The Breastplate of Righteousness

by Rocky Fleming

Day 2:  Internal Strength

“Christ with me, Christ before me, Christ behind me, Christ in me” St. Patrick

I love words such as the ones above that embolden me to live for Christ and hit my fears head-on.  But the Holy Scriptures must inspire words like this or else I am swayed by philosophy rather than theology.  Even though some creative words such as allegories and the like might be inspirational, someone’s philosophical ideas are not solid ground to build a life on, and we need to look at the roots of their inspiration. This is where we look to see if their words are grounded in Scripture, and if it is, we can learn from it.  Here is what King David said in Scripture that supports St. Patrick’s perspective:

“You have enclosed me behind and before, And laid Your hand upon me.”  (Psalms 139:5 NASB)

Patrick puts the same thing in his own words.  I also love words that someone speaks and actually lives.  A theory from someone about how to “fight” in a spiritual battle and how it “should go” doesn’t have the impact on me as someone who has actually faced those battles personally.  In other words, I do not want another motivational or persuasive speaker to pump me up with words of encouragement that he does not himself live by.  Patrick was not such a man, but rather a man who lived out his words, and we can learn from him today.

Once St. Patrick had regained his freedom, he would forsake all in England and return to Ireland and a people that had illegally enslaved him.  This fact alone got my attention.  Why would anyone offer such sacrificial love?  Why would anyone be concerned for another person’s soul, and especially if it is an enemy who mistreated him?  Why would he not hate them, or at least fear them?  Is it because it is like he said, “Christ is with me, before me, behind me, and in me” in his thinking, and this made him see things differently from most people?  Knowing these things and standing on this thought would create a courageous man, would it not?

I am reminded of the tension most Americans feel right now with the immigration crisis.  There are some good people who are immigrating to this country for a better life, and they are creating a better America.  There are also some good, illegal people who are trying to make a better life as well.  But there are some bad, bad people who are trying to get in as well, both legally and illegally.  Unfortunately, this last category of immigrants creates a negative image and fear against all the other immigrants, and this challenges the Body of Christ (you and me) to do some deep soul searching about how we see this and how we respond to it.  What would St. Patrick do?  Most of all, what would Jesus do?

I know this about me, and I think it holds true for most people.  I try to control that which I fear.  If I sense my family is in danger, I will go into lockdown mode as an immediate defense.  This is my first reactionary instinct.  Are you this way as well?  I have discovered that I will go down this path until I return to the thought “You have enclosed me behind and before, And laid Your hand upon me.” It is then that God’s words of encouragement through David and a man like St. Patrick works its way into my life, and gives me the courage to override my instincts.  As a disciple of Christ, these words cause me to take another look at the battlefield around me and then see an opportunity for good rather than bad.  

It stands to reason this is why most Christians in this country are failing to see the great harvest opportunities coming around us by the immigrants in our neighborhoods.  It is because we fear them, and therefore we want to shut them out or control them.  But we do not have to fear them, for Jesus said that He is greater than anything that seeks to hurt us.  This assurance should make us bold and empowered to share Christ and His love to a very needy people.  We share the unconditional love that He has given to us, and perhaps those same people will be our greatest friends and advocates for those things we all cherish.  To be able to entrust this fear to God, we must take Him at His word and embrace it into our hearts.