Firstfactcheck now has over 200 fact checking posts; around about 210 in total right now. (A few of my posts are opinion pieces or articles about faith, but the vast majority are fact checks.) This is quite a milestone. Who would have known that I would write so many posts when I started on March the 19th this year? That is more than 1 fact check per working day, it is around 5 and a half fact checks per week, and almost 24 fact checks per month.
Thank you to all my readers, especially those who comment, like and share these articles, and a big thank you to my paid subscribers. I started this fact check blog because I was concerned about the massive amounts of misinformation being circulated in the media and online. I have to say that many people in my own social circle are starting to have their eyes opened: this is doubtless because of people like you, dear readers, who are seeking the truth about all the things that are happening.
I repeat what I’ve said before: pray, pray, pray. Prayer is our greatest weapon, for “our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this world’s darkness, and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms.” Ephesians 6:12.
This passage continues into the well known instruction to put on the full armour of God. What is notable about this passage is that it is addressed to the plural ‘you’ in Greek, υμεις, and this is so very different from the usual English understanding of this passage, for this is Paul addressing the troops of the church in Ephesus (and ours) as a group. None of us can always be the best solo warrior – we fall, we make mistakes, we fail to hold up our shield – but we can, as a group, pray and fight and stand firm – in formation, we can be strong together with a strength that no single one of us can have alone. Our strength is the strength of our saviour Christ, who enables us to battle the unseen powers, and who never intended us to fight alone, but provided us with brothers and sisters, with whom we can fight the powers of this present darkness.
“Therefore take up the full armour of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you will be able to stand your ground, and having done everything, to stand. Stand firm then, with the belt of truth buckled around your waist, with the breastplate of righteousness arrayed, and with your feet fitted with the readiness of the gospel of peace. In addition to all this, take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one. And take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God. Pray in the Spirit at all times, with every kind of prayer and petition. To this end, stay alert with all perseverance in your prayers for all the saints. Pray also for me, that whenever I open my mouth, words may be given me so that I will boldly make known the mystery of the gospel, for which I am an ambassador in chains. Pray that I may proclaim it fearlessly, as I should.” Ephesians 6:13-20.