My dearest sister,
There are not too many things these days that people would consider evil. Abortion is a widely accepted practice and homosexuality has even become acceptable in some branches of Christianity. Not terribly long ago, these issues were tangled up in shame and guilt. Our culture is ever progressing toward a “do whatever feels right” and “tolerate everyone” mentality. Add to this the increasing influence of the secular media, in movies and music particularly, and it’s no wonder that our society is on a steep moral decline.
So let’s face it. We’re Christians living in a post-Christian world. As such, it is easy to become discouraged in our Christian walk. Trying to please God in a world that doesn’t care about God is no easy feat. So how do we deal with the evil that we are so often bombarded with in our day-to-day lives?
Ephesians 6:16 says, “In all circumstances take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming darts of the evil one.” God has given us our faith (Ephesians 2:8) as a defense. The author of Hebrews describes faith as “the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen” (Hebrews 11:1). Our faith is what allows us to believe that God is who He says He is and that He will do what He promises to do.
This faith is sure; this faith is steadfast; this faith is strong. With it we can “extinguish all the flaming darts of the evil one.” Because of it we can now run from the evil we were once enslaved to and turn to Christ (Romans 6:18) who will be faithful to preserve us. Satan simply doesn’t stand a chance. No matter how evil this world becomes Satan has only the appearance of victory. The Lord will return and on that day He will judge the world in righteousness (Acts 17:31) and because His holiness demands it He will crush the wicked (Psalm 145:20).
So, dear sister, if you are feeling discouraged by the weight of this evil world, stop and remember that YOUR God is the God who made the universe and rules over it. Take comfort that God’s omnipotence is not threatened by Satan’s trifling pursuits and have faith in the word of the Lord. For His faithfulness endures forever. (Psalm 117:2)
Under His wing,
Kayla
Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous! Do not be frightened, and do not be dismayed, for the LORD your God is with you where you go.–Joshua 1:9