The Weapons of our Warfare
It seems our world has been under increasing spiritual attack in the last months. It’s hard to remember when it all started, but the attack on reality itself is gathering no small amount of steam.
We are told by our betters that love means hate, that a man can be anything he wants to be, including a woman, or neither, that you must get with the program or be shouted out of polite society, and we must celebrate perversity and delusion. Or else.
It reminds me of these texts in 1 Corinthians:
1Co 1:18 ¶ For the preaching of the cross is to them that perish foolishness; but unto us which are saved it is the power of God.
1Co 1:20 Where is the wise? where is the scribe? where is the disputer of this world? hath not God made foolish the wisdom of this world? 21 For after that in the wisdom of God the world by wisdom knew not God, it pleased God by the foolishness of preaching to save them that believe.
The course of the argument in 1 Corinthians has Paul showing the Corinthians how their party spirits reflected the wisdom of the world, reminding them that true wisdom only comes from God, and spiritual peace and success comes only from submission to God.
What our world needs now, more than anything, is the peace and hope our Lord Jesus offers. All the anxieties and anger that produce various forms of human rebellion melt away when a soul submits to God.
As our world churns in the turmoil of its foolishness (they call it wisdom), we wonder how we can stand up against it. Interestingly, some call for boycotts and in some select instances they seem to have worked. The marketplace is punishing some select purveyors of delusion for preaching their gospel of irrationality.
We may applaud those individual victories, and to a limited extent join with them. The trouble is, almost all corporate entities have joined the fray on the side of insanity. You can find woke nonsense at every turn.
Should we make boycotting and protesting the first line of our attack? Or is there a better way?
Last week we held the Annual Meeting of the Foundations Baptist Fellowship International at Faith Baptist Bible College and Theological Seminary in Ankeny, Iowa. Our theme was “Reclaiming the Great Commission.”
The conference was a real shot in the arm, with speaker after speaker pointing us to spreading the gospel as the default mindset of our public life. The main speakers preached on these topics:
- Kevin Schaal: “Do the work of an evangelist – 2 Tim 4.5”
- Jim Berg: “Equipping God’s people to disciple – 2 Tim 3.16-17”
- Dennis Wilkening: “Creating a culture of evangelism – Mk 1.16-18”
- Tim Potter: “The organic, spiritual lifestyle of the church – Titus”
- Jim Tillotson: “A lesson on evangelism – John 4”
- Nathan Mestler: “I will build my church – Mt 16.18”
- Josh Crockett: “Home evangelism – Mk 5.1-20”
In addition, the workshop speakers encouraged us with lessons on similar themes. We needed this.
If we read the headlines, listen to the news, follow the breathless announcers on our favored media platforms, it is easy to get a defeatist attitude about our world. Yes, we know that the world lies in the hands of the wicked one, and we know the world is opposed to our Lord Jesus. But we have something the world does not have.
1Co 1:26 ¶ For ye see your calling, brethren, how that not many wise men after the flesh, not many mighty, not many noble, are called: 27 But God hath chosen the foolish things of the world to confound the wise; and God hath chosen the weak things of the world to confound the things which are mighty;
Paul elsewhere reminds us:
2Co 10:4 (For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal, but mighty through God to the pulling down of strong holds;
Don’t think we will succeed in the battle against evil by using the weapons of this world. Rather, think what can be the outcome if we succeed in preaching the gospel and loving sinners to Jesus Christ. One stronghold at a time, we can win an eternal victory over the forces of darkness.
Over the next while we will publish the messages from our conference on our podcast. They will also become available soon on the conference website I’m told. I encourage you to listen to them, they will raise your spirits and help you get back to the basics of your life for Christ in this world. I’m afraid we’ve laid aside the work of the evangelist for too long. It is time to pick up our tools, open our mouths, and preach the gospel.
One last thing, why don’t you make plans to join us next year at our Annual Meeting at Tri-City Baptist Church, just next to Denver, Colorado? From June 10-12, 2024, we will explore the subject “Called to Summit: Developing Leadership in the Local Church.” It sounds like another tremendous meeting and the time to start planning to attend is now. We’ll see you there.
Don Johnson is the pastor of Grace Baptist Church of Victoria, Victoria, BC, Canada.