"TAKE UP THE SWORD" FOR LENT!
My last at-sea job in the Navy included an assignment as a Damage Control Assistant for our ship. When you are floating in the middle of the ocean, you cannot call the fire & rescue company to come to your aid in an emergency. You must become your own fire & rescue team. I was assigned with leading a group that was trained in putting out fires, fixing leaks, and eradicating flooding…the kind of fires, leaks and floods that could sink the entire ship. We had a pretty detailed playbook, that when mastered, practiced, and wielded (executed) left us feeling confident in our ability to overcome some pretty perilous scenarios.
Last Sunday, was our next to last message in our Suit Up sermon series on the Armor of God. Our first five weeks focused on the "defensive tools" God offers us in our efforts to “stand firm” when the perils of life threaten to beat us up or break us down. Last Sunday, we received God's weapon for "going on the offensive" in the spiritual battles that present themselves in the material struggles that can sink each of our lives. That weapon: the Sword of God's Spirit...which is the Word of God.
