THE WEAPONS OF OUR WARFARE

INTRODUCTION

The images are forever ingrained in our psyche. An African American man, George Floyd, was arrested for passing a counterfeit bill at grocery store in Minneapolis. The arrest became deadly when Derek Chauvin, a white police officer, pressed his knee on Floyd’s neck for almost nine minutes. All this comes on the heels of the death of Brianna Taylor, an black EMT worker who was shot eight times by police officers while sleeping in her bed, and Ahmaud Arber, a black jogger who was confronted and gunned down by a white father and son.

Most everyone who has heard these stories and seen these images believe that these were vile and senseless killings. Also, most of us realize that the situation calls for everyone to do something (not just say something). The only problem is, we don’t all know what to do.

Rather than running out and doing what we see everyone else doing (under the premise that ‘I better do something, lest I do nothing’), it’s probably best that we listen and seek God about what to do. We can’t just assume we know how to act even when it seems obvious that we do. For example, when David and his mighty men returned from battle only to find that their homes burned and their families taken, it seemed obvious that the right response was to go and rescue them. But the Bible says that David called for the ephod and prayed, “Lord, shall we pursue after this troop?”

If we’re not careful, we can find ourselves fighting battles we’re not authorized to fight. Or, we can find ourselves fighting battles in a manner that has not been authorized by God. Some of us don’t know this, but persecution not only poses a danger to us physically. Persecution also poses a danger to us spiritually. What is that danger? The danger is that persecution can potentially shipwreck our faith!

1Timothy 1:18

Paul is using battle imagery to describe our fight on the behalf of truth. What we learn from this passage is that we can’t just fight against injustice without any concern about the methods and strategies we use to fight them. If we’re gonna go to war, let us war (or fight) a good fight!

1Timothy 1:19

This is how we war a good warfare—by holding on to our faith, AND a good conscience. As Christians, we must never wage war or fight against injustice and inequality without any concerned about the methods we use. If we’re going to war a good warfare (and win), then we fight while holding on to faith and a good conscience. Moreover, to do this requires that we move past our emotions and force ourselves to act in accordance with God’s word.

QUIT SPEAKING AND LASHING OUT AGAINST YOUR ENEMIES

1Timothy 1:20

These men, Hymenaeus and Alexander, were guilty of ‘blasphemy.’ We suspect that these men may have been blaspheming (speaking against) local authorities. The reason we suspect this is because in the very next verse Timothy is encouraged to pray for those in authority (1Timothy 2:1, 2).

Therefore, we mustn’t allow ourselves to become so emotionally invested that we begin to act outside of the tenants of our faith wishing evil on those in authority or the unsaved. If we do, we risk losing more than our freedom. We risk losing our soul!

What’s the alternative? Clearly, the alternative is to pray for our enemies and for those in authority for God would have all men to be saved (1Timothy 2:3, 4). There are people today (Christians I might add) who don’t believe prayer is an effective strategy against injustice, but clearly Paul doesn’t share that sentiment!

COMMIT ALL JUDGMENT TO GOD

1Peter 1:19-23

I’ve heard much talk about how good (even critical) it is for the Church to stand up and protest against the injustices that are taking place against people of color, but here we read that it is equally good for those victims of injustice to, for conscience sake, bear up under suffering patiently. Also, according to the example of Christ, COMMIT their situation to God who judges righteously.

Rather than trying to defend ourselves we should commit all judgement to God.

Romans 12:19-21

I realize that it’s difficult not to retaliate, but rather than taking matters into our own hands it’s good to remember that the battle belongs to the Lord, not us. In a day when so many are looking to man (or flesh), it’s necessary for believers to be reminded that BOTH vengeance and salvation belongs to God (Proverbs 20:22).

SUBMIT TO THE WORK OF RECONCILIATION

I think we all agree that what we need is the kind of action that will produce not only fair legislation, but the kind of action that is will produce reconciliation. What can be done to eliminate the racial tension and disunity in our nation?

Reconciliation is the real issue. The reason we are unable to really move forward in this country is because there haven’t truly been any reconciliation. The problem is that in order for there to be true reconciliation somebody has to submit to their cross!

Colossians 1:21, 22

We were enemies to God in our minds and by our wicked works. However, Christ reconciled us to God by SUBMITTING to the cross. We were reunited with God because Christ was willing to lay down His life (1Peter 3:18). This is how you bring a community together, when people lay down their lives for one another. When people lay aside their deep rooted prejudices, when they sacrifice acceptance from their peers, when they lay down their reputation and do what they’re not required to do for their enemy or their perpetrator (not just for their friend or the victim)! When this happens, then there can be reconciliation.

This is what the other members of law enforcement that watched George Floyd die beneath the knee of Derek Chauvin didn’t do. This is what magistrates and judges wouldn’t do in those cases of blatant injustice. This is what lawmakers wouldn’t do for years when they failed to pass just laws to end civil injustice. This is also what victims of injustice refuse to do because they feel justified in their anger and rage. Unfortunately, this is what Christians still refuse to do even though we have a commandment by God.

This is what is missing from everything we see today—someone willing to do the work of reconciliation. Someone willing to make the necessary sacrifice to bring about peace between men. Instead, we’re inundated with violent words and aggressive actions that are distracting us from the real work of reconciliation.