Article
Royal Commission
January 18, 2019
" Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord, and the power of His might." Ephesians 6:10
I have never served in the armed forces of our country, but my husband has. He recalls the long, tiring days of training, and the lonely nights of lying in his bunk, and hearing the guy above him crying. Army life was far from easy, but my husband considered it an honor to serve his country.
Why did the Apostle Paul write the 6th chapter of Ephesians? Because the Christian life is a warfare, and we are called to battle. We have a royal commission to serve in the army of Jesus Christ. We have a common enemy. The Apostle Peter described him in these terms, "your adversary, the devil, as a roaring lion"( I Peter 5:8). This commission is a lifetime call to active duty. Many people start, but when they encounter suffering and hardship, they are ready to retreat. The Israelites marched with a spring in their step, and a song in their hearts as they followed Moses out of Egypt. But, when their stomachs began to rumble with hunger pangs, they were ready to go back to the bondage of Pharaoh.
Every Christian soldier must know two things: his strength and his weakness. Knowing our weakness is realizing that without Jesus Christ we can do nothing (John 15:5 ). Recognizing our strength lies in the fact that we can do all things through Christ who strengthens us (Philippians 4:13 ). The strength of an earthly commander lies entirely in his troops. Adolf Hitler was one of the most powerful and notorious dictators of the 20th century. By 1941, his forces occupied much of Europe. For a few years, Hitler seemed invincible. But, in the early morning of April 30th, 1945, he came out of his private quarters to give his staff a final goodbye. According to Hitler's secretary, Traudl Junge, he was a broken, old man, and no longer the dominant, fascinating man he was earlier. At noon that day, Hitler was told the Russians were a block away. He ate his lunch and retired to his quarters. A few moments later, a gunshot was heard. Members of his staff entered the room to find Adolf Hitler dead from a self-inflicted gunshot wound.
Hitler had no power of his own. Neither do we, but Paul commands us to be strong in our Lord, and the power of HIS might. Our Captain is not just mighty; He is ALL-MIGHTY! He can defeat His enemies without help from anyone.
In the thick of the battle, it can be hard to believe that God is almighty. We begin to restrict Him to our physical limitations. When Jesus showed up four days late for the funeral of Lazarus, Mary said, "Lord if Thou hadst been here, my brother had not died." Her sister Martha added, "Lord, by this time he stinketh." ( John 11:32,39 ) Not only were the two women limiting Him to place and time, but they were also really saying, "It's too late; there's nothing You can do." But many times, God waits until man quits striving to work things out himself. He waits until human strength is exhausted.
Are you going through a battle, a time of testing today? Remind yourself of God's proven history. When King Jehoshaphat heard that Judah had been invaded, he proclaimed a fast. He stood before the people and prayed. In his prayer, King Jehoshaphat reminded them of the mighty things God had done in the past (IIChronicles 20). Not only do we need to remember the miracles God performed in the Bible, but we need to remind ourselves of things He has done in our lives.
Sixteen years ago, I was fighting for my life with aggressive, advanced breast cancer. My uncle, Reverend Leonard Hacker, gave me some wonderful counsel. He said, "Patty, don't let the devil remind you of everybody that has died with cancer, keep your mind on those whom God has healed." I took his advice to heart. I reminded God every day of the great things He had done in the past. I clung to the promises of His Word until the day my doctor uttered the words I had been waiting to hear, "you have had a miracle!" To God be the glory!
Posted instructions in a textile factory read: "If your threads get tangled, call the foreman." One of the female workers got her threads tangled; she tried to disengage them, but only made them worse; finally, she sent for the foreman. He looked at the mess and asked, "Why didn't you send for me?" The woman answered peevishly, "I did my best." The foreman replied, "Remember this; that doing your best is sending for me!"
Leonard Ravinhill said, "Satan fools and feigns, blows and bluffs, and we so often take his threats to heart and forget the exceeding greatness of God's power to us."
When the battle rages, our best is to call upon Jesus and stand firm in the power of HIS might.
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