“Whatever happens, conduct yourselves in a manner worthy of the gospel of Christ. Then…stand firm in the one Spirit, striving together as one for the faith of the gospel without being frightened in any way by those who oppose you.” Philippians 1:27…28
The back screened-in pool area of my house is a great place to sit at night, especially when the stars are out. I was doing just that when suddenly, there was a noise just outside the screen! It sounded bigger than a boogeyman, yet more ominous than a ghost. The thought hit, “was what made the sound dangerous?” Striving to remain calm, I had no idea. But I DID have choices!
Living in a subdivision in 2020 is generally safe. Though I’ve seen raccoons, armadillos and even a Florida Panther in the neighborhood, I generally don’t worry about strange sounds in the night. Being a full grown member on the highest level of the food chain doesn’t hurt either! Grabbing a flashlight and a weapon, I cautiously proceeded into the dark unknown.
God’s Word tells us, the highest members of His life chain, that there will be times when fear, doubt, worry or anxiousness may arise. But in every case, He goes on to tell us what to DO about those mysterious thoughts. Here He says to ‘stand firm in one Spirit, stick and strive together in the Faith and to NOT be frightened!’ Which can often seem a tough demand!
This verse is one of the main reasons I don’t understand people to call themselves Christians, yet don’t regularly and habitually go to Church! With COLLECTIVE promises and tools which come from gathering and uniting together, life can EASILY become ‘a lonely YOU against the forces of a dark evil world.’ Unlike boogeymen or ghosts, that world DOES indeed…exist!
God’s ‘Work’ of Salvation has enemies. We cannot see them, hardly recognize them when we do and rarely know how to actually use the weapons we have at our disposal. There is NO doubt in anyone’s mind that 2020 is a year when dark forces are rising. But God has warned us and given us the tools and methods with which to fight.
That noise? It turns out it was just an opossum. When it saw my light, it didn’t play dead…it RAN! These days we need to PRAY and UNITE against the forces of darkness as God’s TRUTH marches on. I’m reminded that when I do that, fear really doesn’t have a very large place to camp out!
Are YOU praying for your family, Church and Country to be on God’s side of the fence? Because the enemy is real and it doesn’t play opossum! Gear up!
