“Finally, be strong in the Lord and in the strength of his might. Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the schemes of the devil. 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. Therefore take up the whole armor of God, that you may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand firm. Stand therefore, having fastened on the belt of truth, and having put on the breastplate of righteousness, and, as shoes for your feet, having put on the readiness given by the gospel of peace. In all circumstances take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming darts of the evil one; and take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God, praying at all times in the Spirit, with all prayer and supplication. To that end, keep alert with all perseverance, making supplication for all the saints, and also for me, that words may be given to me in opening my mouth boldly to proclaim the mystery of the gospel, for which I am an ambassador in chains, that I may declare it boldly, as I ought to speak.” [1]
Let me make a prediction: your biggest regret at the end of your life won’t be the things you did that you wish you hadn’t; your biggest regret will be the things you didn’t do but wish you had. That prediction is based on research conducted by two social psychologists, Tom Gilovich and Victoria Medvec. [2] According to their research, time is a key factor in determining what we regret. Over the short-term, we tend to regret actions—things we did that we wish we hadn’t. But over the long-haul, we tend to regret inactions—things we didn’t do but wish we had. The study conducted by these two researchers found that action regrets outweigh inaction regrets 53 percent to 47 percent during an average week. But when people look at their lives as a whole, inaction regrets outnumber action regrets 84 percent to 16 percent.
I have my fair share of action regrets; and I’m certain you have such regrets as well. I am certain that we have each said and done some things that we wish we could unsay and undo. Who hasn’t secretly wished that they could fly counter-rotational around the earth at supersonic speeds and reverse time like Superman? Okay, maybe not that; but we have wanted do overs. However, I’m convinced that our deepest regrets at the end of our lives will be the risks we never took, the opportunities we failed to seize, and the dreams we didn’t even attempt to pursue. This is especially true in the realm of the spiritual. To be certain, there will be regrets of choices not made in relationships, choices not made in work related opportunities, but the greatest regrets each of us will experience will fall within the realm of failures in the spiritual realm.
I reflect on times I didn’t confront church members that were dishonouring the Lord. These were people whom I believe to have been genuine brothers and sisters in the Lord. However, they became instruments of Satan through their emphasis on self-interest. In some instances, these self-willed souls did the cause of Christ great harm, and I regret that I did not act more aggressively to stop their destructive actions.
I am also aware of some who were instruments of Satan because he is their father. I have little reason to believe these individuals ever showed any reason why I should believe they were twice-born. Sadly, I cannot recall a single thing about their conduct that would make me think they were children of the living God. Oh, they talked the talk, but they never walked the walk. And looking back, I regret that I did not confront them more vigorously in their deceit and error. I regret that I allowed them to continue their nefarious work that injured the people of God.
Moreover, I am deeply aware of times I failed to stand firm, hesitating even momentarily when the battle was most intense. The message is intended to be encouragement for those who are younger in years, perhaps younger in the Faith, to heed what is written in the Word. The time is short for any of us. Perhaps the Master will return shortly, but whether His return occurs in a short time or after a long time, our time to accomplish anything of lasting worth is limited. Let us hear what is written and put it into practise.
In the text before us today, the Apostle provides instruction that any Christian can use. He is not implying that only spiritual superstars can appropriate what he is saying—any of us can do what is taught in this passage with confidence that if we do what is taught, we will be able to live without regret. Paul is not saying that the conflict in which we are engaged will never tax us or drive us to the point of exhaustion; rather, he is saying that in this life we can be all be winners. No child of God need think that she or he will succumb to the evil one, for the Lord has delivered through His Apostle instruction that will enable each of us to stand firm.
APPROPRIATE THE STRENGTH THAT IS OURS IN THE LORD JESUS CHRIST — “Be strong in the Lord and in the strength of his might. Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the schemes of the devil. 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” [EPHESIANS 6:10-12].
The text opens with Paul forcing us to look back to all that has preceded. When you read, “finally,” Paul is employing a literary means of reminding you that he has been dealing with some major issues in the Christian life that still require attention. Well, you might ask what sort of issues have received the Apostle’s attention to this point? Paul has provided instruction concerning our Christian walk, the life we are expected to live as followers of the Risen Son of God. He spoke of the manner in which wives are to interact with their husbands, setting that expectation against the responsibility of husbands to be gracious and considerate with their wives. He easily transitioned to the responsibility of children to honour their parents before cautioning fathers against failure to raise their children in the discipline of the Lord. At last, the Apostle speaks to the responsibility to honour those for whom we work and the responsibility of employers to treat those who work for them with fairness as honours the Lord Christ.
Only then does the Apostle write, “Finally.” It is as though Paul is saying, “All that I’ve said is essential, but there remains one final matter that is critical.” You see, all that has preceded—our manner of life in this world, our relationship with our spouse, our interactions as children and as parents, and our relationship as employers and employees—are targets. I’m not suggesting that these issues are to be seen as targets for us to aspire to, though that is true; rather, these areas of life are points of potential weakness where the devil will attack. Therefore, it is vital that we appropriate the strength that He provides if we will be successful in this life. If we are to succeed as followers of the Saviour in this life, we must recognise our weak points and strengthen those points before the satanic attack is launched.
In the battle for the souls of mortals, we are not powerless. Preparing His disciples for His exodus, Jesus taught them, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age” [MATTHEW 28:18-20]. While Jesus possesses all authority, the authority He has received is entrusted to each of us who are His followers.
I confess that I am weak; but in Christ I have strength that can only be seen under duress. Paul spoke for each of us when he testified, “[Christ] said to me, ‘My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.’ Therefore I will boast all the more gladly of my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may rest upon me. For the sake of Christ, then, I am content with weaknesses, insults, hardships, persecutions, and calamities. For when I am weak, then I am strong” [2 CORINTHIANS 12:9-10].
Can you imagine any of the great leaders of our world confessing that they are weak? Could you imagine a Justin Trudeau confessing weakness? Joe Biden boasts that he is a physical fighter! And we certainly would not anticipate that Donald Trump would ever admit weakness. He boasts, as do almost all the leaders of congress, that they are winners! The same holds true among the churches it seems. Church leaders are not often prepared to speak of their weakness, but they laughingly boast of their successes.
As we grow in grace, we realise that our strength is not the result of anything we have done. We know that as we surrendered ourselves to Christ the Lord, He supplied what we lacked. As we read His Word, spend time in His presence, look to Him in prayer, we are growing in grace and knowledge of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. It is not in exalting ourselves that we grow, but it is in exalting Christ in our lives that we grow.
Focus on something that the Apostle said in that passage that appears to be nonsense from the vantage of this dying world. Paul testified, “When I am weak, then I am strong.” That sounds so wrong, so contradictory to all that our senses tell us is true. We have to be strong in this world; you can’t show weakness! When predators attack, they target the young and the elderly, the weakest members of the flock. However, we forget that the Shepherd is focused on the vulnerable, knowing that He must be their Protector lest they become prey. It is in the knowledge of our weakness that we look to our Great Shepherd. Thus, the Apostle’s statement makes perfect sense. What we lack in the stresses of life is supplied by the Risen Saviour.
We hear the Psalmist confessing what we know in our hearts is the truth we need to hear: “The LORD is my shepherd; I shall not want” [PSALM 23:1]. “I shall not want!” Is that possible?
• Rest? “He makes me lie down in green pastures” [PSALM 23:2a].
• Refreshment? “He leads me beside still waters” [PSALM 23:2b].
• Restoration? “He restores my soul” [PSALM 23:3a].
• Guidance? “He leads me in paths of righteousness” [PSALM 23:3b].
• Confidence?
“Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death,
I will fear no evil,
for you are with me;
your rod and your staff,
they comfort me.”
[PSALM 23:4]
• Nourishment? “You prepare a table before me” [PSALM 23:5a].
• Blessing? “Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me” [PSALM 23:6a].
• Shelter? “I shall dwell in the house of the LORD forever” [PSALM 23:6b].
Near the end of his service before the Lord of Glory, that same Apostle pleaded with a younger minister to come to him. Paul wrote of his loneliness for human companionship, even as he testified of God’s grace and mercy. Paul wrote, “Do your best to come to me soon. For Demas, in love with this present world, has deserted me and gone to Thessalonica. Crescens has gone to Galatia, Titus to Dalmatia. Luke alone is with me. Get Mark and bring him with you, for he is very useful to me for ministry. Tychicus I have sent to Ephesus. When you come, bring the cloak that I left with Carpus at Troas, also the books, and above all the parchments. Alexander the coppersmith did me great harm; the Lord will repay him according to his deeds. Beware of him yourself, for he strongly opposed our message. At my first defense no one came to stand by me, but all deserted me. May it not be charged against them! But the Lord stood by me and strengthened me, so that through me the message might be fully proclaimed and all the Gentiles might hear it. So I was rescued from the lion’s mouth. The Lord will rescue me from every evil deed and bring me safely into his heavenly kingdom. To him be the glory forever and ever. Amen” [2 TIMOTHY 4:9-18]. Amen, indeed!
We don’t know if Timothy made it in time to see Paul before he was beheaded. We can be certain that the Lord continued to stand beside His servant, just as He stands beside you as you fulfil the service to which you have been appointed. We can be certain that the Apostle was delivered from the lion’s mouth, just as you will be delivered from the ravages of the evil one as you serve the King of kings. We have a promise that has never been broken; God has promised, “I will never leave you not forsake you” [HEBREWS 13:5b]. The Lord Who promised to never leave us is the same Lord who promised, “Behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age” [MATTHEW 28:20b].
Church history tells us that Paul was beheaded in Rome after being incarcerated in the Mamertine Prison. Those last days must have been hard on the old saint’s body. Many of you have learned something of the pain that attends a body that is breaking down and losing the strength of youth. And Paul was held in chains in a dank, damp, darkened dungeon for an extended period. We can only hope that there was someone with a friendly face who comforted the old man in those final days of this life. If Timothy never made it, we can be certain that the old man was not alone with he drew his final breath in this life. Though no mortal may have been with him, I am confident in the Lord that Paul was not alone when he faced death.
One day, a soldier came to fetch the old man. The chain was affixed to his waist and then tied to one of the guards who were ever present with him. Paul was escorted by the quaternion of soldiers to his death. As the solemn troop exited the narrow passage leading from the cells, Paul blinked in the bright sun which he hadn’t seen for days. He was marched across the courtyard to a block where he was roughly push to his knees. An executioner stood by the block, an ax in his right hand rested on the paving stones. The order for his execution was summarily read and Paul’s hands were tied behind his back. His head was forced down against the block, his face turned to the side; the ax was raised above the executioner’s head before it flashed through the air. The old man’s head was severed from his body and his blood spurted wildly, staining the pavement. The whole thing was over in a moment.
No one was present with the Apostle except for the soldiers, the executioner and perhaps an officer. No one witnessed what happened save for those appointed to carry out the orders of the emperor. Unseen was the angels. Oh, yes, the angels attend the death of God’s people. God’s people are never alone when that great transition takes place. When Jesus related the account of the death of a pauper named Lazarus, he included a comforting statement. Jesus said, “[Lazarus] died and was carried by the angels to Abraham’s side” [LUKE 16:22a].
Did Paul’s eyes light up and a smile break onto his face as he stepped into the courtyard? Do you suppose that he caught a glimpse of that which mortal eyes are kept from seeing? Do you imagine that the old saint saw the angels of God waiting to escort him into the presence of the Saviour? We know that when Stephen was executed, he cried out, “Behold, I see the heavens opened, and the Son of Man standing at the right hand of God” [ACTS 7:56].
Jesus stood to welcome his servant home. I can imagine the Saviour saying, “Welcome home, son; we’ve been expecting you. You’ve borne the heat of the day; you’ve stood firm in the face of the wild accusations, refused to succumb to the fearful spectre of an enraged mob determined to destroy you, held tenaciously to the Faith—welcome home. Welcome home.”
Paul, then known as Saul, had been present that day; he had heard the godly deacon as he cried out. I must wonder if Paul beheld the same vision of the Son of Man standing the right hand of God. I am confident that Paul was welcomed into the halls of eternal light and joy. There is no doubt in my mind that each of us who look to Christ as Master will have that same confidence in that awful day when the transition must take place as we set aside this temporary tent and put on that eternal habitation for which we are even now being fitted. The transition may be painful, but we won’t be alone when it takes place.
I know that the Apostle was prepared for whatever lay ahead. You will remember that he had testified to the Christians in Corinth, “We are always of good courage. We know that while we are at home in the body we are away from the Lord, for we walk by faith, not by sight. Yes, we are of good courage, and we would rather be away from the body and at home with the Lord” [2 CORINTHIANS 5:6-8].
Writing the Philippian Christians, Paul had testified, “I want you to know, brothers, that what has happened to me has really served to advance the gospel, so that it has become known throughout the whole imperial guard and to all the rest that my imprisonment is for Christ. And most of the brothers, having become confident in the Lord by my imprisonment, are much more bold to speak the word without fear.
“Some indeed preach Christ from envy and rivalry, but others from good will. The latter do it out of love, knowing that I am put here for the defense of the gospel. The former proclaim Christ out of selfish ambition, not sincerely but thinking to afflict me in my imprisonment. What then? Only that in every way, whether in pretense or in truth, Christ is proclaimed, and in that I rejoice.
“Yes, and I will rejoice, for I know that through your prayers and the help of the Spirit of Jesus Christ this will turn out for my deliverance, as it is my eager expectation and hope that I will not be at all ashamed, but that with full courage now as always Christ will be honored in my body, whether by life or by death. For to me to live is Christ, and to die is gain. If I am to live in the flesh, that means fruitful labor for me. Yet which I shall choose I cannot tell. I am hard pressed between the two. My desire is to depart and be with Christ, for that is far better” [PHILIPPIANS 1:12-23].
PREPARE FOR THE CONFLICT THAT MUST SURELY COME — “Take up the whole armor of God, that you may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand firm. Stand therefore, having fastened on the belt of truth, and having put on the breastplate of righteousness, and, as shoes for your feet, having put on the readiness given by the gospel of peace. In all circumstances take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming darts of the evil one; and take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God, praying at all times in the Spirit, with all prayer and supplication” [EPHESIANS 6:13-18a].
I don’t want any of you to imagine that you will not be required to battle to the very end. Scripture teaches the child of God, “There is no discharge in time of war” [ECCLESIASTES 8:8b]; and we are engaged in war. You know very well that the Apostle strengthened the new converts following his first missionary journey by stating the truth. We read the summary of that first journey as Doctor Luke writes, “When [Paul and Barnabas] had preached the gospel to that city and had made many disciples, they returned to Lystra and to Iconium and to Antioch, strengthening the souls of the disciples, encouraging them to continue in the faith, and saying that through many tribulations we must enter the kingdom of God” [ACTS 14:21-22].
Did you catch the message intended to encourage us? Through many tribulations we must enter the kingdom of God! Let me restate that by appealing to several contemporary translations.
• “We must enter the kingdom of God through many persecutions” [NET BIBLE].
• “It is necessary to go through many hardships to enter the kingdom of God” [CSB].
• “We must suffer any things to enter God’s kingdom” [NCV].
• “We must all experience many hardships before we enter the kingdom of God” [NJB].
Becoming a Christian doesn’t mean an end of your problems—it is the beginning of your trials! The world trains us to expect comfort and ease after we have performed a given task. Unsurprisingly, we carry the baggage of past expectations with us into the Faith, and we are quickly disappointed because we continue meeting trials. We imagined that our problems would be over and that we would have no further battles; we thought all our foes would turn from us.
Nevertheless, the Faith, when it is presented according to what is written in the Word, makes no attempt to deceive us. We are told quite plainly that we can anticipate trials if we are determined to follow the Christ. Paul warns each of us, “All who desire to live a godly life in Christ Jesus will be persecuted” [2 TIMOTHY 3:12]. Anticipate opposition and attack!
On numerous occasions you’ve heard me refer to the words of the Master as He warned of what we may expect as we follow Him. Jesus warned us, “If the world hates you, know that it has hated me before it hated you. If you were of the world, the world would love you as its own; but because you are not of the world, but I chose you out of the world, therefore the world hates you. Remember the word that I said to you: ‘A servant is not greater than his master.’ If they persecuted me, they will also persecute you. If they kept my word, they will also keep yours. But all these things they will do to you on account of my name, because they do not know him who sent me. If I had not come and spoken to them, they would not have been guilty of sin, but now they have no excuse for their sin. Whoever hates me hates my Father also. If I had not done among them the works that no one else did, they would not be guilty of sin, but now they have seen and hated both me and my Father. But the word that is written in their Law must be fulfilled: ‘They hated me without a cause.’
“But when the Helper comes, whom I will send to you from the Father, the Spirit of truth, who proceeds from the Father, he will bear witness about me. And you also will bear witness, because you have been with me from the beginning.
“I have said all these things to you to keep you from falling away. They will put you out of the synagogues. Indeed, the hour is coming when whoever kills you will think he is offering service to God. And they will do these things because they have not known the Father, nor me. But I have said these things to you, that when their hour comes you may remember that I told them to you” [JOHN 15:18-16:4].
If you are not now engaged in battle, you will shortly be in the fray if you are a Christian. It is accurate to say that at any given time the one who follows the Christ is either preparing to fight the enemy, fighting the enemy, or recuperating after having fought the enemy. All you need do is look around to witness fellow saints who are getting their gear squared away for the battle that is coming upon them, or to see fellow Christians who are now standing in the hard place, or to realise the presence of fellow believers who have been wounded and are recovering from the effects of battle. Don’t ever forget that we are engaged in war; and this is total war. Don’t ever forget that the battle will continue throughout the days of your journey until you arrive on the home shore.
REMEMBER THOSE WHO STAND WITH YOU IN THE FIGHT — “To that end, keep alert with all perseverance, making supplication for all the saints, and also for me, that words may be given to me in opening my mouth boldly to proclaim the mystery of the gospel, for which I am an ambassador in chains, that I may declare it boldly, as I ought to speak” [EPHESIANS 6:18b-20].
No doubt you have felt at times as though you were standing alone. I should imagine that each Christian has felt very lonely at one time or another. You have known times when your faith was shaken, and it seemed as if satanic attacks were focused on you. You may have wondered if anyone else was fighting, or whether you were alone in struggling against evil. At those times, you prayed and the heavens seemed to be brass. Child of God, you need to know that though it may feel as if no one stands with you during your particular battle, you may be assured that others are fighting in this war with you. It has been said that great battles consist of multiplied little battles fought between individuals. The same is true when we are engaged in spiritual battles. We may feel that we are alone, but throughout the world are multiplied other saints who are fighting the same enemy. You need but recall how Peter has written, “Be sober-minded; be watchful. Your adversary the devil prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour. Resist him, firm in your faith, knowing that the same kinds of suffering are being experienced by your brotherhood throughout the world” [1 PETER 5:8-9].
You fight your particular battle, knowing that your brothers and sisters throughout the world are also engaged in battle with a relentless foe. You may not know the particulars of their battles, but you are certain that they are fighting, just as you are fighting. And their battles may be even more demanding than the battle you are now fighting. The sister in Nigeria who is threatened by Muslim terrorists is fighting as valiantly as you fight when you are threatened to compromise by the ease offered if you will but make concession to the world. The brother in China who is facing years in prison for the unconscionable crime of worshipping Christ the Lord is engaged in the same battle you are fighting when the Faith is depreciated by thoughtless parliamentarians. The native believer who thinks she is all alone on that far northern reserve faces the same foe you face when the evil one whispers that you are all alone in the world.
And those dear saints who pray with you week-by-week are fighting the same battles you are fighting. This is the reason we must pray for all the saints, praying for one another, and especially praying for God’s mighty hand to support those who are on the front line of the conflict. Pray for those who are advancing the cause of Christ, testifying to His grace, and declaring the salvation that is found in Him alone. Pray for the bold souls who refuse to bow the knee to Baal. Pray for those valiant men and women who are boldly declaring freedom in Christ when government functionaries are attempting to compel everyone to bow down before at the altar of Caesar! You will not always agree with them in every facet of life, but they are fellow saints, and they are fighting the same foe that you must fight. Therefore, pray for them.
Be gentle with those who are engaged in the same war that you are fighting. The battle may not be the same, but the war is universal and the foe is the same foe throughout the world. Be a source of support for those who are struggling against sin and standing in opposition to evil. You don’t have to wear their armour, but you do need to stand with them for Christ’s sake. You are moving toward the same homeland. Don’t permit yourself to forget the encouragement given by the Apostle when he writes, “Our citizenship is in heaven, and from it we await a Saviour, the Lord Jesus Christ, who will transform our lowly body to be like His glorious body, by the power that enables Him to subject all things to Himself” [PHILIPPIANS 3:20-21]. And all who follow our Risen Lord have this hope. Together, we are moving toward that heavenly home where the conflict will never again touch us and where peace and blessing reign forevermore. Amen.
STAND FIRM — Some of you will have no doubt seen the movie, Gladiator. If so, you will recall that the movie presents the story of a Roman General named Maximus, presenting him as arriving in the Eternal City dirty and in shackles. There is no pageantry to herald him as the conquering hero who has delivered the Empire—Maximus comes to Rome as a slave. The movie traces Maximus’ transition from the celebrated warrior, a favourite of one emperor, to a despised traitor, the nemesis of another emperor.
As the movie unfolds, we witness the events that ensure Maximus becomes a fugitive before he is caged as a slave. Forced into gladiatorial combat, we witness him as he becomes an unvanquished gladiator. This newfound fame brings him at last to the sport's pinnacle, Rome's magnificent Coliseum. In the Coliseum, he will face Rome’s elite warriors in gladiatorial combat.
The games open with a re-enactment of the battle of Zama with the legions of Rome facing the legions of Carthage. The gladiators, all compelled to serve as foot soldiers, are cast as the hapless Carthaginians. The production sets the stage for slaughter. The gladiators are marched through a dark passageway and into brilliant sunlight where they are met with a roar of bloodlust from the vast crowds seated in the Coliseum and awaiting the bloodshed.
Maximus admonishes his fellow gladiators, “Whatever comes out of these gates, we have a better chance of survival if we work together… We stay together, we survive!” accustomed as he is to being a general, Maximus assumes the role of their leader. He encourages the men, “Stay together!” He assembles the hapless gladiators into a tight circle in the centre of the arena. They are gathered back-to-back, their shields aloft and their spears outward.
What comes out of that gate is indeed terrifying. Multiple chariots thunder out of the gate and into the arena. War horses strain against the harnesses, pulling the chariots that are driven by master charioteers. Amazonian warrior princesses ride behind and with deadly precision hurl spears and volley arrows. One gladiator strays from the circle, ignoring Maximus' order, and is cut down. Maximus shouts once more, "Stay together!”
The instinct to preserve life by running from the terror is strong. But Maximus exerts his authority, compelling the gladiators to resist the impulse to scatter. The chariots circle—closer, closer, ever closer. Spears and arrows rain down on the men's wooden shields. The chariots are about the cinch the knot. At the last possible moment Maximus shouts to the men, “Now!”
The gladiators attack and decimate the Romans who had anticipated a quick victory. Commodus, the evil emperor, caustically remarks to the games organiser: “My memory of Roman history is rusty, but didn't we beat Carthage the first time?” [3]
Whatever comes out that gate, stay together. [4] This is good advice for us as Christians. We have a better chance of survival if we stand firm and if we work together. While Christ is our Saviour, and though He defends His own, He does so through His people united as churches, gathered as worshippers of the Risen Saviour. It is accurate to identify the congregation of the faithful as God’s flock. In this vein, I invite you to recall that the Psalmist has written,
“Know that the LORD, he is God!
It is he who made us, and we are his;
we are his people, and the sheep of his pasture.”
[PSALM 100:3]
We are God’s flock, and He is our Shepherd. You know that Jesus our Lord is identified as “the Great Shepherd of the sheep” [HEBREWS 13:20]. Without the Great Shepherd at the head of the flock, we sheep respond to danger just as sheep always respond to danger—we scatter in terror. United, our Shepherd defends us. Rather than running after multiple sheep fleeing in terror, our Great Shepherd defends all of us as we unite as one flock.
Like a teenager arguing with her mother, you may think you can take care of yourself. You may imagine that you are courageous, that you are bold, but without the presence of the Spirit of Christ, you will flee at the first sign of danger. Peter boldly asserted his courage in the face of danger. In fact, his boldness was so great that all the disciples argued that they could withstand any assault. However, in Scripture, we read, “Jesus said to [the disciples], ‘You will all fall away, for it is written, “I will strike the shepherd, and the sheep will be scattered.” But after I am raised up, I will go before you to Galilee.’ Peter said to him, ‘Even though they all fall away, I will not.’ And Jesus said to him, ‘Truly, I tell you, this very night, before the rooster crows twice, you will deny me three times.’ But he said emphatically, ‘If I must die with you, I will not deny you.’ And they all said the same” [MARK 14:27-31].
I don’t doubt Peter’s desire to stand firm. Nor do I imagine that any of the Eleven present that night intended to be panicked into deserting the Master. However, wanting to stand firm and facing the dragon are two separate things. You see, the Spirit encourages us by enabling us as a flock to stand together. In our own strength we are unable to stand firm—we flee at the first sign of danger, just as the Master has said. For this reason, the Apostle pleads with those who read His missive to make “supplication for all the saints.” Get specific; name names. Don’t be one of those religious dilettantes who is known for praying around the world, and when they have finished, we never know who they prayed for, much less what they requested of God.
There is danger coming toward us, and it will spring upon us without warning. We will be suddenly confronted with threats to our spiritual well-being, and the terrors will appear to come unexpectedly. This is the reason that the Apostle urges those who read this missive, “[Pray] at all times in the Spirit, with all prayer and supplication. To that end, keep alert with all perseverance, making supplication for all the saints” [EPHESIANS 6:18]. You have no idea when the next assault against you or against your fellow Christians; therefore, pray in the Spirit.
Danger faces you who are outside of Christ as surely as it faces us who are His flock. You have no more boldness than we have. When we who follow Christ are united as His flock, He defends us from every harm, delivering us from the assailant. What we Christians do have that those who do not belong to God’s flock are lacking is freedom from condemnation and access to the God of all Creation. You who are outside of Christ, you who are without God and without hope in the world, you, too, can have that access to Christ’s gracious protection and loving care if you receive the gift of life that is offered in Christ, the Son of God. He died because of your sin, and He conquered death so that you may be free. He will give you real life, even today. Believe Him and be saved. Amen.
[1] The Holy Bible: English Standard Version, (Crossway Bibles, Wheaton, IL 2016)
[2] T. Gilovich, V. H. Medvec, “The experience of regret: what when, and why,” Psychological Review 1995 Apr; 102 (2):379-95, National Library of Medicine, The experience of regret: what, when, and why - PubMed (nih.gov), accessed 21 February 2022
[3] YouTube Clip of “Gladiator,” https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aQ_gLof5ifM, accessed 14 July 2021
[4] This particular illustration is suggested by Mark Buchanan, “The Good Fight,” Leadership, 2004, Fall, http://www.christianitytoday.com/le/2004/004/23.52.html, accessed 15 January 2021
