The Helmet Of Salvation And The Sword Of The Spirit

"Alleluia!

Sing to YAHWEH a new song,

sing HIS praise in the assembly of HIS saints.

Let Israel rejoice in his MAKER;

let the people of Zion glory in the King!

Let them dance in praise of HIS name;

and make music for HIM with harp and timbrel.

For YAHWEH delights in HIS people;

HE crowns the lowly with victory.

The saints will exult in triumph;

even at night, on their couches,

let the praise of GOD be on their lips;

and in their hands, two-edged swords;

to wreak vengeance on the nations,

and punishment on the peoples;

to bind their kings in chains,

and their nobles in iron fetters;

to execute on them, the written sentence:

this is the glory of all HIS saints.  Alleluia!

- Psalm 149:1-9

(We join in the song of victory, the triumph of GOD, the crushing of the serpent's head; for we have our part in the victorious struggle, wearing the armor of salvation and the sword of the spirit.

The 'loyal ones' express their devotion in a rigorous way.  They oppose the unjust violent person, with a just violent person.  They execute the sentence dictated by GOD and that is their honor.  Their religious enthusiasm and their faith in GOD the Creator is valid for us because the Gospel asks of us not to respond to violence with the violence of the sword [Matthew 26:52-54].  Our battle must be 'against the spirits and supernatural forces of evil' [Ephesians 6:12].  Evil and sin in our world are an affront to our Creator; the pain of the humble is the pain of the LORD.  We pray with this psalm, in union with all those who are hungry and thirsty for justice.  They are blessed.)

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