2 Corinthians 1/ Ephesians 6:12: Not flesh and blood

 

It’s always special to me when I experience the Word, first-hand (It is indeed the Living Word). Sometimes, you read and read and wonder if anything is resonating with you or changing you. This can happen even though we have the truth written in Hebrews 4:12, where the Word is literally described as a double-edged sword. Some parts might even feel unrelatable, leaving you wondering how the verses can relate to your life. I too feel that way sometimes. That’s why, when I experience the Word, or apply the wisdom God has given me from studying His Word, it has a huge impact. You remember what you are reading, that it is something which contains knowledge that can be brought to every situation. With that being said, I would love to get right into it!

 

So at the heart of what we will be talking about is Ephesians 6:12, and 2 Corinthians 1. Ephesians 6 tells us about the popular ‘armour of God’ we must put on daily, and verse 12 specifically says, ‘For 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.’ Complementing this verse today will be 2 Corinthians 1, a chapter I regularly turn to for comfort and understanding. Verses 6-7 really complement Ephesians 6:12, and I see it clearly in the scene I am about to set for you.

There are obviously times when a person’s temper might flare, and patience runs thin. A recent example of this I can give, is when my relative experienced serious anger. I feel that as humans, we know this and are accepting of this, but only in theory. Often, we react, giving them what we think they deserve. Like Hosea 4:6 says, due to lack of knowledge, we are destroyed. We make insensitive and inaccurate decisions - in this case, deciding we have the right to dictate when, how and why a person should be judged. What I’m alluding to is that in our judgement and impulse, we miss what is really at work- the rulers, the authorities, and powers of this dark world. Before acting, did you ever stop to consider that these forces are at play? A recent example of this I can give, is when my relative experienced serious anger. We need to be more mindful of each other. Not just physically, but also mindful about the spirits that could be showing up in a person. After all, isn’t that what Jesus would do? What’s really interesting is how everything was lined up, and where 2 Corinthians 1 comes in.

A couple of weeks before this case, I had been feeling a bit bleh, and a bit out whack, unsure of what to do when I don’t feel like myself or have a lid on the things I always do. For somebody who is always on top of things, this can be really hard to navigate and understand, but what I finally realised was that it related to my mum, and how her birthday was coming up, as well as the first anniversary. It would be the first birthday without her here. For some reason, though I knew losing a family member is traumatic, I didn’t expect it to actually affect me, so you can imagine my surprise when it did. But because of my suffering and difficulty (2 Corinthians 1) I could understand my relative, provide him with the comfort I had experienced and extend grace. I didn’t understand Paul at first, who said that for Christ’s sake, he delights in weaknesses, insults, hardships, persecution, and in difficulty, but I’m starting to see it. It's like these difficulties gave me clarity, which in general, is true. Seeing how your difficulty or suffering can help others has to be more important to you than yourself. You have to put yourself aside, despite how angry, frustrated or upset you may be feeling. Although we are not God Who sees and knows everything, we are called to continually extend grace, like God does for us daily (Matthew 6:12). In essence, God made it possible for me to empathise with my relative through knowledge of 2 Corinthians 1, as well as sympathise, through Ephesians 6:12, both of which taught me to be conscious of others. It seemed out of the blue, and irrational, but because of the knowledge in Ephesians 6:12, I could be aware, and then act with 2 Corinthians 1 in mind.

There is also the compassion side of things to cover, a beautiful example of which Jesus left for us while He was here. In Matthew, there is mention of Jesus taking compassion on the crowds around Him (Matthew 9:36, 15:32, 20:29-34) and we should definitely follow by example. Looking specifically at Mark 6:30-44, we see that Jesus puts His followers before Himself and sets aside time for them, even when that meant He could not rest as he had planned. That principle of caring for the needs of others and putting them over your own has reappeared. I know that some may say they are still learning to love others the way Jesus loved, and I understand this. However, we can still try and be compassionate to others, from keeping thoughts in mind like ‘you don’t know what kind of day they’ve had, you don’t know what they’re going through, you don’t know what Satan’s said to them.’ When you fix your mind on thoughts like this, verses like Ephesians 6:12 become your lens.

 Lastly, extending grace to others creates interest. Grace is not exactly a major principle of the World, so when one does anything out of the ordinary, people become interested. Think of when Jesus kept quiet when all of the Pharisees and Sadducees were abusing Him. Everyone was in disbelief. He never tried to prove a point or defend Himself and because that is just so different to the way humans act, they can’t help but be intrigued. That same thing applies to grace and people today. When you act in a way that differs to the norm, people will want to know how it is this person can remain so cool, calm and collected. Jesus’ opposers knew He was different, and He would gladly explain to them how that is. When our actions pique the interest of others, we should have the same courage to redirect them to the Lord our God!

In conclusion, the Word lives. It comes together to give Christians understanding and clarity. Make sure to use it. This post felt very special to me. Due to God and His Word, I could act based on what was happening in the spiritual and not just through the physical and care for the people around me. For this, I am grateful! I love seeing the Word in my life, and I think your focus on the Word is what makes that possible. So, I challenge you today! To pick a chapter, verse, parable etc. that you constantly refer to and tell me what you experience. I am excited for you and what you will experience!

 

I love you thank you for reading. The past week has been difficult, so I apologise for the late post but I hope it blessed you nonetheless! I pray you have a blessed week and day :)

I love you with the love of God. Go in peace!

 

Rachel

 

xoxo

 

(SOTW: 'A Handmade Card' by Jaimie Poon)