Joining the Battle for Christ

             For the last few weeks, we have been constantly reminded that we are in a battle between good and evil.  That should not come as a shock to any Christians, as the apostle Paul told us that almost 2000 years ago.

            “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 NIV84).

            Every day, the time for Christ’s return grows nearer.  Satan knows that and is pulling out all the stops to make hell as crowded as possible.  The problem is that most Christians, including me, have been content to sit on the sidelines, refusing to speak out against the sin that is ravaging our world.  More importantly, we have failed to be bold for the cause of Christ.

            If the last few weeks have taught us anything, it is that we can no longer be silent.  It’s time that we join with Paul and seek the Lord’s guidance that we might “…fearlessly make known the mystery of the gospel…” (Ephesians 6:19b NIV84).

            Since few of us are ministers, missionaries, or public speakers, what can we do?  I believe there are still ways that we can be effective in sharing the Good News of Christ.

            First, we must be willing to speak up in those family/friend discussions.  We can’t remain quiet to avoid conflict. We must begin to speak truth in love, calmly and clearly.

            Next, we should look for opportunities to tell others about Christ.  Your family and friends may know that you attend Church, but do they know what it means to follow Christ? Do your neighbors believe? What about the repairmen? The list could go on and on, but the point is that we must be bold in our witness.

            Finally, the most important thing we can do is pray! Pray for those who are persecuting Christians.  Pray for those who do not know Christ. Pray for those who are in leadership positions around the world.

            To help me, and hopefully, you follow through on this commitment to prayer, for the next 18 weeks, my Tuesday blog will be devoted to prayer points.  There will be different Scripture references and prayer points for the persecuted, the lost, and different groups of leaders each week.  I encourage each of us to pray daily for each of the groups mentioned.

            I hope that each of us will be encouraged to become true prayer warriors for Christ.  Please join me!

Ephesians 6:19-20

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