“We are locked in a battle. This is not a friendly, gentlemen’s discussion. It is a life and death conflict between the spiritual hosts of wickedness and those who claim the name of Christ. It is a conflict on the level of ideas between two fundamentally opposed views of truth and reality. It is a conflict on the level of actions between a complete moral perversion and chaos and God’s absolutes. But do we really believe that we are in a life and death battle?” (Francis Schaeffer)
Proverbs 6 and 7 warn us about the seductive, deceitful strategies of those who seek to deceive and destroy us. This brings up a topic I have addressed several times in previous devotionals, and it is relevant again at this point in Proverbs. It is an incredibly important topic: Faith in the real world, or what I call “battlefield belief.”
As Dr. Schaeffer says in the above quote, we are locked in a life and death conflict between those who claim the name of Christ and the forces of darkness in our world. Every day we walk onto a battlefield where this conflict is being fought and the Seductress is at work. To use the language of Proverbs 7, we must be aware of and ready to defend ourselves against the Seductress in whatever form she takes in our generation.
This raises a key question. Do we understand the nature of the fight we are in? Are we equipped for the battle? We say we believe in Jesus, but is our belief more suited for the comfortable environment of a church service on Sunday morning, or are we equipped to face the hard realities of the battlefield that confronts us Monday thru Friday?
There is a big difference between “Sunday belief” and “battlefield belief.” It is easy to believe and have faith on Sunday at a church service in response to worship music that moves & inspires, a sermon that informs & motivates, people that love & encourage, and ample time to pray & reflect. It is not hard to “believe” in those conditions.
Unfortunately, though certainly not intended, Sunday worship can be an environment that enables a faith that is not prepared for the battles we must fight in the every day world beyond the church service. When the alarm goes off Monday morning, we go into the marketplace; onto the battlefield; into the arena where you must engage the realities of living and working in a broken world. It is not nearly as easy to believe and obey on the battlefield as it is in the church service, and it is on the battlefield where you need real-world belief.
Today’s society is full of spectators in the stands and commentators in the press box— and on websites, blogs, and social media—but there are very few people who are actually in the arena and on the field competing. Of course, spectating from the stands and commenting from the press box is far easier and much safer than actually risking yourself in competition.
The Christian faith is not for spectators or commentators. The Christian faith is for competitors. It is for warriors and fighters. It is for those who want to obey and apply the Word of God, not just hear about it and talk about it.
Jesus did not call us to sit in the bleachers and watch. He did not call us to stand on the sideline and cheer. He did not call us to sit in the press box and comment. He sends us into the arena where it’s dusty and dirty and dangerous. He calls us out of the bleachers and down from the press box and sends onto the field to compete and do battle. He sends us to the front line of conflict against the opposition.
The moment you trusted in Christ you stepped into the arena of combat, and “Sunday belief” will not survive the battlefield. Sadly, many professing Christians have flinched in the face of the harsh realities of living for Christ in a broken world. Many have lost their courage and have retreated; rather than stand strong and fight, they seek shelter and safety in the comforts of the church. But it’s only the illusion of safety, because outside the battle still rages.
And in many ways, emboldened by the weakness and fragility of Christians, the enemy has broken into the church and also attacks from within.
Christians should never retreat from the issues of the day. We should not withdraw from the culture-shaping institutions of our society. We should be on the field and competing every day in the arenas of business, education, science, the arts, athletics, media, and government. This is where the life/death battles are being fought for the ideas and principles and practices that are shaping our society, impacting people, and determining our future.
Will the church in the 21st century hear and respond to the call of Christ? Will we heed the instruction and admonition of Proverbs? Will we have the courage to stand firm in the faith and compete in the arenas into which the Lord sends us? Or will we continue to retreat and grow weaker in the face of the schemes of the Seductress?
“There is no neutral ground in the universe. Every square inch, every split second is claimed by God, and counterclaimed by Satan.” ~ C.S. Lewis
“But as for you, O man of God, flee these things. Pursue righteousness, godliness, faith, love, steadfastness, gentleness. Fight the good fight of the faith.” (1 Timothy 6.11-12)
“My son, keep your father’s commandment, and forsake not your mother’s teaching. Bind them on your heart always; tie them around your neck. When you walk, they will lead you; when you lie down, they will watch over you; and when you awake, they will talk with you. For the commandment is a lamp and the teaching a light, and the reproofs of discipline are the way of life.” (Proverbs 6:20-23)
More tomorrow …
