October 06, 2010
Woodpecker
Back-story: Over the years I’ve done battle with woodpeckers trying to poke holes into the north side of my house, which happens to be 32 feet in height. Not only were they protected because of the height, they also happen to be a protected species. Since I couldn’t legally kill them, I resorted to scaring them off by throwing gravel or trying to shoot them with a rubber-band gun. Yesterday I looked out the window and saw a woodpecker going at my neighbor’s tree and I had to laugh. We just finished residing the house with rusted metal and replaced the fascia and soffit with Hardie board (cement)…we no longer have any wood to be pecked. My victory dance felt similar to being dressed in the armor of God and knowing that I’m fully protected and able to extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one. (Eph 6:11-18)
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Gail;
-----Paul used the analogy of putting something on - armor - for protection. Another of his expressions was putting on love. And although these allusions create vivid and familiar imagery in our minds (we put on our clothes every day), the truth, righteousness, the equipment of the gospel, faith, salvation, and the Word become systemic parts of us just as the siding, fascia, and soffit are components of your house. The truth becomes the way we think about things and deal with them. Righteousness is simply doing right in the situations of our lives. The equipment of the gospel is first a statement of a life lived for the Lord, then the rationality of our knowledge of the Lord being convincingly spoken. Faith is our dependence upon that knowledge, and salvation is our fit into His kingdom. And of course, the Word is the source of that knowledge. They all extend from each other. Truth comes from the Word, becomes a part of our nature, which is salvation through faith in the gospel we hear and is reinforced by doing what is right. Righteousness is determined by truth, effected by the gospel, actualized through faith, delivered by salvation, and described in the Word. The gospel is the truth offered through doing right; it is received by faith and extended to others because of salvation, and it is told by the Word. Faith is substantiated by truth actualized through doing right, availed through the gospel, incited by salvation, and illustrated by the Word. Salvation is the way things will truly continue in perfect righteousness as offered in the gospel and is received by faith as the point of the Word. And the Word, well, it is the truth about right. It is the gospel delivering salvation. And it substantiates faith.
-----Like your house is not protected without all of the siding, fascia, and soffits in place, we are not protected in partial armor. Somewhat more like scales on a fish, the truth, righteousness, gospel equipment, faith, salvation, and knowledge through the Word overlap in that each one is developed by the others. And although “putting on” the armor is a colorful analogy, girding one’s self in it is not as if it must be done afresh each day. The armor we put on at first must stay on, then as it develops together within us, more armor is put on daily.
Love you all,
Steve Corey
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