Isaiah 39:17a For he put on righteousness as a breastplate, and an helmet of salvation upon his head;

Paul’s narrative in Ephesians 6 is said to have been inspired by pondering upon the guards of his house arrest. I must admit that it is very likely but I also know that Paul was a student of the Old Testament under Gamaliel, reference Acts 22. Being a student who exceeded above his contemporaries, Paul, then Saul, would have known this passage in Isaiah.

He would have also known the rest of that passage.

Isaiah 39:17b and he put on the garments of vengeance for clothing, and was clad with zeal as a cloak.

So the rest of the contextual scriptures did not fit this new narrative for Ephesians 6 but perhaps it was that moment when Paul looked at his Roman guard, that the sight of the helmet inspired him in remembrance of Isaiah 39:17.

But I wonder if in some part, Paul might have also seen a little bit of his former life as Saul in these passages from Isaiah? Saul’s actions prior to his encounter with Christ on the road to Damascus were definitely riddled with vengeance and zeal against Christ’s early church. Reading in Isaiah 59 I can see a possibility of Saul seeing himself in those scriptures and taking it upon himself to be the arm of the Lord.

Therein lies the danger in the narrative, taking it upon yourself to be something you are not, because you see no one else doing it and you judge that something has to be done. Saul did and his actions built distrust in the early church when he came to serve the Lord in his conversion. Saul stayed away for fourteen years and so damaging was his actions as Saul that he was still feared when he returned to Jerusalem.

Paul proved his conversion to be true and he went on to be that intercessor spoken of in Isaiah after he came to know the truth. Paul’s narrative changed from Isaiah 59 to Ephesians 6 only because he met Christ and came to know The Truth, The Life and The Way.

Has your narrative changed?

Ephesians 6:18a Praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit,

Yesterday I left off saying that this is the most important part of spiritual warfare, more so even than the armor of God. I would like to expand on that thought, if you don’t mind.

In Paul’s time the only thing he knew about warfare was armor and tactics. He spoke to both. Paul did not know about GPS satellites, infrared night vision goggles, or drones. If he had, his conversation might have been expanded. But God knew and in this God expressed our modern day command and control via verse 6:18a above, praying always, getting God involved in every aspect.

When we attacked Saddam Hussein during Enduring Freedom, our first objective was to destroy command and control centers of his defense systems. Our very first bomb went right down thru the roof of that Bagdad facility. Then we took out radar sites leaving him blind. You could see his anti-aircraft weapons firing wildly into a night sky at aircraft that had already left the area.

What makes us think that our enemy does not know this tactic? Will not Satan first attack our command and control centers? His first attack will be to get us to stop praying. How he accomplishes that attack will be varied and devious. He will personalize it depending on our vulnerabilities. He does not know our minds but he knows our flesh.

He will attack pride with “the battle is won, the war is over.” Over confidence is a weakness, nothing is more dangerous than a wounded animal. Sin while it has received its death blow is not yet removed from the battlefield.

My most fearful night in Vietnam was not the night I was shot. It was the first night back alone on the perimeter. My Captain knew and came crawling up behind me and said, “It’s me. Don’t be afraid.” He knew that night was going to be tough on me, so he let me know I wasn’t alone. He settled my nerves, he calmed the storm. Prayer often will do that for us, but the enemy comes about roaring looking to place fear where fear isn’t warranted.

Where are your defenses most vulnerable?