According to the Word of God, the kingdom of darkness and the Kingdom of God are engaged in constant conflict, making the universe and its inhabitants at perpetual war. In this conflict, thankfully, Christ Jesus has won the victory through his sinless life, redemption through his blood, and power through his resurrection. In this great War of the Ages, Christ is the victor (Christus Victor). He has bound the “strong man” (the devil), plundered his house, and has taken the spoils the strong man collected. While the enemy is already defeated, he has not yet been fully destroyed. He constantly attacks the servants of Christ, and prowls about like a lion looking for prey. We must adopt a warfare mentality if we are going to represent Christ and his Kingdom.
While Christ defeated the devil through his death on the Cross and his resurrection, he has not yet been fully destroyed. By faith in Christ’s finished work, we must resist him – his lies, falsehoods, accusations, and temptations. We can fend off his attacks by clinging to Christ and the word of his victory.
Thank you, Jesus, that you did not leave us without protection or resources as we engage in spiritual battle. You defeated the devil, but he has not yet been fully destroyed. (This will occur at your Second Coming). Grant us both the courage and the tenacity to use your weapons in our fight against our mortal enemy, and to claim the victory you won for us through your shed blood on the Cross. Amen.
Priests are invitation bearers. This is a reflection of our function as representatives of God to the people in our workplace. We are message bearers entrusted with the Good News that God wants peace and friendship with all the people in our community, family, and workplace. In fact, God wants peace with everyone on planet earth, but let’s start with the people we have access to first. Of course, before a person can have peace with God, they need to hear and accept God’s terms for peace. This is called the ministry of reconciliation. We invite people to have peace with God on God’s terms. This is one of our key responsibilities as a priest.
~ Scott Breslin, Embracing Our Priestly Nature at Work: A Theology and Practice for Ordinary Saints. Eugene OR: Resource Publications, 2017. p. 49.
Let God Arise! Seasonal Focus
Put on the Armor of God, Ephesians 6.10-18
Book Reading
Anizor and Voss, Representing Christ
