“Mankind, he has told each of you what is good and what it is the LORD requires of you: to act justly, to love faithfulness, and to walk humbly with your God.” — Micah 6:8
Spiritual warfare can manifest in many ways. What must be remembered is that the true enemy is not flesh and blood. This week at work has been a real struggle for me. I have mulled it over in my mind and heart as the days have ticked by, contemplating what it is that is bothering me the most about it and why it weighs so heavily upon me. What I have concluded is that it feels like an assault on my faith. I am wrestling through the impact of it and how to navigate standing firm in the faith and representing Christ amidst a crowd of people who normalize sin. I felt tainted and dirty, as though I needed to wash away the lingering residue. And I am left with the question, how do I know when to keep silent or when to speak up?
In addition to that, an offhand comment was made referencing “men in spiritual suits.” Immediately, I felt put on the defensive and simultaneously angry. I felt defensive and also frozen because I am compelled to have to keep my mouth shut while others have the freedom to be offensive in what they say to me. The bottom line is that it’s okay for me to be offended or mocked due to my faith while I must remain quiet about what matters to me or if I disagree with what is being said. Yet I felt angry because I was unknowingly being lumped into a group of people who have been known to weaponize the Word of God. How do I reconcile these things? Being a Christian has now become associated with political parties. How this must grieve the heart of Jesus. The believers were first called Christians at Antioch (Acts 11:26). They were followers of the Way of Jesus. The term was meant to be disparaging and insulting then, but for altogether different reasons than today.
These believers were called this because they identified with the life of Christ–they wanted to live. and act like Jesus Christ. It was how others, outsiders, identified them. Now, the term “Christian” generates repulsion and is misused, misunderstood, and misrepresented, generally speaking. Which does a disservice to those who literally are attempting to be like Christ and follow Jesus. In some Christian circles, this set apart status involves being legalistic and imposing rules and beliefs on those both within the church and Bible-beating those on the outside. In other Christian spheres, the focus is on the love of God and disregards His justice. Much harm and abuse has been inflicted in the “name of Jesus.” We cannot ignore this as the body of Christ nor can we condone it. What we need is a return to the true and original meaning of the term “Christian.”
The literal definition is “little Christ.” If we become little Christs, then we are patterning our lives after the lifestyle and behavior of Jesus. We are not aligning with a certain Christian sect or belief system. We follow the truth of the gospel that says “Jesus is the way, the truth, and the life” (John 14:6). We live a life that reflects our belief that we are all sinners in desperate need of a Savior, and that Savior is Jesus Christ who lived a perfect and sinless life, died a painful and torturous death that was on our behalf, was resurrected on the third day, and is now ascended into glory where He will one day return to earth and rapture His church. He is coming again. And while we live our lives on this earth, we are to pattern ourselves after Him. The gospels tell us of the life of Christ, and we can read, study, and learn to live and love like Him. Jesus was not legalistic. In fact, He often called out the religious leaders of His day for exactly that. Jesus ate with sinners. Jesus loved those on the fringes. Jesus made a place at the table for women and outcasts and sinners. Jesus gave everything He had, including His very life for such people, including me and you.
It seems that we as Christians have often forgotten our own need for Jesus. We are incapable of living a life worthy of Him on our own. There is absolutely nothing we can do to earn our worthiness of salvation. By grace. Through faith. But, oh, once we are the recipients of such grace, how we long to live a life poured out as an offering to Him. It no longer becomes about us and our wants and wishes and desires. It is all for the glory of God. Yet when we are in the moments of everyday living, and our faith feels attacked, what do we do then? We follow the example of Jesus, as Peter describes in I Peter 2:23, “when he was insulted, he did not insult in return; when he suffered, he did not threaten but entrusted himself to the one who judges justly.”
I was left a little shook and unsettled by the events of my week. I have consistently been taking my thoughts and concerns to the foot of the cross, seeking the guidance of Jesus. He reminded me that even when there are those who weaponize His Word and use it to cause harm or justify behaviors, I am called to be set apart and to follow the way of Jesus. My role does not change. He brought to mind how many have suffered and died in the name of Jesus throughout the centuries. These individuals died because they proclaimed the truth of Jesus Christ and His gospel. It is not about going around telling others how they should live or what they are doing wrong. No, sharing the gospel is spreading the light and the message of Jesus. He is the one who changes lives and hearts. It has never been about extremism or rules or politics, though many use it in these ways. The gospel is about Jesus Christ who came to save a dying world and lost world. And people react and persecute that message. They are against Jesus. Not us. And that, friend, is for Him to work in the hearts of man. Our job is to share the hope of the gospel.
I’m not quite sure how this will play out for me in my professional realm. There are times that I think the day will come when I can no longer sustain in it because of my faith in Jesus. But today is not that day. Today, God has made it clear what is required of me: to act justly, to love faithfulness, and to walk humbly with God. God is the great Avenger. And He will avenge His people. He will guide me when to speak and when to keep silent. But what He has made abundantly apparent to me is that I cannot do it on my own. I do not have the strength on my own to fight the spiritual warfare that assails me. I must keep in step with the Spirit, to walk humbly with the Lord, to keep my mind set on Him, and to cling to Him in my daily life. He will carry me through each and every situation, offering me discernment. But I must cast away everything that hinders me from keeping my eyes fixed on Him. This life is a battle for the soul. The time has come to fight our true enemy.
The Satisfied Soul 
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