a machine gun. If you were a smart soldier, and wanted to be a living trooper, you would have to make cer tain that you obeyed those instruc tions. The same is true in the spir itual realm as well. These were offen sive weapons. Coming to the Word of God, however, we find all but one are defensive weapons. This should give us a totally new insight into the way in which we have to conduct our warfare as Christians in the world. God bless them and keep our servicemen and God grant peace may soon come. They are on the defen sive and are taking the offensive as much as they can. But God’s methods are entirely different. The believer is compared in Ephesians 6 to the Roman soldier. The reason these parts of the uniform are defensive is because God does the fighting for us. “Greater is he (the Holy Spirit) that is in you, than he (Satan) that is in the world” (I John 4:4). As a born again believer, you have the Saviour indwelling you. He it was who could declare, “All power in heaven and earth is given unto Me. And lo, I am with you always, even unto the end of the ages.” You see, the fighting which God has detailed is defensive, inasmuch as He takes care of the offensive. God is moving by his Holy Spirit. When the enemy comes in to attack, I have all I need. I’m not strong enough to beat the enemy, or even to figure him out. In Viet Nam today, that’s ex actly the problem. The boys are try ing to fight someone whom they can’t see. You can’t see Satan and the forces of hell arraigned against you, but God and Christ can. What you need to do is to rest in the Saviour who already has won the battle. As I go through with Him, His victory is my victory. I have the whole ar mour of God. The purpose is that I may stand. I’m not told to run out and make an heroic charge. My ad monition is just to stand in the strength of Christ. Now, the only 14
offensive weapon with which I have to fight is the sword of the Spirit, the Word of God. This too, is given so that I may resist the enemy so that he will flee from me. I protect my self by the Word of God. “Thy Word have I hid in my heart, that I might not sin against thee.” While in Viet Nam we may not know which way the battle is going, but in our lives we can be assured of overcoming victory because Jesus Christ indwells us and He conquers all. Let us trust and rest in Him. Leave the battle to Him. In this way you’ll know peace, joy and blessing for your life, and until He comes again. BECAUSE YOU PRAYED Because you prayed for me I found the strength I needed for my task, The courage I had lacked before, the faith to see Beyond the narrow world; new joy for pain I found, and zeal To press on forward strong of heart again. . . Because you prayed. Because you prayed today I found it was not hard to face the dawn, Take up again the work I laid away But yesterday, and shoulder it, and there To smile a bit. And find a blessing I’d not dreamed was there. . . Because you prayed. Because you prayed for me Tonight, I seemed to reach and find your hand Close by me as I had known it would be, And somehow toil and turmoil needs must cease: It was as though God to our hearts had softly whis pered ‘‘Peace” . . . Because you prayed! — Ruth Gibbs Zwall
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