Faith in Action By Andrea Marino I believe God’s people are not to be submissive in the face of evil. In righteous anger, Jesus overturned tables in front of the Synagogue, confronting those who were robbing people not only of money but of the truth as to who His Father is. We are to be a people of prayer, first and foremost, but that does not release us from taking a stand against the reality of evil attempting to overtake the very teachings of God. As natural as it comes to do things our way when in battle, we do best to go by the Lord’s commands, remembering all battles belong to Him. Still, God works through His people to accomplish great things–even to use a mere slingshot and stone. Too often I hear good Christian people urging others to just ‘move on’ when life does not go the way it should, when it really appears the evil has won. I can’t accept the wrongdoings that are in fact horrors being committed on human beings, lives that God created. I don’t agree with ‘chalking up’ these horrors to “politics as usual” and I believe there are actions we can take to fight the good fight against the Luciferian spirit operating in our world. (2 Corinthians 4:4) There is an occasion for every activity under heaven, a time for peace, and a time for war (Ecclesiastes 3:8). The Israelites journeyed to the Promised Land through many battles. God gave His people “rules” for war, which included a
peaceful invitation to join this nation of people. (Deuteronomy 20) Strategies were also given, such as marching around a city for six days, on the seventh, blasting a ram’s-horn for walls to come tumbling down. The victory followed obedience. Joshua, Chapter 7, describes the initial defeat of the land of Ai for not doing as He commanded. Apart from God, man can do virtually nothing worthwhile. (John 15:5) This is one fact all Christians must come to embrace. Although King Saul was hunting down David to take his life, David did not seek revenge and did not kill Saul when the opportunity arose. Instead, David cut off a piece of Saul’s robe. In a second chance to kill Saul, who had fallen into a deep sleep along with his army, (a slumber, orchestrated by the Lord), again, David did not kill Saul, taking only the sword by Saul’s head. What I find intriguing is, the first time Saul realized David had spared his life, he wept aloud, admitting to David that he was more righteous than himself. The second time David spared Saul’s life, Saul confessed sin in an understanding that his life was precious. (1 Samuel 24:11,16-18, 26:21) Doesn’t God want all people to know that He values them and that their life possesses worth? It is amazing how miracles happen through our acts of obedience to the Lord, how combined with the mercy and love of God, first shown to us, there is a real catalyst for changing the heart.
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