Volume 50 Number 3 March 2008
In
Revelation 20:7-10 we have a scene of Satan being allowed to “surround the camp of the saints” during a time of persecution of God’s people. It is my understanding this may be a prophecy that God’s people may again be persecuted at some future time as they have been at various times throughout history. “Surrounding the camp of the saints” is a phrase used that may portend a time when God’s people will be tempted to despair. It will be a time for His people to remember the words of Elisha— “Do not fear, for those who are with us are more than those who are with them.”There was a time in our not too distant past when our culture in these United States seemed to hold to many of the values of God’s people. For instance, marriage was respected by the vast majority of our country, our government leaders seemed to take seriously the principle of protecting the most innocent and vulnerable among us, and decency in general seemed to hold sway. There were actually laws against perversions of various types, some still on the books but no longer enforced. Even what we call “the Lord’s Day” was observed as at least a day of rest from our regular activities. Certainly ours has never been a “perfect society”, but there was a time when in general it stood for what was right. We have seen many of these values fall by the wayside over the past decades. Marriage is mocked by many and it does not seem to be upheld by our laws. Unrighteousness seems to be the code of the day. And it is getting worse.
With this said, there may be a tendency for Christians to lose heart, as we see our God-centered values despised by many. There may be a temptation to cry out—
“Alas my Master! What shall we do?” Perhaps we can see the effects and feel the pressure of the warfare described in Ephesians 6:12 – “For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this age, against spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places.” Perhaps this may be Satan attempting to “surroundthe camp of the saints” once again.It is easy to be tempted to lose heart as we observe this spiritual degradation. We might have a tendency to place our trust in the leaders of men thinking they will take up our cause only to realize our trust in them has been misplaced. For 200 years or so Christians in this country have been accustomed to living in a society that upheld what they believed was right, and now that our society does not seem to accept basic righteous living, we may not know how to live with it.
We dare not lose heart. The principle of marriage is not right because of our laws, the principle is right because it comes from God. As individuals and as churches of Christ we must continue to uphold God-centered principles as right even when our society believes otherwise. We may even reach a point when we may pay a price for standing for what is right and just.
Certainly we can and should use our earthly citizenship in this country as a tool to uphold what is right by voting and working towards holy values in our individual lives, but let us not lose heart when our earthly leaders let us down, which they will ultimately do. Remember, our faith must not be in men but in our God, for His cause is just and will be victorious. Remember the line— “The kingdoms of earth pass away one by one, but the kingdom of Heaven remains!” That godly principle includes even these United States. The spiritual kingdom to which we belong is from everlasting to everlasting, as is our Leader.
Satan may indeed be attempting to surround God’s people, for he knows one of his most effective tools against Christians is causing despair and hopelessness in their hearts. This can lead to apathy and eventually losing heart and trust in the Lord and ultimately damnation.
When we look around us and see ourselves
“surrounded” by the enemies of righteousness let us remember the words in I John 4:4-6 – “You are of God, little children, and have overcome them, because He who is in you is greater than he who is in the world. They are of the world. Therefore they speak as of the world, and the world hears them. We are of God. He who knows God hears us; he who is not of God does not hear us. By this we know the spirit of truth and the spirit of error.”We need only to open our “eyes” of faith and trust and see the spiritual hosts protecting us.