When I was looking at the lectionary this morning I was almost going to miss this very unfashionable text. We are not supposed to glorify violence or warfare. For many women, the idea that we would (as Tom Kratman said) pray “Lord we thank you for this war. We are aware this is not the best of wars, but we thank you anyway“.

Battle is anathema. In Dunedin, there is a very stupid pastrix of the local liberal kirk who changes the words of all hymns to remove violence. She bowlderizes the Battle Hymn of the Republic. And will not sing the third verse of our national anthemn:

Peace, not war, shall be our boast,
But, should foes assail our coast,
Make us then a mighty host,
God defend our free land.
Lord of battles in Thy might,
Put our enemies to flight,
Let our cause be just and right,
God defend New Zealand.

The Victorians knew that at times you had to fight. And they understood that the external enemy — the people with whom we battle at present in Afghanistan, Timor Leste and the Sinai — are the easier to find.

The Battle we must win is in our society. it is keeping the spine within society. It is encouragning the duties of righteousness, and shaming the habits of dissoluction and dissapation. And if you are without weapons, you will lose.

Ephesians 6:10-20

 

¹⁰Finally, be strong in the Lord and in the strength of his power. ¹¹Put on the whole armor of God, so that you may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil. ¹²For our struggle is not against enemies of blood and flesh, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers of this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places. ¹³Therefore take up the whole armor of God, so that you may be able to withstand on that evil day, and having done everything, to stand firm. ¹⁴Stand therefore, and fasten the belt of truth around your waist, and put on the breastplate of righteousness. ¹⁵As shoes for your feet put on whatever will make you ready to proclaim the gospel of peace. ¹⁶With all of these, take the shield of faith, with which you will be able to quench 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.

¹⁸Pray in the Spirit at all times in every prayer and supplication. To that end keep alert and always persevere in supplication for all the saints. ¹⁹Pray also for me, so that when I speak, a message may be given to me to make known with boldness the mystery of the gospel, ²⁰for which I am an ambassador in chains. Pray that I may declare it boldly, as I must speak.

Let us reverse this. If you do not pray through everything, then you will lose. You have cut yourself off from the fount of all power. If you do not use this when times are easy, you will unpracticed when times are rought.

If you do not speak truth, you will fall. Full stop. If you do not choose each day to do acts of righteousness and eschew evil, noting that you have failed yesterday and aware you could fail today, you will not be able to withstand the full temptation.

And without salvation you cannot pray.

And without faith the word of God will not work. But the only way to use the word of God is to know it: to know how it is used, and be prepared to defend yourself.

If we do not use the full armour, if we are not prepared to teach men how to court, care and protect women (and teach women how to love their husbands and children — it is not instinctual but a matter of continual choice) then we become exactly like the world. We become useless, as this comment notes.

The church leadership has not been concerned or taken action regarding:

1. Single church beta guys which lack the confidence, self esteem, and knowledge on how to converse with other men and women.
2. Single church guys not knowing what it means to be a man (Order; rule over begins with their personal discipline and habits and their conduct at their job.)
3. Single church beta guys not knowing how to go from dating to engagement to marriage.
4. Single church beta guys not knowing about removing women for the pedestal.
5. Single & married church guys not knowing about both submission and dominion (rule over).
6. 90% of college age church girls dressing like strippers.
7. Single alpha guys already using game and pick up skills to prey on the good looking single church girls. (Some of these alpha’s are church guys but some are outsiders looking for hotties in a non-traditional venue.)

Joe has exposed the leaders failings in that they have not addressed these needs.

I have a couple of suggestions for leaders within the church, as correction to these things.

• We are called to be strong. Use the wisdom of the guys who have been there to get the young men into some form of exercise. Particularly the geeks. (Walk to work with 10 kilos of books works). Geeks hate team games, but may enjoy long walks, or climbingL encourage  all to be generally fit and have a sport.
• We are called to be wise, so teach the proverbs. That book that warns against poor choices in women, that encourages hard work and shrewd choices, that deals with us as we are not as how we would like to be .
• We need to be equipped.  This requires explicit instruction, man to man, on how to pray, what to do when too busy, and how to handle the current temptations (bribery, taking short cuts, nepotism, and that coed who dresses like a stripper).
• Do not talk, do. (or Just Do it). You are allowed, when learning, to do things badly, but if you do not act, you are not helping. Let the wimmenz emote in their feminist circle: we have a garden to dig, a meal to make, a paper to write, and a life to live. It is better to offend the wimmenz circle than let evil stand.

And be prepared for opposition. It will come. Scripture is given to us as a manual: not a complete textbook — to equip, not to fill us with knowledge beyond us.  But we need to stand — and to remain standing we need both the spiritual offensive and defensive toolkit.  Men have a duty to be armed in this manner.

And the only way to get used to the weight of that equipment is to discipline yourself. Daily.