OFFENSE OR DEFENSE?

Which is best?
In truth both are necessary, and there’s an old saying, “The best defense is a good offense.” But as fallible humans, we always take everything to one extreme or the other, don’t we?
Take prayer for example. Can you recall a recent prayer time in your church group? Is it an exercise in the power of God or pitiful complaints about our comfort? Most likely it’s a time of mopping up the battle field casualties—and goes something like this: Dear Lord, please heal (you fill in the blank) and (fill in the blank again) has lost his job and needs to feed his family. Heartfelt prayers? You bet. Necessary prayers? Of course, we are instructed to pray for one another. But do these prayers ever get to the real heart of God’s will, or are they just an exercise in triage?
We’re kinda like Gideon in the Book of Judges. The Angel of the Lord found Gideon hiding in the wine vat during a time of enemy attacks and addressed him: “The Lord is with you, O valiant warrior” (Judges 6:12 NASB). And can’t you just hear Gideon whisper, Who me?
Yet God in fact made that young man into a mighty warrior for the Lord, and that’s His instruction and plan for you and me!
I was skimming over Paul’s words in Colossians during Bible study this morning,
“For this reason also, since the day we heard of it, we have not ceased to pray for you and to ask that you may be filled with the knowledge of His will in all spiritual wisdom and understanding…” (Colossians 1:9 NASB).

And my mind slammed on the brakes and backed-up. Heard of what? My eyes retraced his prior words. “…since we heard of your faith in Christ Jesus and the love which you have for all of the saints;” (Colossians 1:4 NASB). So, Paul’s praying for fellow Christians in Colossae. And I asked the question where was Paul when he was writing this letter to these folks? Short answer—in prison in Rome—a long, long way from Colossae.
I don’t know about you, but if I were in prison I wonder if I’d be praying without ceasing for anyone but me. Nah, I’d be whining, pray for me! But I scanned through to the end of the book and only in the last few words to the Colossians does Paul say, “Remember my imprisonment.”
But the remainder of what Paul said in this letter, written probably two or three years before He was executed, clangs a clarion call through the two thousand plus years of history in between that should jar us to the reality of why we’re here. In 2016. What we are supposed to be doing? And pokes a finger at just how deceived and distracted we’ve become. More concerned with our physical comforts than the mission God laid before us.
Jesus tells you and me, “We have not, because we ask not.” Paul could never be accused of not asking. And with boldness! Listen to how this apostle prayed and ask yourself: Has anyone ever prayed like that for me? Or have I ever prayed like that for anyone else? And don’t Paul’s petitions go to the root of the problems of those he prayed for?
• That you may be filled with the knowledge of God’s will in all spiritual wisdom and understanding
• That you will walk in a manner worthy of the Lord
• To please Him in all respects—bearing fruit in every good work and increasing in the knowledge of God
• Strengthened with all power according to His glorious might for the attaining of all steadfastness and patience
• Joyously giving thanks to the Father
Why?
• He has qualified us to share in the inheritance of the saints in Light.
Because?
• He rescues us from the domain of darkness, and transferred us to the kingdom of His Beloved Son, in whom we have redemption—the forgiveness of sins.

Folks, we are hiding in the wine vats of political correctness. Deceived about how love acts. And what love is and does. Choosing to live like powerless paupers while the shroud of darkness seeps, sucks, and smothers our peace and freedom bought and paid for by the blood of our Lord Jesus Christ. We’ve ignored or forgotten our mission.
The Word of God instructs us: “Come boldly before the Throne of Grace to find mercy and help in time of need.” But we have lapsed into a full-time anemic defense, attempting to manage the casualties and bury the dead, forgetting we are valiant warriors for the Kingdom of God—accountable to the King of Kings and Lords of Lords for every idle word—even in prayer. Because, unlike the church in Colossae, we have the manual!
I challenge you, because I’ve challenged myself, to pick up your Sword of the Spirit and begin praying for your brothers and sisters in Christ like Paul prayed for these brothers and sisters struggling under the growing harsh control of Rome and the persecution he knew was sure to come.
And pray like your life depends on it—it does ‘til Jesus comes.

 

And by what authority can we expect results? That’s the subject of next week’s blog!

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