“Now My soul has become troubled; and what shall I say, ‘Father, save Me from this hour’? But for this purpose I came to this hour. Father, glorify Your name.” – John 12:27-28
Take a minute and think about this statement Jesus made …
Now think about what He must have been feeling … the physical, human feelings and emotions that must have radiated through His very fleshly body …
Facing the cross and everything that would lead to His crucifixion … the definite pain … the complete embarrassment … the dreadful path … Yes Jesus was all God, but I think we often forget that at the very same time He was all man too – human just like you and I. How would you feel … emotionally … physically?
Now go back and read the above scripture again …
We have no trouble asking God to save us from our fears – to save us from what troubles us. These prayers come so easily for us, but take a look at the latter part: “But for this purpose I came to this hour. Father, glorify Your name.” I can only speak for myself, but I find it extremely difficult when faced with certain distress and pain, to be fully committed to “this purpose” … “this hour” … in order to for God to glorify His name.
Some days I’m so sold out to God and “this purpose I came” for. I want the Lord to be glorified in my body as Paul spoke of in Philippians 1:20 “whether it be by life or by death”. However, I don’t wear my “super” gear all the time. It’s on these days that my regular, human identity takes over, and I am consumed with the flesh and all of its desires. It’s in this get up that I cannot get up, let alone stand up against the prince of this world.
I often wonder how Jesus overcame this temptation to fall, and what I’ve come to is this – Jesus while God, yet still human, chose to cloth Himself in the full armor of the Lord.
“Be strong in the Lord and in the power of His might. Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil. 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.
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. Stand therefore, having girded your waist with truth, having put on the breastplate of righteousness, and having shod your feet with the preparation of the gospel of peace; above all, taking the shield of faith with which you will be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked one.
And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God; praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, being watchful to this end with all perseverance and supplication for all the saints … ” Ephesians 6:10-18
Jesus stood because He had “done all to stand!” He was so committed to “this purpose … hour” that He withstood all of His flesh telling Him to flee. He knew that no matter how long, how fierce, or how horrific the path ahead, rather than to flee, it was better to travel this road that led to glorifying the Father, regardless of the cost to His flesh.
Oh Christian … why do we choose so often to flee?
Why … because we choose not to cloth ourselves for the battle we walk into each day. We must get real about the war we are in the midst of. We must put on His armor, so we may be found faithful to stand – to stand against whatever the enemy has set to destroy us along with our good testimony.
Will you join me in praying for us all withstand the enemy in pursuit of glorifying The Lord’s name?
Categories: Encouragement
Tags: armor of God, battlefield, Bible, Christian, Failure, faith, God, Holy Spirit, inadequate, Jesus Christ, prepare, protection, war, withstand enemies
A Place For EVERY Woman 