I wonder soemtimes about the words that Christians use and there understanding of them. On Saturday I was talking with soemone who used the term that is not having enough faith, but the way she used it was like faith was a type of magick - that if you say the right incantation then you will be protected.
I say it worries me becuase that is not how i have ever understood faith, reliance on God yes but protection from harm - well deffinatly not always. It doesn't line up with scritpure either - the book of Job certainly doesn't fit with it. In fact I think one of the reasosn we have Job in the bible is to counter act an argument that associates faith with always being protected.
I always explain to people that faith is what keeps you going between one expereince of God and another. I think my understanding seem to be closer to the witness of scripture - but hey i am always open for correction
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i completely agree. one of the interesting things about faith is also the idea of subjecting ourselves to God's will as shown in the blood and sweat of the garden of gethsemane.
also faith is actively participating in the grief of this world, seeing ourselves as the protective mechanisms ourselves, invoking wisdom from God etc. as you say, faith is not about incantations.
one of my bug bears is when things aren't going so well that people ask me if i'm putting on the armour of god every morning...what the hell is that about?
imagining putting on the belt of truth is not the same as actually researching and wrestling and encountering the truth. the same goes for everything else in that passage.
This sort of thing may not help as well. In some cases, I imagine, they might become like magical amulets.
http://www.armorofgodpjs.com/
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