Daily Musings: How can we Have Hope in the Darkness?

Faith. Hope. We need them now more than ever. Most of us have personal challenges that weigh us down. However, it’s even harder to keep up a belief for a brighter day when malevolent forces seem to have hijacked the Earth. These forces seem to be hard to resist right now. Whether they are terrorists, or dictators, these seem to be their goals:

Subjugate us
Strike fear in us
Kill any belief in a brighter tomorrow

These individuals want us to believe that we are alone on Earth. There will be no divine help coming.We don’t have to accept this. Everyone has two choices in how to look at life: horizontal or vertical.

What is at the end of this horizontal line?

Self-absorption
Fear
Anger
Depression
Panic
Worldwide catastrophes
The Devil’s lies
Overwhelming darkness

What is at the end of this vertical line?

God
Hope
Faith
Belief
God’s truth
Light

The Protection/”Helmet” of God’s Everlasting Truth

This is an American-style helmet from WWI. Believe it or not, French forces did not wear any metal helmets when the war first began. Unsurprisingly, soldiers received many head wounds because their heads were completely unprotected.

When someone finally noticed the problem and invented an appropriate helmet, the amount of head wounds decreased dramatically.

The Bible

I Thessalonians 5:8 “But let us, who are of the day, be sober, putting on the breastplate of faith and love; and for an helmet, the hope of salvation.”

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Ephesians 6:11-18--“Put on the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil.

For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places.

Wherefore take unto you the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand.

Stand therefore, having your loins girt about with truth, and having on the breastplate of righteousness;

And your feet shod with the preparation of the gospel of peace;

Above all, taking the shield of faith, wherewith ye shall be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked.

And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God:

Praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit…”

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John 10:10 “The thief cometh not, but for to steal, and to kill, and to destroy. I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly.”

The job of Satan and his forces is to kill, steal, destroy, confuse, etc. His staff does not only include malicious humans, which is bad enough. His “people” include “principalities”, which can be translated as (good or) bad angels.

Long story short, we aren’t just fighting other humans. More than ever, we need to put on the helmet of God’s protection.

My Conclusion