In reminiscing about past Teen Challenge ministry experiences. I am reminded how close it can feel to the edge of hell as we battle for souls for the Kingdom. The devil never fights fair and the attacks can come from individuals and places one would never expect. A day that starts out “normally” can soon go downhill and never be recovered. But in times like these, what are we to do?
When we are called to wrestle, “not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places.” (Ephesians 6:12), what does God instruct us to do? In Ephesians 6:13, Paul calls us to “take up the whole armor of God,…and having done all to stand. Stand…”, but what might this “stand” look like? A few Biblical instructions and individual examples gives a picture of what this may entail.
1. Having faith—“…and without faith it is impossible to please God.” (Work from faith not fear.) Hebrews 11:6
2. Being quiet—“In quietness and confidence shall be your strength…”
Isaiah 30:15
3. Listening —When God talked to Elijah, after his encounter with the prophets of Baal,—God’s voice was not in the catastrophic events that followed, e.g.the wind, the earthquake, the fire, but in “a still small voice”. I Kings 19:11&12
4. Doing —as King Jehoshaphat did when the armies were coming against him and the people of Judah. II Chronicles 20:12-22
- Acknowledge helplessness
- Look to God
- Do not be afraid
- Let God fight for you
- Lead the way with praise
5. Waiting on the Lord—“But they that wait upon the Lord shall renew their strength…” Isaiah 40:316
6. Remembering—God’s ways are not our ways. “This plan of mine is not what you would work out, neither are my thoughts the same as yours! For just as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than yours, and my thoughts than yours.” Isaiah 55:8 & 9
If you have been in the ministry for any length of time, you probably have already experienced these kinds of horrific battles. If you haven’t faced the enemy in this way, the risk remains as long as you are a follower of Christ. But if and when these battles do come, because Jesus dealt with this, He left us His personal example to follow. “…he did not retaliate; when he suffered, he made no threats. Instead, he entrusted himself to Him who judges justly.” I Peter 2:21-23
The Challenge for today: “Having done all, stand.”
