Two sets of armor

Yesterday the Lord gave me a picture of a warrior in God's army on the battlefield fully dressed in the armor of God. Except they had two sets of gear for battle. One larger then the other. The larger of the two sets was the Lord's armor and was gleaming silver. The smaller set was a reddish rust color and not a complete set. At times the warrior would fumble between the two gears. He/she would always have to put down God's shield of faith when trying to trade pieces. Also the warrior was not standing in ready battle position but was looking around at the gear on the ground and bent down to trade off. It was very ungraceful and uncoordinated. Although the Sword from God's armor the warrior kept.

These are two sets of battle gear many of us Christians have. The silver one we know about because it's God's armor talked about in the bible. The second set is the gear we use when we go in battle against our fellow warriors, our brothers and sisters in Christ. It is a smaller set because it is a weaker set but still has the power to hurt and do damage. It's incomplete and doesn't hold God's power. We always have to put down our shield of faith when fighting against each other and don't have God's protection. We keep the Sword, the Word of Truth in our hands but we use it against each other and strike each other with it. This causes damaging blows in the family of God.

The armor of God gleams and shines His light. It's crisp and clean. The reddish set it tainted and stained with the blood of past kills. The blood is rotting away the armor.

When we are picking up the other equipment or are trying to decide which piece to use, our eyes are off God. They're not focused on the battle or the task at hand and we are very clumsy, uncoordinated and weak. We are not protected from the advancing enemy's attacks and we do not posses grace. Which is exactly what we need to be extending to our fellow brethren. Grace. God's grace.

This should not be. We should not be fighting and attacking God's people – our own people. We must stop backbiting, gossiping and vengeful bickering. We need to straighten up, look back to the eyes of the one who gave us grace and extend that gift to our brothers and sisters. We don't have time to waste figuring our which piece of armor to use against each other. The enemy is advancing with great force and we are in battle! We are in war!

Our King is returning soon and it pains Him to see we have each other's blood on our weapon. Especially the Sword. The Word of Truth meant to give life. Let's turn our hearts back to our King so we may shine His glory.

This morning in my quiet time I was writing all of this down and the Lord began to speak to me more about it. He said, "My Spirit can not fight against itself. My Spirit is grieved. You are fighting me." All of us who are God's children have the Spirit of God in us. We are to be Christ with skin on. We may have different skins and different personalities but we have the same Spirit. He continued, "Don't you sense the pain this is causing? The divisions?"

"If you are injured by them (others in God's army) come to the Healer. Don't attack back. Using the same tactics will only cause more pain and more division.

I want you to be radiant for Me. Seasoned with grace. Not tripping over armor. Clear the battle floor!" (Throw out that second set of armor.)

"Time is short. What is the King to find upon His return? …

A bride in blood? Not the blood of her own but of her fellow man. How beautiful is that?

It pains me.

That's really my blood on my bride."

My heart was greatly grieved. I know held on to anger in my heart towards my brother or sisters in Christ and I know I've talked about others before but never quite saw it in this light. I said, "I'm sorry Lord! Help me to speak words that are true…"

The Lord quickly interjected, "It must go deeper then that! DEEP inside you. Deeper then where words have their point of origin! The heart. The soul. The spirit.

Forget your evil thoughts. Flee from damaging deeds. Let me create a clean heart. One made of flesh, not of stone. Turn your cold hearts from hate. Love each other with an everlasting love. Let peace and healing flow through the camp. Restore – Let restoration come.

Bind up your wounds and fight the good fight of faith.

God is strong. His mercies are new every morning. From everlasting to everlasting.

Prepare your heart for the Lord. The battle is on. The war is strong. Prepare your heart for the Lord!"

“If you keep on biting and devouring each other, watch out or you will be destroyed by each other.” Galatians 5:15