Choose Your Weapon

Spirituality Column #144
August 11, 2009
Current in Carmel (IN) newspaper
Current in Westfield (IN) newspaper

Choose Your Weapon
By Bob Walters

Those of us who choose to follow Christ know we are in a spiritual battle.

But we aren’t the only combatants on the field.

Christianity teaches that every human soul is in a battle against Satan, and that the only possible victory in that battle is with faith in the eternal redemption promised by Christ.

No faith in Christ; no eternal salvation. John 14:6. Game over.

It sure makes things easier for Satan – who through temptation coaxes us to rebuke God, Christ and the Holy Spirit – when we ignore what the Bible says about salvation and figure God can’t be mean enough to have a place called Hell.

But that’s the battle line. Satan is out there working tirelessly to undermine our faith, blind us to the reality of Hell, understate the reality of Jesus Christ, and overstate our ability to save ourselves. Hell is Satan’s eternal turf, and thanks to The Fall (Adam and Eve, Sin, etc.), we’re all candidates for residency.

Wonderfully, blessedly, we can opt out of Satan’s scheme. When we profess faith in Christ, we have declared war on Satan, taken a step toward heaven, and a step away from Hell.

But don’t ever make the mistake of thinking Satan won’t fight back.

Satan’s favorite weapons are lies and temptations. He’ll try to come get us. Satan understands the miracle of what God has fearfully and wonderfully made in humanity; what God has knit together in our mother’s wombs. Anyone of us is a handsome prize in Satan’s eternal trophy room.

What we politely call “our walk with Christ” should maybe more rightly be called “our battle against Satan.” If we keep our faith in Christ, we win; that’s the “Victory” we like to pray, praise and shout about.

So what weapons do we marshal in our battle against Satan?

For starters, the love, grace and mercy of Jesus Christ. When those are central in our lives, we resist Satan’s weapons. We also have the Bible, our church, our families, our priests, pastors, spiritual leaders, elders and others who love us and teach us to walk in the Light of Christ.

But developing a personal and unshakeable faith in God’s love, grace and mercy – demonstrated by Christ on the Cross and by our witness of love for God and others – creates a righteous and Godly shield that dulls Satan’s sword when he attacks.

Walters (rlwcom@aol.com) sees selling Christianity with guilt, fear, condemnation, prosperity or healing as missing the point – badly – of God’s love, and instead playing into Satan’s temptations. But that’s just his opinion.

Satan v. God: A Fair Fight?

Spirituality Column #36
July 17, 2007
Current! In Carmel (IN) newspaper

Satan v. God; A Fair Fight?
By Bob Walters

I believe Satan is real and that he fights for our hearts, minds and souls right along with the Father, Son and Holy Spirit.

Is it a fair fight? It sure seems Satan expends less effort getting our attention than God.

Our desires of earthly life … wanting what’s pleasing, comfortable, safe … are exactly what Satan wants us to have … in exchange for eternal condemnation of our souls.

It sounds bad, I know, but is “eternal condemnation” real? Should we worry about it?” Christ’s promise of “eternal salvation” sounds better but we can’t see either one and “eternal” is such a long time someone will change their minds so why not just let it all hang out while we can, look out for Number One, be real and let me “get mine” while I’m here to get it?

Helpful hint: “Number One” isn’t me. It’s God … and He’s paying attention.

The Bible gives us God’s complete outline for building our relationship with Him, other people, and all creation. God, not Satan, gives us beauty and wonder and nature and love and (don’t miss this one) forgiveness. It takes faith and discipline to nurture our relationship with God through Christ, who promises to be our champion for all time.

“Letting it all hang out” on earth isn’t what God has in mind for us; worshipping Him is how he wants us to “get real.”

One critical thing to remember: God is a red-hot, jealous God. The Jews, His beloved and chosen people, found out time and again that God’s wrath is immense and perfect.

As a Christian, never forgetting Jesus was a Jew, I know that God’s wrath is coming again one of these days and reading those Old Testament prophecies makes me want to straighten up my act.

Walters (rlwcom@aol.com) knows eternity is a long time, and salvation is better than condemnation. I’m rooting for God.

Big City, Big God Problem

Spirituality Column #32
June 19, 2007
Current In Carmel (IN) newspaper

Big City, Big God Problem?
By Bob Walters

The Economist, that staid yet cutting edge British magazine of business and trends worldwide, reported last month that 50 percent of human beings now live in big cities.

In 1800, the number was 3 percent; in 1900, 13 percent.

This shift toward cities will affect how Christian missionaries will fulfill Christ’s “Great Commission” (Romans 28:19-20) to “baptize … and teach all the world” about the love of Jesus. The thing is, no one is sure exactly how to do that.

History teaches us it is difficult to evangelize cities.

The Economist article notes that cities originally were organized around farming, commerce, transportation, water, security and, significantly, a religion or temple. Yet considering a list of cities in the Bible – Babylon, Ninevah, Tyre, Sodom, Gomorrah – makes me think God isn’t much of a fan of big cities.

The article says that today cities are organized around and nurture secular culture. In the megacities – think New York, Tokyo, Mexico City, New Delhi, Sao Paulo, etc. – religion’s influence has all but disappeared. The organizing community expression is culture, not God.

It occurs to me that culture, in this sense, is the culture that provides enjoyment – the arts, museums, urbane pleasures, 150 cable channels, broadband and the like. Bigger cities equals bigger culture equals bigger enjoyment.

The Christian religion would call that kind of big culture “temptation.”

A Christian’s hope and faith, a Christian’s joy, is in the Lord; in working our faith and being involved in it; in personally engaging and endeavoring to produce spiritual fruit.

This rush toward cities, even in the poorest cultures where urban squalor is preferable to rural hopelessness, shows that people simply banding together – whether for richer or for poorer – has little to do with producing spiritual fruit.

To figure out how to evangelize megacities, it will take a greater power than us.

Hey, now there’s a thought …

Walters (rlwcom@aol.com), a Carmel resident, doesn’t think having more people standing on busy street corners shouting about Jesus is the answer.