Last week, I went to the residential children’s home to
visit the nine year old child I am mentoring. I was shocked to discover that
she is unable to read. She tries to mask her illiteracy with her eloquent
speech, but it is obvious that the child cannot read!
Ephesians 6 starts off with instruction to various
groups of people. Children are instructed to obey their parents in the Lord.
Parents are encouraged to teach their children godly discipline without
provoking them to anger. Slaves are instructed to obey their masters , and
masters to treat their slaves with dignity for all are servants of Christ the
Judge.
Ephesians 6:12 then states: “For we do not wrestle
against flesh and blood , but against the rulers, against the authorities,
against the cosmic powers over this present darkness, against the spiritual forces
of evil in the heavenly places.” The Bible makes it very clear that we are not
to squabble amongst ourselves. Our enemy is not the people around us, Christian
or not. The prince of darkness and his host are our enemy. We do nothing but weaken our resolve when we
fight among ourselves. When we let disharmony and discord infiltrate our
ranks, the enemy rejoices. (1 Pet 5:8)
As much as the battle is a spiritual one, it also
affects the physical realm in which we find our current existence. The enemy
has thrown poverty against us. He afflicts the minds of our youth with boredom,
violence and the scourge of illiteracy. It is our duty to extend compassion to
those who find themselves his captives. Christ’s mission did not keep Him in
the synagogue. His mission extended to all the world. He mingled among the
people as one who desired their highest good, extending to them the right arm
of fellowship and compassion. His ministry was a practical one. The Bible tells us that He went about doing
good and healing all who were oppressed of the devil for God was with Him. (Acts 10:38)
Christ has given us the same mission. What have we done
with His command to go into all the world? We are living in the time of the
end. We say it over and over, yet our actions and the way we live does not
reflect this reality. Time is of the essence, yet we find ourselves unable to
re-group and strategise an effective onslaught against the enemy. We are like
King David who, in the time when kings were meant to go to war, was sitting in
his palace daydreaming, thus giving the enemy the foothold in his life (2 Sam 11:1-4). Outreach
is not about singing beautiful songs about Christ to people ravaged by poverty,
alcohol and abuse. A song does nothing for them except perplex them more. Where
is the God who supposedly loves them when they suffer day and night? How can
you show them His love?
While Satan is on a rampage because his time is running
out, while he threatens to destroy our children and families, the Church
slumbers on and has potluck. Spiritual warfare is about the Church reclaiming
territory. This is the Church of whom Christ spoke when He said that the gates
of hell would not prevail against it. Where is that Church today?
Main Scripture refs: Eph 6:1-12, Matt 16:18-19, Rev 12:12
