“Timothy, my son, here are my instructions for you, based on the prophetic words spoken about you earlier. May they help you fight well in the Lords’s battles.” (1 Timothy 1:18 NLT)
There is a war going on in our world today, not simply literal wars where human life and property are at risk, but a spiritual war between right and wrong, good and evil, God and Satan, for the souls of men and women, boys and girl. And whether you choose to believe it or not, you’re on one side or the other.
You’re either engaged in battle FOR lost people’s souls or you’re not; you’re either standing up for the King of Kings or you’re not; you’re either holding up the banner of holiness and right living or you’re not. There’s no standing on the side lines. You’re either in the fight or you’re not. Where do you find yourself today?
John Piper wrote: “We cannot know what prayer is for until we know that life is war.” To believe we can stand by and watch while the world is burning is to not realize what it means to be a Jesus follower. To pretend we don’t know the battle lines have been drawn is to be a German blind to the plight of the Jews in Hitler’s regime.
There’s a point where blindness becomes numbness and turning a blind eye becomes idiocy. John Stott wrote: “Every Christian should be both conservative and radical; conservative in preserving the faith and radical in applying it.” We’re in the fight whether we like to think about it or not. If we profess faith in the living God, our life is in the crosshairs of the evil one.
The war is on and has been ever since Jesus took His last breath on the Cross. We’re either being a part of the problem or a part of the solution. We’re either taking seriously our Commission to give our all to Jesus or we’re trying to blend in with the world. But at some point, sooner than we want to realize, we’re going to answer the question: “Who’s really ruling my life?”
It’s either Jesus or someone else. Who is it for you? If it’s Jesus, then live like it. Stand up for what’s right, good, and holy, not just with your words, words are cheap, but with the quality of your life. Does your life shout for all to hear: “I’m God’s child and the words of my mouth and the meditations of my heart are going to bear witness to that fact!”
By the world’s standards we’re going to live very conservatively – well within our means, generous with what God has given us, not only monetarily, but with our efforts to forward His eternal Kingdom. And we’re going to be very radical in how we apply our Christian principles in the way we treat others, how we pray, how we give, how we open our lives to the poor, the outcast, the rejected, the lost and lonely.
We’re not about exclusion, but inclusion, when it comes to people. If someone needs Jesus, we’re there for them. We’re not necessarily about waving banners, holding placards, or shouting slogans, but we are about standing up for what is right, good, wholesome, and will benefit those who are willing to put their lives on the line for Jesus.
In the days to come we’re going to be called on, whether we like it or not, to either defend our faith or deny it. We need to be clear in our own hearts and minds, because our choice is going to cost us our life – in this life and/or the next.
Food for thought.
Blessings, Ed 😊
Walking With Jesus 
Thank you Ed! Loved it brother. Steve
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