When the Roman gladiators, or soldiers, went into war, or
maybe just a contest in the Amphitheater for the King and the people’s entertainment,
many times they fought to the death, it wasn’t just entertainment to them, it
was for life; so they made sure they were prepared with all the armor on they
needed to protect their head, their chest, their feet, shins, ankles and stomach.
They also used a sword and a shield and
they kept them ready for whenever they needed to protect themselves. These weapons could make the difference
between living and dying. Then there was
what may have been the most important article and that was the belt, which held
the other things in place, without it the soldier would have been in big trouble.
They also had to be in the best shape
they could possibly be in, which took a lot of exercising and practice with
other soldiers.
We as believers need to be ready also, putting on the helmet
of salvation because much of the battle is in the mind. We need the breastplate of righteousness to
protect the chest and the heart. Most of
the things we allow into the mind eventually go down into the heart. We also need the belt of truth, which comes
from the sword of the spirit, and that is the Word of God which we need to be
studying and meditating on. We need our
feet shod with the gospel of peace. Another
very important weapon is the shield of faith with which we can fight off the fiery
darts of the evil one. The shield was essential
to the Roman soldier because it covered most of his body and shielded him from
the fiery arrows shot at him from different angles and obscure places so that
he was protected. These shields were
made of animal fur woven so tightly that the arrows could not penetrate it. These shields were oiled every day so they
would not get hard and brittle and fall apart, and they were also soaked in
water to help put out the fire that was on the end of the arrows that we being
shot at them. In the same way we need
the power of the Holy Spirit, which water represents at times in the Word of God
and, like I mentioned, the shield of faith. We need to be spending time with the Lord and His
Word and prayer.
This is something else that is very important, read what it
says in Hebrews 10:22-25, “…let us draw
near with a true heart in full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled
from an evil conscience and our bodies washed with pure water. Let us hold fast
the confession of our hope without wavering, for He who promised is faithful.
And let us consider one another in order to stir up love and good works, not
forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as is the manner of some, but
exhorting one another, and so much the more as you see the Day approaching.”
It is very important to get ourselves ready for whatever we
may face, persecution is very real and will only get worse as time goes on, many
people know what it means to be persecuted but many don’t. If you want to read it, this is how Jesus
prepared His disciples for persecution, read Matthew 10:1-42 the whole chapter:
“And when He had
called His twelve disciples to Him, He gave them power over unclean spirits, to
cast them out, and to heal all kinds of sickness and all kinds of disease. Now
the names of the twelve apostles are these: first, Simon, who is called Peter,
and Andrew his brother; James the son of Zebedee, and John his brother; Philip
and Bartholomew; Thomas and Matthew the tax collector; James the son of
Alphaeus, and Lebbaeus, whose surname was Thaddaeus; Simon the Cananite, and
Judas Iscariot, who also betrayed Him.
These twelve Jesus
sent out and commanded them, saying: “Do not go into the way of the Gentiles,
and do not enter a city of the Samaritans. But go rather to the lost sheep of
the house of Israel. And as you go, preach, saying, ‘The kingdom of heaven is
at hand.’ Heal the sick, cleanse the lepers, raise the dead, cast out demons.
Freely you have received, freely give. Provide neither gold nor silver nor
copper in your money belts, nor bag for your journey, nor two tunics, nor
sandals, nor staffs; for a worker is worthy of his food.
“Now whatever city or
town you enter, inquire who in it is worthy, and stay there till you go out.
And when you go into a household, greet it. If the household is worthy, let
your peace come upon it. But if it is not worthy, let your peace return to you.
And whoever will not receive you nor hear your words, when you depart from that
house or city, shake off the dust from your feet. Assuredly, I say to you, it
will be more tolerable for the land of Sodom and Gomorrah in the day of
judgment than for that city!
“Behold, I send you
out as sheep in the midst of wolves. Therefore be wise as serpents and harmless
as doves. But beware of men, for they will deliver you up to councils and
scourge you in their synagogues. You will be brought before governors and kings
for My sake, as a testimony to them and to the Gentiles. But when they deliver
you up, do not worry about how or what you should speak. For it will be given
to you in that hour what you should speak; for it is not you who speak, but the
Spirit of your Father who speaks in you.
“Now brother will
deliver up brother to death, and a father his child; and children will rise up
against parents and cause them to be put to death. And you will be hated by all
for My name’s sake. But he who endures to the end will be saved. When they persecute
you in this city, flee to another. For assuredly, I say to you, you will not
have gone through the cities of Israel before the Son of Man comes.
“A disciple is not
above his teacher, nor a servant above his master. It is enough for a disciple
that he be like his teacher, and a servant like his master. If they have called
the master of the house Beelzebub, how much more will they call those of his
household! Therefore do not fear them. For there is nothing covered that will
not be revealed, and hidden that will not be known.
“Whatever I tell you
in the dark, speak in the light; and what you hear in the ear, preach on the
housetops. And do not fear those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul.
But rather fear Him who is able to destroy both soul and body in hell. Are not
two sparrows sold for a copper coin? And not one of them falls to the ground
apart from your Father’s will. But the very hairs of your head are all
numbered. Do not fear therefore; you are of more value than many sparrows.
“Therefore whoever
confesses Me before men, him I will also confess before My Father who is in
heaven. But whoever denies Me before men, him I will also deny before My Father
who is in heaven.
“Do not think that I
came to bring peace on earth. I did not come to bring peace but a sword. For I
have come to ‘set a man against his father, a daughter against her mother, and
a daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law’; and ‘a man’s enemies will be
those of his own household.’ He who loves father or mother more than Me is not
worthy of Me. And he who loves son or daughter more than Me is not worthy of
Me. And he who does not take his cross and follow after Me is not worthy of Me.
He who finds his life will lose it, and he who loses his life for My sake will
find it.
“He who receives you
receives Me, and he who receives Me receives Him who sent Me. He who receives a
prophet in the name of a prophet shall receive a prophet’s reward. And he who
receives a righteous man in the name of a righteous man shall receive a righteous
man’s reward. And whoever gives one of these little ones only a cup of cold
water in the name of a disciple, assuredly, I say to you, he shall by no means
lose his reward.”
I think much of this is self-explanatory. Paul said if you
live a godly life you will be persecuted, so I hope you are preparing so that
you will never shrink back when it happens. Something to think about! May you have a super day and may you be
blessed!! PS don’t forget to thank and
praise the Lord!!
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