The weapons we use in our fight are not the world’s weapons but God’s powerful weapons, which we use to destroy strongholds. We destroy false arguments;
2 Corinthians 10:4 GNB
Let me begin with a disclaimer. I actually have come to like President Trump. When he first ran, his manner was very off-putting to me, but, like an old grumpy uncle, he has endeared himself. That said, sometimes the line between pugnacious and obnoxious is very fine. He provides a lot of cringe-worthy material. On the other side of the aisle, the impeachment hearings seem to have a never-ending parade of guys I recognize from Junior High. Their britches ride high, they serve as the secretary of the student council and excel as hall monitors. I have to fight the powerful urge to steal their lunch money. Now on to more important matters.
The uproars we see in our nation and around the world are natural manifestations of spiritual issues. The battle is in the spirit and must be fought in the spirit or it will surely be lost. The issues are always the same. Satan comes to stop and steal the proclamation of the Gospel and to destroy Israel before her time. Hatred for the Word, the Church, and Israel lies behind every move. As Christians, we must remember that the weapons of our warfare are not carnal.
Any word, attitude, or action that we take as Christians must begin with the use of the spiritual weapons at our command. God has given us His Word to serve as our sword, both in prayer and in proclamation. (Ephesians 6:17-18) He has given us the Name of Jesus to wield in resistance to the enemy and give us access to the Father’s throne (John 14:13-14). And, thank God, He has provided us with His Spirit to help us in prayer when we don’t know what to pray for ourselves (Romans 8:26). For heaven’ sake, let’s pray. Now to tissues we pray about.
As we pray and take action by supporting specific politicians, remember, remember to keep your eyes on the issues:
- Abortion. The Proverbs tells me to “Open your mouth for the speechless, In the cause of all who are appointed to die. (Proverbs 31:8 NKJV)” I simply must consider the opinion of each candidate concerning the nature of life and when it begins. The Scripture is pretty clear.
- Marriage and sexuality. Biblically there is not much room for discussion on the subject. Marriage is a man and a woman joined by God, permanently. Everything else is something other than marriage. There are two genders, male and female. This is not subject to debate. I have to ask myself if I want to be involved in subsidizing perversion by pretending it’s OK and passively allowing public funds to support its propagation. Further, am I willing to allow the state to force churches to comply with laws that endorse, even encourage, sexual sin? (1 Thessalonians 4:1-8)
- Freedom of speech. Many of our courts have already determined that Christian speech is essentially unprotected. It is the only kind of speech that is legally restricted in schools and public forums. You can curse but not pray. It would be prudent to examine the position and history of each candidate regarding the suppression of dissident ideas. There is a move afoot to discourage some types of speech over the airwaves and online. Our whole life as Christians is about speech – this is important. Romans 10:17.
- Israel. I place this last, but it may actually be first in God’s eyes. Political Israel is not always right, but it always has the right to exist and to defend itself from aggression. We should be their ally in those endeavors. Nearly every candidate expresses support for Israel at election time, but it is more important to look to their record over time to see how they actually behave. (Psalm 122:6; Genesis 12:3)
We need grace to be kind and loving in how we address these things. Hatred and viciousness is never OK, even in defense of righteousness. However, compromise is not an option. The attempts to destroy Israel, muzzle the Gospel, and intimidate Christians to compromise their faith are not going to stop. It’s a battle for eternal souls. Don’t take your eye off the ball. Pray for leaders who are on the side of life, religious liberty, free speech, and the right of Israel to exist and protect itself.
Pastor Virgil
pastorvirgil.com 