There is unprecedented hostility, persecution, and naysaying of any Christian who holds to True Christian doctrine, that Jesus Christ is only way to eternal life and to Father in Heaven (John 14:6, John 3:16-18). Take a short search of Yahoo News and you will discover many articles of news about foolish Christians shooting their spouses on accident, church boys who feel oppressed at church, and anything to caste doubt on Christianity. In addition, Hollywood is always there to promote mysticisms of the East from Yoga (being yoked to Brahmin a god of Hindusim, a tenant of Jainism, Buddhism, and Hinduism) and Marijuana (evented by Arabs, called originally Hashish, used by famous Islamic Assassins known as Hashashim who smoked Hashish before going into battle, the Assasins served the Old Man of Mountain during The Crusades, the Hashishim or Assassins circa 1094-1275 A.D.). From every sectors, new outlet, entertainment, blogs, video games, and books; there is frontal assault on Christ and His church, with the aim no doubt to set up the Antichrist.
So how are we to respond? Are we to resist in tangible ways? Do we create some Christendom somewhere obscure? The answer is found in the Apostle Paul letter to Thessalonians, a church in Thessaloniki Greece, which was rather fixated on the End Times. The Apostle said, "Now as to the times and the epochs, brethren, you have no need of anything to be written to you. For you yourselves know full well that the day of the Lord will come just like a thief in the night. While they are saying, “Peace and safety!” then destruction will come upon them suddenly like labor pains upon a woman with child, and they will not escape. But you, brethren, are not in darkness, that the day would overtake you like a thief; for you are all sons of light and sons of day. We are not of night nor of darkness; so then let us not sleep as others do, but let us be alert and sober.For those who sleep do their sleeping at night, and those who get drunk get drunk at night. But since we are of the day, let us be sober, having put on the breastplate of faith and love, and as a helmet, the hope of salvation. For God has not destined us for wrath, but for obtaining salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ, who died for us, so that whether we are awake or asleep, we will live together with Him. Therefore encourage one another and build up one another, just as you also are doing." (1 Thessalonians 5:1-11, NASB). In the Greek the sleep mentioned here is not s spiritual slumber as if Paul is urging the Thessalonians to awake from some kind of lukewarm state, it is literally Katheudo (καθεύδω), to sleep, and so the last couple of words, "so weither awake of asleep we will live together with Christ," indicates this is not about a spiritual sleep. Paul mentions that we need to be "sober and alert," and to "not sleep when others sleep." Interesting, because as times get darker and Antichrist is to rise, it is safer to be awake at night, able to keep watch vigilantly, than in day when usually nothing happens. In fact, Richard Wurmbrand, a missionary to Romania and who was tortured and put in solitary confinement for many years said that he stayed awake at night when the supernatural was more potent and slept during the day. Perhaps more importantly, Paul tells us to arm ourselves we three tools, "But since we are of the day, let us be sober, having put on the breastplate of faith and love, and as a helmet, the hope of salvation." Now Paul mentions spiritual armor in another epistle, the one to Church of Ephesus, where He says, "Finally, be strong in the Lord and in the strength of His might. Put on the full armor of God, so that you will be able to stand firm against the schemes of the devil. 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. Therefore, take up the full armor of God, so that you will be able to resist in the evil day, and having done everything, to stand firm. Stand firm therefore, having girded your loins with truth, and having put on the breastplate of righteousness, and having shod your feet with the preparation of the gospel of peace; 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. And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God [Jesus, see John 1:1-17, Revelation 19:11-16, Revelation 1:1-24). With all prayer and petition pray at all times in the Spirit, and with this in view, be on the alert with all perseverance and petition for all the saints [here we see cross reference to that be sober and alert in 1 Thessalonians 5:6]," (Ephesians 6:10-18), and LORD God Himself has these spiritual clothing, "Yes, truth is lacking; And he who turns aside from evil makes himself a prey. Now the LORD saw, And it was displeasing in His sight that there was no justice, And He saw that there was no man, And was astonished that there was no one to intercede; Then His own arm brought salvation to Him, And His righteousness upheld Him, He put on righteousness as his breastplate, and the helmet of salvation on his head; he put on the garments of vengeance and wrapped himself in zeal (fury, passion) as in a cloak," (Isaiah 59:15-17). We see a common theme here of putting on armor spiritually, even Helmet of Salvation and Breastplate come up in all three of these chapters, but what often happens it scholars and deliverance ministers turn this into some kind of metaphysical and mystical armor you put on everyday. But actually the pieces Paul is mentioning are how to protect you, lets examine the three Paul mentions to Thessaloniki, "having put on breastplate of faith and love, and as helmet the hope of salvation." The point is to look at what the armor is suppose to protect. A breastplate protects the heart, and it isn't heart that you have faith and believe (Romans 10:9-10, cross ref John 3:16-18). So Paul is saying, to protect your heart in Christ, have faith (trust) God, and love, because it is love that connects us to God and connects all commands of God, "Love Lord your God with all your heart, mind [there's that helmet of salvation in love], soul and strength, this is greatest commandment," (Matthew 22:37-38, Luke 10:27), "Love your neighbor as you love yourself, in these two commandments of loving God and your neighbor all Law of Moses and Prophets are fulfilled" (Matthew 23:39-41), "A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another, even as I have loved you, that you also love one another. By this all men will know that you are My disciples, if you have love for one another," (John 13:34-35), and finally God Himself is Love, "Whoever does not love does not know God, because God is love (agape, not eros)." (1 John 4:18). This means to guard your heart, you must let it soak in Christ's love, and continue to love others, and not let that love grow cold, and at same time have faith in Christ, filling your heart with faith. The third piece is the helmet of the hope of salvation, what does this guard? The mind of course. Paul is telling us if we want to guard against the thoughts Satan shoots like arrows, the thinking of Antichrist, paranoid thoughts, and arguments of evil, we must fill our mind with hope of salvation, mediating on that Jesus Christ has saved us (Romans 5:6-11), and is Coming to bring us salvation (Hebrews 9:28-29). This means in short keep your minds on source of salvation itself, Jesus Christ who is Savior; this can easily be supported by, "And the peace of God (Jesus, prince of peace Isiah 9:6, and John 14:27) which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus," (Philippians 4:7), and "We destroy arguments and every lofty opinion raised against the knowledge of God, and take every thought captive to obey Christ," (2 Corinthians 10:5).The purpose of all this is that we long for Jesus Christ with such zeal (passion) that we are able to consider everything else lost (Philippians 3:8-9) and let that Helmet and Breastplate of Christ keeps us in Him until He comes on the clouds or we repose.
In these three pieces of armor alone, Paul has effectively shown us what to do in these dark times. Instead of filling our hearts with unbelief and hate towards cold hearted people, we are to build up our faith and love in Christ by turn to Him in our hearts and expressing it in our parts (lives, bodies). To hold firm in our minds we must fix our mind on Hope of Salvation, that Christ is coming on clouds of heaven to rescue us, and we must keep our eyes fixed on Him (Hebrews 12:2). In these three pieces of armor we see a blueprint or example of how we are to stand firm in such evil times. Let us then do as the Apostle instructs, especially when our Church, that is Christ's Church, is being assailed on all sides. Amen.
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