Storming the Darkness

The sky to the northwest is dark and foreboding. The storm is approaching rapidly.  The clouds are churning out a warning.  Lightning slices through the sky and the sound of thunder rumbles in the distance. As I stand here and watch the storm, I feel cold splatters of rain on my face and the rushing wind whips and tears at my clothes.  Soon it will be right on top of me.  I instinctively pray for safety.  This looks like a bad one. Tornadoes are born in storms like this.  It's dark.  So dark, and getting darker.

This is a fairly accurate picture of our nation, and even churches, today.  Our nation and churches are split and are continuing to divide and take sides. Political party against political party.  Saint against Saint.

Darkness and evil are roiling and building in power and momentum.

The battle lines are being drawn.

I sense that the church as a whole isn't prepared to lead an attack against the coming darkness.

I'm concerned that we don't even see the darkness.

As Christians, we acknowledge that there is a spiritual realm, but it feels awkward to talk about, so we often try to ignore it.  It feels "kinda creepy" to think about demons and angels fighting it out somewhere above our heads.  I'm not sure that we can shrug it off so easily anymore. Evil is constantly at work behind the scenes and it's time that we recognize it.

We underestimate the power of evil.  Evil doesn't play by the rules; it can't be regulated, ignored, silenced, or imprisoned. Not yet anyway. Someday.  But not now.

Satan has cleverly crafted hot button issues to distract from his real agenda. Immigration, gun control, healthcare, religious liberty, homosexual issues, socialism and other problems, are merely a front to cause division among God's people and steal their freedom. Whether that freedom is physical or spiritual doesn't matter to him; he'll steal both if possible.

The casualties are going to be great if we continue to allow Satan to yank our chain and inform our worldview.

We MUST remember that this war isn't people against people.  This is a spiritual battle between God and evil in which we, Christians, are the messengers of hope and truth.

"We are not fighting against humans.

We are fighting against forces and authorities

and against rulers of darkness 

and powers in the spiritual world."

Ephesians 6:12

The battle is real.  The stakes are high.  We have much to loose if we don't wake up!

"My people are destroyed because they lack knowledge of Me.

Because you have rejected that knowledge, I will reject you as a priest for Me.

Since you forget the law of your God, I will also forget your children."

Hosea 4:6

That was a warning given to Israel, but I think that it still speaks today.  Our nation has been a powerhouse for years. We became powerful by following the principles of God's Word.  However, our choice to sin and reject God, has caused Him to back away and allow natural consequences to take over. Our children are suffering because of our lack of discernment and outright rejection of God and His ways.

Yet, our loving Father still stretches out His hand and longs for us to return to Him!

"So tell them, This is what the LORD of the Heavenly Armies says:

'Return to Me,' declares the LORD of the Heavenly Armies, 

'and I will return to you.'"

Zechariah 1:3

Oh, fellow Christians, let's fall in love with Jesus!  Fall deeply in love with Him!

He IS the answer.  For every problem and issue that we face.

Seek His wisdom! Ask Him to remove all blindness to clearly see the tactics of the enemy. Let's allow Him to form our worldview and give us answers! He WILL! We only need to ask. 

"Examine me, O LORD, and try me;

test my heart and my mind."

Psalm 26:2

Repent!

Surrender!

Find out who we are in Christ and what that means! We MUST know who we are in Christ. This is vital.  Don't gloss over this one. Attacking the enemy without first knowing our Captain and the proper use of our armor is a really, really, really BAD idea. You won't win. (Trust me on this.)

Share the Gospel with abandon. It's the only way to weaken the forces of evil who seek to destroy not only God's church, but also mankind. Evil is impartial to whom it hurts, just so long as someone is hurt.

Let's ask God to show us ways to fight evil in our own sphere of influence. Don't underestimate a kind word, a smile, a helping hand or a listening ear. Sometimes small gestures heal big wounds. God may call some to build a stronger marriage.  Some of us may need to try harder to connect with a child who is causing trouble in our home.  Or maybe some need to offer their home as a teen hang out, a safe place to crash and chill.  I don't know what God may call each individual to do, but I do know that the possibilities are endless!

This battle is here and it's getting darker and uglier by the day.  It's not something that we can escape. We can't ignore it.  We must choose our side in the battle wisely and be fully committed.

The darkness is already defeated, but only if we are willing to acknowledge and confront it.  We hold the answer.  We hold the light that will defeat the darkness.

I feel an urgency.  I can't keep quiet any more.  I think it's time for us to grow up in Christ and put on the whole armor of God! (Ephesians 6:10-20)

Instead of getting used to the dark, let's learn to recognize it and confront it with love and truth!