Even So, Come...

February 12

May all of us be able to say these words as Paul said them in his letter to Timothy when he was chained in a Roman dungeon awaiting execution:

"I have fought the good fight, I have finished the course, I have kept the faith; in the future there is laid up for me a 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 await His return," II Timothy 4:7, 8.

It appears that a religious world view will be the vehicle of the antichrist world system, but rather than simply accept that seeming eventuality, we must strive against it. In our striving, we cannot simply be against its progression toward world domination, we must offer an alternative. Faith in Christ is that alternative.

Jesus addressed this concept in Luke, Chapter 11:

14 Jesus was driving out a demon that was mute. When the demon left, the man who had been mute spoke, and the crowd was amazed. 15 But some of them said, “By Beelzebul, the prince of demons, He is driving out demons.” 16 Others tested Him by asking for a sign from heaven.

17 Jesus knew their thoughts and said to them: “Any kingdom divided against itself will be ruined, and a house divided against itself will fall. 18 If Satan is divided against himself, how can his kingdom stand? I say this because you claim that I drive out demons by Beelzebul. 19 Now if I drive out demons by Beelzebul, by whom do your followers drive them out? So then, they will be your judges. 20 But if I drive out demons by the finger of God, then the kingdom of God has come upon you.

21 When a strong man, fully armed, guards his own house, his possessions are safe. 22 But when someone stronger attacks and overpowers him, he takes away the armor in which the man trusted and divides up his plunder.

23 Whoever is not with Me is against Me, and whoever does not gather with Me scatters.

24 “When an impure spirit comes out of a person, it goes through arid places seeking rest and does not find it. Then it says, ‘I will return to the house I left.’ 25 When it arrives, it finds the house swept clean and put in order. 26 Then it goes and takes seven other spirits more wicked than itself, and they go in and live there. And the final condition of that person is worse than the first.”

It appears that we’re seeing this happen in many parts of the world today. Christians are having great success in their efforts to share the gospel of Christ with those who are oppressed under the doctrines of devils. That is why it is imperative that we not only declare the evil of demonic world views but offer their ‘anecdote,’ faith in Christ, the God of true peace and love as Jesus admonished that we do.

Are we in the last days of time? Are we seeing the vehicle by which the antichrist will endeavor to destroy all that the One True and Living God stands for? It appears so…

…But we must remember that the First Century Christians believed Nero was the antichrist. When Genghis Khan and his hordes swept westward, he was thought to be the antichrist. Adolph Hitler was certainly the antichrist in the minds of those who were trampled under his war machine. Stalin also, as he slaughtered thousands of his own people was thought to be more than a tyrant, but the personification of the evil one.

We, like all the believers of old who dealt with the evil entities of their day, must continue to “fight the good fight of faith,” and our battle must include not only resisting and overturning the efforts of the evil ones current wicked instrument of devastation of all God stands for, but planting Christ’s seeds of truth in their place.

We must continue doing the work of alerting a somnolent people of the horrific schemes of a wicked foe. We must continue to "fight the good fight," but we must also bathe our efforts in prayer and equip ourselves with a full knowledge of the scriptural alternative to all evil in all its forms.

We must remember that we don't fight against flesh and blood but "against spiritual wickedness, against darkness, in high places," Ephesians 6:12. Evil men merely carry out the wicked schemes of God's ancient foe and they need our prayers for their deliverance.

We must be God's man for this moment in time as we allow ourselves to be filled with the Holy Spirit of the Living God so HE can use us to the glory of Christ. And as we do, we must say as did our First Century counterparts, “Even so, come, Lord Jesus,” Revelation 22:20.