Who We've Become

"We're supposed to stand tall, just like Him, the power of the kingdom at our back."

YOU’VE GOT YOUR ARMOR ON BACKWARDS, SOLDIER. You’re sitting on your shield and using your helmet as a drinking cup. The breastplate is meant to guard your heart and truth to hold it fast. Does no good to set your sword down. The enemy comin’ at ya and you’ve forgotten where you put it. Then there’s your shoes. What happened to peace?

Too often we don’t look like soldiers but like cartoon enemies. We’re Wile E. Coyote with an ACME rocket about to shoot ourselves to the moon. Or into a mountainside. Supposed to cast the mountains into the sea, not get lost hiking to the top. Splinters in our feet, we go stumblin’ onto the battlefield, huffin’ for breath and get knocked flat.

This is not the picture Jesus painted. He’s our example, came to earth and fought as a human, died as a sacrifice, rose as the King. Then went and made all of us kings and priests to hold high His banner, the kingdom logo painted in the center. We’re supposed to stand tall, just like Him, the power of the kingdom at our back. Shoulder-to-shoulder, arms linked, we march forward, screamin’ the war cry, and tens of thousands of angels appear at our sides in an instant.

Instead, we’re stealin’ catnaps under blue skies and pluckin’ daisies, a mirror in front of us which reflects not our true image but one we’ve imagined. Or we get caught with our slacks loose, robbin’ Peter to pay Paul, while steppin’ on anyone in our way. Sloppy living gets sloppy results. God is merciful and compassionate but, as one minister put it, there are some things we will only have through maturity.

Jesus is our Healer. By His stripes we are healed. And that means any physical or mental ailment of any kind. God loves us that much. But too often we ask for prayer for things we simply don’t want to do. Or we call it prayer when we were thinking about supper tonight or our kids’ recital. Jesus wants our dedication. The Holy Spirit hungers for our time. The Father wants us to aim straight and fly right, not out of obligation or for reward but because that’s who He’s made us into. It’s who we’ve become.

We’re kind to others. We help them put their armor on, instead of walking past them. We fasten tight our shoes and take ground for the kingdom, proclaiming the gospel of peace. We don’t have to strain to think like Him. To act like Him. We’re not borrowing someone else’s shield because we are too lazy to polish our own.

What does all this mean? Daily devotion. We take the time to sit and read the Word of God. We allow it to change our thinking. We don’t do the things we did as children, but we act like adults. We spend time in prayer and time in worship every day. Time in God’s presence heals our hearts, gives peace to our mind, and allows Him to speak to us and share His wisdom. when we emerge, we look like Jesus, we sound like Jesus.

Suit up, soldier! Eyes front, with prayer fastened on your lips, look forward, full of hope and faith. Because at the forefront stands the King of Glory, His face like lightning, His garment shining like the sun. And there with Him, we declare His entrance, His victory over death and hell seen in us, on full display.

"Be imitators of God in everything you do, for then you will represent your Father as his beloved sons and daughters." (Ephesians 5:1)

Photo by Hugo Jehanne on Unsplash

----------
Suzanne D. Williams, Author
www.suzannedwilliams.com
www.feelgoodromance.com