Listen to some quotes from our Founding Era:
Thomas Paine: “I prefer peace, but if trouble must come, let it be in my time that my children may know peace.”
Captain John Parker: “Stand your ground, don’t fire unless fired upon, but if they mean to have a war, let it begin here.” (Lexington green, April 19, 1775)
Thomas Jefferson: “The tree of liberty must be refreshed from time to time with the blood of patriots and tyrants.”
There is something of a fighter in the soul of the Christian. Oh yes, I know that there is a time to turn the other cheek. There is also a time for the fight according to Ecclesiastes 3:8. It is in us to fight and not just fight, but to fight for right.
Jesus speaks of the right fight in Matthew 10:34-36 (ESV):
34 “Do not think that I have come to bring peace to the earth. I have not come to bring peace, but a sword. 35 For I have come to set a man against his father, and a daughter against her mother, and a daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law. 36 And a person’s enemies will be those of his own household.
Jesus certainly came to save (Mark 10:45), but in the process of being the Savior He unleashed a war with evil. Some who reject Jesus will fight against His followers. This is especially true even in one’s own household.
The apostle reminds us of the fight in Ephesians 6:10-20. Especially notice verse 12 (ESV):
12 For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers over this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places.
According to Strong’s Concordance (G3823), the word we translate, “wrestle” is a unique term. This is the only place it is used in the Bible. It means, “A contest between two in which each endeavors to throw the other, and which is decided when the victor is able to hold his opponent down with his hand upon his neck.” This well describes the Christians battle with evil.
As God’s warriors we put on the whole spiritual armor of God that Paul mentions in Ephesians 6. We step up and step out in faith to engage the enemy. WE are on the offense! Do you remember Jesus’ words in Matthew 16:18 (ESV)? He said:
. . . on this rock I will build my church, and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it.
Notice that Jesus is on the offense against the gates of hell (or hades). WE are taking the fight to them. What’s even better is, we win! They can’t stop us!
Too often Christians in their churches simply roll over to evil in the culture. Yes, “The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it” (John 1:5, ESV). But the reverse happens when churches don’t engage the darkness and are overcome by it. They are enveloped in fear over faith and unnatural submission to the evil empire.
I must mention that we mix “apples and oranges” when we compare our out of control Federal government with the tyrannical Roman Empire. Christians had no say in the formation of that government. It was in place when Christ came. The only way it could change is from within as the citizens became followers of Jesus.
In our current situation, remember that Christians established our nation and government. That government has “we the people” in charge. WE are Caesar! It is not our elected officials who are to be in charge, it is, “we the people.” It is not the Supreme Court, it is “we the people.”
Since “we the people” are the government (under God, I might add), it is up to “we the people” to make the necessary changes to right the wrongs that are being tyrannically thrust on us. It is a right fight.
Our Declaration of Independence states:
We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness. — That to secure these rights, Governments are instituted among Men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed, — That whenever any Form of Government becomes destructive of these ends, it is the Right of the People to alter or to abolish it, and to institute new Government, laying its foundation on such principles and organizing its powers in such form, as to them shall seem most likely to effect their Safety and Happiness.
So what can we do to fight the right fight?
- Educate ourselves on the issues. Don’t just thoughtlessly listen to the mainstream media news reports. This is the Communists’ propaganda arm.
- Once we are educated, speak up. Go on the offense (with love and kindness). We are attacking the Gates of Hell. We will win, but we have to arm ourselves and attack.
- Expect the people who are brainwashed through schools, media, churches, etc. to pushback, but don’t give in or give up.
- Keep Praying.
- Persevere in faithfulness.
Keep The Light of the Fight for Right Burning!