Below you’ll find a comment made during a conversation of brothers, Benjamin and Christopher Clark. To call Ben a faithful layman would be an understatement, and I’m honored that the latter serves as our Associate Pastor.

It’s a shame that more people don’t know St. Patrick’s hymn, “I Bind Unto Myself Today” especially in these coming days when it appears that virtually the entire church in America may be robbed of the ensign to which she rallies in her warfare, namely the elevation at the Pax Domini.

We may soon become like a scattered army, each soldier or group of soldiers forced to fight Satan’s forces on their own. These are the kind of days when the question, “Not just ‘how well,’ but ‘HOW AT ALL’ have you been equipped?” may become extremely important. Has your “equipping” prepared you to fight temptation in relative isolation? Has it warned you of the grave danger of apostasy? Has it provided with the full armor of God?

Or has your “equipping” been more for “telling others about Jesus” in an effort to boost attendance figures (ironically in churches that have already and may be forced to stay closed)? Has it been about how to sow the seeds to guarantee that epidemics and recessions don’t affect you? Has it made you dependent not upon an external, unfailing Word, but reason and heartfelt emotion to validate your faith?

Perhaps, in the coming weeks and months, we will learn something that saints like Patrick knew so well—the value of having the right breastplate when going into spiritual battle.