Corona and the Church

Corona and the Church

As a Church we have allowed ourselves to be complacent to the real battles happening around us. We talk about the Spiritual war that is being fought, but we tend to shy from the reality of it, and even try to be ignorant to its affects, and the strategies being used to take ground.

According to Ephesians 6:12 For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers over this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places.

The chapter goes on to explain how we can put on the armor of God, and be truly prepared for Spiritual battle. Which is a critical, yet often times neglected part of our Christian lives.

Currently we are living through an incredibly significant world event, and as a Church we are being tested on how we handle it. This test is very visible to ourselves, our neighbors, and our nations; but more importantly the enemy. There are Christians that would criticize me for calling this a Spiritual battle; but make no mistake, everything going on around us has a spiritual significance. It is easy to go about our daily lives and pretend that our mundane decisions have no meaning, yet 1 Cor 10:31 talks about glorifying God in everything we do, even eating!
So, if every mundane thing we do has significance to the spiritual world around us, then how much more so would an event like what we are going through now?

Satan has one goal, to oppose God. In this opposition his greatest achievement would be the destruction of God’s creation, and the being that was created in God’s image. Satan is also the greatest of deceivers and a strategist unlike anything we can comprehend. Don’t get me wrong here, God is infinitely greater, and infinitely more wise; but as humans, if we don’t rely completely and totally on God, and from a place of honesty, I find myself lacking that reliance more times that I would care to admit, then we are falling victim to our limited humanity. According to 1 Corinthians, human wisdom would consider the cross pure foolishness, and if our wisdom would consider something so fundamentally important to our relationship with God foolish, then how easily could we be duped by the great deceiver?

How then does all this tie in to the pandemic our world is facing right now? As a Christian I must believe that this is all part of a larger Spiritual Battle. It would be ignorance to believe otherwise. Throughout history, every great general, every great strategist uses everything to their advantage that they can. This includes the natural, the political, and yes, the viral. If human strategists with their incredibly limited scope of vision have won wars using what is already around them, what is already happening, why then wouldn’t the enemy? I cannot say if he is the mastermind behind the entire thing, if he manipulated it into being, or if he is simply taking advantage of it; but, I know without a doubt that he is using it, simply by what the Bible tells me about him, and about the spiritual.

One of the more frequently quoted versus of the Bible to describe the enemy, and our redemption is John 10:10
The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy. I came that they may have life and have it abundantly.

The Greek word for thief here is kleptēs, which, according to Strongs, is also used figuratively as the word for false teacher.
The Greek word for kill here is thuo, which literally means to kill, or slaughter.
The Greek word for destroy here is apollumi, which literally means to destroy, but figuratively means to render useless.

When I dig into this verse the depth of its meaning is so incredible! The word meanings show just how serious we should be taking the enemy.

On a most basic level, he wants to kill us; but the nuances of his strategy are to trick us, render us useless, and then destroy us.

The American Church, and in many other places around the world, has been allowing this to occur for more years than I have been alive. We have slowly let ourselves be silenced to the point of where other Christians are offended for the lost when we speak the Truth, Love and Hope of Christ. That’s just the good stuff, if you even mention condemnation, or fighting what’s wrong you can be ostracized by your own brothers and sisters in Christ.

With the virus this has moved from a battle of simply silencing alternate opinions, to taking away rights and privileges. In the United States we separated the government’s ability to rule the Church and force a specific religion on the people, then we allowed the government to separate us completely from itself, now we are allowing the government to separate us from each other and essentially negate the original intention of removing the government’s ability to make decisions over the Church. This virus is absolutely being used as a tool by the enemy, and it is proving to be incredibly effective and incredibly dangerous to the Church. It is dividing us from our neighbors, and dividing the very Church itself. It is sowing distrust, hatred, and rebellion against God. Pastor Ken Peters of Covenant Christian in Spokane recently said that “Romans 13:1 only applies when we are not in disobedience to God when Mans’ rule doesn’t contradict God’s,” paraphrase. In Daniel we can read about Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego who had no choice but to disobey the king in order to follow God’s law. We also read in Acts 5:29-32 we are admonished to obey God over man.

As Christians, in this time, and in these circumstances, what does this mean for us?

·         First and most importantly, we are under attack every second of every day. This has been the case since the very beginning. Be aware, be cognizant of your surroundings, and above all live by being led by the Holy Spirit in actions and in words.

·         Second, don’t use any circumstance to act out in civil disobedience just for the sake of a human cause. This can only lead to further damaging the Church, our testimony, and our ability to speak truth into the lives of the lost.

·         Third, be strong in your faith don’t make compromises to what is Biblical, yet as 1 Cor 16:14 states Let all that you do be done in Love.

·         Fourth, be considerate of those that have health problems, or are considered vulnerable. The Bible talks over and over about loving one another, considering your neighbor over yourself, and in Philippians 2:3-4 The Bible talks about not using selfish ambition to act, but rather to consider others interests above your own.

·         Fifth, my final point is to not live in fear, fear is from the enemy and can drive us to do things that are contrary to Christ. The Bible is full of passages about giving Him your burdens, and giving Him your fears. 1 Peter 5:7 says it simply, yet beautifully Cast your fears on Him, because He cares for you

As a Church we must do what’s right before God; but walk delicately and in Spiritual wisdom. We must not trample on our fellow man, yet we also must not give an inch to the enemy.

 

Kristopher C. Roy 26May2020