No Weapon Formed Against Me

Have you ever felt as though you were under attack? Like you were at war with forces beyond your control? 

Those of us who love God, and who would strive to keep His commandments, to do His will, who would try to live in a way which would be pleasing to Him, are under constant attack. Many times, the onslaught is straightforward, blatant, and even blasphemous, in its heinous barrage on our senses, on the very fiber of our faith and on its origins. We are bombarded on every turn with unabashed and shameless sin, paraded before us in an ever more flagrant nature, almost flaunted, in front of us. The values that we as Christians hold dear, and cling to, are being minimized, ridiculed, and pushed aside. Television, the internet, society in general, are almost mocking Christianity in the ways in which sin is portrayed as the norm, and accepted, and dare not be spoken out against for fear of "offending someone" or "appearing to be intolerant". But more often than not, the devil's incursions are much more subtle. So many times, it seems almost as if they are internal, as though they come from within.

While we cannot minimize, and we certainly cannot ignore, the influence of Satan on our culture, and on the downturn of society as a whole, we cannot at the same time turn a blind eye to our own sin, to our own weaknesses. As easy as it may be to point out the sins and shortcomings of others, we must realize that every time we point a finger at someone else, there are four more pointed back at ourselves. It is simply not enough to recognize sin in others and to pinpoint what is wrong with society, to find fault and to criticize and to judge what we feel is wrong with those around us. These are the beginnings of apathy, this is how hypocrisy is born. If we can't recognize our own sin, if pointing out the failure in others has taken the place of  acknowledging our own deterioration, then we need to take a long, hard look inward, and strive to come back to a quiet place in our minds where we can once again perceive what it was to be innocent. Long before the weight of the world, and the cares and the struggles that we face day to day broke us down, broke our spirit, we were innocent, pure, and undefiled. This is how we were created, how God would have us to be. But rather than remain in this pure state, we become corrupted by the world around us, and by its influences, by the devil, and by his deceit. 

We read a very powerful and profound statement in Isaiah 54:17..."No weapon that is formed against thee shall prosper; and every tongue that shall rise against thee in judgment thou shalt condemn. This is the heritage of the servants of the Lord, and their righteousness is of me, saith the Lord."

What does the Lord mean when he tells us that "no weapon formed against us shall prosper"? Is He speaking of physical weapons meant to destroy our mortal bodies, or is He referring to something entirely different? We know that, throughout history, although God's people have been protected, they were not immune to the effects of physical harm. They were not "sword-proof", no more than we today are "bulletproof". We know, for example, that Stephen was stoned to death, John the Baptist was beheaded, many of the apostles were martyred, some in horrible ways, and these are but a handful of the atrocities which have befallen God's people throughout the ages.  However,  we find assurance that believers do not suffer in death, as do nonbelievers, as Jesus tells us in John 5:24..."Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that heareth my word, and believeth on him that sent me, hath everlasting life, and shall not come into condemnation; but is passed from death unto life." A beautiful example of this is found in Acts 7, as the crowd runs upon Stephen after his stirring sermon before the High Priest and the people, casting him out of the city to stone him. As Stephen is being stoned to death, He calls upon God, saying, "Lord Jesus, receive my spirit." Then we read in verse 60..."And he kneeled down, and cried with a loud voice, Lord, lay not this sin to their charge. And when he had said this, he fell asleep." The Lord, in a stirring display of mercy, allows Stephen to simply fall asleep. Jesus tells us in Matthew 10:28..."And fear not them which kill the body, but are not able to kill the soul: but rather fear him which is able to destroy both body and soul in hell." So, we can see that not only does the Lord not intend for us to fear our fellow man, and what they may do to us, but also He would not have us to fear those things which we cannot see, the subtle ways in which Satan would seek to destroy us, because we have an assurance from the Lord that these weapons will not prosper against us. In fact, the only way in which we can be destroyed by the enemy is if we allow it to happen ourselves. We read in 1 Peter 5:8..."Be sober, be vigilant, because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour." Notice here, that Peter tells us that the devil seeks whom he MAY devour, not that he can just devour anyone he wants to. Only those who let him into their hearts and minds can fall prey to him. And although this may seem simplistic in nature, it is so easy to become enthralled with the world, and to lose sight of what is really important, of the things which really matter, and in the process, to lose ourselves along the way. So, what are some of the weapons that Satan uses against us? What are the ways in which he seeks to devour us? What should we be vigilant against, what do we need to be on the lookout for? How will we know when we come under attack?

There is no easy answer for these questions. As sad as it is to say, the devil is so relentless in his quest for our souls that he will try every tactic, every subtlety, any devious ploy, in order to enslave us. Because each one of us is different, he will play on our every weakness, and exploit our every frailty, in order to gain a foothold in our life. In many ways, he knows us better than we know our own selves. He knows which buttons to push, and when, to strike when we are at our weakest point. His power is not to be taken lightly, as Jesus refers to Satan as the "prince of the power of the air" and even as the "prince of this world". We are like children on his playground, but we need not fear being bullied. The Bible is filled with examples, instances, where the influence of Satan is felt, and must be dealt with. So blatant are his attacks that he did not even hesitate to dare to tempt Jesus Himself, so how could we ever think for a moment that we could be immune? He will use addictions, and greed, jealousy, envy and hatred to ensnare us. He will use bitterness, loneliness, depression, and apathy in order to drive a wedge between us. Even when we try to live right, he will prey on our sense of self-righteousness to separate us from each other, and ultimately, from God. 

So, how do we fight against such a foe? How can we be victorious over such a powerful enemy, one who seemingly has control over the very world in which we live? It is only through the blood of Jesus that we can overcome the temptations that face us every day. Paul tells us in Ephesians 6:16, as he speaks on the armor of God..."Above all, taking the shield of faith, wherewith ye shall be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked." Such a powerful statement, to think that our faith will enable us to overcome, and not only simply to overcome, but Paul tells us through the Holy Spirit, that our faith will be able to quench ALL the fiery darts of the wicked. Not just a few, not some, but ALL. This tells us, in no uncertain terms, that we CAN be victorious, that the battle has already been won, because our faith in Jesus will ensure our victory. He is our righteousness, and His protection is our heritage. He provides us with victory. Victory over addiction. Victory over greed. Victory over jealousy, envy, and hatred. Victory over bitterness, loneliness and depression. Victory over any weapon formed against us. 

Victory In Jesus.