We Need More Spiritual Warriors Who Have Right Standing With God

If you are a Believer and Follower of Jesus and are expecting that our nation and the world are going to enter a season of Peace and Tranquility; a time when the natures of men would come together in pursuit of shared values and harmonious viewpoints, then I fear you will be disappointed. If anything, our common Enemy is more determined than ever to tear us apart and cause division. We are already seeing it in the halls of Congress, and I fear we will soon see this manufactured tension and hostility in the streets. I am left wondering if there is more than a remnant of Righteous Spiritual Warriors who see this truth and are convicted of their place and purpose for this time.

I am blessed to personally know part of that company of spiritual warriors; men who stand out in the midst of the dispassionate, indifferent souls who prefer to remain on the sidelines of the spiritual war for the dominion of this earth and its inhabitants. And I'm not talking about being flag-waving nationalists dressed in the coverings of politics and religion. I'm referring to men who stand proudly in the roles God gave them as ambassadors, representatives, protectors, and imitators of His dutiful Son; men with moral compasses who know right from wrong, have grown in their righteous identity, and aren't afraid to walk against the currents of evil manifesting in our culture.

Nearly ten years ago, I wrote a post that I feel is worth revisiting. It was 2010, and our nation and society had just crossed the proverbial "Rubicon" into a new political and cultural realm for which we are still paying the consequences. Marxism took a bold step forward in the minds and hearts of our young, and our government committed us to a specific course that steered us away from our Christian roots and ideals of "government of the people, by the people, and for the people". [NOTE: the phrase "crossing the Rubicon", refers to Julius Caesar's crossing of the Rubicon River in northeastern Italy in 49 B.C., which led to a civil war and the end of the Roman Republic].

At the time, my spirit instinctively knew there was no going back, but God didn't want me to enter into a state of panic. Instead, He appointed me to become aware of [and focus on] the righteousness of my husband, a man He intended to use in support of His Kingdom here on earth. I had seen changes in his spiritual life for a few years, but God instructed me to take the time to contemplate how earnestly my husband was seeking God's Kingdom then and there. 

I have disclosed through the years that my husband's first and middle names literally mean "Peace-Loving Warrior", and he is the embodiment of that heavenly name. He is at peace knowing that the good work which God has begun in him, He will be faithful to finish ... and he is more than eager to finish strong. He is at peace, knowing that His Savior will never leave him nor forsake him. And while the storms and troubles that are going to be coming against this world are more evident to him these ten years later, he is more determined than ever that they will not deter him from taking his position on the battlefield of spiritual warfare. 

In the ensuing years he has gained a tremendous amount of knowledge through Scripture -- whoever inherits his Bible will receive a treasure trove of notes and commentary that rightly divide the Word of God. Every line, margin, and gutter of his journaling Bible is filled with revelations he has received from the Holy Spirit and his scholarly research for the correct meaning [and context] of every Biblical word and verse. His heart burns for every fellow believer to know and use their Authority in Jesus Christ and their Power in the Holy Spirit to fight the Enemies of God in our lives. "We have been defenseless for too long" is his daily motto.

I have watched him grow in His righteousness these last ten years to become a man deeply entrenched in his desire to help others know Jesus, not only as their Savior, but as the King of Heaven. In this age of luke-warm Christians, it is encouraging to see him lead people into achieving their full potential in God's purpose for their lives. He has gained a newfound discernment about who he has been called to reach, and continues to be bold in his pursuit of sharing the good news of the Kingdom of God. I have watched in amazement as God has brought people to our door to receive patient instruction and articulate answers to the ways of the Most High God -- discussing questions on everything from His grace to His judgment. As Proverbs 21:20-21 says, these occurrences have truly been "precious treasures and oil in the dwelling of the wise", and they have not been wasted.

We have aged in these last ten years, and I see the effects on him of the battles he has fought for the souls and spirits of men and women. While the spiritual battle that wages before us today appears to be gaining steam, his focus is on his assignment to reach as many as he can for the Kingdom of God. He pursues his calling with the utmost care, pressing forward as if he is going to run out of time, and fears coming up short in his race. He's not perfect, and he will admit it. And he is not afraid of offending the religious Pharisees of our day -- it's all about highlighting the narrow path to righteousness in the Name of the Lord, for those who are seeking it.

And if there is anything that he has learned in these past ten spiritually tumultuous years it is this: he will earnestly work to help anyone receive their freedom to become who God designed them to be IF they truly want Jesus. But if they only want to become free to continue pursuing what this world offers, and fulfill their own self-gratification, then he doesn't have time. There are far too many people he wants to reach with the Truth of God's Word [and who will receive it]. Jesus only healed the ones who came to Him in faith and expectancy that He was who He said He was. Jesus never chased after them against their will. Neither does my husband. 

In summary, I hope you can discern that I am not glorifying my husband, but rather glorifying my God who is in him. And I know he's not the only Righteous man who is steadfast in sharing Jesus and His Kingdom as the solution to the world's problems. In fact, I have so much joy in the fact that as I have watched him share the Word, encourage those who are seeking God's Truth, and witnessed his active participation and victories in spiritual warfare, God has brought other Godly Righteous men to our doorstep. I am so encouraged to see these men be bold in their countenance and spirits, making the most of this life, and knowing that they will be rewarded with the Crown of Righteousness in the next life. I praise the Lord for allowing me to share in my husband's journey and to be in the company of such men who are so upright, honorable, and God-fearing. The Remnant of God is alive and well here on earth! 

Proverbs 10:21, 29     The lips of the righteous feed and guide many ... The way of the Lord is a stronghold to the upright

 

 

  

 

Are You Ready To Stand In Opposition to Evil?

Based on the growing storms of Evil that are encompassing the world, I find myself wondering how many of us are not only ready, but willing, to see the Evil before us -- and then to take a stand against it? I recognize that Evil in the world is nothing new. The Bible and history record its presence in horrific scenarios from the beginning of time. What we are seeing is actually nothing new in the annals of men. Across the millennia, from World Wars to the Crusades and religious wars; to genocide campaigns in Germany, Cambodia, Africa, Armenia, and more; to the pogroms in Russia ... the Enemy of God and mankind has sought to reduce the human population in his kingdom of darkness.

And now we are experiencing it in our lifetime. But what are we, the Remnant of Jehovah God, the Kingdom Warriors of Jesus Christ, to do in these times of great trouble and sorrow? It should be evident to all who call themselves Christians that we can no longer say that Evil is at our doorstep ... it has already crossed it. But, if it is true that we are truly citizens of the Kingdom of Heaven, and are here on earth to manifest the presence of the Kingdom in us and around us, in order that we might battle the darkness of Satan and thereby save souls and transfer lives and territory into the domain of our King... then isn't it time to be bold in our opposition?

I know we are not to have idols in this world, or lift any man above another. But there are times when we will look to the example of righteous men, in order to know the path we are to follow. My friends, that time is now. Our culture is rapidly disintegrating into immoral chaos. There is no mistaking the battle between Good and Evil; between God and Evil. The opposition to Christianity is growing more hostile and more blatant. My spirit is quickly discerning that we must soon decide how far Christians [and the Church] are willing to go to defend God and all that is Good. 

We have gone beyond the need to just stand for Biblical principles. And the Church needs to not only abandon its compromise with our culture's immoral attitudes and lifestyles, but become active in its defense of God's perfect will. I'm afraid we've all played it too safe for too long, folks. Are we walking as men and women who are new creations, unable and unwilling to walk a middle ground? Or are we comfortable with one foot in the evil world, and one foot in the Christian camp?

So, whom might we look towards to see how righteous Christians are to respond? The year 2025 will mark the 80th anniversary of the execution of a man who acted responsibly in his faith during one of the most evil times in history. Dietrich Bonhoeffer, a deeply religious Lutheran pastor found himself in a dilemma ... when informed of the evil that was Adolph Hitler, and the plan to exterminate the Jews, how far is "too far" to go in order to stop that evil?  When confronted with something so offensive to God, is there ever an excuse for Christians to compromise, capitulate, or raise the white flag? Bonhoeffer didn't think so, and it cost him his life. 

I have chronicled Dietrich Bonhoeffer's story in several posts, and I invite you to not only read my synopsis of his struggle with how to respond within his religious principles (and God's will) to a rapidly deteriorating national culture -- but to contemplate that he was a Kingdom warrior who was not only unafraid to live for what he believed in, but was not afraid to die for it. Writing in 1943, he said,  "The ultimate question for a responsible person [of faith] to ask is not how he is to extricate himself heroically from the affair, but how the coming generation is to live." And he will forever be immortalized with his convicting words, "Silence in the face of evil, is itself evil. God will not hold us guiltless. Not to speak is to speak. Not to act is to act".  

Isn't it time we -- and the Church -- searched our hearts, as he did? How are we going to leave this world for the next generation? Have we already relinquished their ability to live a principled Christian life by compromising and weakening our faith? In an effort to show our tolerance, have we allowed those who oppose our faith to become more intolerant? Have we been silent when they should have heard us roar? Like Bonhoeffer, do we have the courage of our faith and convictions -- or will we stay in the shadows, afraid to call attention to ourselves and to whom we serve?

That has largely been my struggle with the institutionalized Church. Sadly, I hear it giving lip service to the saving of souls, and the raising of a new generation of Christians, but it seems [to me, at least] that their efforts are often looking inward; being mindful to take care of "their own", creating a comfortable atmosphere in which to isolate and insulate its members from the darkness on the outside. But by creating a safe place for the Light to shine, aren't they allowing the Darkness on the outside to grow and perpetuate; swallowing up souls and strengthening agents of evil without any opposition from bold and unrelenting Kingdom warriors, willing to sacrifice themselves for God's cause?

We hear on the nightly news that our military is struggling to meet its recruitment numbers; that it might be impossible to put an adequate army in the field to battle against the forces threatening to come against us. That is in the physical, my friends. Can you even imagine what the spiritual war is looking like? I have total confidence in God's army of angels, because I know who their Commander-in-Chief is. I would like to feel just as secure in knowing that my Christian brethren are as ready to go into battle with them. We are not to sit back and let them do the fighting for us. We are not to expect that we can just rest on our title of "Christian" and escape the coming hordes of evil that Satan has been preparing in his quest to dominate the world.

The Church teaches that the devil knows he's defeated and we know we win in the end. But that doesn't mean we will not be overcome in this physical life; or that we won't become entrapped within the system of the Evil One. Look at history! Millions upon millions of innocent (and God-loving) people have been killed knowing those same truths -- his defeat and our victory. So, it's time to decide! Are we, as individual born-again, new-creation Christians going to stay passive and sit on the sidelines, waiting for God's angelic army to rescue us? Or are we going to put on our armor, sign up for the spiritual war, and obediently follow God's orders? Not to act for the Kingdom of God, is [unfortunately] to act for ourselves.

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Isaiah 59:19     So shall they fear The Name of the Lord from the west, and His glory from the rising of the sun; When the enemy comes in like a flood, The Spirit of the Lord will lift up a standard against him.