Cancer Round Three, May 21
Daily Reflections from Inside the Cancer Journey
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Written by Elvin McLin
“…the sword of the Spirit, which is the Word of God” (Ephesians 6:17b NIV).
The most difficult part of writing about my personal battle with cancer is trying to write in the third person. Speaking about cancer in the third person is like reciting scriptures without living them. It is through living the scriptures that the Word of God has power. When I accepted my calling to be a minister, I had my own idea of how to minister. Little did I realize that through my personal battle with cancer, I would learn to cope only by allowing Scripture to take root—germinating and growing in my life. The Lord sustained me by His Word through two bouts with cancer, and I was thankful to be out of the ring.
Back towards the end of the summer, after getting my last MRI with contrast, I just didn’t feel right. I was having night sweats, waking up in sweat-soaked sheets. They gave me some medication, yet as the summer progressed, the prescription only caused the infection to go dormant.
Finally, the ailment manifested itself as a horrible urinary tract infection. Lord, what is going on? Cancer had returned, for a third round—this time in my prostate. It was time to pull out my boxing gloves, once again.
If you are a boxing fan you are familiar with Muhammad Ali’s use of a strategy he called “Rope a Dope.” The strategy is to allow your opponent to punch themselves into oblivion—then, you come out swinging. It’s easy for most of us to think of ways cancer can deliver a punch. The fatigue, the cost, the worry, the frustration, the pain, and the discouragement are just a few of the punches cancer likes to throw.
Ali used the rope behind him to help absorb the force of his opponent’s blows. Ephesians chapter six describes just what you need for protection against cancer’s punches—the armor of God:
Belt of truth
Breastplate of righteousness
Gospel of peace
Shield of faith
Helmet of salvation
Each of these are defensive weapons to protect you against the punches of cancer.
But how do you punch back? Look at today’s verse to find the final piece of the armor of God … the sword of the Spirit, which is the Word of God. Our mighty punch is the Bible. Look at some of the ways you can use this mighty power given to you by God in your battle against cancer: read scripture, study scripture, speak scripture aloud, pray scripture, share scripture with others, and place scripture on your screen saver, phone background, kitchen windowsill, bathroom mirror, or bed-side table.
Staying in the Lord’s Word is the key to using “Rope a Dope” against cancer. Ali used this strategy in many of his battles. Are you using scripture in yours? We are all fighting cancer in some form or another. As a cancer patient, a caregiver, friend, or family member, we are all affected.
I have put my gloves on once again, for a third bout with cancer. Have you put on your boxing gloves and grabbed the sword of Scripture? I can’t wait to see the Lord deliver the knockout to cancer once again.
Pray: Lord, surround our days, our mind, and our life with reminders of Your mighty Word. Let us wield this unstoppable weapon against cancer with confidence in You. Amen.
Your Turn: Cancer Companions provides Bible studies for you to complete alone, share with a friend or family member, explore with a weekly Cancer Prayer Partner by phone call, or with other cancer patients, survivors, and caregivers in our virtual or in-person group meetings. For your free download, click here.
Elvin K. McLin, Cancer Survivor
Elvin is the husband of Dominique. They live in Ellisville, Missouri where they share five beautiful adult children and five beautiful grandchildren. Elvin is an entrepreneur who began his journey with cancer in 2019 with stage three and stage four kidney cancer. As he was healing from the first encounter with cancer, another battle with cancer reared itself in the form of prostate cancer. Elvin has been welcomed by Cancer Companions to become a member of the Board of Directors.
Cancer Companion’s vision for the future is for every person impacted by cancer to know the hope, love, and grace of Jesus and that every oncology team has included faith in their treatment toolbox. By 2033, Cancer Companions will provide 5 million engagements through cancer prayers, scriptures and interactions to those impacted by cancer. Engagements include; social media outreach, e-newsletters, prayer team requests, 30 days of Cancer Prayer event, and volunteer connections.
To learn more about our ministry and the services we provide visit our website by clicking here.
