Showing posts with label armor of God. Show all posts
Showing posts with label armor of God. Show all posts

Saturday, September 16, 2023

For Modern Day Adams and Eves...


Now the serpent was more crafty
than any beast of the field that the LORD God had made.
And he said to the woman,
"Did God really say, 'You must not eat from any tree in the garden?'"

I am afraid, however, that just as Eve was deceived by the serpent's cunning,
your minds may be led astray from your simple and pure devotion to Christ.

Gilt-edged dawns and gold-ambience-dusks
 are two of my favorite September things...
a bit like glimpses of a long-lost garden called Eden.

This poem's potential began a few mornings ago, though I was unable to
wrangle it into verse at the time due to other commitments...






Day wakens, crisp and silver-glossed
Dew glistens, on the fringe of frost
September morning, a showcase
Of mist-sashes and gilt-edged grace
Where modern-day Adams and Eves
Are still prey for he who deceives
And all the progress of the age
Cannot temptation's lures assuage 
Where Eden’s aftermath abounds
With unrelenting battlegrounds
And only God’s armor can stay
The charmer’s cunning ploy and play
Of ‘Did God really say?’ and such
To test the quests of taste and touch
With subtle rebuttals of scorn
For He who metes September’s morn
And tumbles before our eyes
Gilt-edged glimpses of paradise
Where each new day is like a flue
God's goodness ad mercy runs through

© Janet Martin

Ps.23:6
Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me All the days of my life;
And I will dwell in the house of the LORD Forever.

***

Before we face each day we ought to do an equipment safety check
so we are fitted for battle because
'we do not wrestle against flesh and blood,'...

Eph.6:10-18
Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord and in the power of His might.
11 Put on the whole armor of God,
that you may be able to stand against the [b]wiles of the devil.
12 For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against principalities,
against powers, against the rulers of [c]the darkness of this age,
against spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places.
13 Therefore take up the whole armor of God,
that you may be able to withstand in the evil day,
and having done all, to stand.

14 Stand therefore, having girded your waist with truth,
having put on the breastplate of righteousness,
15 and having shod your feet with the preparation of the gospel of peace;
16 above all, taking the shield of faith with which you will be able
to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked one.
17 And take the helmet of salvation,
and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God;
18 praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit,
being watchful to this end with all perseverance and supplication for all the saints—

Friday, June 2, 2023

Because Satan is a Charmer (we need God's Armour)

it comes in a way that seems right to us, 
but leads to death-
Prov.14:12
There is a way that seems right to a man,
but its end is the way of death.

Because, without knowledge of the Truth
we are prone to believe logic's lie...

Matt.22:9
Jesus answered and said unto them, 
Ye do err, not knowing the scriptures, 
nor the power of God.

The knowledge of the power of God 
is the true believer's comfort and peace in these troubled times!
Hallelujah! but...
this is not a sit-back-and-do-nothing-warfare,
it's a watching-God-work as 'we do all we can to stand' warfare...
(see Eph. 6:10-20 below)

Because the wars of faith are fought on battlegrounds within
The Armor of the Lord is for the man beneath our skin
To guard the heart and mind against the liar’s insurgence
Whose mission is to blind us to sin’s dire consequence
Therefore we need God’s armor in a land where evil smiles
So that we may be able to withstand the devil’s wiles

Because rulers of darkness, disguised as angels of light
Are both cunning and heartless, we must be equipped to fight
Without the belt of truth and the breastplate of righteousness
We are like open prey to he who breeds ungodliness
Therefore, we need God’s armor to protect thought’s open street
Where Satan is a charmer and a master of deceit

Pity all whose feet are not shod with the gospel of peace
Who have no shield of faith in God to quench bold wickedness
No helmet of salvation to enrich hope undeterred
And no sword of the spirit which is God’s eternal Word
Oh, pity all who live without God’s armor to secure
Defenseless against darts of doubt, or glamour’s lethal lure

Today, before we take another step, oh pray we pause
And do a thorough armor-check with prayerful care because
We wrestle not with flesh and blood, but evil’s ruthless brood
Who are the enemy of God, truthless, devoid of good
But, with the name of Jesus and the power of His might
God’s grace equips and frees us from the fear of death/man, to fight

© Janet Martin


 

Eph.6:10-20

The Whole Armor of God

10 Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord and in the power of His might. 
11 Put on the whole armor of God, 
that you may be able to stand against the [b]wiles of the devil. 
12 For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, 
but against principalities, against powers, 
against the rulers of [c]the darkness of this age, 
against spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places. 
13 Therefore take up the whole armor of God, 
that you may be able to withstand in the evil day, 
and having done all, to stand.

14 Stand therefore, having girded your waist with truth,
 having put on the breastplate of righteousness, 
15 and having shod your feet with the preparation of the gospel of peace;
 16 above all, taking the shield of faith 
with which you will be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked one. 
17 And take the helmet of salvation, 
and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God;
 18 praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, 
being watchful to this end with all perseverance and supplication for all the saints— 
19 and for me, that utterance may be given to me, 
that I may open my mouth boldly to make known the mystery of the gospel, 
20 for which I am an ambassador in chains; 
that in it I may speak boldly, 
as I ought to speak.

Wednesday, July 27, 2022

No Easy Street ...But God, Faithful and True

Psalm 16:11
You will show me the path of life; In Your presence is fullness of joy;
At Your right hand are pleasures forevermore.

Today I am helping at the funeral of a dear sister in our church family
who lived ninety-nine and a half years on this earth
with many, many joys and trials,
but the moment she closed her eyes the shroud of Time fell away,
the glass she peered through darkly disappeared;
in the twinkle of an eye the corruptible put on incorruption, 
Thinking about this makes us re-evaluate what really matters, doesn't it?!

Johnny Cash


(would love to link each line to the scripture but
There is a funeral meal waiting to be prepared💗👑😊🙏)

This is no Easy Street; this ‘fighting the good fight’
This ‘making every effort to Shine forth, a blameless light
To walk as wise, not fools; to be careful to keep
God’s commandments and laws, lest idly, we fall asleep

This is no Easy Street; this walk by faith, not sight’
This ‘renouncing ungodliness’, this ‘suffering for Christ’
This ‘walking worthy of the calling we received
Worthy of the gospel of Christ we confessed and believed

This is no Easy Street; to ‘therefore watch and pray’
To take up our cross to follow Jesus every day
To make faith’s sacred calling and election very sure
To be strong in the Lord through the hardship we must endure

This is no Easy Street; obedience and trust
To follow what is good and to deny all worldly lust
To be rich in good works; to walk humbly and kind
To love the Lord our God will all our heart, soul, strength and mind

This is no Easy Street; to take captive each thought
And not to think of ourselves more highly than we ought
To offer our bodies as a living sacrifice
And to shun profane babbling that leads to ungodly vice

This is no Easy Street; to repay good for ill
To surrender as Jesus did and utter ‘not my will’
To know the Scriptures so that we are thoroughly equipped
To abound in love and good works like our Example did

And give more earnest heed to that which we have heard
To grow in the knowledge and grace of Jesus through His word
To commit to stand firm; to take heed, lest we fall
He who saved us has called us to the greatest work of all

This is no Easy Street; but God, faithful and true
Is rich and grace and mercy and He cares for me and you
Who, through his risen Son, births in us living hope
The Father of compassion and comfort who helps us cope

…and makes us strong in Him; the power of His might
When we put on His full armor, will fit us for the fight
For God resists the proud but gives the humble grace
His eyes are on the righteous who long to behold His face

…who strain toward the goal; with holy zeal press on
To win the prize of God’s heavenly calling in His Son
Who lay up heavenly store; who have ‘beautiful feet’
Whose joy is in the Lord and not in quests for Easy Street

This is no Easy Street; the strait that few will find
That leads to life when soon we leave this world of strife behind
Where the fulness of joy and pleasures evermore 
Make worth the little while and mile that we suffer before

© Janet Martin

Thursday, January 13, 2022

Word-Girded



Dear fellow-friend, fellow-trav'ler
I pray for us today
That we would search and trust God's word
To show and lead the way

Eph.6:13-17
Therefore take up the whole armor of God, 
that you may be able to withstand in the evil day, 
and having done all, to stand.
Stand therefore, having girded your waist with truth, 
having put on the breastplate of righteousness,
and having shod your feet with the preparation of the gospel of peace;
  above all, taking the shield of faith 
with which you will be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked one.
  And take the helmet of salvation, 
and the sword of the Spirit, 
which is the word of God;

And here it is, all the above in One!

and all other books ever written
cannot take the place of This one, 
the Eternal Word of God...

'Heaven and earth will pass away, 
but my words will never pass away.'
Matt. 24:35

By Thy word, Lord, not mind's logic,
Let the lens that we look through
Slay doubt’s deathly and demonic
Misconceptions about You

Shine Thy word, a lamp to our feet
And a light unto life's path
Let salvation’s message repeat
Man's redemption from Thy wrath

When temptation tries and teases
We are more than conquerors
If we put our faith in Jesus
Man’s divine deliverer

In this world we will have trouble
Sorrow is love’s compromise
Time is like a bobbing bubble
Cupping an eternal prize

By Thy Word, Lord, let love's witness
Be honest and undefiled
Lead us in paths of righteousness
Thou, our/my Father, I/we, Thy Child

Thou, the Author of salvation
Knew our best would be inept
By Thy blood-bought invitation
We are saved if we accept

By Thy Word, Lord, not sight’s onus
Let faith’s mind be stayed on Thee
Let the perfect peace You promise
Be our cry of victory

© Janet Martin

(this post was first written in first person, me/my
then I prayed for my family and changed it to we/our,
then I prayed for my extended family (you)
and in the end it became a poem for all of us!!🙏💖)

Wednesday, October 28, 2020

Preparing For Combat

How do we prepare for combat?
For something will (without a doubt) test where we are at
Since time began man has been at odds with each other.
In the very first family Cain murdered his brother.

What gets our ire sparked most severely
What are the values we hold to most dearly
How in the muddle of this human race
Of political, ethical, theological debates
Can we be equipped for the battle at large
and know what to do when our tempers cry 'CHARGE!'

The Armor of God 
Eph.6:10-17

10Finally, be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power. 
11Put on the full armor of God, so that you can take your stand against the devil’s schemes. 
12For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, 
but against the rulers,
against the authorities, 
against the powers of this dark world 
and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms. 
13Therefore put on the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, 
you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand. 
14Stand firm then, with the belt of truth buckled around your waist, 
with the breastplate of righteousness in place, 
15and with your feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace. 
16In addition to all this, take up the shield of faith, 
with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one. 
17Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God.


How long this trampled...


...sampled orb


has weathered seasoned ways...
(this morning the snow has returned to its rightful October place😊)




How long this trampled, sampled orb has weathered seasoned ways 
Where man forgets to give the Lord His righteous due of praise 
Where constant combat wages twixt desire and despair 
As human heart engages in fight-to-the-death warfare 
And never ought to leave exposed one vulnerable part 
Lest the sly serpent’s hate should penetrate with fatal dart 

How often we leap out of bed and seize the ready rod 
Then dash into the fight without the full armor of God 
Aha, man’s confrontation with temptation is severe 
If we rush into battle without God’s protective gear 
And not until we realize our dilemma is grim 
Is careless pride cut down to size as we call out to Him 

Who can afford to disregard the Lord’s prerequisite? 
The power of His might is not an accidental fit 
But with sober intention the wise soldier puts in place 
The infallible armor of God’s righteousness and grace 
So that we may withstand the arrows of the enemy 
And be equipped to fight the good fight unto victory 

© Janet Martin 


  

Lyrics in English

My Soul Be on Thy Guard
George Heath


  1. My soul, be on thy guard,
    Ten thousand foes arise,
    And hosts of sin are pressing hard
    To draw thee from the skies.
  2. Oh, watch, and fight, and pray,
    The battle ne’er give o’er,
    Renew it boldly every day,
    And help divine implore.
  3. Ne’er think the vict’ry won,
    Nor once at ease sit down;
    Thine arduous work will not be done
    Till thou hast got the crown.
  4. Fight on, my soul, till death
    Shall bring thee to thy God;
    He’ll take thee at thy parting breath
    Up to His blest abode.



Friday, July 3, 2020

Victors, Even As We Fight

Everyone who believes that Jesus is the Christ has been born of God, 
and everyone who loves the Father loves whoever has been born of him.
By this we know that we love the children of God, 
when we love God and obey his commandments.
For this is the love of God, that we keep his commandments. 
And his commandments are not burdensome.
For everyone who has been born of God overcomes the world. 
And this is the victory that has overcome the world—our faith.
Who is it that overcomes the world 
except the one who believes that Jesus is the Son of God?




Not overcome by evil; no, but victors even as we fight
We battle a defeated foe if we are walking in the Light
Though Satan like a lion roams still seeking whom he may devour
Though he with desperation combs the world with his limited power
He knows the fullness of his woe and the hopelessness of his plight

And though the victory is won the fight is real; the fight is hard
And though the work of Christ is done, the soul must be on sober guard
To be love’s living sacrifice with kind regard to human race
To be willing to pay the price that comes with Mercy’s gift of grace
As on hope’s Steadfast Beacon we fix faith’s blurred reason, sorrow-scarred

Finally, be strong in the Lord and in the power of his might
Put on the whole armour of God so you may withstand evil’s smite
For without Him defeat is sure; death and hell, its secured reward
Ah, who such anguish can endure and who such horror can afford
But we, according to His word, are victors even as we fight

© Janet Martin

Eph.6:10-18
 Finally, be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power.  
 Put on the full armor of God, so that you can take your stand against the devil’s schemes.  
 For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, 
but against the rulers, against the authorities, 
against the powers of this dark world 
and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms.  
 Therefore put on the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, 
you may be able to stand your ground, 
and after you have done everything, to stand.  
 Stand firm then, with the belt of truth buckled around your waist, 
with the breastplate of righteousness in place,  
 and with your feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace.  
 In addition to all this, take up the shield of faith, 
with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one.  
 Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, 
which is the word of God.
  And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests. 
With this in mind, be alert and always keep on praying for all the Lord’s people.
 

Friday, January 10, 2020

So We Do Not Lose Heart


The previous poem was on change of heart; this one is about not losing heart!
so much suffering and loss in this little life, but we do not lose heart
if we fix our eyes not on the seen but what is unseen!

2 Cor.4:16-18
Though our outer self[a] is wasting away, our inner self is being renewed day by day. 
For this light momentary affliction is preparing for us an eternal weight of glory
 beyond all comparison, as we look not to the things that are seen 
but to the things that are unseen. 
For the things that are seen are transient, (temporal)
but the things that are unseen are eternal.




Lord, in this world that oft unfurls a lariat of dread
And takes us captive, not with hope but with fear’s lies instead
Protect us with a shield of faith from evil’s venom dart
Let Your full armour keep us brave so we do not lose heart

Temptation tosses glossy lures to draw us from You, Lord
And we would all fall prey, for sure, without Your Spirit-sword
Remind us whether aged or youth to re-evaluate
Lest we forget the belt of truth or righteousness’ breastplate

There is a battle that takes place where only You can see
Its warriors would fail without your grace and sympathy
But we are strong if we put on the whole armour of You
Though the world scorns, forgive them Lord, they know not what they do

How readily doubt’s gaping pit looms, filled with emptiness
How easily our feet would slip without your promises
How thankfully we cling to what we see though but in part
For we know what you say is true, thus we do not lose heart

© Janet Martin


Finally, be strong in the Lord and in His mighty power.
Put on the full armor of God, so that you can make your stand against the devil’s schemes.
For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities,
against the powers of this world’s darkness,
and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms.
Therefore take up the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes,
 you will be able to stand your ground, and having done everything, to stand.
Stand firm then, with the belt of truth buckled around your waist,
with the breastplate of righteousness arrayed,
and with your feet fitted with the readiness of the gospel of peace.
In addition to all this, take up the shield of faith,
with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one.
And take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God.
 Ephesians 6:10-17


Tuesday, October 1, 2019

As We Trust And Obey...

Have confidence in your leaders and submit to their authority,
because they keep watch over you as those who must give an account.
Do this so that their work will be a joy, not a burden,
for that would be of no benefit to you.
Heb.13:17

This verse was mentioned as we prayed for our church leaders in Sunday School and I thought 
about how leaders watch over/parent their church family in a way like moms and dads watch and pray and are vigilant about their son's and daughter's health...physical, emotional and spiritual!

My nephew was baptized on Sunday. 
We rejoice on such occasions and thank God!
But we also know the master of temptation is still on the prowl
 seeking those he may devour and the real fight has just begun!
May we all be faithfully prayerful for each other
that we may be godly in an ungodly world! 

I wrote the first two stanzas of the poem below before the kiddos arrived,


Sometimes its hard to pick up on the same train of thought 6 hours
and a morning of work and play between ...
...as I try to re-collect my thoughts while they nap😊
 Lord willing it is still close to what it started out to be...

Now on the verge of day a splurge of gold and blush emerge
To rush the height of heavens through and brush the night away
The mercies we depend upon renew love’s tender urge
No matter what today may hold to trust God, and obey

For we are in a fight against dark princes of the air
Soul-thirsty demons wait to take captive mind, heart and hand
Ah, without God to help us who the enemy could bear
And without His full armour who can evil’s war withstand

“Come all you who are heavy-laden. I will give you rest”
Compassion’s invitation is extended to us all
And if our God is for us we can overcome the test
Fear will not have dominion no matter what may befall

…where on the verge of dawn a splurge of color melts the dark
To rush the heights of heaven through and usher in new day
The mercies we depend upon renewed as we embark
To run the race, armed with God’s grace as we trust and obey

© Janet Martin


...and on this note I better skedaddle!
We are having a 'last summer-like day on this first day of October so I better
make good use of it and dig out the rest of those spuds!
I hope your are having a special Happy October 1st!