Our Weapons

Our Weapons

Read: Mark 14:43-51

“No more of this!”

Luke 22:51

“Prayer is the mightiest of all weapons that created natures can wield.”

—Martin Luther

IN WORD We are members of a rebellion against the prince of this world. It is led by the Owner of this world, so we are sure of victory—it has already been secured. But having come from the enemy camp, we are used to weapons of destruction when we fight. We do not at first realize that we have been given a different set of weapons.

Paul says our weapons are not of this world. They are not even like the weapons of this world. “On the contrary, they have divine power to demolish strongholds” (2 Corinthians 10:4). Jesus let Peter know immediately that his type of warfare was out of place. Peter cut off a servant’s ear. “No more of this!” Jesus responded, and followed it up with healing. That’s the key: The weapons of our warfare are not destructive, they are constructive. They include things like humility, forgiveness, resisting evil with good, holy attitudes, the Holy Spirit within us, and the even more offensive ones—the Cross of Christ, the Word of God, and the prayers of the saints.

Jesus won this showdown in the garden of Gethsemane. No one really knew that but Jesus. His victory didn’t look like a victory. Neither do ours. When we turn the other cheek, offer to go the extra mile, forgive someone a thousand times, humble ourselves in the sight of men and God, pray on our knees, and quote from the Word, it doesn’t look as if we win. But we do. The enemy trembles. He would much prefer that we go back to his style of battle—evil for evil, sword for sword, spite for spite. He knows how to fight on those terms. He has no idea what to do when his greatest offenses become the showcase for God’s greatest mercies.

IN DEED How do you fight the good fight? Are your battles a reflection of the Spirit of God within you? Or are they consistent with the spirit of this world? One will lead you to victory, the other into darkness. You will encounter a battle today, as you do every day. How will you respond? Make sure you look a lot like Jesus in the garden.