“Be of good courage and he shall strengthen your heart, all ye that hope in the LORD” (Psalm 31:24).

In these final days prior to Jesus calling Christians Home in the Rapture, wickedness is growing strong. Even though the wickedness of Satan is manifest in the hearts of mankind, Christians are called to stand upon God’s word in spite of what’s going on in the world. Many Christians confuse caring for sinners with accepting and condoning sin. There’s a supernatural battle raging in this world, and it’s time for Christians to stop walking on the side of the enemy. Many who claim to be Christians are cowardly lions who skulk in the background, trying not to cause trouble.

Are you so afraid of being accused of being judgmental that you forget to discern what is and isn’t sin?

Scripture defines what is right and what is wrong, and that’s our guide. Our cowardice gives Satan the advantage. Schools teach the lie of evolution, and cowardly Christians keep silent. Schools teach sex education to kindergarteners, and cowardly lions keep silent. Schools teach gender choice, and cowardly lions keep silent. Libraries have transgender story time, and cowardly Christians keep silent. Government finances the murder of babies, and cowardly lions keep silent.

These things and more are all influenced by Satan, and courageous Christians need to stand against them. If you don’t stand for God, you stand for Satan.

“For though we walk in the flesh, we do not war after the flesh: (for the weapons of our warfare are not carnal, but mighty through God to the pulling down of strongholds;) casting down imaginations, and every high thing that exalteth itself against the knowledge of God, and bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ” (2 Corinthians 10:3-5).

Our cowardly ways need to be replaced with courage through the power of the Holy Spirit. Where are the courageous Christians who aren’t daunted by the liberals who promote the lusts of the flesh? Because Christians have become cowardly lions, we’ve allowed every form of evil to be accepted as normal. We’ve allowed evil to be called good for too long.

Christians have been known as the silent majority because we’re afraid to speak up for Christian values. We deny Christ rather than endanger friendships or upset those who embrace sin.

Jesus is called the Lion of the Tribe of Judah, so why are His followers cowardly lions? Jesus didn’t hesitate when He laid down His life for our redemption, but most Christians refuse to sacrifice carnal lust and live for Him.

“I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service. And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God. For I say, through the grace given unto me, to every man that is among you, not to think of himself more highly than he ought to think; but to think soberly, according as God hath dealt to every man the measure of faith” (Romans 12:1-3). 

Brothers and sisters, are you afraid to speak up? Do you accept the ways of the world and keep silent about God’s truth?

I’m not talking about standing on a street corner with a sign which says “Repent for the end is in sight” or angrily confronting those who embrace sin. I’m talking about holding schools accountable for teaching evil. I’m talking about not voting for candidates who support sin. I’m also talking about having an answer for the hope within you.

Jesus publicly came against many things, such as corruption among the religious leaders, and He publicly healed people; but when a Pharisee named Nicodemus came to Him privately to ask questions, Jesus had answers. Jesus told him he had to be born again. As Christians we need to be able to explain that fact to someone who asks us questions.

“But and if ye suffer for righteousness’ sake, happy are ye: and be not afraid of their terror, neither be troubled; but sanctify the Lord God in your hearts: and be ready always to give an answer to every man that asketh you a reason of the hope that is in you with meekness and fear: Having a good conscience; that, whereas they speak evil of you, as of evildoers, they may be ashamed that falsely accuse your good conversation in Christ” (1 Peter 3:14-16).

The word “conversation” means much more than how you talk. It comes from the Greek word “anastrofe” which means the way you conduct your life. If you’re unequally yoked in relationships and live with one foot in the world, you’ll never be the courageous Christian God would have you be. If you live your life so nobody sees Christ living in you, then you are one of the cowardly lions.

Satan is a lot of show. He’s a loudmouth, and you can hear his whining voice every time a liberal speaks against Christian morality and promotes sin.

Unless a Christian studies Scripture, is certain of God’s truth, and lives by God’s standards, fear can overpower us and keep us silent. We need to compare our words and actions to Scripture and not allow Satan to gain a toehold into our lives.

“Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour” (1 Peter 5:8).

Satan roars and makes a big noise because he wants to destroy Christians. Christians forget that he was defeated at the cross by Jesus Christ. Courageous Christians will stand against the wiles of the devil. Write God’s word on your heart and live your life as a testimony. Satan and his minions will do all they can to destroy your faith, but if you’re alert to his wiles you won’t fall to his attacks.

The question is, how do we go from being cowardly lions to being the courageous Christians we need to be?

First, recognize that the fight we face is spiritual. Spiritual warfare needs spiritual weapons. There’s no excuse for any Christian to lose courage in the face of the enemy. God has given us the weapons we need. When you accepted Christ, you accepted His will for your life. Lay aside the sin you’ve repented of and follow Him. Sin will always weaken you.

“And you hath he quickened, who were dead in trespasses and sins; wherein in time past ye walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that now worketh in the children of disobedience: among whom also we all had our conversation in times past in the lusts of our flesh, fulfilling the desires of the flesh and of the mind; and were by nature the children of wrath, even as others” (Ephesians 2:1-3).

Jesus Christ gave His life in order to redeem this fallen world. Every person sins, but Christians know that sin leads to eternal death and have asked to be forgiven. That forgiveness isn’t a license to continue embracing sin. Be courageous and stand against sin. Our way of life needs to glorify God, not Satan. Once we recognize that the battle is supernatural, we need to be armed with the weapons of this spiritual war. God gave us the weapons we need. The Holy Spirit indwells us, so that’s our first defense.

We’ve all seen movies with knights of the realm riding into battle. Every one of them has armor and knows how to use their weapons.

“Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord, and in the power of his might. Put on the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil” (Ephesians 6:10-11).

We are the warriors for Jesus…Christian soldiers marching to war. The weapons of our battle are spiritual, and we need to know how to use each one.

“Put on the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil. For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places” (Ephesians 6:11-12).

Training in the use of the weapons begins with studying Scripture and learning how godly men relied on God. David had no fear of the giant Goliath because David understood how to use his weapon. Meanwhile, the army fearfully cowered in the hills. The battle begins by getting rid of the high places of pagan worship which reside in your own heart. These things compromise your walk with God, and lure you to let down your guard. Put on God’s righteousness and learn to use His weapons.

“Stand therefore, having your loins girt about with truth, and having on the breastplate of righteousness; and your feet shod with the preparation of the gospel of peace; above all, taking the shield of faith, wherewith ye shall be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked. And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God: praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, and watching thereunto with all perseverance and supplication for all saints” (Ephesians 6:14-18).

These are the spiritual weapons we need to put on, learn to use, and never take off. These were the weapons Paul used to win souls to Christ. He was not a cowardly lion. Still, there was one more weapon he needed from others. Prayer.

“And for me, that utterance may be given unto me, that I may open my mouth boldly, to make known the mystery of the gospel, for which I am an ambassador in bonds: that therein I may speak boldly, as I ought to speak” (Ephesians 6:19-20).

Paul was very bold in his service to Jesus, but the one thing he asked was that fellow Christians pray for him to speak boldly. If he needed prayer for boldness, so do we. Pray for each other so we can all stand together as courageous Christians.

Battles are won by trained soldiers. If you ignore the weapons of the spiritual battle and leave them to rust, you’ll always be a cowardly lion. Put the armor on and don’t take it off, and you will be a courageous Christian.

God bless you all,

Nathele Graham

twotug@embarqmail.com

www.straitandnarrowministry.com

ron@straitandnarrowministry.com

Ron and Nathele Graham’s previous commentaries archived at https://www.raptureready.com/featured/graham/graham.html

All original scripture is “theopneustos” – God breathed.

If you’d like to be on my mailing list to receive the commentaries, just drop me an email and let me know.

Nobody likes to be around someone who cheats. Whether playing a game or taking a test, cheating isn’t right. It especially isn’t right when you cheat on God.

Is that possible? Yes, it’s very possible, and Christians do it all the time. At some point, every Christian realized that sin ruled their life. When you realized that truth, you repented and asked Christ to forgive your sin. Repent means to change your mind about sin. You realized that what you once thought was just a lifestyle or a choice that’s acceptable in society was actually sin and against God’s ways.

Sin separates us from God, and the sin you embraced was dragging you down to eternal death. You may have read something that convicted you of your sin, or someone may have said the right thing that made it clear that you needed forgiveness from Jesus.

“But now being made free from sin, and become servants to God, ye have your fruit unto holiness, and the end everlasting life. For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord” (Romans 6:22-23).

You accepted His sacrifice and your sins are forgiven, but temptation crosses your path. If you willingly and continually follow the path of sin, you’re cheating on God. If your life of sin means more to you than your life with Christ, then your heart is still the same old heart of stone, and you haven’t allowed Christ to change you.

Scripture is the guide to use in drawing closer to God…to knowing His heart and His will. The Bible is very clear about the things that keep you separate from God, so study Scripture daily. When tempted to sin, turn to Scripture to help you turn away from it. How would you feel if you were about to go into surgery, and you found out your doctor had cheated on his medical exams? That would make you doubt that he was a true doctor and not trust him. In the same way, how can a professing Christian embrace sin and cheat on God? That’s somewhat of an oxymoron.

Do you see the problem with saying you’ve accepted Christ for salvation but then choosing to continue in sin? Your heart should have changed when you accepted His sacrifice, and your life should reflect that change. If there’s no difference in your life now than before you repented, there’s a good chance you haven’t truly accepted Him.

We will never achieve His standard of perfection while living on this side of Heaven, but sin should have lost its appeal. After coming to Jesus, you need to submit to Him in obedience. You can’t submit to Christ and submit to sin at the same time. That’s being double-minded.

“Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you” (James 4:7).

If you keep Christ first in your thoughts, you won’t have a chance to be tempted by sin. If sin does pull at you and tempt you, make the choice to submit to Christ.

How would you feel if someone you care about deeply, such as a spouse, professed love for you but then you found out this person was living a double life? Maybe a wife finds out her husband is seeing another woman, or vice versa. Would you just shrug your shoulders and go on? No, that would be accepting the unacceptable. The deceitful spouse has betrayed the one they made a vow to love, honor, and cherish. In the same way, embracing sin is cheating on God. You asked Him to forgive your sin, but you still hold on to that sin. You cannot plead ignorance because He has given us Scripture as a guide.

How do you stop being double-minded?

“Draw nigh to God, and he will draw nigh to you. Cleanse your hands, ye sinners; and purify your hearts, ye double minded” (James 4:8).

When you draw near to God, you move away from the sin that has ruled your life. We will never be completely free from sin until we shed this mortal body, but until then we need to resist sin. That’s not easy because sometimes Satan wraps sin in a pretty package that hides the ugliness that is hidden under the pretty paper and ribbon. Sin is ugly. As you draw nearer to God, you won’t be fooled by the pretty wrappings. The closer you draw to God, the less you’ll be tempted to fall into sin. Whether you live together with your “significant other,” continually tell lies, or have murdered someone, you’re cheating on God when you hold onto sin.

“Neither yield ye your members as instruments of unrighteousness unto sin: but yield yourselves unto God, as those that are alive from the dead, and your members as instruments of righteousness unto God. For sin shall not have dominion over you: for ye are not under the law, but under grace” (Romans 6:13-14).

Amazing grace saves sinners like you and me! Draw closer to Jesus and sin will lose its power over you.

Only by the grace of God are we forgiven of sin. When you realized that you’re a sinner in need of the Saviour, you asked Him to forgive you, and even the angels rejoiced over your salvation. Once you’ve taken that first big step, you need to grow in your faith. You need to learn God’s desire and apply it to your life. That means that even though you’ve been forgiven of your sin you can’t continue in it.

“What shall we say then? Shall we continue in sin that grace may abound? God forbid. How shall we, that are dead to sin, live any longer therein?” (Romans 6:1-2).

Scripture is your guide, and prayer will keep you communicating with God. Talk to Him and listen for His answer. He will never tell you to do something contrary to Scripture. If you sincerely accepted Christ, then the Holy Spirit dwells within you and it’s important to listen to His promptings. He will lead you away from sin and closer to God.

As you draw closer to God, you’ll discover that sin isn’t as much fun as the desire to sin makes it seem. For instance, a person who continually becomes drunk will eventually realize that the hangover the next day isn’t worth the “fun.” Drinking alcohol isn’t a sin, but drunkenness is. When you’re drunk, you have no control over your actions, and that can lead to more sin. Turn from the desires of the flesh that lead to sin.

“Now the works of the flesh are manifest, which are these; adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lasciviousness, idolatry, witchcraft, hatred, variance, emulations, wrath, strife, seditions, heresies, envyings, murders, drunkenness, revellings, and such like: of the which I tell you before, as I have also told you in time past, that they which do such things shall not inherit the kingdom of God” (Galatians 5:19-21). 

This is a short list of sins that get between you and God. Look up those words in a good concordance and see which of them have a hold on you. Then, turn away from them. Christianity isn’t a list of rules, but it is a way of life. Jesus Christ is our example, and your life should reflect Him.

“And said to them all, If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow me” (Luke 9:23). 

When faced with a choice to sin or not, remember to take up your cross and choose to follow Him. Christ bore your sins on the cross when He was crucified. Submit to God and let Him lead you away from temptation. Your obedience may even help someone else to step away from sin. Instead of meeting for drinks, why not invite your friends to a potluck? That way you can enjoy each other’s company and have a conversation. Maybe you can talk about Jesus and lead a friend to salvation. This isn’t trying to do works in order to maintain your salvation. Works cannot save you. It is honoring God to ask Him to help you turn from sin and being a witness to others.

When you sin, and it happens to even the most devout Christian, there is a remedy. Ask God to forgive you.

“If we confess our sins he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness” (1 John 1:9).

A bit of anger may slip into your mind, or you might be provoked to say some words that aren’t very nice. These might not seem like sins, but Jesus likened anger to murder. When we begin to see things from God’s perspective our understanding of sin will change. Instead of an attitude of “I’m forgiven so I can do what I want,” you’ll be more inclined to feel remorse when you allow your carnal attitudes to come between you and Jesus.

When Jesus was crucified, He took all of your sin upon Himself. He did this willingly because He loves you.

“Knowing this, that our old man is crucified with him, that the body of sin might be destroyed, that henceforth we should not serve sin” (Romans 6:6).

Now it’s time to take up your cross, die to self, and live for Him. Look at sin from God’s point of view and try to please Him, not the world. Jesus will always forgive, but you need to repent and allow His love to live in you and through you rather than the “old man” who is ruled by the flesh.

“Likewise reckon ye also yourselves to be dead indeed unto sin, but alive unto God through Jesus Christ our Lord. Let not sin therefore reign in your mortal body, that ye should obey it in the lusts thereof” (Romans 6:11-12).

When you hold hands with Satan and walk in the world, you’re cheating on God. Stop cheating and begin honoring Him with your life.

God bless you all,

Nathele Graham

twotug@embarqmail.com

www.straitandnarrowministry.com

ron@straitandnarrowministry.com

Ron and Nathele Graham’s previous commentaries archived at https://www.raptureready.com/featured/graham/graham.html

All original scripture is “theopneustos” – God breathed.

If you’d like to be on my mailing list to receive the commentaries, just drop me an email and let me know.