Arm Yourselves

By May 14, 1940 the news from the front was uniformly bad. The Germans had broken through the French defenses at Sedan, and everywhere the French forces were reeling under a devastating barrage from land and air. "At almost all points where the armies had come in contact," Churchill later wrote, "the weight and fury of the German attack was overwhelming." Holland fell on May 15, and Churchill flew to Paris on the same day to confer with the French leaders. It was evident that the military situation was near to catastrophic, and that the military commanders and political leaders were resigned to overwhelming defeat. Our task is not only to win the battle - but to win the war. After this battle in France abates its force, there will come the battle for our Island -- for all that Britain is, and all the Britain means. “Arm yourselves, and be ye men of valor, and be in readiness for the conflict; for it is better for us to perish in battle than to look upon the outrage of our nation and our altar.”—Winston Churchill

That was 72 years ago that Winston Churchill spoke those words but I wonder are there any Christian soldiers reading this blog today? As Christians our task is not only to win the battle but to also win the war. Peter wrote this;

1Peter 4:1  Forasmuch then as Christ hath suffered for us in the flesh, arm yourselves likewise with the same mind: for he that hath suffered in the flesh hath ceased from sin;

We are told to arm ourselves with the same mind. Paul put it like this;

Philippians 2:5  Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus:

Isaiah said it like this;

Isaiah 26:3  Thou wilt keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on thee: because he trusteth in thee.

In order for you and I to be armed we must understand it’s not with artillery of the flesh but artillery of and with the mind. When you and I asked ourselves what would Jesus do or how would Jesus handle this, or what would Jesus say. When we began to use our mind in that fashion we are arming ourselves with the Gospel of Jesus Christ and because of that we are overcoming the sin that so easily distracts us and we do that by learning to look unto Jesus. Fight the battle today my friend, remembering Jesus who for the joy that was set before Him endured the cross, despised the shame and is now set down at the right hand of the throne of God. Today we fight the battles of this life we may not win every battle but just remember the war is already won and we are on the winning side my friend.

Heb 12:1  Wherefore seeing we also are compassed about with so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which doth so easily beset us, and let us run with patience the race that is set before us,

Heb 12:2  Looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith; who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God.