Note: I'd meant to get this post written on Wednesday but I have not quite cleared enough of my schedule to go back to posting twice a week. Because I am prioritizing getting this post published before the election, it means that the next post on the Trinity series will not be out today.
Finally, brothers and sisters, be strong in the Lord and in the power of his might. Put on the full armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the tricks of the devil. For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of darkness of this world, against the spiritual forces of evil on high.
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 firm. Stand therefore, having fastened on the belt of truth, and having put on the breastplate of righteousness. Prepare your feet, lacing up with the good news of peace. Above all, take the shield of faith with which you can extinguish all the flaming darts of the evil one. And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit which is the word of God, praying at all times in the Spirit, with all prayer and supplication. Watch with all perseverance, making supplication for all the saints, and also for me, that words may be given to me in opening my mouth boldly to proclaim the mystery of the gospel, for which I am an ambassador in chains, that I may declare it boldly, as I ought to speak.
Eph 6:10-20
Everywhere I go, every conversation I hear, people are struggling to maintain normalcy -- and having as much trouble with the powder-keg political environment as with the pandemic. The verbal battle is constant, dividing families and friends. Verbal battles have a way of escalating; the nation finds itself bracing for a fight that most of us don't want. In a few corners of the internet there may be people who are preparing more than words; many stores are prepared for violence on the night of the election. One of the conventional safety-valves of democracy has to some extent failed already: much of the "free press" prefers their point-of-view over the big picture, and so lost any ability to unite us. Information has become brokered and gated, and important stories can disappear. Recently it feels like we passed Orwell, and have no reference point for where we are now.
When we have no confidence that our institutions are equal to their job, then individuals feel compelled to step forward. When facts are in dispute, when the ability to unify is lost, what remains is that we act in accordance with a moral compass. With that end, I'd like to discuss some points of the moral compass that Paul passed along in his letter to the Ephesians:
- Be strong in the Lord. We act from a position of spiritual strength: we do not act in fear, anger, or hatred.
- We do not fight against flesh and blood. Demonizing or disparaging another human being is picking the wrong target. We can destroy people or property or reputations and count a victory when in fact nothing was gained, and much was lost.
- Our strength and our tools are truth, righteousness, the good news of peace, faith, salvation, the Spirit of God, the Word of God, prayer, and perseverance. The popular tools of contempt, sarcasm, and malice are out-of-bounds.
In short, the tools that God's people use in a fight are ones that are upright, and do not injure flesh and blood, which are not our targets. Paul does not suggest anywhere that our tools include mockery, sarcasm, disdain, contempt, half-truths, power-plays, false accusations, or spin: these are not tools of the good fight, not weapons of the follower of Christ. Those are guerrilla-warfare tactics that too often damage innocents along the way, like throwing poison gas in the public square.
If we use Christ's tools then we can strengthen Christ's kingdom. If we use dishonesty or disdain, we do not use Christ's tools but the enemy's. The tools we use in this fight will show which side we are really on. By "side" I don't mean Team Left and Team Right, both of which are human sides filled (for the most part) with people who are doing the best they can with the information they have. If we want to fight against principalities and powers of darkness, we use the armory of God, with truth and righteousness leading the list. If we use the weapons supplied by the principalities and powers of darkness, then rest assured we are fighting for them. The idea that we can use evil tactics for a good cause is one of the tricks of the devil that we are to resist. Make no mistake: we are fighting for the side who has supplied us with arms. As we head into this next week, may we honor God with our choice of how to stand firm.
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