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You are Armed by the LORD
It is I who arm you though you know me not
“I am the LORD and there is no other, there is no God besides me. It is I who arm you, though you know me not, so that toward the rising and the setting of the sun, people may know that there is none besides me. I am the LORD, there is no other.” (Isaiah 45:5–6)
Introduction
For a time I was practicing a Russian Martial Art called Systema. Like most Martial Arts, it is driven by a religious philosophy; In this case, Russian Orthodox Christianity (a close cousin of Roman Catholicism).
The instructor was elegant and articulate and educated in word and demonstration.
Consider St. Michael the archangel. Imagine him swinging his sword effortlessly and accurately cutting away the bonds of the devil; Not in an angry and aggressive way but in a swift, elegant and detached way.
Now, imagine Jesus walking through the crowd in his home town; People were trying to stone him and to walk him off the edge of the cliff but he walked away unscathed. His body was unharmed and his spirit unscathed. There is a certain elegance, detachment and power about Jesus.
And yet, Systema is also a Martial Art about power. From a relaxed position, we were taught to deliver punches that penetrate…
