“Be sober-minded; be watchful. Your adversary the devil prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour.” (I Peter 5:8)
During his research on World War II, Stephen Ambrose, the well-known historian, asked a veteran why he had been willing to go to war. He replied, “I was nineteen years old. I had my life ahead of me. I knew the difference between right and wrong, and I did not want to grow up in a world in which wrong prevailed.”
I identify with that statement because of my faith in the Lord Jesus Christ. Let me explain. The Gospel redirects us from the power and temptation of evil, smashing the chains of bondage to it. Since I am forgiven of my sins through faith in Christ Jesus, I am free to embrace the good, the true, and the beautiful of the Gospel and then I am compelled to live it out in the society around me. Not only am I free to pursue good things, as defined by the Bible, but as a Christian I must. Which also means, that I must proclaim God’s truth wherever He places me.
Evil has always lurked in the corridors of time and will continue to shadow our lives because sin is ever with us in this fallen world. The Bible reminds us the devil is always looking for an opportunity. “Be self-controlled and alert. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour.” (I Peter 5:8) And as Edmond Burke put it, the best way for evil to prevail is for good people to do nothing. But lest you despair, all of this is “Good News” because it keeps us from being passive spectators, as Christians we know our enemy and we must engage society, lovingly and firmly…just as that soldier engaged an enemy with a commitment to see that wrong did not prevail.
This all means that spiritual warfare is as inescapable as the Bible tells us. “For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms.” (Ephesians 6:12) It will be difficult- all warfare is. And there are days where the evil outweighs the good…or so it seems. But Jesus reminds, “Take heart, I have overcome the world.” The worlds “got nuthin’” with which to win. Christ went to the cross, died, resurrected and ascended to the right hand of the Father and even now reigns overall. He has overcome evil so being in Him we can overcome evil as well. “No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through Him who loved us. For I am sure that neither death nor life, nor angels nor rulers, nor things present nor things to come, nor powers, nor height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord.” (Romans 8:37-39)
However, this will not happen simply by us pointing out the evil and corruption that surrounds and threatens. It will not happen if all we do is complain about how bad it is or worry about the calamity that it might bring on us. Rather, in prayerful dependence on the Lord, Christians must commit themselves daily to do good and resist evil, to reach out compassionately to the needy, to assure justice, and to draw others to the one, true and living God. This is our mandate and it ought to be our desire.
Like the young soldier above making his decision to go off to war, no Christian should be satisfied with the status quo. Each day we are to be doing everything within our power to be sure that this does not become a world in which wrong prevails. What are you doing to make a difference? Jesus has overcome that we might as well…but in this life we must “Be self-controlled and alert. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour.” We are to do all things to the glory of God.
God Bless y’all today.
In His Grip,
Pastor Mike
