Death Part 2: Friendly Death?

In my last blog, I built a case for Death as an enemy. This time I will examine the flip side and thus the title has a question mark in it.

Purpose from Death
Life has a natural rhythm to it. We are born and we start growing physically, mentally, emotionally, and spiritually. By the time we are 20, we have finished growing physically and have a period of time where we have seemingly boundless energy. What if that period never ended?

Workaholics and overachievers might imagine that they would push themselves indefinitely, enjoying their relative invincibility (but isn't that a self-made hell?). But for anyone with even one lazy bone in their body, having forever to accomplish things is actually a curse. Prov. 20:4 states, "A sluggard does not plow in season; so at harvest time he looks but finds nothing."

The truth is that all of us procrastinate to one degree or another. Knowing we have a finite time in which to accomplish the things that matter most to us benefits us in two ways. 1) We accomplish more than we otherwise would. 2) We experience a feeling of purpose in working toward our goals that might be absent if we had an infinite amount of time.

Job 14:5-12 summarizes our mortality nicely:

⁵ Man's days are determined;
you have decreed the number of his months
and have set limits he cannot exceed....

⁷ "At least there is hope for a tree:
If it is cut down, it will sprout again,
and its new shoots will not fail.

⁸ Its roots may grow old in the ground and its stump die in the soil,
⁹ yet at the scent of water it will bud and put forth shoots like a plant.
¹⁰ But man dies and is laid low; he breathes his last and is no more.

¹¹ As water disappears from the sea or a riverbed becomes parched and dry,
¹² so man lies down and does not rise; till the heavens are no more, men will not awake or be roused from their sleep.
In summary, many human beings accomplish far more and experience a sense of purpose during their years of finite life than they otherwise might if they lived on this earth forever.

Death as a Friend for the Suffering

This blog would be incomplete without acknowledging the relief that death can bring to those who are suffering with a terminal illness. Jack Kevorkian became a poster-child for the issue with his "death machine." Recently, Oregon, Washington, and Montana have constitutionally-verified laws that legalize assisted suicide.

Death Removes the Bad People
Let's expand our thinking beyond ourselves and consider the implications to this world if the evil people never died. Is that a world that you want to see? What if the world continued to accumulate the Hitlers, Stalins, Pol Pots, Osama bin Ladens, and Saddam Husseins?

Justice is a huge theme in the Bible. David and many of the prophets cried out for God to judge the wicked. In general, the reality is that evil rulers have rarely held sway for more than a decade or two at most.

2 Peter 2:4-9 summarizes God's ability to judge and hold people accountable. "⁴For if God did not spare angels when they sinned, but sent them to hell, putting them into gloomy dungeons to be held for judgment; ⁵if he did not spare the ancient world when he brought the flood on its ungodly people, but protected Noah, a preacher of righteousness, and seven others; ⁶if he condemned the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah by burning them to ashes, and made them an example of what is going to happen to the ungodly; ⁷and if he rescued Lot, a righteous man, who was distressed by the filthy lives of lawless men ⁸(for that righteous man, living among them day after day, was tormented in his righteous soul by the lawless deeds he saw and heard)— ⁹if this is so, then the Lord knows how to rescue godly men from trials and to hold the unrighteous for the day of judgment, while continuing their punishment."

Most of us have experienced an unruly, combattive, incorrigible, rebellious child. Such children can make my blood boil in anger and yet when I stop to reflect, I also get depressed. This is because such children become teenagers, and eventually adults. However challenging they might be, problems in children are more manageable than in adults. Yet this scripture tells us that God is fully capable of dealing with even the most determined, rebellious, and defiant adult.

The amazing thing is that God even applies this justice righteously, with compassion and love. It is really difficult to take such an attitude toward someone you believe deserves tremendous punishment. How do I know God has this attitude? Jesus' example! After he rants at the Pharisees as a last-ditch effort to get them to repent in Matthew 23, Jesus mourns, "O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, you who kill the prophets and stone those sent to you, how often I have longed to gather your children together, as a hen gathers her chicks under her wings, but you were not willing."

I believe God keeps upping the ante in individuals' lives, trying to get their attention and get them to repent. After a certain point, he is left with no recourse but to end their life as a natural consequence for what they've done. This is perhaps the most merciful act that God could offer someone, and far from the concept of an everlasting hell. Rev. 20:11-15 clearly teaches that people will suffer a finite amount exactly commensurate with their sins.

In sum, Death is a tool in the hands of a just and righteous God to make life liveable and deal with those who choose an evil path and reject him.

Death Brings Humility
Every human being is susceptible to the sin of pride. We naturally get excited about our abilities and eventually grow overconfident in our ability to handle life. I've realized that I need to change the language with which I talk to my kids from "You did it yourself" to "We did it" or "You did it." But a change in language alone won't prevent pride. Humility must be learned. Over and over and over again.

"Meet Joe Black" is an intriguing movie where Death is embodied as Brad Pitt who comes as a visitor to an aging businessman who is not yet ready to let go of life. Death helps us develop humility because we have so little control over it. About the only thing we can do is choose to die early and possibly the manner in which we die. We have no choice about whether or not we die.

The reality is that our lives are very short-lived and we think of ourselves much more highly than we ought. The Psalmist reflected in Psalms 39:4-7,

4 Show me, O LORD, my life's end
and the number of my days;
let me know how fleeting is my life.

5 You have made my days a mere handbreadth;
the span of my years is as nothing before you.
Each man's life is but a breath.

6 Man is a mere phantom as he goes to and fro:
He bustles about, but only in vain;
he heaps up wealth, not knowing who will get it.

7 "But now, Lord, what do I look for?
My hope is in you.

When we consider the duration of our lives and those who have gone before us, we turn to God as our only source of hope. The wisest man ever (Solomon) gained humility in the realization that his destiny is no different than the animals. Ecclesiastes 3 states, "¹⁸ I also thought, 'As for men, God tests them so that they may see that they are like the animals. ¹⁹ Man's fate is like that of the animals; the same fate awaits them both: As one dies, so dies the other. All have the same breath'; man has no advantage over the animal. Everything is meaningless. ²⁰ All go to the same place; all come from dust, and to dust all return."

In Ecclesiastes 9, Solomon exposes the pointless struggle to achieve and accumulate wealth. We certainly cannot take it with us after we die so why go to such bother? Furthermore, living life for yourself will most certainly disqualify you for any afterlife.

³ This is the evil in everything that happens under the sun: The same destiny overtakes all. The hearts of men, moreover, are full of evil and there is madness in their hearts while they live, and afterward they join the dead. ⁴ "Anyone who is among the living has hope"—even a live dog is better off than a dead lion!

⁵ For the living know that they will die, but the dead know nothing;
they have no further reward, and even the memory of them is forgotten.

⁶ Their love, their hate and their jealousy have long since vanished;
never again will they have a part in anything that happens under the sun.

Solomon's warning is clear: figure things out with God while you're still alive! Death is a gift that grants us a measure of humility and shows us our need for God. It reveals who is really in charge, and it ain't me!

Conclusion

I hope this blog has challenged your traditional viewpoint of Death. Death can give purpose and urgency to our lives because we know we have only a limited time. At a deeper level, however, we must realize that this life is simply a test. A finite life grants us a measure of humility that is enough to show us our need for God. Knowing someone who has recently died causes each of us to reconsider our mortality, and that is a good thing. Lastly, because of Death, we can be grateful that evil people inevitably eliminate one another. Thankfully, there are no 30 billion-year-old ugly grudges!

Death part 1: "Fear of Death"

One of my ministers (Scott Green) delivered yet another powerful sermon this past Sunday(11/15/2009). He spoke about the word “goal,” which only appears five times in the Bible. His final point addressed “the goal of faith” in 1 Peter 1:9, which is to dodge death and receive eternal life. I wanted to devote several blog entries to exploring the topic of death. I will attempt to hold to the following outline: 1) the Fear of Death, 2) Death as a Friend, and 3) Choices in Death.

My experience of death has generally not been filled with fear. Various church members died when I was a kid, but at that time as a Seventh-Day Adventist, I already knew that they would remain in the grave and then be resurrected once Jesus came back. Since the only people I knew were SDA’s, death occurred to me as an extra-long nap. However, I did have great fear of leaving the SDA denomination because then the magic formula would no longer work. As a child, I pondered how our neighbors could possibly live their lives without the absolute security that they would receive eternal life when they died.

A large number of my relatives passed away in my teens and twenties (1990-96) and my parents were very positive role models in how to face each situation without being in denial. The first was my 99-year-old Grandma Leiske who had literally experienced the horse and buggy days. Sadly, the second was her daughter, my great Auntie Myrna, who died in her 60’s having enjoyed her multiple grandchildren for only a few short years. The third was my second cousin Michael Wiggins, who was cut down at the age of 24, tragically leaving a grieving wife and his two parents who happened to teach at the same college that I attended. Fourth was my Aunt Carol, who contracted multiple myeloma in her early 50’s and thankfully made good use of the several years she had to bond with us and then say goodbye. Right before I graduated in 1997, my maternal grandmother died of liver disease caused by longstanding alcoholism. I viewed this as a mixed blessing for my mom, who fought to love an alcoholic woman who did not choose to love her back. After a five-year respite, my paternal grandmother died at 88, and my paternal grandfather a couple of years later at 93.

A final incident worth mentioning was the death of David Beale at age 18 or 19 the week before school started my sophomore year in college. He was an incoming freshman who had already become good friends with my roommate (and now brother-in-law) Brandon Sanders, who was also starting college that year. The entire campus was sobered by this tragic incident that occurred exactly as the school year started, but I had a unique vantage point from knowing Brandon and encountering his grief, sadness, and questions. Looking back, I’ve wondered if this was a spiritual watershed moment. That year Brandon and I had many talks about God and both embarked on a deep search for spiritual understanding.

An individual’s teens and twenties are often very formative for their belief system and personal growth, and mine was no exception. I struggled mightily to understand the meaning of life and experienced some very high highs and some low lows. In that period of life, I was unattached to a very large degree and I recall visiting a very large waterfall in eastern Washington. I started with fascination at the rushing water that fell hundreds of feet and felt like I just wanted to get swept away with it and be one with it. There was no fear of death for me at that moment because it was irrelevant to the feeling. Such bravado! But to what end? I do not think it is coincidental that we send our 18 to 25-year-olds to fight our wars.

Depression affected me rather strongly in 1999-2000. God used it to help me develop humility and see my need for him. But I’ll never forget counting the cost with the brothers. Scott Green asked me, “If you were to die today, where would you go?” At that moment, I felt very depressed and didn’t really care where I went—I just knew that I wanted to live for God. Looking back, my answer showed that I was in denial of my mortality. It was along the lines of, “It’s really up to God, I’m in his hands. If he sends me to hell, then I accept that.” That was a huge step for me because having grown up going to church, I had never honestly considered being truly “lost” and separated from God. At the same time, you can see the shreds of denial to which I still clung. After getting baptized in order to be saved and forgiven from my sins, I’ve gotten more in touch with how I do deserve to be separated from God. It is indeed a scary thought, but it keeps things real.

On a daily basis, I do not emotionally fear death—I’m focused on living a life for God! But at a survival level, I wonder how I would react if my life were truly endangered. I nearly drowned when I was five years old. When I took swimming lessons at 10 years old, I could not stand to do the “survival float” because it felt so claustrophobic. My near-drowning clearly made a deep impact on me. There have been many instances since then where I could have died: flipping my VW Rabbit on an icy road at age 16, getting hit by a car while riding a bike with poor brakes at the UW at age 24, and even an SUV narrowly missing me the other morning as I crossed the street at 6:15 am in the rain wearing a black coat.

My greatest fear in death right now centers around what would happen to my wife and kids, who would experience the rest of their lives without a husband and father. They are certainly my greatest vulnerability, the softest part of me. I think especially of my daughters—who would play that irreplaceable safe male role in their lives to give them confidence, security, and love? They each have the potential to become an incredible individual, but what sorts of choices would they make without a dad? I fear that they will turn to men in their teenage years for their security instead of to God. I fear that without a spiritual male role model, they will miss out on fully understanding God, who has both fatherly and motherly characteristics.

It is in this context of my real fears surrounding death that I share Heb 2:14-15. “Since the children have flesh and blood, he [Jesus] too shared in their humanity so that by his death he might destroy him who holds the power of death—that is, the devil—and free those who all their lives were held in slavery by their fear of death.” I have to be careful that my life is not lived in slavery to my fear of death. Jesus came in real flesh and blood, sharing not only our mortality but also our fears that arise out of our vulnerabilities. By facing his fears and dying on the cross, Jesus dealt a death-blow to Satan. It was a paradoxical and unprecedented act. Jesus showed us how to live life full tilt, even in the face of death (see Luke 13:31-35).

American society has taken the fear of death to entirely new levels with Halloween, Hollywood’s scary movies, and the like. Ironically, our society has embraced and glorified death and the fears it engenders. However, if each of us gets real with what we really want, I think it lines up pretty closely with the following scriptures.

“Then death and Hades were thrown into the lake of fire. The lake of fire is the second death” (Rev 20:14). The Bible describes that death itself will be consumed by the lake of fire and for eternity forward, it will no longer exist. What a radical concept to break the life/death duality!

“He will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away” (Rev 21:4). Isn’t this what we all want? God knows us so well. The point that jumped out at me today was the phrase “every tear,” which implies that God knows the reason and source for every pain and tear we have cried. He knows, he understands, and he can’t wait to comfort us and make it all better.

Freedom From Religion (part 2)

In my previous blog, I introduced the Freedom From Religion (FFRF) organization and their polarizing ad campaign. Today I will explore the concept of freedom that the Bible offers and contrast this with what FFRF appears to be offering.

John 8:31-34 describes what I believe to be the real issue of freedom.

To the Jews who had believed him, Jesus said, “If you hold to my teaching, you are really my disciples. Then you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.” They answered him, “We are Abraham’s descendants and have never been slaves of anyone. How can you say that we shall be set free?” Jesus replied, “I tell you the truth, everyone who sins is a slave to sin.”

After his preaching in the synagogue earlier in John 8, some Jews had indeed believed in him, but Jesus called them to actually do something about it and obey his teaching. Instead of following his direction, they proudly claim, “We’re Americans, we live in the land of the free and the home of the brave!” In response, Jesus basically says, “You guys don’t get it. You are a slave to your own sinful nature just like every other human on the planet.”

This is the fundamental human predicament: each of us has voluntarily enslaved ourselves to sin. It might be overeating, pornography, pride, greed, keeping a record of wrongs, drugs, alcohol, selfishness, bitterness, hate, gossip, or any number of things. If we were to take the time to be truly honest with ourselves, we find that each of us could have written Romans 7:14-20.

“We know that the law is spiritual; but I am unspiritual, sold as a slave to sin. I do not understand what I do. For what I want to do, I do not do, but what I hate I do. And if I do what I do not want to do, I agree that the law is good. As it is, it is no longer I myself who do it, but it is sin living in me. I know that nothing good lives in me, that is, in my sinful nature. For I have the desire to do what is good, but I cannot carry it out. For what I do is not the good I want to do; no, the evil I do not want to do—this I keep on doing. Now if I do what I do not want to do, it is no longer I who do it, but it is sin living in me that does it.”

Later on in the same chapter, the Bible says that I am “a prisoner of the law of sin at work within my members.”

When Jesus was speaking to the Jews, they were pretty oblivious to their real spiritual need. Surely this new prophet Jesus had something more exciting to offer than rehashing the concept of sin, the “red thread” of their scriptures. Instead, according to Matthew 1:21, Jesus came to “save his people from their sins” (his name Yeshua means “the LORD saves”).

Today, the FFRF would have us believe that religion is oppressing us and keeping us from being fully self-expressed and living powerful lives. In a sense, I fully agree! The Jews who believed Jesus were tempted to leave it at just that: belief. Religion in America today is pathetic and can be summarized as, “Pray Jesus into your brain and then do whatever you want.” Statistically, divorce among believers (true Christ-ians would follow Matt 19:1-12) is just as high in America as for non-believers. If we could eliminate the powerless religion that holds sway over so many, that would be awesome! Imagine if people either completely disobeyed Jesus or obeyed him wholeheartedly. There would then be a very clear connection between Jesus’ teaching and freedom from sin.

I find it very sad that Dan Barker of the FFRF experienced a powerless religion that could not save its hearers in this world. He rightly rejected it. No one in the church in which I grew up helped me with my sin either. Unfortunately, Dan threw the baby out with the bathwater and rejected God along with the religion. Instead, he made himself into his own god by declaring and inventing his own beliefs as truth. Without anything ultimate, he is proverbially up a creek without a paddle:

• What happens when you die? If you go into nothingness, what was the point of life in this world? I began, I lived, I ended. What a tiny game to play for individuals who are literally geniuses!
• Yes, you can set people free from religion, but how are you going to help them deal with sin and the real problems in their lives?
• Without a “common ultimate” or accountability at the end of our lives, where is the grounds for living a moral life and condemning the Hitlers of this world?
• How do I impress values and morals on my children yet avoid being “god” to them when they come of age? What prevents them from inventing their own morality and becoming the next Hitler?

As an intellectual, I have wrestled with each of these questions. I have also looked down on those who were not “broadminded” enough to even ask these questions. At the end of the day, I’ve realized I just need to humble out and admit I need something beyond myself. I have found that my intellectual ability can be an asset, but it can also be a tremendous liability. 1 Cor 1:18-25 explains that intellectualism most certainly can prevent us from being free.

"For the message of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved, it is the power of God. For it is written, 'I will destroy the wisdom of the wise; the intelligence of the intelligent I will frustrate.' Where is the wise man? Where is the scholar? There is the philosopher of this age? Has not God made foolish the wisdom of the world? For since in the wisdom of God the world through its wisdom did not know him, God was pleased through the foolishness of what was preached to save those who believe. Jews demand miraculous signs and Greeks look for wisdom, but we preach Christ crucified: a stumbling block to Jews and foolishness to Gentiles, but to those whom God has called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God and the wisdom of God. For the foolishness of God is wiser than man’s wisdom, and the weakness of God is stronger than man’s strength."

For myself, I know I have experienced my limits. Like Nietzsche, I chose to destroy myself and rise again, but it was on God's terms and not my own to become an "ubermensch" of my little Todd-world. On 12/15/1999 my sin and my old life were obliterated in the waters of baptism and I rose with Christ to live a new life as a slave to God rather than a slave to myself. I have learned (the hard way :-) that there is victory in surrender, that God's apparent foolishness is exactly what my "enlightened" intellectual mind actually needs.

You know, I think I’ve convinced myself that I appreciate the FFRF’s advertisements. Let’s get rid of the religion and the powerless Santa-Clausy God that they mock. Those things deserve to be mocked. Like Israel on Mount Carmel, let us slay the false ideas that have led us astray and return to the true God who really can save us from our sin and grant us true freedom from our sin.

Freedom From Religion (part 1)

This entry is inspired by the bus advertisements I have seen recently on my commute sponsored by the "Freedom From Religion Foundation." It has a picture of Santa Claus saying, "Yes Virginia, there is no God." While I had to acknowledge the cleverness of the idea, I found myself emotionally incensed as well, to a degree I found surprising.

The sign mocks the idea of a belief in God as childish. It implies that it is more foolish than a belief in Santa Claus (since Santa is delivering the "truth" that has been repressed for so many years).

After calming myself, I took the time this morning to read about the FFRF on wikipedia. The organization is based in Wisconsin but also has a stronghold in Washington. Coincidentally, the FFRF's annual conference for its 13,000 members will be held soon and so apparently the ads serve double-duty as publicity for this, too.

Everyone has a story and I was intrigued to learn about the people behind this ad. Turns out that a talented married couple (Dan Barker and Anne Gaylor) head up this organization. Gaylor helped start the organization in 1978, but at that time Barker was a "Christian" minister believer who did not disavow his belief in God until 1984. Barker has written tons of materials, largely aimed to help people make atheism a normal way of life in a society that still believes. As a member of the Prometheus society, his IQ is at least in the 99.997 percentile.

But I wonder what Dan and Anne's real story is? Humans are emotional creatures. What did they experience in their church? How did Dan's relationship with God evolve over the years before he drew this intellectual conclusion? My hunch is that this information would be very telling.

Personally, 10 years ago, I was headed in a direction where I had already stopped believing the Bible was true. My conclusions were a wild mix of life and political and relational experiences in the church I attended along with my own decisions on what topics I wanted to explore as well as being in relationships and having dialogue with people who had already made similar decisions. We are inevitably impacted by our interactions with others, though ultimately we are all free agents.

Of course, this advertisement is rather polarizing. It is highly unlikely to cause any person to change their convictions because convictions arise from deep thought, research, and conscious decision. At a certain level, I too want America to be free from the powerless, impoverished version of "Christianity" that is far from what Jesus taught and more closely resembles the Phariseeism that he preached against. Though 2 Tim 3:5 was written 2000 years ago, it is very descriptive of what we see today in American religion: "having a form of godliness but denying its power."

I will post now and tomorrow discuss what I consider true freedom and true power from the Bible's perspective. I will also contrast this freedom with the enslavement offered by the FFRF despite its surface claim to the contrary.

The full armor

Scott Green preached a great sermon last week. I was reflecting on it this morning and had some thoughts. The key passage for me was Eph 6:10-20, the classic treatise on the spiritual battle. The first thing Paul addressed was the fact that the struggle is not against the people in our lives (e.g., workmates or family members), but rather against dark spiritual forces. This is the reality. Therefore, we need protection. I did some deeper reflections on each of the armor elements based on my limited knowledge of war as well as my 1.5 years training in kung fu.

Taking your stand
The Bible says, "when the day of evil comes", not IF. All of us will be tested and go through challenges. This is a spiritual reality. I want to work really hard so I can get to an easy point and from then on can relax. But this is not how God set up this life! Days of evil will come my way, often evil of my own making due to my sin, and sometimes others' sin. It is at those moments that I must take my stand.

I want you to reflect with me on the battle and what happens when you stop taking your stand. The Roman army was legendary for having very large shields that formed a nearly impenetrable wall as they advanced. Attackers typically shot the arrows first. With the shields in place and an "advancing" mentality, the soldiers were relatively safe. But think about what happens if everyone gets afraid and turns and runs. Suddenly everyone is vulnerable to the attack of the arrows.

In kung fu, if we could get someone to turn their back to us, then this placed them at a disadvantage and in a vulnerable position. Arms were made to work forwards, not backwards! If I have someone's back to me, suddenly I can do whatever I want to their head and neck and they can do relatively nothing. It's a matter of time before they are on the ground in a submission hold (not that I advanced that far to learn all those techniques :-).

Spiritually speaking, we have to be ready to take our stand. If we flee, we give up ground and eventually the enemy will overtake us. Think about how Europe kept giving up land to Hitler trying to pacify him until Hitler had literally run the opposing armies into the ocean, necessitating D-Day to reestablish that key beachhead!

The great thing about a relationship with God is that he always has our back. Ecclesiastes 4:12 states, "Though one may be overpowered, two can defend themselves. A cord of three strands is not quickly broken." In the body of Christ, we have so many resources to confess, get advice, and get help so that we can take our stand. Individually, we have to take our daily stand against sin. Evangelistically, it is a huge challenge to consistently take a stand alone. That's why Jesus sent us two by two (Mark 6:7).

Evangelistic Feet
Paul urges the Ephesians to possess "feet fitted with the readiness that ocmes from the gospel of peace." Despite multiple attempts, I've really never made a lot of sense of this element until today. My first realization was that the apostles were commissioned and literally sent out on foot to "go make disciples of all nations" (Mt 28:18). Their feet had to be ready to carry them. Location was the biggest barrier between people and the gospel.

Today, we have no such barriers. The world is relatively small. 4 out of 6 billion people on this planet own a cell phone. What needs to be ready is my tongue and mouth. What holds me back? Not being, thinking, & speaking on my feet! Think about it: if you're sitting or lying down, it takes time to get on your feet before you can take action. I was in the grocery store on Friday Nov 6. I ran into a guy I know. It had been a long time since I'd seen him and he'd gone through a lot. I gave him a hug and was warm and loving, which I hope made a difference. But I didn't take any actions that could multiply that love I had for him. Fortunately, God gave me an idea that I should invite him to our Family Group dinner after church on Sunday. 2 minutes later he wheeled his kids around the aisle again past me and I stopped him and we exchanged phone numbers and he expressed an interest. Sometimes we're not ready the first time, but God gives us a second chance if we want to be ready!

Fear holds me back too. But there's a solution: prayer! Paul himself requested prayer in v19-20 that he could proclaim the gospel fearlessly as he should. We all feel fear when we think about whether or not we'll share our faith. But courage is action in the face of fear. At Landmark we did a great exercise that helped me understand that people are just as much or more afraid of me than I of them! If you feel fear, tell yourself and Satan, "I acknowledge my fear and thanks for sharing, now I'm going to obey God and act to make a difference in this world!"

The Importance of Readiness
In kung fu, we worked on our footwork all the time. Why? You stand on your feet. Duh. But what can you do while you're on your feet? Fight. If you're off your feet, it's a grappling battle on the ground and you are much more likely to get hurt. Ultimate Fighting is all about taking out the other guys' legs. In Paul's day, anyone whose leg was injured suddenly became a liability and his buddies had to protect him and get him off the battlefield. It literally took someone out of the attack and the battle in order to help the guy who was off his feet.

This is why evangelism is so key. If we're not on our feet advancing the gospel on a daily basis, we are way more vulnerable to Satan's attacks. Satan wants us to get us off our feet and then it can take a tremendous amount of effort for the Christians around us to get us back on our feet, fighting the fight for others' souls.

When I'm not being evangelistic, I am playing a game that is way too small. Christianity becomes merely a game of church attendance and attempting to stay consistent in reading my Bible and praying. When I considered myself in "top fighting form" is when I was studying the Bible with several guys at the UW. Quiet Times and prayer times and times with brothers were absolutely essential to get strength and get training and stay close to God. I was in touch with the power of sin and Satan's ability to take me out.

I have already confessed to many that I was out of the game, but praise God that I have recently gotten back in the game and in the fight. If you're battling discouragement like I was, if you're not having Quiet Times 7 days a week, if getting to midweek and church early is a constant struggle, then getting back in the evangelistic fight is exactly what you need! Wading back in gradually isn't going to work for you! God wants us to play a much bigger game than simply staying saved ourselves. God is a genius--he knows that we do much better spiritually when we're unconcerned for ourselves and concerned for others. I naturally do way better spiritually when I am considering and meeting others' needs above my own.

Let's stay on our feet so that we can fight with our sword, which is the word of God!

The Shield of Faith
Faith is an amazing tool. The Bible explicitly says that it can extinguish the flaming arrows of the evil one. I naturally think of this applying to myself. My faith helps me overcome the evil thoughts and insecurities and fears that come to my mind throughout the day.

But this morning I considered how my faith can be a shield for others. Jesus acknowledged the faith of the paralytic's friends in Mark 2:5. Galatians 6 states, "carry each other's burdens" (v2) but also that "each one should carry his own load" (v5). I realized that my faith can literally be a shield for someone who is off their feet, who is being attacked by Satan's arrows. I cannot shield them indefinitely, but for a time I can certainly lend a hand. When I'm in a conversation with someone and I see a flaming arrow Satan has put into their minds, I can literally say something based on my faith and extinguish it for them. God can use our little faith the size of a mustard seed to disarm powerful weapons Satan is trying to use against others!

Shields can also be used as weapons. In particular, fight scenes from "Gladiator" come to mind for some reason, but also from Prince Caspian when Peter fights the evil Miraz. Sometimes we may not know the perfect scripture that applies to a situation. Sometimes we're literally out of practice in our use of the "sWord of God." However, our faith can still be an effective weapon. I love Tom Jones' mind change formula, which goes: "Situation blah, blah, blah and excuse blah blah blah--but God." He acknowledges the situation and then by faith brings God into the picture, which totally changes everything.

Conclusion
May we all enter our days fitted with the full armor of God. If you're not on your feet, then call someone and get help getting back up so you can fight the good fight of faith and finish the race!