Lent- Wednesday, Week 4

March 23, 2023
Sue Holdway
Ministries, Missions, Our Churches, Prayers

Powers and principalities

Reading

Finally, be strong in the Lord and in the strength of his power. Put on the whole armour of God, so that you may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil. For our struggle is not against 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 armour 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 the shield of faith, with which you will be able to quench 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.

Pray in the Spirit at all times in every prayer and supplication. To that end keep alert and always persevere in supplication for all the saints. Pray also for me, so that when I speak, a message may be given to me to make known with boldness the mystery of the gospel, for which I am an ambassador in chains. Pray that I may declare it boldly, as I must speak.

Reflection

The ways of God’s kingdom are not the ways of the world. Jesus himself made that clear: “My kingdom is not of this world” (John 18.36).

The kingdom of God – that overarching framework in which Jesus understood his mission and in which we continue to view the work of the church – sets itself over against the “kingdoms” (and powers and principalities) who occupy this world in “this present darkness”.

We are citizens of another kingdom, living in a land under occupation, and that demands a different approach. Jesus taught the disciples to operate in a way that subverted the powers and principalities of the world by giving them signposts, telling them stories about God’s kingdom. And he left space for them to fail in pursuit of it.

Challenge

Think about power in our world – who has it and how we perceive it – and the power Jesus showed us in the Gospels. How do they differ?