12 For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms. 13 Therefore put on the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand. Ephesians 6:12-13 (NIV)

I have intended to write this blog article for the past 2 weeks, but now it just so happens that I’m writing it the day after the horrific terrorist attack in Paris, France. Today, “who is our/your enemy?” could easily be answered by many to be ISIS, the evil movement of Islamic radical terrorists. And from a”flesh and blood”, human standpoint that may very well be true. But as a Christian, I would remind other believers that the Bible clearly teaches that behind all evil is a powerful, evil being called Satan or the Devil. (Now I know that at this point some will roll their eyes and think “Man, what an unsophisticated and ignorant rube this guy is to believe that there is a devil!”) That’s OK, think what you want; our culture has successfully relegated the Devil to a harmless cartoon figure with a red suit and pitchfork. But, also realize you are calling Jesus himself ignorant and unsophisticated, since Jesus identified Satan consistently as his and our adversary. At the beginning of his earthly ministry, Jesus was tempted by the Devil for 40 days in the wilderness, and at the end had to refute Satan’s false temptations for power and control by quoting scripture. (Luke 4:1-13) Jesus clearly taught that Satan was a powerful fallen angel who desires to discourage us and draw us away from God’s message of love and forgiveness and new life, and instead wants us to live in fear, darkness,and hatred, with his ultimate goal being our spiritual destruction and separation from God’s love for eternity! When the zealot Pharisee Saul was persecuting and killing the early Christians, Jesus confronted him on the road to Damascus and called him to become his most successful missionary, telling him: 15 …’I am Jesus, whom you are persecuting,’ the Lord replied. 16 ‘Now get up and stand on your feet. I have appeared to you to appoint you as a servant and as a witness of what you have seen of me and what I will show you. 17 I will rescue you from your own people and from the Gentiles. I am sending you to them 18 to open their eyes and turn them from darkness to light, and from the power of Satan to God, so that they may receive forgiveness of sins and a place among those who are sanctified by faith in me.’ Acts 26:15-18 (NIV)

So if Satan is real and his goal is our spiritual destruction, how do we resist him? Paul’s passage above is from the book of Ephesians, written while Paul was in a Roman prison for preaching the gospel of Jesus. Paul tells us that in every generation, there is the obvious evil in the world we see around us, but there is also a very real spiritual realm above and around us where this spiritual battle is being fought by God’s angels against Satan and his demons (fallen evil angels). The battle is for our very souls, with Satan’s goal to destroy us and keep us in the darkness, away from God and his forgiveness, hope, and new life. So Paul looks around at the familiar armor of the Roman soldier and uses that as an analogy of the “spiritual armor” God gives us:
13 Therefore put on the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand. 14 Stand firm then, with the belt of truth buckled around your waist, with the breastplate of righteousness in place, 15 and with your feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace. 16 In addition to all this, take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one. 17 Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God. 18 And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests. With this in mind, be alert and always keep on praying for all the saints. Ephesians 6:13-18 (NIV)
For Christians, this spiritual battle is an an ongoing, every day battle to resist Satan and focus on God and his plans to use us. Paul tells us to “stand our ground”, which is military terminology to not retreat, but rather stand strong against great opposition! Our spiritual weapons begin with the truth of God, as opposed to Satan, whom Jesus calls a liar and the father of lies (John 8:44). Righteousness means that we now have a right relationship with God by accepting Jesus and his forgiveness. Peace comes from knowing that Jesus loves us and saved us, so we can face evil unafraid. Faith is trusting your whole life and future to Jesus, which allows us to effectively block the “flaming arrows” of Satan, such as doubt, lust, despair, vengeance, problems, trial and temptations, etc. Salvation, knowing we are saved from sin by Jesus, protects our thinking and helps us to be transformed daily by the renewing of our minds to think more like Jesus. The word of God is an effective offensive weapon, used by the Holy Spirit to transform us and others as we share the truth from scripture. (II Timothy 3:16-17) Finally, prayer wraps it all up and brings our lives before God daily, helping us to remember we belong to Him and don’t have to fear Satan and the evil of the world.

Finally, knowing the source of all evil in the world, how do we as Christians respond to those who perpetuate evil in our world today? First, in the material “flesh and blood” world we live in, we should join others in resisting evil, oppression and injustice in whatever forms they present themselves. We should stand with the poor and oppressed and help all to have a life of opportunity and freedom. There will always be injustice and oppression in our fallen world, and Christians should lead in helping others out of poverty and oppression. But on the second, and deeper spiritual level, we need to go farther yet. Knowing that Satan desires to keep us all away from Jesus and his offer of forgiveness and new life in the Kingdom of God forever, we need to pray for each other, and ALL people, that they would respond spiritually to God’s love through Jesus! People can have all the money and freedom in the world, but still be lost spiritually and miserable, filled with fear and hopelessness. If we only help people with the physical battles in life, but not the spiritual, they will ultimately lose. Jesus calls us to pray for and love ALL people, especially our “enemies”:
43 “You have heard that it was said, ‘Love your neighbor and hate your enemy.’ 44 But I tell you: Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, 45 that you may be sons of your Father in heaven. He causes his sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous. 46 If you love those who love you, what reward will you get? Are not even the tax collectors doing that? 47 And if you greet only your brothers, what are you doing more than others? Do not even pagans do that? 48 Be perfect, therefore, as your heavenly Father is perfect. – Matthew 5:43-48 (NIV)
That means praying for the “worst of the worst”, even those under the darkness of a horrendous ideology such as ISIS. I read recently of a young ISIS fighter who went to a refugee camp with the intent of coming to Europe or America to cause destruction. The camp was run by Christian people who treated him with compassion and love. He had never experienced anything like that before, and it changed his life and he became a follower of Jesus! Now he prays for protection from other ISIS fighters who wish to kill him. Remember, Jesus loves EVERY human being on earth, and our calling is to pray for them and introduce them to Jesus. Certainly many will not respond, and will be lost to Satan. But our job is to reach as many as possible with the good news of Jesus’ love and forgiveness, inviting others into the Kingdom of God. Stand strong, resist the devil, and he will flee from you. And Jesus calls us to fearlessly help others and invite them to join in God’s Kingdom of love and light. Will you respond to God’s call to live fearlessly, and boldly reach out to others lost in the darkness?

Last week my wife CJ and I were taking a fall walk in the beautiful state forest behind our home, and as we got to an open meadow area, we noticed several buzzards circling above us. To “seniors”, this is not an encouraging sign, and we joked about needing to pick up our pace! Since we both have now entered into retirement and can legally get discounts at restaurants & theaters, we notice a certain pattern in the conversation of friends. It almost always deals with our aches & body pains, the medications we take, and other physical and mental limitations or deterioration! I love golf, and this summer I played with many different “seniors” of various abilities. The common mantra was “I can’t hit it as far as I used to”. I played in 2 multi-day golf outings this fall ( both within a week), and found that for we seniors, 18 holes in a cart was enough golf for the day. After that, we got tired & played worse & got cranky with each other. Of course, we all bragged of the “good old days”; I mentioned that when I was a kid I used to WALK 54 holes in one day! The problem is, I’m not a kid anymore, and all the super vitamins and secret exercise routines are not going to bring those days back!

So how do we deal with the fact that the “end-game” of all this is that you and I are going to die? (Sorry to be such a downer, but let’s face reality, people!) Some folks deny reality & get face lifts & tummy tucks, and some just sit around and watch TV and grumble about how life used to be better. Others are more pro-active and plan the future they have left. Some good friends in our church small group have “5-year plans”, and adjust after 5 years for their financial and physical situation. Many seniors are very active, walking, biking, playing golf & tennis, pickle-ball, and other activities, and keep in as good a shape as they can. Others take a “bucket-list” approach to life. They make a list of things they’ve always wanted to do, and they try to accomplish them while they are still able. We’ve always kidded “snow-birds” about escaping winter to go south to Florida or other destinations, but this year CJ and I are succumbing and taking a month-long trip to the senior “mecca” of the Villages in Florida. While many of these approaches to the rest of our life are positive, many seniors are filled with fear, bitterness, and hopelessness about the future. They are angry at their kids or their health situation; they vow to selfishly spend all their remaining money and resources on themselves, and they have no hope or faith in a life beyond this one. What a sad way to end your life on earth!

For Christians, this is NOT the way we are called to end our lives! Jeremiah 29:11 (NIV) says, 11 For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the LORD, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future. This promise was not just for our present life, but for a future, eternal life with God as well! God promised that all who believe in Jesus and trust their lives to him will live forever in His Kingdom! So, we live our present lives not just for ourselves, but as servants of God to bring others into the Kingdom with us! When Paul was in prison for preaching the gospel, he longed for the next life, knowing it would be even better; but he also recognized that as long as he was here, he could serve Jesus & spread the Kingdom:
Philippians 1:21-26 (NIV)
21 For to me, to live is Christ and to die is gain. 22 If I am to go on living in the body, this will mean fruitful labor for me. Yet what shall I choose? I do not know! 23 I am torn between the two: I desire to depart and be with Christ, which is better by far; 24 but it is more necessary for you that I remain in the body. 25 Convinced of this, I know that I will remain, and I will continue with all of you for your progress and joy in the faith, 26 so that through my being with you again your joy in Christ Jesus will overflow on account of me.”
Paul reminded us that that the end of our life is not just for pleasure and fulfilling our “bucket-list” desires, but for sharing our encouragement, resources, and prayers with those around us. We have time and resources to help the hurting, to pray for others, to invite others to follow Jesus and enter into His Kingdom! We are to run the race of life fully and finish well! Paul set this as his goal:
2 Timothy 4:6-8 (NIV)
6 For I am already being poured out like a drink offering, and the time has come for my departure. 7 I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith. 8 Now there is in store for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will award to me on that day–and not only to me, but also to all who have longed for his appearing.

So, how can you finish your race faithfully? Can you mentor and help your grandchildren or other children around you? Can you pray for a friend or relative to come to Christ, and help them make that decision? Can you help the hurting & needy in your area? Can you encourage the young leaders around you and pray for them? Can you help other seniors who don’t know Jesus to find eternal hope and purpose for their life?
Yes, retirement can be fun, and we can enjoy travel & activity with friends (even if your golf game is not what it use to be!) But as you enjoy the last phase of life, be faithful in your calling to serve God and others as well. Some of the best servants in the Bible were used of God in the late years of life, and he is not done with you and me either! Finish with joy, finish with hope, and finish with faithfulness to God’s calling, for we know that as believers in Jesus, the best is yet to come! Live fearlessly and on purpose for the Lord!

We live in a sometimes seemingly regressive culture that acts more like grade school bullies than intelligent adults who can disagree on issues and have meaningful conversations. We are encouraged to label people by their politics, race, religion, gender, and all kinds of categories that only result in more division! For many that may be the desired result, because if you can assign someone to a category you dislike, that somehow excuses you from actually talking with that person and maybe getting to actually know them, their background, and their real motives and desires. We are influenced by politicians, news & social media pundents, various movement leaders, and even college professors who like to take a cowardly approach and inflame people by using labels & division, rather than actually talking to those they disagree with and try to come to some reasonable solutions they can find to agree on.

For Christians, we are called by Jesus to live at a higher standard than that, and should refuse to get sucked into these false & misleading partisan, us vs. them confrontations. I can think of 3 areas of Christian teaching that could have a profound, positive influence on our culture, IF Christians would only practice what they know to be true!

First, we are always called to watch the words we use. Rather than being inflammatory and derogatory, we are called to treat even those we dislike with respect. Jesus told us in the Sermon on the Mount to ” bless those who curse you, do good to those who hate you, and pray for those who spitefully use and persecute you”. All people are made in the image of God and are loved by Him, no matter how nasty they may seem and even if they appear to be “idiots” to us. Only God knows the ultimate motives of others, and we are to attempt to build others up by our words. Jesus’ half-brother James warns us off the damage an out of control tongue can do:
James 3:6-10 (NIV)
6 The tongue also is a fire, a world of evil among the parts of the body. It corrupts the whole person, sets the whole course of his life on fire, and is itself set on fire by hell. 7 All kinds of animals, birds, reptiles and creatures of the sea are being tamed and have been tamed by man, 8 but no man can tame the tongue. It is a restless evil, full of deadly poison. 9 With the tongue we praise our Lord and Father, and with it we curse men, who have been made in God’s likeness. 10 Out of the same mouth come praise and cursing. My brothers, this should not be.

Second, resist dividing people by labels & categories. Our culture likes us to look at each other primarily by political persuasion, race, nationality, gender, and many other divisive categories. In reality, most of us have the same dreams and aspirations as everyone else. If we actually sat down and talked calmly with those we superficially disagree with, I believe we would find we agree on the vast majority of good things in life, but we may disagree on the path to get there. There are some in society who want to cause division, mistrust, and hatred, and we don’t have to succumb to their pettiness. Paul warns us in Galatians that such actions are actually evil in nature:
Galatians 5:19-21 (NIV)
19 The acts of the sinful nature are obvious: sexual immorality, impurity and debauchery; 20 idolatry and witchcraft; hatred, discord, jealousy, fits of rage, selfish ambition, dissensions, factions 21 and envy; drunkenness, orgies, and the like. I warn you, as I did before, that those who live like this will not inherit the kingdom of God.

Finally, claim your new identity in Christ above every other category! Paul reminds of this new identity & purpose in II Corinthians:
2 Corinthians 5:16-19 (NIV) 16 So from now on we regard no one from a worldly point of view. Though we once regarded Christ in this way, we do so no longer. 17 Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come! 18 All this is from God, who reconciled us to himself through Christ and gave us the ministry of reconciliation: 19 that God was reconciling the world to himself in Christ, not counting men’s sins against them. And he has committed to us the message of reconciliation.
As a Christian, we are to see ourselves first & foremost as a new creation of Christ. Every other category is secondary to that, whether it be political persuasion, nationality, or anything else! Jesus gave us the assignment of reconciling the world to HIM (not a political view or even particular nation). And that power of God that transforms us can bring even enemies together as brothers & sisters. The apostle Paul was originally a legalistic Pharisee and persecuted the early Christians. He would pray sincerely every morning thanking God that he was not “a Gentile, a slave, or a woman”. After his dramatic conversion on the road to Damascus, his whole worldview changed and he became the greatest missionary of God’s grace and reconciliation and was able to write in Galatians:
Galatians 3:26-28 (NIV)
26 You are all sons of God through faith in Christ Jesus, 27 for all of you who were baptized into Christ have clothed yourselves with Christ. 28 There is neither Jew nor Greek, slave nor free, male nor female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus.
The power of God brought together people who had hated & mistrusted each other all their lives, and molded them into a unified force of servant leaders who transformed their world and built a movement that has transformed every generation since!
It’s interesting the one of the pledges that Martin Luther King Jr. had his marchers take each time echoed this same theme:
MLK Pledge #2
“Remember always that the nonviolent movement seeks justice and reconciliation – not victory.”
We must develop and maintain the capacity to forgive. He who is devoid of the power to forgive is devoid of the power to love. There is some good in the worst of us and some evil in the best of us. When we discover this, we are less prone to hate our enemies. – Martin Luther King, Jr.

Brothers & sisters in Christ, we are called to be reconcilers, not haters or dividers. That doesn’t mean you can’t have political or social views that may differ with another Christian. It does mean that we are to respect, love, forgive, and speak kindly to each other, especially to those who seem to want to cause division and hatred. Our allegiance is to Jesus and the Kingdom of God above any other party or nation. If we focus on who we are as new creations in Christ, we can bring much-needed peace, hope, and reconciliation to those who are lost in darkness and despair. Take the high road and live as redeemed believers!!

Wait! How can that possibly be good news? Most of think we are pretty good people. And most of us would like to believe that if we treat people well and do enough good deeds that, surely, God would welcome us into heaven! But if this is your viewpoint, just how many good acts do you have to do? Do you need to be as good as Mother Teresa, Billy Graham, or perhaps Gandhi or someone else you consider to be a “good” person? If you think you know the standard, then what happens if you fall 1 or 2 good deeds short? Wouldn’t that really tick you off, if you thought you were good enough only to find yourself a couple good deeds short? And what happens if God counts all of our meanness and bad actions against us, and those end up offsetting the good we do? The truth is, most of us don’t really think this through at all! We just assume we are good people because we can always point to someone down the street or at work or school or in the news who is a much worse person than us, so we rationalize that we are pretty good!

As a pastor for many years, I’ve seen people in my churches as well as those who aren’t Christian believers at all be equally confused about this question. Let me share what the Bible says, and maybe you will find this to be a welcome solution. In what seems like bad news, the Bible makes it clear that NONE of us are good enough on our own to make it to heaven! In Romans Ch. 3 Paul tell us:
Romans 3:9-12 (NIV)
9 What shall we conclude then? Are we any better? Not at all! We have already made the charge that Jews and Gentiles alike are all under sin. 10 As it is written: “There is no one righteous, not even one; 11 there is no one who understands, no one who seeks God. 12 All have turned away, they have together become worthless; there is no one who does good, not even one.”
As a matter of fact, Paul explains that we are actually spiritually dead in our sins, unable to do anything to save ourselves! He explains this in Ephesians Ch. 2:
Ephesians 2:1-10 (NIV)
1 As for you, you were dead in your transgressions and sins, 2 in which you used to live when you followed the ways of this world and of the ruler of the kingdom of the air, the spirit who is now at work in those who are disobedient. 3 All of us also lived among them at one time, gratifying the cravings of our sinful nature and following its desires and thoughts. Like the rest, we were by nature objects of wrath. 4 But because of his great love for us, God, who is rich in mercy, 5 made us alive with Christ even when we were dead in transgressions–it is by grace you have been saved. 6 And God raised us up with Christ and seated us with him in the heavenly realms in Christ Jesus, 7 in order that in the coming ages he might show the incomparable riches of his grace, expressed in his kindness to us in Christ Jesus. 8 For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith–and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God– 9 not by works, so that no one can boast. 10 For we are God’s workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.

The good news of Christianity is that we are saved from our sinfulness by Jesus’ forgiveness through his death for us on the cross. This is where Christianity differs from all other “religions”. They all tell us to work hard and do good to prove ourselves to God, but Jesus did all the work for us on the cross, and we are invited to accept his gift of forgiveness by faith, or trusting in him.

Let’s get back to Heaven, or the Kingdom of God. Would you want it to be like this world, where because of our sinfulness we have wars, injustice, hatred, murder, and all the other horrible things that make life tragic and difficult in this word? More importantly, would you want it to be filled with people like you and me, marred because of our sinfulness in the very way we think and act? At our best, we are still flawed by sin and can’t think or act in ways that are always good or right.
No, God has much better plans than that for his eternal Kingdom! He wants us to be perfect and sinless, just as he intended before sin entered our world back in the Garden of Eden. He gives us a little hint in Revelation:
Revelation 21:1-4 (NIV)
1 Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away, and there was no longer any sea. 2 I saw the Holy City, the new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride beautifully dressed for her husband. 3 And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, “Now the dwelling of God is with men, and he will live with them. They will be his people, and God himself will be with them and be their God. 4 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.”
Does this mean that we can never be part of this, because we are sinful & imperfect? NO! The good news is that if we accept the free gift of forgiveness and new life that Jesus offers us through his death and resurrection, he will begin the process of changing us for the better, and when we leave this existence and enter his Kingdom fully, he will restore us to the people we were created to be! When you admit your sin and turn your life over to Jesus and decide to follow him, he promises to put his own Holy Spirit in you! Paul describes the difference in how we are now, under sin, with how we can become as we walk with the Holy Spirit’s help:
Galatians 5:16-26 (NIV)
16 So I say, live by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the sinful nature. 17 For the sinful nature desires what is contrary to the Spirit, and the Spirit what is contrary to the sinful nature. They are in conflict with each other, so that you do not do what you want. 18 But if you are led by the Spirit, you are not under law. 19 The acts of the sinful nature are obvious: sexual immorality, impurity and debauchery; 20 idolatry and witchcraft; hatred, discord, jealousy, fits of rage, selfish ambition, dissensions, factions 21 and envy; drunkenness, orgies, and the like. I warn you, as I did before, that those who live like this will not inherit the kingdom of God. 22 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, 23 gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law. 24 Those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the sinful nature with its passions and desires. 25 Since we live by the Spirit, let us keep in step with the Spirit. 26 Let us not become conceited, provoking and envying each other.

So yes, the good news is that we can’t get into God’s Kingdom by our own “goodness”. He has something far better than that planned for us! We all have a choice to accept Jesus’ free offer to forgive us and change us into new creations, or we can choose to ignore him and settle for a life limited by our sins, blindly hoping that we are somehow “good enough” and hoping it will all work out in the end. Jesus said there are 2 alternatives for life after this one: which do you choose to be part of for eternity?