17. A healthy heart…

So far in this mini-series evoked by Mark 12:30 we have looked at how being healthy in body, mind, and soul can support us in achieving our dreams and purpose in God. Today we conclude our mini-series on staying healthy as we look at the heart, the place where the Holy Spirit lives within us and that holds our spirituality.

And you must love the LORD your God with all your heart, all your soul, all your mind, and all your strength.

Mark 12:30

My child, pay attention to what I say. Listen carefully to my words. Don’t lose sight of them. Let them penetrate deep into your heart, for they bring life to those who find them, and healing to their whole body. Guard your heart above all else, for it determines the course of your life.

Proverbs 4:20-23

Read Daniel 3, the story of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego who continue to worship God in spite of the new law that everyone must only worship the statue of King Nebuchadnezzar that he had created out of gold.

Read Daniel 6, the story of how Daniel defied King Darius and continued to pray to God instead of the king. In both stories the punishment should have led to instant and extremely painful death – a blazing furnace and a lion’s den. But God saved them in both instances showing his power, authority, love and protection for his own.

When we pursue what God has planned for us, the dreams and purposes he has placed in our hearts, we will experience opposition, persecution. We might be attacked on all sides by those who want to harm us, our reputation, cause us to fail – a co-worker, a teacher, a family member, a rival business. But we might also suffer more insidious harm from social media, advertising, television – all trying to fill us with alternatives to God, beckoning us to worship consumerism, hedonism, humanism instead of God.

It is hard to stand in times like this as Paul well knew when he told the church at Ephesus:

Be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power. Put on all of God’s armour so that you will be able to stand firm against all strategies of the devil.

Ephesians 6:10-11

Make no mistake – when we come under attack, it is Satan who is behind it, trying to hold us back, bring us down, make us impotent to achieving God’s dreams for us.

Any soldier going into battle will tell you how important it is to wear the right gear to protect you when the going gets tough. Paul uses the example of a Roman soldier’s armour but today it might well be a bullet proof jacket instead of a breastplate, a gun instead of a sword, steel capped boots instead of sandals, a Perspex shield, and a lightweight helmet. If you are going to stay spiritually ready for battle you need to put on God’s armour every day. Let’s take a look:

• The belt of truth (v14)

Belts have a very definite purpose beyond looking pretty – the contemporary soldier’s belt is worn to hold all the gear they might need in the battle – gun, ammunitions, grenades, etc. God’s belt is his truth which is held in his Word, the Bible. When we spend time reading, meditating on, memorizing, God’s Word then we are ready for battle:

Your word is a lamp to guide my feet and a light for my path..

Psalm 119:105

When we keep God’s Word with us all the time so we can whip it out trouble strikes, we are ready for battle. I have several versions of my Bible on my mobile phone which is always in my pocket or bag. What about you?

• The breastplate of righteousness (v14)

Today’s soldier or security guard in a shopping centre will wear a stab-proof, bulletproof vest to protect their vital organs from harm in battle or attack. God’s breastplate is his righteousness which we put on each day to keep our spiritual heart protected from Satan’s arrows of fire. His righteousness is his gift to us through the sacrifice of his Son, Jesus Christ and we put it on daily by coming before him, through his Holy Spirit, seeking his forgiveness, accepting his forgiveness, and walking in his forgiveness through the day.

• The shoes of peace (v 15)

I have recently been struggling with foot drop, a condition caused by inflammation of the sciatica nerve. This has meant wearing a special brace to lift my foot when walking, doing copious exercises every day to restore lost muscle strength, and much physiotherapy. This has all begun to bring peace to my feet – lessening the numbness, sore muscles, and nerve pain. The correct footwear is also important, and I have traded in my stilettos for sensible shoes and sandals! It is vital for the soldier to wear military boots when going into battle to protect their feet so they can keep on running. God’s shoes of peace are those times before the battle when we lie down in green pastures, walk beside peaceful streams, sit at the feast he has prepared for me (Psalm 23). In other words, spend time with God, sit in his presence, enjoy his Word.

• Shield of Faith (v16)

When I travelled to India on my first missions’ trip, I found myself under constant attack. Nothing went right and I constantly accused one of the trip leaders of getting it wrong. Something wasn’t as it should be, and God showed me the unfinished business I had with this leader. I sought her out and asked for her forgiveness, then we prayed together. I had put on my shield of faith believing God for both his forgiveness and restoration. The trip (and 3 more followed) went on without a hitch.

When we step into our dreams, put God’s plans for us into action, we must expect Satan to seek to deflect our attention from the main game, through lots of little things that add up to one big thing. Shields are wonderful things – an umbrella, sunglasses, a hat all shield us from the harmful rays of the sun. God’s shield of faith comes alive in us when we hold up our faith, our belief in God, in front of Satan’s arrows, deflecting his attack.

• The Helmet of Salvation (v17)

I became a Christian, received the gift of salvation, when I was 15 years old. I remember the moment I walked down the aisle of a church and said “yes” to God. Salvation means we have been saved from something to something better – preserved, delivered from harm, ruin, or loss. We carry our salvation with us throughout our lives and this provides us with continuous protection from the attacks on our minds. Just like the helmet protects the motor-cyclists head if they fall off their bike, so God’s salvation protects our minds when they stray from good thoughts. (Philippians 4:8)

• The Sword of the Spirit (v17)

Just as the sword can wreak havoc in a battle against a physical enemy, so the sword of the Spirit can wreak havoc in the spiritual realms. Whilst the belt of truth passively protects us from attack, the sword of the Spirit gives us a weapon to fight actively against the enemy. Both are the Word of God and, just as Jesus did when tempted in the desert, we can use scriptures to lunge back at Satan, repel his attacks.

Are you prepared for daily spiritual attack? Do you put on your armour each morning?

Prayer: Lord, I want to be prepared for battle against Satan, I want to “fight the good fight with all my might”, as John Monsell, the hymnist, wrote back in the 1800s. I want to be a conqueror, a victor in the battle. Clothe me with your armour. Empower me, protect me, prepare me for whatever lies ahead.

Action: Take some time to sit with God and consider your own spiritual health. Are you ready for battle? Have you put on God’s armour? How are you going on a scale of 1-10?

Journal your thoughts: