A Closer Walk

"Fourscore and seven years ago our fathers brought forth, on this continent, a new nation, conceived in liberty, and dedicated to the proposition that all men are created equal. Now we are engaged in a great civil war, testing whether that nation, or any nation so conceived, or so dedicated, can long endure. We are met on a great battlefield of that war. We have come to dedicate a portion of that field, as a final resting place for those who here gave their lives, that that nation might live. It is altogether fitting that we should do this. But, in a larger sense, we cannot dedicate-we cannot hallow-this ground. The brave men, living and dead, who struggled here, have consecrated it far above our poor power to add or detract. The world will little note, nor long remember what we say here, but it can never forget what they did here. It is for us living, rather, to be dedicated here to the unfinished work which they who fought here have thus far so nobly advanced. It is rather for us here to be dedicated to the great task remaining before us-that from these honored dead we take increased devotion to that cause for which they here gave the last full measure of devotion-that we here highly resolve that these dead shall not have died in vain-that this nation, under God, shall have a new birth of freedom, and that government of the people, by the people, and for the people shall not perish from the earth," Abraham Lincoln 1805-1865. This is the entirety of President Lincoln's speech given on November 9, 1863, at the dedication of the Gettysburg National Cemetery at Gettysburg, Pennsylvania. Excellent speech by Mr. Lincoln; particularly given the occasion and in the context of the American Civil War, which was to last for another two years.
In our daily walk we also have battles. The battle between our old nature and our new nature. We have the in-dwelling of the Holy Spirit to help us with those battles. Our adversary and accuser can and does tempt us with leaving our straight and narrow and wandering off somewhere else where the grass appears greener or life seems easier. (Remember greener grass usually means a bigger water bill.) The Bible gives us a protection from these temptations. "Therefore, take up the full armor of God, that you may be able to resist in the evil day, and having done everything, to stand firm. Stand firm therefore, HAVING GIRDED YOUR LOINS WITH TRUTH, and HAVING PUT ON THE BREASTPLATE OF RIGHTEOUSNESS, and having shod YOUR FEET WITH THE PREPARATION OF THE GOSPEL OF PEACE; in addition to all, taking up the shield of faith with which you will be able to extinguish all the flaming missiles 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 NASB.
This Bible passage was written in the days when Rome was the superpower. So picture a Roman soldier putting on his armor. Notice that all the armor goes on the front of the soldier. If the soldier turns and runs he has less protection. Also notice that all of the armor is defensive. Meant to protect him from other soldiers and the flaming missiles. With the exception of the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God. The sword is an offensive weapon meant to be used to refute our enemy, The Tempter or The Accuser. Our example for this is the Lord Jesus Christ. And a good place to see this example is His tempting in the wilderness found in Matthew 4:1-11 and Luke 4:1-13. Three times He was tempted. Three times He refuted those temptations with Scripture.
President Lincoln still had a hard task ahead of him after delivering his “Gettysburg Address.” For the Civil War would last two more years. And we will still have battles of temptation throughout our lives. “Therefore, take up the full armor of God, that you may be able to resist in the evil day, and having done everything to stand firm ...”
“Onward, Christian soldiers, marching as to war, with the cross of Jesus going on before! Christ, the royal Master, leads against the for; forward into battle, see His banner go! Onward, Christian soldiers, marching as to war, with the cross of Jesus going on before!” Words by Sabine Baring-Gould, M.A. 1834-1924. Tune “St. Gertrude” by Arthur S. Sullivan 1842-1900, half of the famed Gilbert and Sullivan duo of composers. (Sourced from Hymnary and Wikipedia)