Peaceful, Righteous, Joyful Warrior - a post based on the following scriptures – Ephesians 5:8-19, Ephesians 6:10-20, and Romans 14:7-23… after the post!
A battle calls for warriors. First respondents hear the alarm and those trained and ready are first down the pole to face the challenge head on within moments.
In response to the move of the enemy of the human condition, You are calling forth your peaceful, loving and wise warriors. You send love which cracks the enemy’s strongholds and impacts the situation with the peace of God. You desire your Kingdom to break into a place where there was once only selfishness and darkness. You send Your righteousness and joy. You set up your Kingdom reign.
There is an element of terrorism on planet earth – there are slave-drivers – trappers of humanity – thieves of soul – There are legalists who kidnap the innocent – binding the little ones, the hopeful hearts, with ropes of distorted reality and oppression – There is a kingdom of darkness building a wall of terror and seeking to gather the naive within its dark doors.
But You, Father, You Yeshua! You sound the shofar alarm! You call your warriors of joy to this battle! You call the ones who are PREPARED with feet that run with the purpose of peace to the fray. You sound the alarm on Your holy mountain and call forth the armies of righteous love! These are your warriors who build with one hand and defend with the other! Their purpose is to build your Kingdom of peace, righteousness and joy!
So, “To arms!” for the righteous cause of the Kingdom of God and of His Messiah, Yeshua, Meek & Mighty!
But how does that LOOK in your life? When you pump gas and meet eyes with a despondent looking fellow citizen, when you’re writing a blog post for your family and friends to read, when you’re standing in line for some coffee.. sitting next to that stranger in your church? Voting for your State Representative, your US Senator, your Governor this November?
May YHWH give us grace to do well … as warriors of His love this next month.
Ephesians 5:8-19 (WEB)
8 For you were once darkness, but are now light in the Lord. Walk as children of light, 9 for the fruit of the Spirit is in all goodness and righteousness and truth, 10 proving what is well pleasing to the Lord. 11 Have no fellowship with the unfruitful works of darkness, but rather even reprove them. 12 For the things which are done by them in secret, it is a shame even to speak of. 13 But all things, when they are reproved, are revealed by the light, for everything that reveals is light. 14 Therefore he says, “Awake, you who sleep, and arise from the dead, and Christ will shine on you.”
15 Therefore watch carefully how you walk, not as unwise, but as wise; 16 redeeming the time, because the days are evil. 17 Therefore don’t be foolish, but understand what the will of the Lord is. 18 Don’t be drunken with wine, in which is dissipation, but be filled with the Spirit, 19 speaking to one another in psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs; singing, and making melody in your heart to the Lord…
Ephesians 6:10-20 (WEB)
10 Finally, be strong in the Lord, and in the strength of his might. 11 Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil. 12 For our wrestling is not against flesh and blood, but against the principalities, against the powers, against the world’s rulers of the darkness of this age, and against the spiritual forces of wickedness in the heavenly places. 13 Therefore, put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to withstand in the evil day, and, having done all, to stand. 14 Stand therefore, having the utility belt of truth buckled around your waist, and having put on the breastplate of righteousness, 15 and having fitted your feet with the preparation of the Good News of peace; 16 above all, taking up the shield of faith, with which you will be able to quench all the fiery darts of the evil one. 17 And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God; 18 with all prayer and requests, praying at all times in the Spirit, and being watchful to this end in all perseverance and requests for all the saints: 19 on my behalf, that utterance may be given to me in opening my mouth, to make known with boldness the mystery of the Good News, 20 for which I am an ambassador in chains; that in it I may speak boldly, as I ought to speak.
Romans 14:7-23
7 For none of us lives to himself, and none dies to himself. 8 For if we live, we live to the Lord. Or if we die, we die to the Lord. If therefore we live or die, we are the Lord’s. 9 For to this end Messiah died, rose, and lived again, that he might be Lord of both the dead and the living.
10 But you, why do you judge your brother? Or you again, why do you despise your brother? For we will all stand before the judgment seat of Messiah. 11 For it is written, “‘As I live,’ says the Lord, ‘to me every knee will bow. Every tongue will confess to God.’”
12 So then each one of us will give account of himself to God. 13 Therefore let’s not judge one another any more, but judge this rather, that no man put a stumbling block in his brother’s way, or an occasion for falling. 14 I know, and am persuaded in the Lord Yeshua, that nothing is unclean of itself; except that to him who considers anything to be unclean, to him it is unclean. 15 Yet if because of food your brother is grieved, you walk no longer in love. Don’t destroy with your food him for whom Messiah died. 16 Then don’t let your good be slandered, 17 for the Kingdom of God is not eating and drinking, but righteousness, peace, and joy in the Holy Spirit. 18 For he who serves Messiah in these things is acceptable to God and approved by men. 19 So then, let us follow after things which make for peace, and things by which we may build one another up. 20 Don’t overthrow God’s work for food’s sake. All things indeed are clean, however it is evil for that man who creates a stumbling block by eating. 21 It is good to not eat meat, drink wine, nor do anything by which your brother stumbles, is offended, or is made weak.
22 Do you have faith? Have it to yourself before God. Happy is he who doesn’t judge himself in that which he approves. 23 But he who doubts is condemned if he eats, because it isn’t of faith; and whatever is not of faith is sin.
Now to him who is able to establish you according to my Good News and the proclaiming of Yeshua the Messiah, according to the revelation of the mystery which has been kept secret through long ages, but now is revealed, and by the Scriptures of the prophets, according to the commandment of the eternal God, is made known for obedience of faith to all the nations; to the only wise God, through Yeshua the Messiah, to whom be the glory forever! Amen.
