A different take on the Armor of God

[dsc]

There were quite a few posts about the pajamas that were the Armor of God. It is easy to make fun of those pjs but this is a very interesting bit of scriputre that gives us the Armor of God.

Here is the passage:

Finally, be strong in the Lord and in the strength of His power. Put on the whole armor of God, so that you may be able to stand against the whiles of the devil. For our struggle is not against the enemies of blood and flesh, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers of this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places.

Therefore take up the whole armor of God, so that you may be able to withstand on that evil day, and having done everything, to stand firm. Stand therefore, and fasten the belt of truth around your waist, and put on the breastplate of righteousness. As shoes for your feet put on whatever will make you ready to proclaim the gospel of peace. With all of these take your shield of faith, with which you will be able to quench al the flaming arrows of the evil one. Take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God.

end of quote Ephesians 6:10-17

Does any of the above sound the least bit familiar? Isn't this what we should be doing now? Bush clearly sounds like a cosmic power in this present darkness and a spiritual force of evil. Properly used the armor of God brings peace not war. Properly used the armor of God brings justice, not hate. Too many have used what is supposed to be a defensive armor as an offensive weapon. The pajamas aside, the armor of God needs to make a return.

[left is right]

1. Your interpretation is 95% on the nose

Everything but the sword of the Spirit is defensive in nature-never meant to be used as an offensive weapon. And to use the sword of the Spirit means allowing God to fight the battle and rectify the wrongs. It is putting full faith in Him to do what is just.

[TheFriedPiper]

2. If 'god' was real, Bush would not be president

We should concentrate on strategies based in reality, not in religion.

That said, it IS good to turn their book around on them sometimes, if, for no other reason, than to point out the fallacy of basing your life on ancient stories and fables.

[OPERATIONMINDCRIME]

3. Sounds Like You Have A Very Limited Understanding Of God's Role Based

on that statement. Not sure you should be the authority on assessing God's Will.

[TheFriedPiper]

12. Actually, it is my great understanding of it that allows me to KNOW

that no-one has figured any of this out, and it is INCREDIBLY IMPROBABLE that there is any sort of 'god'

I, like most atheists, used to be a Christian until I started asking questions and examining it.

Of course, that never stopped any holier-than-thou nutcase from looking down their nose at me and ASSuming I 'just don't understand'.

[OPERATIONMINDCRIME]

16. Oh Really. ROFLMAO! If You Had Such A Great Understanding Then You

wouldn't say things so blatantly wrong such as 'If there was truly a God Bush wouldn't be in office'. See, whenever anyone says something like "If God were real my child wouldn't have died" or "If there was really a God the world would be perfect" it shows a complete and utter lack of understanding of what God's role is truly supposed to be or what his influence on Earth is really supposed to be.

I also would love to see you intelligently bolster your absurd-in-my-opinion claim that it is "INCREDIBLY IMPROBABLE" (cause caps makes it more true right?) that there is any sort of God. Care to offer any resource of legitimacy to such a statement?

So I really could care less if you're atheist, buddhist, hebrew, or follow heaven's gate for all I care. You're narrow statement on God's role shows a thorough misunderstanding of what God is intended to be.

[TheFriedPiper]

19. I don't care what fantasies you believe in either

You keep arguing from a fallacy. Your argument ASSumes a 'god' exists.

There is no point debating with someone who is not grounded in reality.

[OPERATIONMINDCRIME]

23. Nothing Worse Then An Intolerable Self-Righteous Atheist.

Well, actualy then any intolerable self-righeous person of any faith I guess.

I think it's pathetic how you put others down for their beliefs not aligning with yours and find your bigotry to be unbecoming of someone who is supposed to be a liberal or progressive. Calling those who simply believe differently than you as not grounded in reality shows how narrow minded and intolerant you are to others. Quite shameful really.

There are some that would say that your statements and beliefs of the lack of existence of God show a complete lack of being grounded in reality.

You are not the be all end all source of what is and isn't right in religious context. Your opinion carries no more weight than anyone else's and a well grounded in reality mentality would understand that concept and show tolerance of other's equal opinions.

Hopefully there comes a time when your mind will be open enough to recognize the right of others to hold their own beliefs without feeling the need to mock them. Intolerance is one of the biggest ignorant evils in society and it's sad to see it rear its ugly head on a site such as this.

[TheFriedPiper]

25. So, ANY claim, no matter how preposterous, should be respected?

How about the many that claim 'god' hates homosexuals?

How about the belief that 'god' chose Bush to be President?

Just how loony does a belief have to be before it is ok to ridicule it?

I have ZERO religious beliefs. That is what athiesm means.

100% LACK of religion because, in the words of Mark Twain: Faith is when a man believes in what he knows to be untrue.

[zeemike]

29. People who feel the need to ridicule have low self esteem

you can read but you can't understand what was written above. That is too bad, and your ridicule does nothing to help the progressive cause, and in fact sets it back some.

[dsc]

6. We have free will

God lets us vote for whom we wish.

[TheFriedPiper]

14. if there was a god there would be no need for governance

or religion

[dsc]

15. Not when said God allows free will

Free will means some will choose to be bad.

[TheFriedPiper]

17. hehehe, that's hilarious

would be funnier if it wasn't so dangerous

[Selatius]

30. Free will is a powerful tool regardless if you believe God gave it or not

As the previous poster said, some will choose to pursue altruistic goals. Others will pursue selfish goals. Whether or not God is involved doesn't destract from that fact. Free will exists; there is no debate there, but the debate lies in why it exists, and people should be free to disagree.

[dsc]

31. I don't see the humor but to each their own

[AlCzervik]

4. wow even if they didn't mean that the way i read it thats a powerful

passage.

[knitter4democracy]

5. I was even thinking of getting them.

:blush:

Seriously, though. We're Christians, and my daughter has horrible night-terrors. I was thinking that they might help her deal with her fears and feel peace enough to get some good sleep. We have icons in her room, and we keep an icon lamp on for her. Those things might be part of the answer to deal with her sleep issues.

That mom came up with them for a similar reason. I'm not going to attack her for turning to her faith for an answer when her kids are screaming in terror in the night.

[dsc]

7. My problem with them wasn't the existance it was the execution

They do look a little Klanish.

[knitter4democracy]

9. Yeah, that's why I didn't order a set.

The colors are weird (which my daughter would get upset about), and that head cover thingy wouldn't stay on. They do look odd.

[TheFriedPiper]

21. Being based on baloney wasn't enough, but THOSE COLORS!!

hehe

[knitter4democracy]

28. Well, it's a part of our faith.

Frankly, whatever would help my daughter sleep well at night would be great at this point.

[sweetheart]

8. looks like this:

It means people should chill and trust their intutitions, whatever that takes..

[zeemike]

10. your interpretation is correct

And how someone can interpret it any other way is beyond me. But I guess anything can be twisted to those with a twisted mind.

[ContraBass Black]

11. To a warmonger, this is divine license to kill and persecute.

As is the rest of the scripture.

[dsc]

13. If you mean the rest of that scripture

I don't think so. I only left out stuff about praying.

[ContraBass Black]

22. I mean the entire Bible to a crusader.

[mikelewis]

18. The Armor of God is what Gandhi donned to do battle in India...

It's what Martin donned to do battle in America. It's what we are donning when we cry out in righteous indignation over the injustices of this world. The Armor of God is not only defensive, however, it has offensive power as well. When the powers that serve evil see the righteous crest upon the shield, their fear creates a powerful weapon to be used against them.

[TheFriedPiper]

20. Armor of God = Armor of Zues = Armor of Hercules

= Armor of Mighty Mouse

[mikelewis]

26. Very clever... Think of that yourself did ya?

Your rebuttal is so astonishingly scathing, it makes an equally coherent retort nearly impossible. Your dabating skills are clearly beyond my ability so I will have to just consider myself vanguished. Well done, sir.

[TheFriedPiper]

27. wow, all I said was that fiction equals fiction

but thanks for your accolades nonetheless

:eyes:

[mikelewis]

32. Yes but you said it so brilliantly...

Your analogy has shaken the foundations of my faith. To think, all this time, God = Mighty Mouse. I have been so blind. You, sir, are a master of logic. You should immediately get this message out to the billions of people out there who mistakenly believe in the Power of Faith, Hope and Love. You should tell them that there is no God and that when we die, there is no consequences for our actions. You should at least tell Americans that their belief that they are "endowed by their Creator with certain inalienable rights" is mere fantasy. How could we have these rights without a Creator?

What higher power exists that contradicts the power of "might over right"? Since there is no God, why is it wrong to kill? Why is it wrong to steal? Who gets to decide what's moral and what's immoral? Ours is a nation that is founded on the rule of law that is laid out in the Constitution and ours is a nation that honors the spirit of the Declaration of Independence. Without that "rule of law" being held subject to a higher authority, what is to prevent evil men from changing the words to suit their ends? (What then should we swear to if we raise our right hands and "swear to tell the truth, the whole truth and nothing but the truth"? Your concepts of morality? Mine?) If the idea of our basic rights laid out in Declaration of Independence is predicated on the concept of a fictitious Creator, aren't those rights fictitious as well?

Why do insurance companies get away with including a disclaimer from damages that are an "act of God", since clearly this is fiction? Why do some idiots allow themselves to be persecuted for something that is clearly and absolutely fiction? How can so many people believe something that is so evidently false? Had I known that God was merely a fiction created by a cartoonist, maybe I wouldn't have embarrassed myself by writing that ignorant reply to the OP.

Man, you have saved me from that ignorant Hope that there is an everlasting life. You have shaken my Faith in the belief that all people are children of God and responsible for creating a world in which none shall know want. You have delivered me from the belief that Love is a spirit that lives in all creatures great and small and that spirit is what I used to call God. Sir, your reply was astounding and I urge you to rush right out and start opening a few more hearts to your version of the realities of life. I bet after they hear your reasonings, even their ignorant little brains will definitely see the light.

[Redneck Socialist]

24. They don't seem too concerned with shoes do they?

"As shoes for your feet put on whatever..."

Are flip flops OK? I'm not sure that I could "...stand against the whiles of the devil." in flip flops, unless the whiles of the devil come to me while I'm at the beach, but even then if running was involved, I'm not sure I'd be so good at that in flip flops. But then it does say "stand" and running isn't mentioned specifically so maybe flip flops are ok after all.

See that's the problem with this bible stuff, they never really give you the specifics you need. I mean for something as important as making a "...stand against the whiles of the devil" I want to be prepared.

:crazy:

OK, I'm sorry, I know you were making a serious post, but when I read stuff like that it trips my snark trigger and out it pours.