With the Weapons of Righteousness
Yesterday we celebrated the first Sunday in the season of Lent—a season that prepares us for the good news of Easter with rhythms of repentance and renewal, and equips us with practical disciplines that form us into God’s holy people. During yesterday’s service, we read a section of Paul’s second letter to the Corinthians about wielding the weapons of righteousness.
The Corinthians were frustrated with Paul because he did not make a return visit after promising them he would. Paul challenged them not to wait for him to visit to start living out of their salvation.
“Look, now is the acceptable time; look, now is the day of salvation!” (2 Cor. 6:2)
Paul then listed a long series of difficulties he was able to endure: “afflictions, hardships, calamities, beatings, imprisonments, riots, labors, sleepless nights, hunger,” just to name a few (2 Cor. 6:4-5). However, Paul did not just wallow in his suffering, he faced these challenges head on with what he called the “weapons of righteousness” (2 Cor. 6:7). We see this weaponry language elsewhere in Paul’s letters, most notably in his letter to the Ephesians, where he described faith as a shield, and the combination of scripture and prayer as a sword (Eph. 6:10-20).
Throughout his life and ministry Paul’s faith was fortified with the practices of prayer, studying scripture, and fasting. These were constant disciplines for Paul (and Jesus). The season of Lent provides a special invitation for us to integrate those same practices into our lives in a fresh way. Lent is a time to respond to the challenge of Paul that “now is the acceptable time.” Now is the time to repent. Now is the time to turn around and change. Now is the time to live as though we have been truly saved.
The season of Lent is not only about repentance and abstinence. The season of Lent is also about being equipped to change. It is about being equipped to be holy. It is about being equipped to become the “righteousness of God” (2 Cor. 5:21). Grounded in Christ’s work on the cross, the practices of Lent equip us with the practical disciplines of prayer, studying scripture, and fasting.
Yesterday I shared a short story about the cardboard sword and shield that my son Owen and I made last week. After playing for only a few minutes, the cardboard sword became flimsy and made Owen frustrated. Beneath his breath he grumbled, “this sword and shield are just fake, I want a real sword and a real shield.” Sometimes we are tempted to think about the “weapons of righteousness” that Paul describes in the same way. Sometimes we are tempted to think that prayer, scripture, and fasting are just fake—that they will not actually accomplish anything. Nothing could be further from the truth.
In our scripture yesterday (2 Cor. 6:1-10), we see Paul wielding these weapons of prayer, scripture, and fasting to face incredible persecution, beatings, and afflictions with patience, kindness, and holiness. How was he able to do this? With the weapons of righteousness. How did he know what these weapons were? He followed the example of Jesus. It was Jesus who retreated to the mountaintops to pray when the crowds crushed in on him (Luke 6:12-13). It was Jesus who read and applied scripture to the persecutions he faced (Luke 4:16-30). It was Jesus who fasted for forty days while resisting the temptations of the devil (Luke 4:1-11).
Lent equips us with the weapons of righteousness.
During Lent, I invite all of us to put these simple disciplines of prayer, study, and fasting into practice, just like Jesus did. If you already have a regular daily rhythm of prayer and reading scripture great. Keep going! If you need one, I will be providing a weekly cycle of scriptures to be read during Lent.
Here is the cycle of scripture readings for Week 1:
Monday March 10, 2025: Psalm 17; 1 Chronicles 21:1-17;1 John 2:1-6
Tuesday March 11, 2025: Psalm 17; Zechariah 3:1-10; 2 Peter 2:4-21
Wednesday March 12, 2025: Psalm 17; Job 1:1-22; Luke 21:34-22:6
Thursday March 13, 2025: Psalm 27; Genesis 13:1-7, 14-18; Philippians 3:2-12
Friday March 14, 2025: Psalm 27; Genesis 14:17-24; Philippians 3:17-20
Saturday March 15, 2025: Psalm 27; Psalm 118:26-29; Matthew 23:37-39
Carve out twenty minutes each day to read scripture. You don’t need to dig into it in-depth, just allow the word of God to speak into you and the challenges you face each day. I encourage you to begin each session with a simple prayer and a brief moment of silence. Invite the Holy Spirit to minister to you. Simply say “Come, Holy Spirit,” followed by a minute (a real minute) of silence to clear your heart, to clear your mind, and to allow your attention to focus on God. The Lord is gracious and good. He will meet you there.
I also invite you to prayerfully consider fasting with me on Wednesdays or Fridays (from sunrise until 3:00pm) during the season of Lent.
If Wednesdays or Fridays do not work for you, then pick a different day of the week. There is nothing special about those days in particular. If fasting from regular meals is not an option because of health concerns, I invite you to use your mealtimes to meet with the Lord. When you eat on Wednesdays or Fridays (from sunrise until 3:00pm) eat alone. Spend extra time in scripture, or simply spend time in silence. Do not look at your phone, your computer, or the tv. Focus on the Lord. He will meet you there.
Remember that praying, reading scripture, and fasting regularly does not save us. Christ saves us. Regular rhythms of prayer, reading scripture, and fasting are just a few of the many ways we try to shape our lives to be more like Jesus. These practices help equip us with His righteousness to endure the many challenges we face each day. I look forward to seeing how the Lord moves in our community in the coming weeks.
Yours,