For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in the heights.

 Wherefore take unto you the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand.

Stand therefore, having your loins girt about with truth, and having on the breastplate of righteousness;

And your feet shod with the preparation of the gospel of peace;
 

Above all, taking the shield of faith, wherewith ye shall be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked.

And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God:

Praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, and watching thereunto with all perseverance and supplication for all saints;

 And for me, that utterance may be given unto me, that I may open my mouth boldly, to make known the mystery of the gospel,
 For which I am an ambassador in bonds: that therein I may speak boldly, as I ought to speak.

WATCHWORDS

Truth : as closely as you can - stick to the Truth. Truth in what you regard as little matters as well as big. (This does not mean that you have to insist upon speaking, discretion is as much part of right doing as is silence is part of awareness. Listen also to the truth of others. Learn discernment through that silence).
 

Allow yourself to feel your loins. They buzz with life, energy, truth. They are a foundation, a hinge - and a vulnerability. So is Truth - manifold, variformed, creative. When you know truth in the inward parts you are in touch with pliable, creative strength. When you know lies in the inward parts then your generative strength becomes crippled, stagnant - ugly. It is one thing to question truth, to see other points of view. Another all together to uncreate truth with a lie, or a half truth. Your loins are one of the great energy centres of your body. All movement begins in the hips, as the Tai Chi master will tell you. This is the centre of intention, the pivot which drives your feet down and your arms round. A connection was made in the First Covenant between the foundation of loyalty and truth - when Abraham's servant was required to place his hand on his master's loins and swear.

Righteousness: You yourself are not 'God's Gift' though you are one of them. Righteousness is Right Intention under the Will to do Right and to do Well - as well as you can.

 Allow yourself to experience your chest. The cavity of your lungs, heart, solar plexus. Here is the seat of Rightness, of warmth and expansion. There may be flutters of fear and unease, this is natural. But a curl of despitefullness, and root of bitterness will betray the Right Intention. Meditate on what is good - what is true and honourable, and what is not will reveal itself all the more clearly.

The Gospel of Peace: From times of the Old Covenant, the Gospel of Peace is uttered in the wilderness. The utterance of straightness in the presence of crookedness, The utterance of fertility in the presence of the wilderness. Right there we challenge 'The Evil' Right there we cause trouble and the sparks to fly.
 

Feel your feet, steady, balanced, earthed. Stand still and close your eyes, allow yourself to be aware, are you more on the front of your feet than the back - do your feet press harder on one side than another ? Rightly balanced you can move readily in any direction. Rightly aware, at peace, you will be neither on the back foot, nor caught midstep. This is the gospel of peace. Balance, no matter whether the earth underfoot is straight or ragged, sharp or soft. The feet too are a deep energy centre of the body. Allow the strength of the earth to flow in through the soles of your feet. You have the strength of the deep rock, the lightness of the deer. Your feet are at peace with the path.

Faith: Not faith that I am always right, but that there is such an existence as justice, truth and fairness, that there is some purpose to it all, even if I cannot see it. Evil will have you doubt all these things, including that it is, in itself evil.  You cannot perhaps see from the Eternal point of view, you cannot judge. Therefore combat the fruits of the thistle.. where Evil brings forth evil things stand against them. Again meditate on what is true, honest, just and pure. We all know and recognize these things, and when they cry out to us, for release into this world then we must have faith that we can bring this about.
 

This is our best shield. It is Right Desire, educated will. It is hunger and thirst after righteousness. We may never have seen what is good, right honest and true,  yet our longing for them deserves our faith that they can be. Our faith that we can be part of bringing them into being. This is your best shield. That which you believe in, that which you love, that which you long for must stand between you and every dream of heartlessness, hatred, vileness and bleak despair. This is the true Homefire which we must keep burning.

 Finally, brethren, whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report; if there be any virtue, and if there be any praise, think on these things.

Jehoshua - Jeshua - these names in Hebrew mean Salvation. The strength of God.

Place your attention on your head. Feel the power and strength of goodness flow over you  This is to protect your mind, and your own spirit. Your attention is at least partly on allowing The Spirit to flow in and through you. Not your own strength, which will become quickly exhausted, not your own attention, which is human and may waver. Bring back your thoughts to this constant in flowing of Spiritual strength.

The Word of God comes to us, and we have no way of distinguishing whether and to what extent it is different from God.  There is nothing about this Word that could not be considered known and human, except for the manner in which it confronts us spontaneously and places obligations upon us.  It is not affected by the operations of our will.  We cannot explain an inspiration."

(C. G. Jung, "Memories, Dreams, Reflections")

Now and only now do we take up the Sword of the Spirit. From the centre of desire, and the source of truth, to the great pumping energy of heart and lungs, comes the first point of balance. We experience our feet at peace with their path, perfectly balanced, ourselves ready to move, we feel our responsive arm drawing the longing for what is good to us for our protection, we experience the flow down of spiritual power and gift, heaven to earth and earth to heaven again and now we reach out our hand to take the perfect sword of the spirit.

S - for the shekineh, the spirit, the energy that is in and through all things, the fire and the power. -word for the utterance that makes and unmakes in a breath. And this is the word, this is the will, and this is the Battle Cry

FIAT FIAT FIAT

FIAT LUX