Dear Family and Friends,

When we took our grandson for a walk around the block this week, I did something I hadn’t done in years – step on a fresh pile of dog poop right in the middle of the sidewalk. Really? I thought we had moved on from such inconsiderate behavior.

Apparently bad behavior is back according to a recent Op-ed in the newspaper: ‘Hostility on the rise, America is falling apart at the seams’ by David Brooks, a New York Times columnist. The piece paints a dark picture of our country’s deteriorating state with these observations. 

Even with fewer miles being driven, motor vehicle deaths are up 18% due to reckless driving. Altercations on flights, abuse of nurses by the very ones they care for, and disruptive behavior in schools are all on the rise. Hate crimes are at its highest in 12 years.

If you think these are scary, he made even scarier comments trying to explain the reason for the rising hostility and recklessness.

  • “What the hell is going on? The short answer: I don’t know.”
  • “As a columnist, I’m supposed to have some answers. But I just don’t know right now. I just know the situation is dire.”

Our grandkids initially came for a short visit for the holidays. But because it’s safer here than back home, they’re still here. God continues to bless our home even in the midst of a chaotic pandemic.

Speaking of chaos, our now nine-month old granddaughter could barely crawl when they first arrived. Today, she is almost walking. And that’s not all. Her first word was – papa. She is growing so quickly, mimicking everything she sees.

Have you noticed that we all have this propensity to mimic others around us? For example, have you ever felt like yawning when someone else yawned? Kidding aside, bad behavior begets bad behavior. People somehow feel the actions of others gives them permission to do the same.

This was one reason (the mimicking, not the yawning) why Paul wrote his Epistle to the Ephesians.

And this is the reason why I’m writing this email today – to warn us against mimicking the bad behaviors we witness today.

Paul wanted to protect the Ephesians against future problems by encouraging them to mature and walk in their faith.

This is his wish for us as well.

Paul laid out his epistle into two distinct parts. The first part consists of the theological truths that, by faith, we are part of the holy community created by God’s grace through the death and resurrection of Christ Jesus. One of those truths is in this well known passage:

“For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, not a result of works, so that no one may boast.” Ephesians 2:8-9 ESV

These theological truths then provide the foundation for the second part of the epistle – a guide for Christ-based behavior in our relationships within the church, the home, and the world.

Since we are talking about bad behaviors that surround us, let’s focus on Paul’s advice for living in this world.

We begin by answering Mr. Brooks’ question: What the hell is going on? Simply put, all the bad behavior we see can only come from one source – the devil.

“Finally, be strong in the Lord and in the strength of his might. Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the schemes of the devil. For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers over this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places.” Ephesians 6:10-12 ESV

Because Paul suggests the devil has multiple schemes, he goes on to list multiple ways to defend ourselves.

“Therefore take up the whole armor of God, that you may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand firm.

Stand therefore, having fastened on the belt of truth, and having put on the breastplate of righteousness, and, as shoes for your feet, having put on the readiness given by the gospel of peace.

In all circumstances take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming darts of the evil one; and take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God.” Ephesians‬ ‭6:13-17‬ ESV

Each piece of armor has a distinct purpose. Let’s look briefly at them. 

The Belt of Truth: the devil is a master in diluting the truth, whispering lies disguised as truth. Lies like, ‘it’s okay, go ahead and do it – everyone else is…’

Paul says to put on the belt of truth, which means to prepare ourselves with knowledge of the truth. This is how to discern a lie when we hear one.

The Breastplate of Righteousness: the devil has put a bullseye on our hearts. Why? Our righteousness flows from our hearts where Christ dwells through faith. (See Ephesians 3:17)

Paul says to put on the breastplate of righteousness. In other words, protect our hearts by living a life that’s pleasing to God, a righteous life. This is how we guard who is most precious in our hearts even in the midst of chaos.

The Shoes of Peace: the devil comes only to steal and kill and destroy. One way he steals our peace is by sowing seeds of disunity – like disunity between ourselves and others. Look again at the observations from the Op-ed. There is little peace in today’s world, just a whole lot of disunity.

The shoes worn by the Roman soldiers were like modern day cleats, with spikes on the soles to help the soldiers stand firmly planted. Paul asks that we put on these shoes and stand firmly planted in our faith and fight for peace with all others, regardless of race, religion, political affiliation, beliefs, lifestyles, etc. 

The Shield of Faith: the devil attacks relentlessly, doing everything possible to shake our faith. Have you ever lived through a string of bad occurrences? The devil tries to discourage us, hoping it will lead to doubt, and eventually a loss of faith.

Paul says to put on the shield of faith, to remember what we know and believe to be true, and to keep the faith in those moments when we really need Him.

The Helmet of Salvation: the devil seeks to fill our minds with distractions – with anything other than God and Jesus.

Paul says to put on the helmet of salvation to protect our minds from worldly distractions, and focus instead on our salvation and what that means.

Whether it be a setback or success that fills your mind, know that everything can change in a moment without notice.

On the other hand, our salvation means a life forever in the presence of Jesus and the Father. 

The Sword of the Spirit: the sword was a defensive and offensive weapon that required a great deal of training to skillfully use. 

The Sword of the Spirit is the Holy Scriptures, the word of God. The Sword will not only defend against the enemy’s attacks but can ward him off, like God’s word did for Jesus in the wilderness.

But let’s be reminded that it takes dedication and training to use the Sword effectively.

One last thought – consider carrying a zip lock bag when taking a walk. It may not be your dog that did the deed, but let’s be good neighbors to those who walk after us.

In love always,