Fear Not Men of Flesh, But the God of Spirit

by Pastor Ed Evans

Throughout our lives we will meet the bullies, people with small souls and great power, people who serve themselves and puff themselves up at the expense and hurt of others with less power.  And the more power they gain the worse they become, until they strike terror in the hearts men and women.

We encounter them today at all levels of life and business, so that those who take others into account with courtesy and kindness break forth upon us like rays of warm sunshine on a cold, cloudy day.  Such help take the edge off living and working among the spiritual heathen who, for all their learned wisdom, think nothing of running roughshod over lesser, gentler human beings.  Indeed, how a person deals with and treats those whom can do nothing for them becomes the measure of their own human stature.  So that it is painful and disturbing to witness those individuals raised up to positions of power by the voting multitudes using their positions serve themselves at the expense and loss of decent, hard-working men and women. 

But there is a verse in scripture, in Matthew 10:28, that acts as a balm for us, putting our fears and concerns in perspective, for the Almighty God knew, and knows, the pains and joys of our human hearts.  He tells us, "..... fear not them which kill the body, but are not able to kill the soul: but rather fear him which is able to destroy both soul and body in hell."  For on this earth we inhabit a body of flesh that will die and disappear one day no matter what we intend, or what we do.  But the God who loved us first has promised our souls, our spiritual souls from God that will last forever, will receive from Him a new body, a new name, and a new home with Him for the time past forever.

Since most of those in positions of power who would grind us down without a thought are not really concerned with whether or not there is a God, they cannot comprehend that the very worst of any existence is to be outside His love and His care, for eternal time and beyond time. So that regardless of the foulness of their evil deeds now, I expect we shall pity them for their inability to gain forgiveness and put an end to their eternal misery. For now we need only know that our bullying, aggravating, frustrating irritants, self-serving and self-concerned, ignorant of concern for all others, will one day be our footstool, or so scripture tells us.  For according to an ancient Greek saying, time heals all wounds, and wounds all heels.  And time is the one thing we who are children of the royal family of God have in vast abundance.

Biblical scripture tells us that once in heaven, we shall know even as we are known. I think we are going to be amazed at the depth and degree of evil surrounding us, from which we were protected. Our naive but self-centered national leadership doesn't even realize our real enemies are not flesh and blood, but spiritual, and that those who believe in The Father, The Son, and the Holy Spirit are protected by the Godly weapons of prayer, obedience and the "sharper than any two-edged sword" Word of God.

These are the weapons that will defeat the evil that permeate those who are careless about God, and those who are deliberate enemies of the creator God.  But God in His almighty wisdom, looking down the long corridors of time where only He can see, knew that even in our faith and commitment to His promises, our humanity would need something more.  And so in Ephesians His generous love for us explained what we were up against, and provided us not only with the proper weapons for spiritual warfare, but His own protection for us, a well.

So that in Ephesians 6:10-18 we find, "Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord, and in the power of His might.  Put on the whole armor of God, that ye may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil.  For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places.  Wherefore take unto you the whole armor of God, that ye may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand.

"Stand therefore, having your loins girt about with truth, and having on the breastplate of righteousness; and your feet shod with the preparation of the gospel of peace; above all, taking the shield of faith, wherewith ye shall be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked.

And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God: praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, and watching thereunto with all perseverance and supplication for all saints..."

Whatever the level of evil, whatever the threat, we are to stand.  Stand for what is right.  For ours is a righteous cause.  We are surrounded by the love of the God of this universe.  We are to be clothed in the whole protective armor that emanates from God, and wielding the weapons of prayer, obedience and the sword of the Spirit, which is the alive and powerful Word of God.

Finally, if all that were not enough to empower the man or woman of God to take on all comers, yet in Romans 8:31 we have the iron-clad assurance inherent in this question: "If God be for us, who can be against us?"

Who, indeed?  For those outside of Christ, the world is a fearful, uncompromising roll of the dice.  As sons and daughters of the new creation, God is in control at every turn and we are reminded by Jeremiah 29:11, "For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, saith the LORD, thoughts of peace, and not of evil, to give you an expected end."

Our Heavenly Father is the source of all time, all events, all life, and all that is needed to remove all evil from the earth, for He has given the Son authority over all things.  Through His work on the cross at Calvary, Jesus has also taken all our sins away so that Satan no longer has any control over a believer.  And regardless of how Satan can influence those outside of Christ, believers have nothing to fear from those who must answer to the omniscient, omnipresent, omnipotent God.

Trust in God's mighty arm of protection, in His ability to keep you as He has promised.  There is a very pointed moment in Psalm 20:7 for the child of God, "Some trust in chariots, and some in horses: but we will remember the name of the Lord our God."

Prayer, obedience, and the Word of God are our most powerful weapons against the spiritual wickedness around us, protected by the full armor of God, and resting in His presence, for our God is still in charge.  Amen.