August 2 2018 – Click here to listen
I was thinking of an incident that occurred during the presidential primary in 2016. I’d gone bass fishing about an hour before dark. I didn’t hear a car, train, or airplane the entire time. The 1000 acres of uninhabited red clay hills pine wonderland surrounding me shielded all noises from the outside world. There was a slight cool breeze and the temperature was perfect and I was happy as a clam on a full tide. A big blue heron was fishing right across the lake from me as was a solid white Ibis to my right.
The scenery was grand but best of all the bass were really biting. I caught and released four bass in the 5 to 8 1/2 pound range in the short time I fished. It was exhilarating. Just as I caught my last bass and the sky was turning pinkish purple with a sunset to remember, I heard a turkey gobble. He had roosted in a big Cypress bottom behind the lake and was apparently announcing to his neighbors that he was there and in fact was quite pleased with himself.
I thanked God for His creation as I walked to my pickup truck. I sat in the truck for a moment and watched as the sunset was finally completely swallowed by the night. I must admit I felt goosebumps as I sat there in awe of our Creator and softly prayed to Him.
When I walked in the front door to my home the television was on and Donald Trump had just been declared the winner in the Florida primary. Several commentators and other candidates were taking turns ripping him to shreds and talking about how his victory would be hollow because the establishment would dethrone him and take over the nomination for one of their good old boys at the convention.
Next came coverage of Hillary Clinton. She stood at the podium and ranted about most everything, (one would have thought she would be happy for her win, but she was just as hate-filled as ever). She looked like a witch and her shrill voice complemented that picture quite effectively. All she needed was a broom upon which she could fly around her headquarters.
I was shaking my head in disgust. Geez the contrast between the peace and contentment of my fishing experience and the coverage of the election was dramatic. I went from being in a wonderful mood to a dark one.
Much time has passed and today it is even worse. Trump haters spew even more venom and communist/socialist/progressives are put on a pedestal by hate filled raging people. If I take in too much news it makes me sick to my stomach.
The Bible talks about spiritual warfare. Do you know where the battlefield for spiritual warfare is? It is in our minds. In Ephesians God outlines it for us: “Our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms.”
Those struggles take place in our minds. We can enjoy the peace, joy, and love of God, or we can drink the Kool Aide of the hate, misery, and lies of Satan. The war is waged every day and we must resist. The Bible gives some advice on how to gain the upper edge. Therefore, put on the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand. Stand firm then, with the belt of truth buckled around your waist, with the breastplate of righteousness in place, and with your feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace. In addition to all this, take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one. Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God. And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests. With this in mind, be alert and always keep on praying for all the Lord’s people.
So most people know about the full armor of God, but how many know how to prepare the battlefield with their thinking? Our minds must be focused on the Spirit of God to win these daily battles. Admiring the great outdoors and talking to God works far better than parking yourself in front of a television or computer screen watching sickening people conduct their sick fantasies. So, get out there and enjoy life today! God’s wonderful creation awaits you.
Phil. 4:8
Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable – if anything is excellent or praiseworthy – think about such things.