To be the Musk-Ox…

I’ve always been intrigued by the way the Holy Spirit spoke through Paul, instructing Christians about the war they face and the armor provided for them by Almighty God.

^“Finally, be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power. Put on the full armor of God so that you can take your stand against the devil's schemes. 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. Therefore put on the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand. Stand firm then, with the belt of truth buckled around your waist, with the breastplate of righteousness in place, and with your feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace. In addition to all this, take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish 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. And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests. With this in mind, be alert and always keep on praying for all the saints.” (Ephesians 6:10-18)   Over the next few weeks, I’d like to examine some applications and challenges from this text, hoping for all of us who call on the Name of the Lord to improve in our service to Him.  Inhabitants of Del Rio are probably not very familiar with the Musk-ox.  It is an animal that primarily inhabits the frozen tundra, and looks like a, extremely furry cow.  Musk-oxen have a peculiar practice; because of their lack of speed, when they are attacked by predators they form a circle with the strongest males all facing outward, protecting the weak, the young, and the sick on the interior of the circle.  These full-grown circle-makers possess a thick layer of skin and fur on their chests that render them virtually impervious to teeth or claw.  Thus, in a circle, a group of musk-oxen is virtually indestructible.  The irony of it lies in the fact that the skin and fur on the rest of the body of these protectors is extraordinarily thin.  Their lack of “toughness” in the rest of their bodies necessitates the way they form a circle for protection and, in doing so, protect everyone’s weakness.  The above passage says the same thing... without saying it.  There is NO mention of any armor that protects the back of God’s people.  I think that tells us two things. 1) We were not intended by God to retreat from battle.  Stand firm.  2) Our backs are vulnerable, so therefore we protect each other’s weakness.  What Christians do you join arms with in this fight against sin and Satan to have protection?  The first challenge from this wonderful passage is to do just that.  Link arms with those in faith around you… protect everyone in the circle by protecting one another’s weakness.  Then we too, will be virtually indestructible when the “predator” attacks.  To God be the Glory!