Posted on by Betsy

I spoke with a church member this week who told me that her father has just been given a terminal diagnosis. Her mother is suffering with Alzheimer’s, so as she grappled with the painful news of her father’s illness, she was also trying to deal with what will happen to her mother when he dies. The responsibility of caring for the remaining parent is a difficult thing to negotiate. If this has happened to you, you know the awful challenge of deciding what to do when the first parent, who has been faithfully caring for the second parent, is no longer here.

While his death is not imminent, she wanted to think through options so that she will be ready. I have been with families when a sudden death occurred and completely knocked them sideways, and I’ve been with others who knew they were in the final months and days of life. Neither one is easy. But the chance that some people get to prepare for death is a blessing when it happens. It always helps to be ready for major life changes.

In this final chapter of 1 Thessalonians, Paul addressed the Second Coming head on. He didn’t dance around the subject but laid out an expectation that the people would be ready. Reminding them that they were “children of the day,” he encouraged them to be sober, alert, and ready to roll:

1 Thessalonians 5 (Common English Bible)

5 We don’t need to write to you about the timing and dates, brothers and sisters. 2 You know very well that the day of the Lord is going to come like a thief in the night. 3 When they are saying, “There is peace and security,” at that time sudden destruction will attack them, like labor pains start with a pregnant woman, and they definitely won’t escape. 4 But you aren’t in darkness, brothers and sisters, so the day won’t catch you by surprise like a thief. 5 All of you are children of light and children of the day. We don’t belong to night or darkness. 

6 So then, let’s not sleep like the others, but let’s stay awake and stay sober. 7 People who sleep sleep at night, and people who get drunk get drunk at night. 8 Since we belong to the day, let’s stay sober, wearing faithfulness and love as a piece of armor that protects our body and the hope of salvation as a helmet. 9 God didn’t intend for us to suffer his wrath but rather to possess salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ. 10 Jesus died for us so that, whether we are awake or asleep, we will live together with him. 11 So continue encouraging each other and building each other up, just like you are doing already.

People who belong to the day stay awake and sober, wearing faithfulness and love as a piece of armor. What a beautiful image! When we sit at the bedside of a loved one who is dying, armor is useful. When we are given terminal diagnosis, lose our jobs, send our kids off to college, welcome a new baby, etc., it helps to be ready. Those moments of great change can assault you with the arrows of anticipation, fear, and feeling overwhelmed. Armor would help! Help us, Lord, to be ready.

Paul went on to say that we can also wear our hope of salvation as a helmet. This is reminiscent of Ephesians 6:10, where Paul detailed putting on the full armor of God in order to combat the Evil One. It is a good analogy. As we wait for the Second Coming, we need to be ready to do battle for our souls and protect ourselves with faithfulness, love, and especially hope.

But I love what he said in verses 10 and 11. Jesus died so that we will live together with him, so our job now is to continue encouraging each other and building each other up. Do you do that? Do you speak words of encouragement to your loved ones or are you critical and dismissive? Do you build up your friends and co-workers or tear them down? What do you need to change to truly be ready for the day of accountability?

No one knows the day or the time. Are you ready?

Children of the Day by Michelle Robertson

Screen Saver

Posted on by Betsy

Everyone knows what a projector is. A projector is an electronic device that can take images from a source and display them on a screen. Movie theaters use projectors at the rear of the theater to cast moving images on a giant wall screen in the front.

And then there is another type of projecting. This is when someone has a grudge, grievance, anger issue, or mental instability, and projects that onto another person. Projecting is a defense mechanism for coping with undesirable feelings and emotions. People project negative feelings onto others rather than admitting or dealing with the unwanted feelings. A husband constantly accusing his wife of cheating may be projecting his secret behavior onto her. A teenager, frustrated with his lack of accomplishment, may taunt and pick on a younger sibling rather than face his own feelings of inadequacy.

Bullying is a form of projecting. A middle school teacher and I were chatting last week and she talked about how much bullying takes place in school. She is working very hard to have kids understand their own emotions so that they can take ownership of what they are processing internally rather than project those feelings of anger and shame onto others through bullying. Sadly, some of them will grow up to be adult bullies and continue to project their unresolved issues onto others.

Bullies will probably always project. But that doesn’t mean you have to be their screen.

Luke 17 English Standard Version (ESV)

Temptations to Sin

17 And he said to his disciples, “Temptations to sin are sure to come, but woe to the one through whom they come! 2 It would be better for him if a millstone were hung around his neck and he were cast into the sea than that he should cause one of these little ones to sin.

3 Pay attention to yourselves! If your brother sins, rebuke him, and if he repents, forgive him.

If your brother or sister sins, rebuke them. Jesus never called us to be doormats. We can stand strong in the full armor of God and stand up for ourselves in his might. When the money lenders were defiling the temple, Jesus didn’t capitulate. He threw them out.

Ephesians 6:10-20 (The Message)

A Fight to the Finish

10-12 God is strong, and he wants you strong. So take everything the Master has set out for you, well-made weapons of the best materials. And put them to use so you will be able to stand up to everything the Devil throws your way. This is no afternoon athletic contest that we’ll walk away from and forget about in a couple of hours. This is for keeps, a life-or-death fight to the finish against the Devil and all his angels.

13-18 Be prepared. You’re up against far more than you can handle on your own. Take all the help you can get, every weapon God has issued, so that when it’s all over but the shouting you’ll still be on your feet. Truth, righteousness, peace, faith, and salvation are more than words. Learn how to apply them. You’ll need them throughout your life. 

God’s Word is an indispensable weapon. In the same way, prayer is essential in this ongoing warfare. Pray hard and long. Pray for your brothers and sisters. Keep your eyes open. Keep each other’s spirits up so that no one falls behind or drops out.

If you have someone who continues to project their misery onto you, walk away. Bury yourself deep in God’s word, and pray for strength. Put on the full armor against evil, and stand up for yourself. Projectors need screens, so as soon as you stop being one, the show will be over and you’ll still be on your feet. God has come to be your screen saver! HE is strong, and he wants you to be strong. Take every weapon he supplies, cover yourself in prayer, and STAND FIRM. God’s got you.

Thanks be to God.

Keep Your Eyes Open by Michelle Robertson