A couple of years ago I posted a blog about how the Church needs to ramp up its offence in light of the worsening conditions facing our world. Well, conditions are much worse today! I’m sure I don’t have to enumerate them for you. Evil is rising all around us and boldly in our face. Here’s what I posted back then:
Unless you’ve been living in a cave, I’m sure you’re aware of the world going to ‘hell in a handbasket’. The political, social, and moral decay is accelerating in our day. Evil is getting more openly evil and prospering to the dismay of real Christians who are seeing more persecution and isolation than ever before. What’s a Christian to do? We seem to spend a lot of time grousing about this with our friends who are like-minded with us. But this is non-productive as far as combatting the evil trends expanding all around us. We’re simply preaching to the choir. While this may portend eschatological fulfillment leading to the antichrist, we do not have to sit idly by. In fact, we do not have to merely defend our stance as Christians but have a whole arsenal of offensive weapons at our disposal. It’s time we use them!
First, we must recognize our enemy; “For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this age, against spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places.” (Ephesians 6:12) Second, we must dress appropriately. “….let us put on the armor of light.” (Romans:13:12), “….the armor of righteousness on the right hand and on the left” (2 Cor.6:7), “….having girded your waist with truth….the breastplate of righteousness….shod you feet with the gospel of peace…. and the shield of faith….and take the helmet of salvation.” (Ephesians 6:14-16) Properly clothed, we can then take up “the sword of the Spirit which is the Word of God.” (Ephesians 6:17) This “Word of God” is the most powerful thing in the universe; and we have it at our disposal ! The apostle Paul adds this about our warfare “For though we walk in the flesh, we do not war according to the flesh. For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal, but mighty in God for pulling down strongholds, casting down arguments and every high thing that exalts itself against the knowledge of God….” (2Cor. 10:3-5) Yes, our weapons are mighty (all powerful) in busting up the strongholds the world has erected against us. Mighty in God ! We Christians hold all the cards. Greater is He that is in us than he that is in the World ! (1John 4:4) We need not be intimidated by what the world is doing. While things may seem impossible to combat at times, think of David and his battle with Goliath. No problem. Just an uncircumcised Philistine. He simply rested in the fact that the “battle is the Lords”. Much of our warfare is to be fought on our knees. James, our Lords brother, said this; “The effective fervent prayer of a righteous man avails much.” (James 5:16)
Saints, we need to draw our swords and mount a united offensive against the strongholds of this world. Remember, “.…in all these things we are more than conquerors through Him…” (Romans 8:37)
Maranatha, Jim