SOLDIERS OF CHRIST 'FIGHTING THE WOLF'

The cultural conflict over sexual morality is waxing hot in America. Now is not the time for Christians to run and duck for cover.

Our own state of North Carolina has now become a central battleground in this conflict. Every day it intensifies as more mayors ban travel to North Carolina, corporations put pressure on legislators, and Christians are headed to the hills for fear of verbal beat-downs.

But we were born for such a time as this. As believers, we were born for the conflict between good and evil, and commanded by Christ to be salt and light in the midst of it. It’s a non-negotiable for those who profess Christ.

Salt eliminates the effects of sin by preserving what is right, true and noble. And light exposes the works of darkness by overcoming evil with good. This will lead to conflict – there’s no getting around it.

So Christians shouldn’t be running from it but toward it – not as “cultural warriors,” but lovingly as God’s salt and light in the earth. Acting this way is a blessing to the nation, not a burden.

“When God raised up His servant (Jesus), He sent Him first to you to bless you by turning each of you from your wicked ways” (Acts 3:26).

“Whoever turns a sinner from the error of their way will save them from death and cover over a multitude of sins” (James 5:20).

What motivates Christians to be salt and light in the nation is a deep desire to be a blessing, to rescue sinners from the error of their ways and preserve the moral standards that bring God’s blessings to a nation.

Unfortunately, some pastors in America don’t teach this anymore. In a desperate attempt to avoid conflict, they refuse to actively be salt and light – or they relegate God’s truth down to a common denominator so everyone can just “get along.”

To these leaders we want to share an excerpt from Warren Wiersbe’s commentary on the book of Joshua and his courage to engage in God’s conflicts in the earth:

“‘You are but a poor soldier of Christ if you think you can overcome without fighting, and suppose you can have the crown without the conflict.

“The courageous Syrian preacher and martyr John Chrysostom (347-407) said that, and he was right; for the Christian life involves challenge and conflict whether we like it or not. … The world, the flesh, and the devil (Ephesians 2:1-3) are united against Christ and His people just as the nations in Canaan were united against Joshua and the Jewish nation.

“It’s unfortunate that many of the ‘militant songs’ of the church have been removed from some hymnals, apparently because the idea of warfare disturbs people and seems to contradict the words and works of Jesus Christ. But these zealous editors with scissors seem to have forgotten that the main theme of the Bible is God’s holy warfare against Satan and sin. In Genesis 3:15, God declared war on Satan, and one day He will declare the victory when Jesus comes as Conqueror to establish His kingdom (Revelation 19:11-21). If you eliminate the militant side of the Christian faith, then you must abandon the cross; for it was on the cross that Jesus won the victory over sin and Satan (Colossians 2:13-15).

“A pastor attended a court hearing to protest the building of a tavern near his church. … The lawyer for the tavern owners said to him, ‘I’m surprised to see you here today, Reverend. As a shepherd, shouldn’t you be out taking care of the sheep?’

“The pastor replied, ‘Today I’m fighting the wolf!’

“Too many Christians cultivate only a sentimental emphasis on ‘peace and goodwill’ and ignore the spiritual battle against sin; and this means they’ve already lost the victory and are working for the enemy. We must never forget Paul’s warning about the savage wolves that are ready to destroy the flock (Acts 20:28-29).

“The Christian’s warfare is not against flesh and blood, but against enemies in the spiritual realm (Ephesians 6:10-18); and the weapons we use are spiritual (2 Corinthians 10:3-6). Satan and his demonic armies use people to oppose and attack the church of God; and if we don’t take our stand with Christ, we’ve already lost the battle. In the army of Jesus Christ, there can be no neutrality. ‘He that is not with Me is against Me,’ said Jesus; and He spoke those words in the context of spiritual warfare (Matthews 12:24-30). Since the Apostle Paul often used the military image to describe the Christian life, we dare not ignore the subject (Ephesians 6:10; 2 Timothy 2:1-4; Romans 13:12; 1 Thessalonians 5:8).”

Dr. Wiersbe is right: We can’t ignore the subject of conflict. If we are motivated by love and empowered by the Holy Spirit, we absolutely must engage the conflict of the sexual revolution as we bless the nation by being salt and light.