The Christian faces a spiritual battle every day. I know, I will be accused of seeing demons under every rock!! One only needs to read through scripture to see the battle that is waged in the cosmos between God and our adversary (hey, another military term!!) the devil. Be alert and of sober mind. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour. 1 Peter 5:8
This admonition is written to Christians and not, the unbelieving world. And why is satan looking to devour Christians? Because he knows that as an angel, fallen at that, he is more powerful, more intelligent, and more willing to fight the battle. He is looking for breaches, areas where he can step in and destroy testimonies for Jesus Christ. His strategy is a good one. Get the church to focus on problems in the world AND in the church and forget about advancing the gospel.
The apostle Paul, the greatest of evangelists, recognized the battle Christians are in. 17 But we, brethren, having been taken away from you for a short time in presence, not in heart, endeavored more eagerly to see your face with great desire. 18 Therefore we wanted to come to you—even I, Paul, time and again—but Satan hindered us. 19 For what is our hope, or joy, or crown of rejoicing? Is it not even you in the presence of our Lord Jesus Christ at His coming? 1 Thes 2:17-19. He knew that the battle of the Jews opposing the gospel in Thessalonica and Berea ( Acts 17) was not the work of flesh and blood but of the enemy!
The apostle's example of engaging the culture wherever he went to win souls, is one that is lost today.
13 When the Jews in Thessalonica learned that Paul was preaching the word of God at Berea, they went there too, agitating the crowds and stirring them up. 14 The brothers immediately sent Paul to the coast, but Silas and Timothy stayed at Berea. 15 The men who escorted Paul brought him to Athens and then left with instructions for Silas and Timothy to join him as soon as possible.
In Athens
16 While Paul was waiting for them in Athens, he was greatly distressed to see that the city was full of idols. 17 So he reasoned in the synagogue with the Jews and the God-fearing Greeks, as well as in the marketplace day by day with those who happened to be there. 18 A group of Epicurean and Stoic philosophers began to dispute with him. Some of them asked, “What is this babbler trying to say?” Others remarked, “He seems to be advocating foreign gods.” They said this because Paul was preaching the good news about Jesus and the resurrection. 19 Then they took him and brought him to a meeting of the Areopagus, where they said to him, “May we know what this new teaching is that you are presenting? 20 You are bringing some strange ideas to our ears, and we want to know what they mean.” 21 (All the Athenians and the foreigners who lived there spent their time doing nothing but talking about and listening to the latest ideas.)22 Paul then stood up in the meeting of the Areopagus and said: “Men of Athens! I see that in every way you are very religious. 23 For as I walked around and looked carefully at your objects of worship, I even found an altar with this inscription: to an unknown god. Now what you worship as something unknown I am going to proclaim to you.
24 “The God who made the world and everything in it is the Lord of heaven and earth and does not live in temples built by hands. 25 And he is not served by human hands, as if he needed anything, because he himself gives all men life and breath and everything else. 26 From one man he made every nation of men, that they should inhabit the whole earth; and he determined the times set for them and the exact places where they should live. 27 God did this so that men would seek him and perhaps reach out for him and find him, though he is not far from each one of us. 28 ‘For in him we live and move and have our being.’ As some of your own poets have said, ‘We are his offspring.’
29 “Therefore since we are God’s offspring, we should not think that the divine being is like gold or silver or stone—an image made by man’s design and skill. 30 In the past God overlooked such ignorance, but now he commands all people everywhere to repent. 31 For he has set a day when he will judge the world with justice by the man he has appointed. He has given proof of this to all men by raising him from the dead.”
32 When they heard about the resurrection of the dead, some of them sneered, but others said, “We want to hear you again on this subject.” 33 At that, Paul left the Council. 34 A few men became followers of Paul and believed. Among them was Dionysius, a member of the Areopagus, also a woman named Damaris, and a number of others. Acts 17:13-34
The church, in general, is more interested in fighting social battles than just doing what Jesus commanded before He went back to heaven. 16 Then the eleven disciples went to Galilee, to the mountain where Jesus had told them to go. 17 When they saw him, they worshiped him; but some doubted. 18 Then Jesus came to them and said, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. 19 Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in[a] the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, 20 and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.” Matthew 28:16-20
One cultural phenomenon today is the fascination with the paranormal. It is why God has called Joe and me into this ministry of pointing people to Christ. This spiritual battle is fought on two fronts. The first front is for satan to hinder the work of the gospel and render Christians ineffective for Christ. The second front is to keep unbelievers blind to the truth of the gospel. The god of this age has blinded the minds of unbelievers, so that they cannot see the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God. 2 Cor 4:4
There are people who are diving head first into this cultural fascination with ghosts, aliens and other supernatural signs and wonders who have no idea who they are engaging. And whenever a demonic entity has someone in their grip and these people look to the church for answers, they are either scoffed at or considered crazy! It's time that Christians engage the culture again like Paul and share the gospel to whoever needs to hear.15 But in your hearts set apart Christ as Lord. Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have. But do this with gentleness and respect, 16 keeping a clear conscience, so that those who speak maliciously against your good behavior in Christ may be ashamed of their slander. 1 Peter 3:14-16
Paul would address today's paranormal crowd much the same way he did in Athens. The church cannot continue to be silent on this issue. Our adversary is not going away. He is going to continue to fight on two fronts. As blood bought saints of The Most High God, let's be vigilant in battle!
