31 Keep
Your Eyes Open and Leave No Man Behind
No. 30 was ‘pinged’ back in April and it’s been
difficult pull this final installment together. I set out to learn about the
“well-made weapons” made for me for my serious struggles-the life and death
kind and it has turned into much more than just a favorite passage. Gratefully,
some of you have gleaned some benefit but even if that was not true, it has
helped me with my stumble[1].
Lately, several distractions are completing with this mini-treatise on
Ephesians Six. Nancy’s mom will hopefully come home from her now five month
medical episode and that will end our whirlwind travel, the economy looks like
it is weakly recovering with the real estate collapse nearly half-way over …
there was one other thing… what was that… oh, yes, I have announced my
retirement at the end of 2011. The effects working on the credit/real estate
crisis for almost four years now have taken a tremendous toll on me-more than
just physically. Since I have only 177
days left [yes, I count them off each morning] let's bring this series[2] to a close. One more time, with feeling…
Ephesians 6:10-20 The
Message translation
10-12 And that about wraps it up. God is strong, and he wants you
strong. So take everything the Master has set out for you, well-made weapons of
the best materials. And put them to use so you will be able to stand up to
everything the Devil throws your way. This is no afternoon athletic contest
that we'll walk away from and forget about in a couple of hours. This is for
keeps, a life-or-death fight to the finish against the Devil and all his
angels.
13-18 Be prepared. You're up against far more than you can handle
on your own. Take all the help you can get, every weapon God has issued, so
that when it's all over but the shouting you'll still be on your feet. Truth,
righteousness, peace, faith, and salvation are more than words. Learn how to
apply them. You'll need them throughout your life. God's Word is an
indispensable weapon. In the same way, prayer is essential in this ongoing
warfare. Pray hard and long. Pray for your brothers and sisters. Keep your
eyes open. Keep each other's spirits up so that no one falls behind or drops
out.
19-20 And don't forget to pray for me. Pray that I'll know what
to say and have the courage to say it at the right time, telling the mystery to
one and all, the Message that I, jailbird preacher that I am, am responsible
for getting out.
In #30 we saw Christ in the garden of Gethsemane winning the battle of
the cross on his knees in prayer. We’ll pick up there with his instructions for
those he brought along.
Matthew 26:37-39 (AMP) 37And taking with Him Peter
and the two sons of Zebedee, He began to [a]show grief and distress of mind
and was [b]deeply depressed.
38Then He said to them, My soul is very sad and
deeply grieved, so that [c]I am almost dying of sorrow. Stay
here and keep awake and keep watch with Me.
39And
going a little farther, He threw Himself upon the ground on His face and prayed
saying, My Father, if it is possible, let this cup pass away from Me;
nevertheless, not what I will [not what I desire], but as You will and desire.
Do you think it is odd that he specifically asked them to watch with him?
What were they supposed to see and why is it linked to prayer? Let’s go back
there a little later in the same event…
Mark 14 37
And He came back and found them sleeping, and He said to Peter, “‘Simon,
are you asleep? Have you not the strength to keep awake and watch [with Me
for] one hour? 38Keep awake
and watch and pray [constantly], that you may not enter into temptation;
the spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak.” Amplified Bible
Perhaps if Paul were writing about this he would talk about how the
disciples had all the weapons they needed for this battle and all they had to
do was keep their eyes open to see what was really happening around them. It
wasn’t Jesus need to have a quiet time but the Battle
for the Souls of Men for all Eternity raging all around them and they had no clue. Individually, each of them
would be tested very soon and they needed to be aware-to see the approaching
enemy of their souls. How many times am I unaware of the spiritual battle
raging all around me and I am absent from the fight because I couldn’t watch
and pray with my team for ‘one hour’?
Jumping back to the OT we see a similar expression:
Isaiah 62:5-7 (KJV) 6I
have set watchmen upon thy walls, O Jerusalem, which shall never hold their
peace day nor night: ye that make mention of the LORD, keep not silence,
The prophets were the watchmen that kept their eyes open so they could
see the pitfalls and foretell the trials the nation would go through. They saw
what the enemy was plotting when nobody else knew there was an enemy. When the
entire nation thought everything was going just fine these guys would yell from
atop the walls, “Look out! We are in big trouble!” God has equipped someone for
every age to see what is unseen by temporal man. Paul says we should see as well, once we are
properly armed.
There is another level of seeing that we should discuss and that is an awareness
of what is happening to me and those around me.
12 Therefore let anyone who thinks he stands [who feels sure that he has
a steadfast mind and is standing firm], take heed lest he fall [into sin]. 13For no temptation (no trial regarded as enticing to sin), [no matter
how it comes or where it leads] has overtaken you and laid hold on you that is
not common to man [that is, no temptation or trial has come to you that is
beyond human resistance and that is not [b]adjusted
and [c]adapted
and belonging to human experience, and such as man can bear]. But God is
faithful [to His Word and to His compassionate nature], and He [can be trusted]
not to let you be tempted and tried and assayed beyond your ability and
strength of resistance and power to endure, but with the temptation He will
[always] also provide the way out (the means of escape to [d]a
landing place), that you may be capable and strong and powerful to bear up
under it patiently.
I Corinthians 10
Did you ever look in the mirror or stand on
the scale and say, “How did I get like this!?” God forbid that someone would
grab you by the lapels and shake you, crying out, “Can’t you see what you have
done to yourself and your family!” Or, have you seen someone after a long time
and said to yourself, “How did they get like that? They used to be….” Sometimes it is that quiet moment at church
where we see for the first time how far we have fallen from the example Christ
set for us. Just seeing at all is the
gift Paul is speaking of and it may not occur until we have put on all the
other armor and begun the battle on our knees. Two weeks ago the doctors at
Mayo Clinic pointed out detectable changes in my health that I was not aware
of. These insidious changes, incremental deterioration, of our condition
[physical, mental, emotional and spiritual] rarely happen in large steps but in
barely perceivable ones that can only be detected when armed with these well-made weapons Paul instructed us to take on.
Prayer: Lord, show me what you
want me to see. Help me see what you see.
Psalms 139 23 Search
me, O God, and know my heart: try me, and know my thoughts: 24And
see if there be any wicked way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting.
Amen
We can now finish with that final instruction “Keep each
other's spirits up so that no one falls behind or drops out. “
All too often people drop out of life because
of discouragement. They feel all alone in their battle. The loss of hope is
bigger enemy than most of the tangible struggles we have in life. The Army
Rangers use the motto “No man left behind” [paraphrased] as part of their creed
and many military units espouse similar values. This simple-not
easy-declaration tells the members of the unit that every other man cares
deeply about them, will never turn their back and will fight to the death to
protect them. This belief empowers the soldier to fight with abandonment against
incredible odds as they know they are never alone and in the event of injury or
death they will be returned to their homeland; perhaps carried upon their
shield by their loyal comrades but they will not be left in the field. The
Christian army would do well to live with a similar declaration to make sure
none of its rank is deserted when wounded or they fall in the battle. We can fight
harder and longer when we know someone has our back and would see to our return
home-one way or another. My father used the following verse to describe what he
saw in WWII when men would sacrifice for their foxhole partner:
John
15:13 12This is My commandment: that you love one another [just] as
I have loved you. 13No one
has greater love [no one has shown stronger affection] than to lay down (give
up) his own life for his friends.
The Roman writer chimes in with his
call to complete commitment that can only be done when you know the Savior
leaves no man left behind:
Romans
12:1-2 1I APPEAL to you therefore, brethren,
and beg of you in view of [all] the mercies of God, to make a decisive
dedication of your bodies [presenting all your members and faculties] as a
living sacrifice, holy (devoted, consecrated) and well pleasing to God, which
is your reasonable (rational, intelligent) service and spiritual worship. 2Do not be conformed
to this world (this age), [fashioned after and adapted to its external,
superficial customs], but be transformed (changed) by the [entire] renewal of
your mind [by its new ideals and its new attitude], so that you may prove [for
yourselves] what is the good and acceptable and perfect will of God, even the
thing which is good and acceptable and perfect [in His sight for you].
In another of Paul’s letters he
explains his own sacrifice to leave no man behind in very personal terms and
then explains how Christ poured out his life:
Phil 2:17 17Even if
[my lifeblood] must be poured out as a libation on the sacrificial offering of
your faith [to God], still I am glad [to do it] and [n]congratulate you all on [your
share in] it.
3Do nothing from factional
motives [through contentiousness, strife, selfishness, or for unworthy ends] or
prompted by conceit and empty arrogance. Instead, in the true spirit of
humility (lowliness of mind) let each regard the others as better than and
superior to himself [thinking more highly of one another than you do of
yourselves].
4Let
each of you esteem and look upon and be concerned for not [merely] his own
interests, but also each for the interests of others. 5Let
this same attitude and purpose and [humble] mind be in you which was in Christ
Jesus: [Let Him be your example in humility:]
6Who, although being essentially one with God and in the form
of God [[b]possessing the fullness of the
attributes which make God God], did not [c]think this equality with God
was a thing to be eagerly grasped [d]or retained,
7But
stripped Himself [of all privileges and [e]rightful dignity], so as to
assume the guise of a servant (slave), in that He became like men and was
born a human being. 8And after He had appeared in
human form, He abased and humbled Himself [still further] and carried His
obedience to the extreme of death, even the death of the cross! 9Therefore
[because He stooped so low] God has highly exalted Him and has [f]freely bestowed on Him the name
that is above every name, 10That in (at) the name of Jesus every
knee [g]should (must) bow, in heaven
and on earth and under the earth, 11And
every tongue [[h]frankly and openly] confess and
acknowledge that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.
Once more Paul
states his readiness to be sacrificed so no man is left behind as he has
finished the ‘race’ he set out to run.
2
timothy 4:6-8 6For I am already about to be sacrificed [my
life is about to be poured out as a drink offering]; the time of my [spirit's]
release [from the body] is at hand and I will soon go free. 7I
have fought the good (worthy, honorable, and noble) fight, I have finished the
race, I have kept (firmly held) the faith. 8[As
to what remains] henceforth there is laid up for me the [victor's] crown of
righteousness [for being right with God and doing right], which the Lord, the
righteous Judge, will award to me and recompense me on that [great] day--and
not to me only, but also to all those who have loved and yearned for and
welcomed His appearing (His return).
Many of you have already recalled the greatest pledge of leaving no one behind:
16 For God so
loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him
shall not perish but have eternal life. 17 For God did not send his
Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him John
3
Prayer: Lord help me to value others above self and
follow Christ in leaving no soul behind.
Amen
Thanks
for reading along on this journey through Ephesians Six and all the others
installments over the last three years. I have treasured your responses and I
pray that in some small way the rocky roads I have travelled will make your
path a bit smoother. I will continue writing ‘on the other side’ and hope to
pull much of what I have shared with you into a collection or website.
Timothy
P Bailey
[1] Most people have a ‘walk’ but my journey
involves face-plants and emergency room trips so I call it a ‘stumble’
[2] If
any of you would like a prior tome or the complete set on Ephesians Six, just
email me at chirfcredit@tcfbank.com
and I’ll put one together for you.
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