What happened to Christians in America, and Christians everywhere in the Western world, that we have all collectively over the past century taken on a defeatist attitude and allowed the strategy of the evil one to progress to the point it has today? Christians not only have allowed it to progress, but have in many cases actively bought into it and taken part in it.
I wish I could point a finger and say I have not been a part of that, but I fear I have been just as condoning, complacent, and compliant. That thought is becoming increasingly burdensome to me. Am I His child or not? Do I call Him Lord? Of course I am His child and He is absolutely Lord! Then why have I allowed my personal agenda and desire for comfort to supersede His purpose for so long and so often? Why have any of us? We are only on this earth for a fraction of time, and I have wasted many years already.
As Ephesians 6:10-20 so adequately puts it, what is happening today is no ordinary battle and we will not be able to fight it in our own strength. No amount of diplomacy, no amount of additional laws, no amount of embracing diversity, not even worrying or complaining, no physical outward thing will ever be enough in itself to push back those lines. Why? Because at the physical level there are too many fronts requiring battle, and at that point we’re fighting the shadow of the enemy and not the enemy himself. There is only one way for us to overcome in battle against the evil one, and that is with the WHOLE armor of God, which is why this portion of scripture was written.
There is one particular element about the armor, however, that am realizing has been often overlooked or minimized, and I don’t think I am alone. Mind you it is by far not the only piece but at the same time I believe we have minimized the value and importance of how this piece fits into the strategy overall. What would you say it is? What is the first thing that comes to mind?
I see that piece as prayer, and here is why:
All other pieces of the armor are ones we put on, or “wear”, outwardly. Prayer is the only one that can be internally continuous. It is like the breath in our lungs. Perhaps that is why we don’t think about it, because we have to breathe otherwise we die. So we almost see at as an afterthought (“oh yeah by the way…”). For me, I’m beginning to see it as vital as I would see a communications radio on a battlefield. A silent prayer also maintains operational and communications security, since Satan, as opposed to God, cannot hear our thoughts.
I have failed up until now to realize, understand, and underscore how vitally important it is for me to pray for my family members to have a closer walk with God. Unfortunately for several of them that is territory that Satan has taken, and I intend to fight for it back!
I am realizing too the importance of not having a defeatist attitude in respect to this nation, the United States. This requires me as a Christian to not buy into the attitude that because perhaps this is the actual end of the end of days, then I should just sit and wait for the second coming of Christ that this present darkness tells me is imminent.
I hope you don’t misunderstand me, I do believe that God is in control, but I must be careful not to allow that thought to release me of any responsibility from the great commission and to uphold His principles. Remember, no one knows the day or hour. In other words, God has not issued the operations order for us to lay down our arms and allow the enemy full throttle to destroy the country He gave us. If you have bought into that line of thinking then you might want to rethink who issues your orders, because they are surely not coming from the one who directs this battle.
So what should we do? I encourage you to first of all read Ephesians 6:10-23, pasted here below for your convenience. It is time for Christians in America to take back the land given to us so that we could have a place where we are free to worship in public and advance the gospel of the kingdom. It is time to stand like a warrior. So after reading, I invite you to get down on your knees with me and pray! We are then going to put on all parts of our armor and go forth in battle on all fronts, spiritual and physical.
God’s kingdom rule is everywhere. Evil is still allowed to dance freely for a while, but that does not mean that God is not King of his kingdom. This type of spiritual warfare requires of us continual prayer, heavy artillery fire in the means of setting aside our personal agendas and choosing purpose over preference when it comes to actions, such as active mentoring and discipleship of one another and of our children. A fervent love for one another. Politically it requires proactive research of issues (not just buying in to what the media tells us) and knowledge of political strategies, the willingness to pray for those in leadership and to vote according to our principles, morals, and beliefs – NOT according to how many freebies or how much we can expect the government to take care of all our needs. To make sure we safeguard the constitution and our God-given freedoms, which implies we first must know them! Our prayers can release air support to drop from the heavens!
Think about the baker who refuses to bake a cake to celebrate an abomination, to the Christian who writes a letter to their congressman about the indoctrination with Islamic ideals in schools, to the volunteer worker that explains to children in vacation bible school what is pleasing to God and Who is their guiding compass for the moral issues in their life, to the military chaplain who refuses to stop praying in the name of Jesus. Until the moment you and I are standing in the presence of the Lord, we are called to continue the good fight. No surrender, no truce, no aid and comfort to the enemy. This enemy has subverted, infiltrated, manipulated, bated, and perverted man since the beginning of time. He deserves no quarter. So I call upon all Christians to get on their knees and pray. Fight the enemy by all means and love the hell out of people.
Ephesians 6:10-20, NASB:
“Finally, be strong in the Lord and in the strength of His might. Put on the full armor of God, so that you will be able to stand firm against the schemes of the devil. For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the powers, against the world forces of this darkness, against the spiritual forces of wickedness in the heavenly places. Therefore, take up the full armor of God, so that you will be able to resist in the evil day, and having done everything, to stand firm. Stand firm therefore, having girded your loins with truth, and having put on the breastplate of righteousness, and having shod your feet with the preparation of the gospel of peace; in addition to all, taking up the shield of faith with which you will be able to 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.
With all prayer and petition pray at all times in the Spirit, and with this in view, be on the alert with all perseverance and petition for all the saints, and pray on my behalf, that utterance may be given to me in the opening of my mouth, to make known with boldness the mystery of the gospel, for which I am an ambassador in chains; that in proclaiming it I may speak boldly, as I ought to speak.”
Alabastersky 