In America today we have plunging church attendance, the public’s intolerance of traditional Christian values, and Christians being dragged into court for upholding their biblical conscience. The life-destroying left-wing demonic warfare is working through public ridicule and then litigation to make an example of those Christians who are brave like cake artist Jack Phillips and hundreds of others. Christians who fear God versus evil are daily being persecuted in the court of public opinion, as Satan’s efforts are to install fear by harassing them into silence. Overall this is causing Church leaders to fear speaking out on biblical topics such as the murder of the unborn, the trans movement which is butchering children as young as seven, the demonic policies of the Democrat party of open boarders that is killing thousands, and drag queen events teaching our children sexual perversion is normal.
Christ Disciples know we will “…receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you (The Spirit has come!); and you shall be My witnesses …to the ends of the earth,” (Acts 1:8) True Disciples know fearful silence emboldens evil because Satan uses fear of death and destruction to enslave people, (Hebrews 2:15). The proven antidote to evil is the living word of God that is sharper than a two edged sword, (Hebrews 4:12).
How have Christians reacted to these attacks? Many have focused themselves on passively being charming, and attractive while pleasing unbelievers. Passivity is the opposite of courage that morphs into passive submission approving evil. This prevents believers from putting on the whole Armor of God, (Ephesians 6) because passivity shapes motives to escape public ridicule and silences the faithful. It is then they adapt charming, attractive and pleasing into their main goal of living bible truth. This enables them to become pseudo-servants of God, preaching to the choir so to speak, believing they are loving and becoming isolated and disconnected from non-believers in the public square, the very people Jesus came to save. Never seeming to ask, how can we share the gospel if all the people we talk to are Christians?
What actions show we fear evil more than we fear God? Are they the actions of the cowardly, the faithless, and the detestable in the face of evil, (Revelation 21:8)?
Focusing on passively going forth and being charming aligns Christians with evil’s goal for believers to be unheard, cowardly, and easy to control. Fearing evil has the effect of negating Christ’s death and resurrection because Jesus abolished fear of death and brought life and immorality to light through the gospel”, (2 Tim 1:10). Sadly many pseudo-servants forget, “…all things become visible (including the faithful) when they are exposed by the light, for everything that becomes visible is light. For this reason it says, “Awake, sleeper, and arise from the dead, and Christ will shine on you.” (Ephesians 5:13-14).
When the faithful fear God, they honor their commission of being His Light knowing they could be persecuted by the darkness His truth exposes. However, “Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness’ sake, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven”’ (Matthew 5:10-11). Those fearing God believe God goes before them and fights for them, (Deuteronomy 1:30). They know, “The Spirit of truth, will guide them and tell them what is to come, (John 16:13). True Disciples accept the challenge and risks of being Christ’s mouthpiece while speaking His truth into darkness knowing. “…everyone who does evil hates the Light, (truth) and does not come to the Light, so that his deeds will not be exposed. But the one (the faithful believer) who practices (speaks) the truth comes to the Light, so that his (their) deeds will be revealed as having been performed in God,” “For with God nothing will be impossible”, (John 3:20-21- Luke 1:37).
Many of Jesus characteristics were empathetic, compassionate, bold without compromise, and He was impossible to control. Christ brought a message of exclusivity, one-way, intolerance of all sin and the saving grace to save humankind. He was a warrior in the flesh, and self-controlled by the Holy Spirit. Jesus guaranteed His truth would cause evil people to hate Christians. He said, he did not come to bring peace but a sword, (Matthew 10:34). Jesus taught us how to fear God when he said, “Whatever I tell you in the dark, speak in the light; and what you hear in the ear, preach on the housetops”, (Matthew 10:27). Then as God fearing we can be “the light of the world and not a light put it under a basket,” (Matthew 5:14-15). His Disciples are to take on the role of Jesus, because fearing evil is evil, because fear dilutes and replaces fearing God. “For God gave us a spirit not of fear but of power and (Godly action) love and self-control,” (2 Timothy 1:7). This proves there is no room for fearing evil when we fear God. They are opposites.
Bold Christians who fear God stand and fight against evil. In today’s public square, they are not adored or thought of as charming. Nor do they please the unsaved or the world around them. Christians are not of this world and do not conform to this world, (Romans 12:2). Disciples of Christ do not focus on pleasing people or they cannot be a bondservant of Christ, (Galatians 1:10). Our mission is bringing the truth of Christ into this unrepentant dark world through our speech and actions. Then the Spirit of Truth can open their eyes, in order to turn them from darkness to light, and from the power of Satan to God, that they may receive forgiveness of sins and an inheritance among those who are sanctified by faith in Christ”, (Acts 26:18). We know the victor’s crown is worn by those who run in such a way that they may win, (1 Corinthians 9:24).
Fearing evil is focusing on what cannot be done, by hiding, cheapening, and perverting the truth of God. It is subverting the will of God for reasons of self-concern or self-aggrandizement. Then self-concern that devalues Gods power is surely evil, because fear of evil becomes the controlling factor in our lives instead of fearing God. Therefore, God will judge our fearful motives negatively when our emotions of anxiety stop us from fearing God. Silence in the face of evil then itself becomes evil, (Acts 22:20).
Conversely fearing God is focusing on there is nothing that cannot be accomplished through God. This is willfully following His Son by wearing the whole armor of God, standing, and bravely fighting evil with the sword of the Spirit, the word of God our offensive weapon. Paul who feared God and not evil said, “and for me, that utterance may be given to me, that I may open my mouth boldly to make known the mystery of the gospel, …that in it I may speak boldly, as I ought to speak”, (Ephesians 6:10-20).
In Proverbs 1:7 it says, “Let us begin. The worship of the Eternal One, the one True God, is the first step toward knowledge. Fools, however, do not fear God and cannot stand wisdom or guidance.”
May God Bless you this day, David Howard Foxhole Ministry