10/8/2025
"Blood of Christ wash over me."
For days now as I wake up, as I lay my head to rest, as I go about my day I hear the words of the song "We need the blood, we plead the blood," washing over me. When I become distracted or something disturbs me, or if the enemy begins to cause my thoughts to wander back in time, I hear the words of this song "Blood of Christ" by Jesus Image repeated over and over again. The Word of God tells us in Ephesians 6:12 "For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this age, against spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places." I having been witnessing the hoards of hell advancing in greater numbers daily, attempting to wreak havoc, cause divisions, create uproars nation to nation, coast to coast, covering the globe. This is why we are told to put on the whole armor of God, so we will be able to stand up against the enemy, not in our strength, but by the power of Almighty Spirit of God that works within us.
When darkness clouds your vision and uneasiness threatens to shake your peace, and it will more and more as we see the days advancing, stand strong and take heart, because God will fight for us. When we surrender our lives to Christ, when we truly make Him Lord, not just speaking the words, but actively doing the work of the Kingdom, then He promises to fight for us! Our greatest battle zone is our minds, so let me remind you of 2 Corinthians 10:3-6:
"For though we walk in the flesh, we do not war according to the flesh. For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal but mighty in God for pulling down strongholds, casting down arguments (imaginations), and every high thing that exalts itself against the knowledge of God, bringing every thought into captivity to the obedience of Christ, and being ready to punish all disobedience when your obedience is fulfilled."
When King Saul was fighting the Philistine armies, he and his men became intimidated by their champion warrior, Goliath, a giant in the land, who daily came out to taunt the army and cause them to fear and pull back. Along comes young David, the shepherd boy, bringing food to his brothers who were in the army of Saul, and to check up on the progress of the war so that he might inform Jesse, his father. When David hears Goliath boasting and railing, David became furious and wanted to know who dares to defy the God of Israel. So, David ends up volunteering to fight this mammoth of a man, this bully. In 1 Samuel 17 we read the story of David making a bold stand for His God:
"So Saul clothed David with his armor, and he put a bronze helmet on his head; he also clothed him with a coat of mail. David fastened his sword to his armor and tried to walk, for he had not tested them. And David said to Saul, 'I cannot walk with these, for I have not tested them.' So David took them off. Then he took his staff in his hand; and he chose for himself five smooth stones from the brook, and put them in a shepherd's bag, in a pouch which he had, and his sling was in his hand. And he drew near to the Philistine." (verses 38-40)
The verses that follow describe Goliath's response to a ruddy-faced, skinny teenager sent out onto the field of battle to oppose him, a mighty warrior! We pick up the story by hearing David's response to this outcry:
"Then David said to the Philistine, 'You come to me with a sword, with a spear, and with a javelin. But I come to you in the name of the LORD of hosts, the God of the armies of Israel, whom you have defied. This day the LORD will deliver you into my hand, and I will strike you and take your head from you. And this day I will give the carcasses of the camp of the Philistines to the birds of the air and the wild beasts of the earth, that all the earth may know that there is a God in Israel.'" (verses 45-46)
Bold words, not received well by Goliath as he tightens his grip on his javelin, ready to hurl it at this wimpy opponent, or so he thought. He snarls his lip and he readies his stance, and...well you know the end of this story and the beginning of the next. God used David in all his human frailty to become the mighty Captain of Saul's army and eventually anointed as King of all of Israel. When Paul the Apostle was speaking of his thorn in the flesh, his human weakness, in 2 Corinthians 12:7-10, he realized that God's ways are profoundly different from our way of thinking. Paul realized that in his carnal nature he may succumb to pride. After all he was a self-proclaiming Pharisee of the Pharisees (Acts 23:6), although his actions as a follower of Christ did not demonstrate his carnality. He was a new creation through the blood of Jesus Christ. He shared so we would have an example of suffering for Christ, because when we surrender to Him, our lives are not our own. They never were, but we realize the difference and accept our dependency on Him.
"And lest I should be exalted above measure by the abundance of the revelations, a thorn in the flesh was given to me, a messenger of Satan to buffet me, lest I be exalted above measure. Concerning this thing I pleaded with the Lord three times that it might depart from me. And He said to me, 'My grace is sufficient for you, for My strength is made perfect in weakness.' Therefore most gladly I will rather boast in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me. Therefore I take pleasure in infirmities, in reproaches, in needs, in persecutions, in distresses, for Christ's sake. For when I am weak, then I am strong."
Just as Saul tried to fight a spiritual battle with physical armor, so often, most of the time we see the nation react in similar manner. Right now our Congress is on a shutdown, because the two parties could not reach an agreement, a stalemate on the annual budget. Whereas the demands of the one side want to create a greater deficit for our nation, rather than by cutting expenses in non-essential areas, many fraudulent in context, although worded so that the true use is not as obvious, it is harming the American people. But, people who demand to have things their way, in opposition to the will of the people who elect whom they wish to represent this country in the oval office and in other positions of leadership, the innocent suffer. It is an ugly thing, and it should open our eyes to how much things have changed.
On the other hand, we see revival breaking out at colleges and high schools, and in foreign countries more and more as the wind is blowing, and the Spirit of God is moving across this land. We need to decide, as the army of Israel in Saul's day had to decide, in whom we put our trust.
"For since the creation of the world
His attributes are clearly seen, being understood by
the things that are made, even His eternal power and
Godhead, so that they are without excuse, because although
they knew God, they did not glorify Him as God, nor were thankful,
but became futile in their thoughts and their foolish hearts were
darkened, professing to be wise, they became fools...."
Romans 1:20-22
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