If I Die Before I Wake

I was four years old when my grandfather died and I distinctly remember sitting in my mother's lap as she replaced the phone and began to cry. I was of course too young to comprehend the reason for her tears, but in time I must have understood somewhat, for I’ve always traced the beginning of my fear of death to that moment.

 
And my bedtime prayers did not dispel those fears. "Now I lay me down to sleep, I pray the Lord my soul to keep. And if I die before I wake, I pray the Lord my soul to take." Take my soul? Before I wake? It's a good prayer and I'm glad I learned it from my mother and sister. I’m sure it was meant to comfort me, but in some way it contributed to a sense that my death was ever at hand.
 
In my fifth grade Bible class the teacher had us memorize Psalm 23, the Shepherd psalm, in the King James version. There the psalmist says, “Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil.” Believers find great comfort in that verse. But I did not. I did not yet know the Shepherd, and all I got from that verse was a disturbing image of walking in a valley with Death casting a dark shadow over me.
 
Understand, I wasn’t always ruminating on these things, and I suspect my family will be surprised to hear I had such thoughts at all. But I was concerned enough to wonder if I'd live to age seven, and then when I did, if I’d live to age nine, and then it was eleven and so on. By no means the only factor in my turning to Christ at age nineteen, the fear of death and, sometimes, the fear of having to face God, certainly played a part.
 
So it was an incredible thing how I immediately found freedom from the fear of death when I became a Christian. And it was not at all an unusual thing. For the Bible says Jesus died that "through death he might destroy the one who has the power of death, that is, the devil, and deliver all those who through fear of death were subject to lifelong bondage" (Hebrews 2:14-15).

"If our death problem is solved,” says Pastor John Piper, “we are the freest of people."

If you have two minutes, you might enjoy listening to John Piper's excellent remarks on the power of the gospel to take away the fear of death.

Here's the link: The Power of the Gospel and the Fear of Death

St. Patrick's Breastplate--A Prayer

Warfare prayers have a long history in the life of God's people. Typically these are prayed aloud or sung. Verbalizing better enables us to focus our thoughts, appropriate the truth of our position and resources in Christ, and assert our firm stand against evil powers.

St. Patrick's Breastplate is a prayer attributed to the famous 5th century missionary to Ireland. It was written in the style of a druidic incantation for protection on a journey and was no doubt inspired by Ephesians 6:10-18.

I arise today
Through a mighty strength,
The invocation of the Trinity,
Through the belief in the threeness,
Through confession of the oneness
Of the Creator of Creation.
 
I arise today
Through the strength of Christ's birth
With his baptism,
Through the strength of his crucifixion
With his burial,
Through the strength of his resurrection
With his ascension,
Through the strength of his descent
For the judgment of Doom.
 
I arise today
Through the strength of the love of Cherubim,
In obedience of angels,
In the service of archangels,
In hope of resurrection to meet with reward,
In prayers of patriarchs,
In predictions of prophets,
In preaching of apostles,
In faith of confessors,
In innocence of holy virgins,
In deeds of righteous men.
 
I arise today
Through the strength of heaven:
Light of sun, radiance of moon,
Splendor of fire, speed of lightning,
Swiftness of wind, depth of sea,
Stability of earth, firmness of rock.
 
I arise today
Through God's strength to pilot me:
God's might to uphold me,
God's wisdom to guide me,
God's eye to look before me,
God's ear to hear me,
God's word to speak for me,
God's hand to guard me,
God's way to lie before me,
God's shield to protect me,
God's host to save me
From snares of devils,
From temptations of vices,
From everyone who shall wish me ill,
Afar and anear, alone and in multitude.

I summon today all these powers

Between me and those evils,
Against every cruel merciless power
That may oppose my body and soul,
Against incantations of false prophets,
Against black laws of pagandom
Against false laws of heretics,
Against craft of idolatry,
Against spells of witches and smiths and wizards,
Against every knowledge that
Corrupts man's body and soul.
 
Christ shield me today
Against poison, against burning,
Against drowning, against wounding,
So that there may come to me
Abundance of reward.

Christ with me, Christ before me,

Christ behind me, Christ in me,
Christ beneath me, Christ above me,
Christ on my right, Christ on my left,
Christ when I lie down, Christ when I sit down, Christ when I arise,
Christ in the heart of every man who thinks of me,
Christ in the mouth of everyone who speaks of me,
Christ in every eye that sees me,
Christ in every ear that hears me.

I arise today

Through a mighty strength,
The invocation of the Trinity,
Through belief in the threeness,
Through confession of the oneness
Of the Creator of Creation.
 

Trample Sins in the Death of Christ--Brooks

From Thomas Brooks "The Crown and Glory of Christianity" (1662).

“Put to death therefore what is earthly in you: sexual immorality, impurity, passion, evil desire, and covetousness, which is idolatry" Colossians 3:5

While a darling sin lives and keeps the throne in the heart, grace and holiness will be kept exceeding weak and low. But when your darling sin is dethroned and slain by the power and the sword of the Spirit—grace and holiness will quickly grow stronger and stronger, and rise higher and higher.

When a man has eaten poison, nothing will make him thrive, until he has vomited up the poison. Beloved sins—they are the poison of the soul, and until these are vomited up, and cast out by sound repentance, and the exercise of faith in the blood of Christ, the soul will never thrive in grace and holiness!

If ever you would attain to higher degrees of holiness, then fall with all your might upon subduing and crucifying your most raging corruptions, and your most daring lusts!

Oh do not think that your golden and your silver idols will lay down their weapons, and yield the battle, and lie at your feet, and let you trample them to death—without striking a blow! Oh remember that besetting-sins will do all they can to keep their ground, and therefore you must arise with all your strength against them, and crush them to powder, and burn them to ashes!

Oh deal with your most enraged lusts, as the Philistines dealt with Samson—pluck out their eyes, and force them to grind in the mill of mortification, until their strength is utterly consumed and wasted.

I have read of five men, who being asked what was the best means to mortify sin, gave these answers. Said the first, "The best means to mortify sin, is to meditate on death."

Said the second, "The best means to mortify sin, is to meditate on the judgment day."

Said the third, "The best means to mortify sin, is to meditate on the joys of heaven."

Said the fourth, "The best means to mortify sin, is to meditate on the torments of hell."

Said the fifth, "The best means to mortify sin, is to meditate on the death and sufferings of Christ."

Doubtless the last man hit the nail on the head!

The daily sight of a bleeding, groaning, dying Savior—is the only thing which will subdue and mortify darling sins! O friends! Never leave looking up to a crucified Christ, until virtue flows from Him to the crucifying of those special besetting sins which do most obstruct and hinder the growth and increase of holiness.

Scriptures for Meditating on Christ's Victory

When we are weary and discouraged and the battle looks grim--maybe we are thinking about our sin problems, or problems in the church, or the unresponsiveness of loved ones--it is good to focus and revive our faith by meditating on those scriptures which proclaim the truth of Christ's conquest.

Colossians 2:15 He disarmed the rulers and authorities and put them to shame, by triumphing over them in him [i.e., the cross].

Hebrews 2:14-15 Since therefore the children share in flesh and blood, he himself likewise partook of the same things, that through death he might destroy the one who has the power of death, that is, the devil, and deliver all those who through fear of death were subject to lifelong bondage.

Colossians 1:13-14 He has delivered us from the domain of darkness and transferred us to the kingdom of his beloved Son, in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins.

I John 3:8 The reason the Son of God appeared was to destroy the works of the devil.

I John 5:18 We know that everyone who has been born of God does not keep on sinning, but he who was born of God protects him, and the evil one does not touch him.


Romans 8:1 There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus.
James 4:7 Submit yourselves to God. Resist the devil and he will flee from you.

I John 4:4 He who is in you is greater than he who is in the world.

I John 2:14 I write to you, young men, because you are strong, and the word of God abides in you, and you have overcome the evil one.

Romans 16:20 The God of peace will soon crush Satan under your feet.

Revelation 12:11 And they have conquered him by the blood of the Lamb and by the word of their testimony, for they loved not their lives even unto death.