Resistance

You should know this, Timothy, that in the last days there will be very difficult times. For people will love only themselves and their money. They will be boastful and proud, scoffing at God, disobedient to their parents, and ungrateful. They will consider nothing sacred. They will be unloving and unforgiving; they will slander others and have no self-control. They will be cruel and hate what is good. They will betray their friends, be reckless, be puffed up with pride, and love pleasure rather than God. They will act religious, but they will reject the power that could make them godly. Stay away from people like that! They are the kind who work their way into people’s homes and win the confidence of vulnerable women who are burdened with the guilt of sin and controlled by various desires. (Such women are forever following new teachings, but they are never able to understand the truth.) These teachers oppose the truth just as Jannes and Jambres opposed Moses. They have depraved minds and a counterfeit faith. But they won’t get away with this for long. Someday everyone will recognize what fools they are, just as with Jannes and Jambres…. But you must remain faithful to the things you have been taught. You know they are true, for you know you can trust those who taught you. II Timothy 3:1-9, 14 (New Living Translation, NLT)

From the things that Paul writes to Timothy, you would think they are living in our current times instead of nearly two thousand years ago. He clearly describes to Timothy the end time sin and rebellion the world will sink into. Yet he never tells Timothy to back down or give in to the culture. Instead he tells him to remain faithful to the things he was taught.

Right now we are seeing unprecedented wickedness being unleashed in our nation. I believe God is doing some amazing things and that there will be a turn-around of the wrongs that have been committed against the United States. However, in the meantime, we are to fight and not back down. We are not to surrender to the culture and we cannot cave to the pressure to be silent. We must continue to stand and fight for righteousness. We must do so in the spirit and in the natural.

To fight in the spirit, we must resist the devil with the Word. We have authority over him and his demons. He does not win when believers use their authority. Speak forth words to cast him out of the nation’s capital. Speak forth words to cast him and his demonic powers out of high places and positions of authority. Speak and release the angelic armies of God to fight and destroy every stronghold of the enemy. Speak that righteousness and justice prevail in our country. And praise the Lord for the victory- even before you see it. Praise silences the enemy and sends confusion into his camp.

To fight in the natural, do not stop speaking for God in the public arena. Do not allow the culture to redefine what is right and wrong. When the opportunity arises, do not be afraid to stand for what the Bible says is right and true. Do not go on social media and pick fights with people who don’t agree with you- it is a usually worthless cause. However, don’t back down and side with the wickedness you see. Do it in a spirit of love, but do it with courage and boldness. If you lack boldness, ask God to give it to you. If there are legal things that can be done to resist wickedness, do them. As we continue to stand for God, God will stand and fight for us.

We win- the Bible says so. So, we must continue to stand and claim the victory that is ours until it is fully manifested.