Tag Archives: Ephesians 6

Guard your mind and heart

 

 

P1020616 Korea is a mountainous country with a long history of territorial wars. And so it is no surprise to find many fortresses wherever you go. This is a part of the Hwaseong Fortress in Suwon, Korea and demonstrates a cunning strategy to defend one of the fortress entrances. Potential intruders would have to navigate an ever narrowing and winding uphill path to reach the gate while becoming targets of archers from many parts of the wall. The expansive wall itself is several feet wide and circumvents a large portion of the city. Rising up hundreds of feet above the city, the fortress provides a good defense against attack. Just climbing the steps of the wall was an arduous task.

 

Walking around modern Suwon, it seemed that people in general were very calm and did not act as if their lives were threatened. Even the persistent threats from a noisy neighbor north of the border doesn’t seem to shake the citizenry. Chances are you and I enter each day with a similar attitude of calm. Yet God reminds us that we are at war with evil and calls on His people to guard their hearts and mind as well as their bodies from attack of the enemy, lest we too be toppled and fall victim to their prey.

 

To be successful in war we must first be aware that we are engaged every day in the battle for our mind. We all know how easily we can be tricked by smooth talking and cunning lines of persuasion if we are not alert. Knowing what you believe – and why – is as important as knowing what you are against. Understanding and focusing on basic truths that are always true and unshakable helps us to stand firm. There can be no moral truth if all morals are accepted as equally true. Some truths are absolute.

 

Studying and meditating on God’s Word will establish these in your heart and mind. Memorizing and applying them to your daily life is like putting on an armor that protects you from enemy attacks. Put on the belt of truth, the breastplate of righteousness, the boots of the gospel of peace, the shield of faith, the helmet of salvation and the sword of the spirit. (Ephesians 6)

 

Above all else, guard the fortress of your heart and your mind so you can stand firm whatever battle arises against you.

 

Above all else, guard your heart, for everything you do flows from it. Proverbs 4:23

 

And the peace of God which transcends all understanding will guard your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus. Philippians 4:7

 

 

 

 

 

 

“God will put a hero in you.”

A young man who was recovering from tongue cancer said this. He lost half his tongue to cancer and went on later to audition in a national singing contest. Can you imagine the courage it would take to overcome such odds?

We all need courage. It might be something classically heroic like running into the path of an oncoming car to save a young child. Perhaps you need courage to stand up to a lifetime battle you or a loved one is facing. It takes courage to give up what you have and your worldly ambitions to follow Jesus. Sometimes it takes courage to get up and face another day, just to take another step on a very long and lonely journey, to reach out to encourage another in the midst of your inner pain.

But where do you find such courage? Is it something you develop over time or something given to you? Sarah Young’s devotional, Jesus Calling, is written as if Jesus Himself is responding to you. One excerpt reads: “Time is a trainer, teaching you to wait upon me, to trust me in the dark. The more extreme your circumstances, the more likely you are to see my power and glory at work in your situation.”

God reveals His power in you as your courage. He listens to you and answers by putting a hero in you.

Psalm 40:1-3 I waited patiently for the Lord;
he turned to me and heard my cry.
He lifted me out of the slimy pit,
out of the mud and mire;
he set my feet on a rock
and gave me a firm place to stand.
He put a new song in my mouth,
a hymn of praise to our God.
Many will see and fear the Lord
and put their trust in him.

Moses waited until God was ready to empower Him. King David waited until God’s time to make him the warrier king. Paul waited for God’s call to be revealed with power on his missionary journey. But I don’t think they waited passively. Rather they kept pursuing God while they waited on Him.

What are you waiting on that takes such courage? Do you believe that God can put a hero in you? Ephesians 6 tells us He can empower us to withstand and overcome great battles by standing firm, protected by His armor, waiting on Him to usher in the victory. It may be today, or maybe tomorrow. It may take months or years. But this I know. Courage and victory come from waiting on God. Persevere in your faith. Be strong and courageous in the small things of life and you will be strong and courageous in the big things.