Followers of Jesus Christ, it's time to make a stand!
We are in a time of war; it's a spiritual war, unlike anything in our lifetime. It's a battle of light versus darkness, right versus wrong, truth versus lies. We are in a battle with Satan, the father of lies, and his spiritually criminal demonic cohorts.
Right now, Jesus Christ calls His church, His people, to arise with the sword of the Spirit, which is the Word of God. God calls us to speak truth to the lies the enemy of our souls propagates on the people of this planet. It's time to stand and be counted! The question is, will we heed God's heavenly call? Or will we say no to Him either in word or deed through our lack of response?
There are only two choices in this spiritual war. One is to stand armed with our spiritual weapons and fight with all of our might in the Holy Spirit's power representing Jesus Christ and his Eternal Kingdom. The Apostle Paul wrote about the power of those weapons in 2 Corinthians 10:4. "The weapons we fight with are not the weapons of the world. On the contrary, they have divine power to demolish strongholds." If we are unwilling to stand and fight, our other choice is to cower in fear as we run and hide.
With that in mind, I want to ask you a question! Is it right to hide from the injustices and lies perpetrated on our families and friends by people with darkened hearts who have rejected God and His ways? These are people that not only despise hearing about the one true God but reject God and even deny His existence! Others claim to know God but don't. We see clear evidence of that through their lack of respect for God and His Word.
There is another group reaping havoc on our society. It is the apostate church that falsely claims to represent Jesus Christ. But all the while, they deny His Word and, in doing so, spit in the face of Jesus Christ. Their unbiblical declarations falsely represent Jesus Christ and His church. I do pray they come to their senses, or one day they will hear Jesus say, "I never knew you; depart from me, you workers of lawlessness." (Matthew 7:33.)
These are those who clothe themselves in religious words as the Pharisees did and speak religiously to anyone who will listen. Some are "pastors"; some are politicians; some are news anchors; some are everyday people. Fortunately, anyone with the Holy Spirit sees right through them and their lies and distortions of God's Word, which come from the pit of hell. Every God-fearing, Bible-believing follower of Jesus Christ on this planet should reject their words and their unrighteous endorsement of ungodly ways and things. The Apostle Paul warned about these spiritual derelicts in 1 Timothy 4:1-2. "Now the Spirit expressly says that in latter times some will depart from the faith, giving heed to deceiving spirits and doctrines of demons, speaking lies in hypocrisy, having their own conscience seared with a hot iron."
So today, let's count the cost. Let's choose whether we'll take a stand for Jesus Christ or just watch as God's end-time army forcefully fights the deceptive demonic forces of hell. We are now in a spiritual and moral battle that appears to be one of the greatest spiritual showdowns; in all of human history!
Will you stand and be counted with the soldiers in God's army of truth? Will you go in love as an ambassador of Christ proclaiming His Word fearlessly and valiantly, or will you cower in fear? The choice is yours and mine to make! What will it be? The Apostle Paul gave a clear directive regarding what we must do. Listen to what he wrote the church at Ephesus and to every Christian who has lived since that time.
"Finally, be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power. 11 Put on the full armor of God, so that you can take your stand against the devil's schemes. 12 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. 13 Therefore put on the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand. 14 Stand firm then, with the belt of truth buckled around your waist, with the breastplate of righteousness in place, 15 and with your feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace. 16 In addition to all this, take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one. 17 Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God. 18 And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests. (Ephesians 6:10:18)
Let me assure you God will empower those who say, "Here I am; send me." God does not hide in fox holes of fear and doubt with His people! Instead, He leads His people in power and love under the banner of truth to rescue the perishing and enlighten those lost in darkness. So arise, stand and be counted, speak the truth in love, and never submit to the enemy's lies. And at all cost, don't forget; God has called us to be "More than conquerors through Him who loved us." Romans 8:37
In ending, here are some words of exhortation from Paul the Apostle!
Romans 8:31-39 NKJV
"What then shall we say to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us? He who did not spare His own Son, but delivered Him up for us all, how shall He not with Him also freely give us all things? Who shall bring a charge against God's elect? It is God who justifies. Who is he who condemns? It is Christ who died, and furthermore is also risen, who is even at the right hand of God, who also makes intercession for us. Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword? As it is written:
"For Your sake we are killed all day long; We are accounted as sheep for the slaughter."
Yet in all these things we are more than conquerors through Him who loved us. For I am persuaded that neither death nor life, nor angels nor principalities nor powers, nor things present nor things to come, nor height nor depth, nor any other created thing, shall be able to separate us from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord."
Now go forward with a fathomless faith, filled with Holy Spirit power to be the more than conquerors God calls us to be! Let your prayer be the same as our Lord Jesus Christ, who said, "Your kingdom come, your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven." Amen!
God bless you as you share God's message of hope!
You can find more video devotionals on subjects like this at www.youtube.com/messageministries.