PART II: And Take the Helmet of Salvation...

(continued from previous post...)

SHIRAN: The enemy knows that he is defeated and his end draws closer with each passing day. But he does not want to go down alone. And that is why he tries to get Christians in his camp – influencing people to become deceivers like himself, and then planting them unawares within the believers’ camp and getting unwary believers deceived.

For there shall arise false Christs and false prophets… insomuch that, if it were possible, they shall deceive the very elect. (Matt 24:24)

ZACK: A lot of times Shiran, I think even the believers miss that last line.

SHIRAN: Deceit, if you ask me, has to do with changing a person’s mind, so that they are deluded and go along with something they think will be fruitful, but end up discovering that it is not.

ZACK: Uh huh…

SHIRAN: I mentioned earlier the things that are going on in the world today. Given the fact that Christ’s return is much closer than “around the corner”, and that the devil does not want to go down alone, does it not make sense that so many people are being deluded? The many religions – Buddhism, Sikhism, New Age, oh, I don’t know… Sai Baba – everyone is looking for the truth but not finding it – remember how in the last entry we were reminded that Jesus Christ alone is the truth?

ZACK: I came across this yesterday Shiran, as I was reading a piece on warfare…“But if our gospel be hid, it is hid to them that are lost: In whom the god of this world hath blinded the minds of them which believe not.” II Cor. 4:3,4. Because we have us two worlds here; the physical one and also spiritual one, of which we are part given we are people of the spirit. These two worlds collide. Now if those people are blinded, that also means they are in spiritual darkness and we are in spiritual light. And it is the miracle of salvation that brings one’s spiritual eyesight back.

SHIRAN: The media – children are becoming anorexic at tender ages; five- and six-year-olds already thinking they are too fat and need to lose weight. They are being taught witchcraft by movies such as Harry Potter, and they are being lured into the world of imagination and fantasy by all the animation movies out there.

Our adults are not left behind in this quest for the mind. The music people listen to, the fact that many are entertained by a barrage of curse words and tunes that insult mothers, women, children even… tunes that insult God. It’s all over, this deception. A worrying large number think that they cannot be happy unless they have a certain amount of money in their bank accounts. Even sadder is the fact that many people are willing to denounce Christ and turn their backs to follow a trend or a friend.

ZACK: Very true there Shiran. And you know we are constantly engaged in that spiritual war and one of the most effective weapons that the enemy and his evil empire of demons aim at us is today's entertainment. Entertainment supplies the devil’s ammunition in this spiritual war. It's tempting to dismiss it as simple amusement. But even while Christians are entertaining themselves, we are often learning to conform to the immoral values of this world. In other words Shiran, the Christian community is spiritually entertaining itself to death.

God's Word clearly warns us to avoid such dangers. "Beware lest any man spoil you through philosophy and vain deceit, after the tradition of men, after the rudiments of the world, and not after Christ" Colossians 2:8. What is the vast majority of today's entertainment except some man or woman's vain philosophy expressed in music, movies, or TV programs? This Scripture warns us that if we continue to entertain ourselves with philosophies that are against Biblical values, this will undermine our faith and joy in Jesus Christ. Deuteronomy 6:7 tells us to teach our families about the laws of God whether we're at home or on a journey, from the time we get up to the time we go to bed. Instead of teaching His values in this manner, too often we let the enemy teach his values to our children (and to us) through the world of entertainment. And because immorality is presented in such an entertaining manner, we believe it doesn't affect us -but that just isn't true! We are losing our children, family, and friends and if we’re not careful even ourselves in this spiritual war without even realizing we are in this battle already. Remember that lion from the Safari lessons? It loves to conceal itself in the tall Savannah elephant grass as it ‘looks around for whom it may devour’. The devil isn’t any less different.Remember I talked about sobriety earlier? The love for alcohol… who pays for all the commercials that say alcohol is good for our health? The beer and wine makers, of course. It is a lie from the pits of hell. I don’t see how drinking wine can add years to one’s life. And another thing, Zack… I don’t believe Jesus drank alcoholic wine, after saying through Solomon that "it is not for kings, O Lemuel, it is not for kings to drink wine, nor for princes strong drink". (Prov. 31:4) Jesus is the King of kings. He would never go against what He says. He does not change.

ZACK: Sure He doesn’t. Neither is he a man that he should lie nor a son of a man that He should change His mind.

SHIRAN: Where can this salvation be found? What, WHO can rescue man from this nonsense?

Centuries, eons ago, God saw man in this state. He knew this would happen.

…he that departeth from evil maketh himself a prey: and the LORD saw it, and it displeased Him that there was no judgment. He saw that there was no man, and wondered that there was no intercessor: therefore His arm brought salvation unto Him; and His righteousness, it sustained Him. (Isaiah 59:15-16)

That verse just blesses me, Zack. I had never really looked at verse 15 properly before today. He that departs from evil makes himself a prey of the enemy – but God sees that, and the Blood of Jesus Christ saves His children.

ZACK: And that God foresaw all of that and planned for our salvation as His beloved is even the more blessing. “Before I formed thee in thy mother’s womb, I knew thee” and “I know the plans I have for you; plans of peace and not of war, plans to prosper you,…” Jer. 29:11

SHIRAN: “For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in Him should not perish, but have everlasting life.” (John 3:16)

Isn’t He a loving Father? He gave His begotten Son, that we might become His adopted sons, and heirs of God through Christ (Rom 8:15-16, Gal 4:6-7). When we accept Jesus Christ, and believe in Him, we find salvation, and we are not condemned (Rom 8:1). We are rescued, and the liberation of knowing that we are new creations and have hope, greatly influences our thoughts. Suddenly, there is clarity. Suddenly, there is peace, and a sense of our positions in the spiritual battle.

ZACK: Very well said there Shiran! And even more I’m reminded of the imperial order in the days of the ancient Roman Empire. All soldiers wore helmets, but with those helmets came marks of authority often emblazoned or running from the one end to the other. One look at a soldier’s helmet would tell you from what company and what rank he came and held respectively. Even better, we as Christian Soldiers with the helmet of salvation, are reminded of that authority that we hold… authority accompanied by signs. “He that believeth and is baptised shall be saved: but he that believeth not shall be damned. And these signs shall follow them that believe; In my name shall they cast out devils; they shall speak with new tongues; They shall take up serpents; and if they drink any deadly thing, it shall not hurt them; they shall lay hands on the sick, and they shall recover.” Mark 16:16,17.

Isn’t it just so amazing, almost to such crescendo levels, Shiran, God’s love for they who believe on Him?

SHIRAN: Zack, that Jesus loves me so much blows my mind! Two things remain constant:

1. We talk too much
2. We serve a Great God!