Mark Twain once said, “The news of my death has been greatly exaggerated.” It was a joke about his advancing age but it’s also sort of a deep thought. By increments is the way things often come, both good and bad. I’ve been thinking about how sin can end up actually defeating us. So often it is by increments.
It’s a sad fact that we are much more likely to be defeated by the devil when he takes the slow, methodical approach rather than some sudden shocking attack. They say, “The storm that keeps us awake is safer than the calm that puts us to sleep.”
When God was leading Gideon in preparation to battle the huge army of the Midianites, He told Gideon to take his men down to the river to drink. As Gideon watched them, God brought to his attention a tiny minority of the men who drank from the river while also being watchful of their surroundings, looking to be aware of any encroaching enemy. And God told Gideon that with that tiny band of 300 soldiers he would defeat the vast army of their enemies. And they did.
Gideon’s tiny band of 300 was seen to be watchful while the rest of the army of Israel was not. How fitting for our times. How much the forces of darkness are roaming and rampant in our lands. But so many of God’s people are indolent, somnolent and almost acquiescent as the forces of darkness claim more souls daily in our countries.
And I’m not making this up. I could cite examples in my own home town in the last month that are things that are almost like out of a sci-fi horror movie. But it seems only the tiniest handful of Christians are aware of what has transpired or are taking any action to protect their own children in my home town from the gross darkness that public institutions are now mandated to instruct them in.
It’s like what they say about the frog. I’m told that if you throw a frog in a pot of boiling water, he’ll jump out. But if instead you just slowly turn up the heat on the frog in the pot, he’ll get boiled. By increments. That’s so often how the devil and sin will defeat us: just slowly wear us down and get us accustomed to what will finally kill us in the end.
As I’ve written before, I believe we’re not called to only “believe in Jesus” but also to serve the Lord. This is clear both in the Old and New Testament. We are not just supposed to be sluggish grazing sheep of the Lord. Instead, it’s God plan and will for us to grow to be shepherds of the flock ourselves who care for the people of God and even stand up to fight in the spirit the battles of the Lord against the forces of darkness who come against His people.
Jude, the Lord’s brother, said in his short book that “we must earnestly contend for the faith.” (Jude 3) I so much pray and hope that the Spirit of God can find among the many millions of nominal Christians at least some Gideon’s band who are watching and prepared to go into spiritual battle in the real world in these times. Not politically in a worldly sense but still in devout, ardent Christian activism as the Lord leads.
Solomon said, “The prudent man foresees the evil and hides himself but the simple pass on and are punished.” (Proverbs 27:12) I like the part about “foreseeing the evil” but maybe sometimes the way to take is not to “hide yourself” but to confront and expose the evil before it takes your children and claims the land that is supposed to be our inheritance in the Lord.
But when the devil comes along as the sly, persuasive snake, talking us out of our faith, reasoning with us out of our convictions, it’s pitiful how well this seems to be working in so many places. Christians are being seen to be backed into a corner, divided, confused, surrendered and fainting in the face of the march of darkness. It’s like the article I wrote about where Jesus said, “When the Son of Man comes, will he find faith on the earth?”
Well, there is room for encouragement. I’ve always been encouraged by some obscure verses found in Daniel 11, a chapter Jesus Himself very specifically referred to, about the last days before His return. It says there of those final times, “The people who do know their God shall be strong and do exploits. And they that understand among the people shall instruct many.” (Daniel 11:32 & 33)
So from those verses I’m led to believe that there will be at least a Gideon’s band in the final days who recognize the steady incremental advance of the forces of Satan in my country as well as throughout the earth. God has said in His Word that there will be some, perhaps very few, who will not bow the knee before the “strange gods” (Daniel 11:39) of our times but will hold fast to their faith and the Word of God, “in the midst of a crooked and perverse nation among whom they shine as lights to the world, holding forth the Word of Life.” (Philippians 2:15 & 16)
Frankly, right now I’m not seeing very many like that who have that holy vision and fearless boldness. But according to God’s Word, there will be some. Please pray with me that the Lord will find those few and raise them up.
Excellent words of God & warnings! Very much appreciated; amen. It is “Yes Lord, I will go!” Even physically alone. But, Lord help me (us) to obey the perfect callings & nudges & sweet small voice(s) of Heaven, in Jesus, our Commander #1. Let no one steal our crowns! Amen!!!
Tis true about increments: they are not unlike letting the grass grow under one’s feet. I assume you are aware that Lady Gaga has a song with the same name, “I was born this way!” … I’ll leave the implication to your imagination. —— I’m finding in my evening years that “he” tends to work on my mind more these days trying to subvert me. …I can’t deny that these battles are much more subtle and harder to detect where they’re coming from: me, or old Whatsnames? Herein lies the truth: the devil is trying very hard to drive many ppl out of their minds, into thinking we’re past it, and getting rusty. He’s the one that’s the deciever, not your mind. Rebuke him steadfastly in the Lord and victory will come.
In Spanish there is a translation of the 2 Timothy 2 verse: Pues tú, hijo mío, esfuérzate en la gracia que es en Cristo Jesús.
In English it says: Thou therefore, my son, be strong in the grace that is in Christ Jesus.
This was a verse that always called my attention ( the Spanish translation): literally translated from the Spanish it means: make an effort in His grace – or make an effort to enter into His grace. (seems to be quite a contradiction: effort and grace!)
We know we can’t be strong without His grace. We can pray, kneel down, speak hours in tongues …. in the end it will be His grace that will save us. But we cannot just lie down and let the ol’ devil just walk all over us! And yes, the fiercest battles are those of our minds, and we do have to make an effort to enter into His grace, into His spirit, work on our connection with Him. Once we are ”there”, everything is light and seems to be so much easier, problems are solved, or don’t affect us. And He is so wonderful and keeps up with the training of His veteran soldiers by sending us these battles that force us to run to the strong tower, our God, to make an effort to enter into His grace. So, thank God for battles, problems and trials; without them we surely will fall asleep!
You know, I think that what we see happening in our world is part of God’s mercy towards us. He is bringing Satan’s lies right out in the open, right in our faces so that we must make a choice. Will we stand up for Him and for the truth or not? Will we do the work of seeking Him diligently to know the truth?
Besides the bizarre happenings in the secular world with the social justice crowd, I’m seeing an incredible drift towards error (of many kinds) within the churches. When I started looking into it, I realized that the things that are now are coming to fruition have been there and growing for a long time. Now, in retrospect, it is easy to see but at the time those tiny red flags were easy to ignore.
I appreciate your verses from Daniel. One verse that has come back to me over and over the last year is Rev. 21:6-8 “And he said to me, “It is done! I am the Alpha and the Omega, the beginning and the end. To the thirsty I will give from the spring of the water of life without payment. The one who conquers will have this heritage, and I will be his God and he will be my son. But as for the COWARDLY, the faithless … idolaters, and all liars, their portion will be in the lake (of fire)” — every time I’m tempted to be apathetic, and wait for someone else to say/do something, or use the excuse that I’m too old, or whatever, I think, “Well, am I going to be one of the ones who conquers or am I one of the cowardly?”