Bears & battles
July is upon us, meaning another year is half over. With the arrival of summer, the days are getting hotter and increasingly humid. It is the time of year in which those of us living in southeastern North Carolina begin watching the tropics for any sign of a hurricane brewing in the Atlantic. Summertime is best known for affording children the opportunity to take a break from their education while parents take a breather from the school year’s hectic schedule. For most Americans, vacations are an essential part of summer. As we all know, Wrightsville Beach is the chosen destination of many summer travelers. If we are honest, we generally prefer relaxing over expending the energy it takes to fulfill our daily obligations.
For those of you who may not know me very well, I should tell you that I am one of those who does not endure vacations very well. Call me weird, but I prefer routine, schedules, and work too much to sit still for very long. If you do not believe me, ask my wife. When I am off work for more than a couple of days, I get antsy. I cognitively understand the need for time away from work and ministry, but I typically do not handle being idle for more than a few hours. Within no time, I am busy checking email, working on a sermon idea, or pecking away at some random writing project. I do not tinker at cars or other household projects; I enjoy tinkering with words. If I go too long without working on something, I start pacing the house. And believe me, my pacing drives my wife nuts pretty quickly.
Generally speaking, we travel very little during the year. When we do travel during the summer months, it is typically to visit family or for me to serve as a guest speaker at a camp or church. But this summer has been different for my family. Because our daughter is planning to attend a college located in western North Carolina in the fall, we have recently made a few trips to the area. We have spent the time visiting churches, trying to find one where our daughter can attend, and learning all we can about the college. We have enjoyed getting familiar with the North Carolina mountains.
Since my childhood, I have been enamored with mountainous areas. One of the reasons I love the mountains is the beautiful scenery. I know the ocean has its own sense of beauty, but I prefer viewing mountains and valleys over sand and water any day. I love the trees and watching the leaves change color in the autumn. In fact, I am already looking forward to the college’s parent weekend in October. A second reason I enjoy the mountains is I love to hike. The accomplishment of reaching the peak and seeing the valleys below is always a pleasure. Some like to unwind on the beach. But I would rather relax and catch my breath in the coolness of the mountains.
On our last trip to western North Carolina, we rented a cabin in the woods. There were so many trees surrounding the house we could hardly see the sunshine even in the middle of the day. Early one morning, I was sitting on the front porch reading my devotional, drinking coffee, and basking in the cool temperatures. Wearing a sweatshirt in June is perfectly fine in my book. While I was enjoying the stillness of the woods, I noticed something moving to my left. When I turned to see what was there, I was introduced to a large black bear on his morning hunt for food. With cat-like reflexes, I jumped to my feet and stared down the bear. He stopped in his tracks, and stared back. Fortunately, the bear was disturbed by my presence, and obviously more afraid of me than I was of him. When I made my move for the door to arouse my youngest son to see the glorious animal, the bear took off. That moment was the highlight of my trip.
Once the bear was gone, I returned to the refreshing solitude of the woods. I hoped the bear would return so I could get a picture. But I never saw the animal again. I was left alone with my coffee, devotional reading, and the stillness of the mountainside. In my opinion, that morning was a taste of heaven on earth. The respite from day-to-day living was a nice change of pace, and the bear was a fantastic reminder of God’s glorious creation.
When we returned from our trip, we were immediately reminded of the challenging realities of our day. The solitude of the woods quickly faded, and the cultural drama of our age was forced back into the forefront of our attention. Much of the controversy surrounded the proceedings of the Supreme Court of the United States. Each June, the Supreme Court hands down decisions on major court cases. The decisions released in the final days of June 2022 were arguably the most substantial and volatile in the history of our nation. In addition to the Mississippi abortion case, which drew the majority of the attention, the justices were deliberating over other important cases. Some of these cases involved Christian liberty. One of these cases involved a football coach and his practice of praying on a public high school’s football field where he could easily be seen after each game. Another case involved Christian schools in Maine. All of these cases would have substantial repercussions concerning Christian liberty.
Although the decisions on the religious liberty and abortion cases favored the Christian worldview, my purpose is not to give comment on the decisions handed down by the court in this article. Instead, I want to contrast the response to these decisions with my time in the mountains where I sipped coffee, read quietly in a rocking chair, and watched a black bear jaunt through the woods.
If you had your choice, which would you choose, peace or conflict? Very few of us enjoy conflict; therefore, it is reasonable to assume that the vast majority of people would choose to experience peace over any sort of conflict. During our time in the mountains, I enjoyed a fleeting time of rest, peace, and tranquility. In the days following the Supreme Court’s decisions— particularly the case concerning abortion—we were reminded of the deep division in our country and the deep-seated volatility brewing among Americans. Entertainers said and sang foul things to the justices who bravely voted to overturn Roe versus Wade. One singer went so far as to warn those fans who have the audacity to hold to a pro-life position to stop listening to her [expletive] music. Those who stand adamantly opposed to biblical morality consistently use accusatory words and psychological manipulation against those who oppose their secular worldview in an attempt to intimidate, shame, and create fear. All of their harsh and demeaning language is but a small reminder that the spiritual warfare warned about in the Bible continues to rage.
Our hearts desire the kind of peace and comfort that I experienced in the lovely mountains of North Carolina. But what we experience on a daily basis is conflict and struggle. As Paul reminds us in Ephesians 6:12, “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 world is a dark place, filled with anger and hatred toward those who stand for righteousness. Sadly, the world is growing darker with each passing hour. As John Calvin noted in Institutes of the Christian Religion, “We have been forewarned that an enemy relentlessly threatens us, an enemy who is the very embodiment of rash boldness, of military prowess, of crafty wiles, of untiring zeal and haste, of every conceivable weapon and of skill in the science of warfare.” In light of this dire warning, we must be on guard and ready to stand our ground in this spiritual battle. Yes, we prefer peace. But in this world we will face spiritual warfare on every side. And we must be prepared to defend God’s unchanging truth.
And yet, despite the tenacity of those who oppose Christians, in Psalm 12:7-8 David reminds us of God’s sustaining grace and power. David writes, “You, O LORD, will keep them; you will guard us from this generation forever. On every side the wicked prowl, as vileness is exalted among the children of man.” God’s sustaining grace and power is undoubtedly greater than the forces of evil. Make no mistake about it, we face a worthy adversary. Nonetheless, God has already secured the victory through the Lord Jesus Christ.
In the twelfth psalm, David boasted in the Lord’s protection from the wicked’s relentless opposition. As we maneuver our way through this evil and fallen world, we must remain equally confident in God’s ultimate deliverance. David believed God would always serve as a place of refuge and protection from the depraved culture in which he lived. And even in the volatile age in which we live, God is equally capable of protecting His church from evil.
At times, we are blinded to the fact that every stage of human history has been filled with wickedness and outright rejection of God. During David’s lifetime, the wicked were strutting about (i.e., prowling about like a ferocious beast ready to attack), honoring and applauding that which is vile. Do these descriptions sound familiar? In our day, like in David’s, vileness is shamelessly promoted, exalted, celebrated, and affirmed. That which God condemns in His word is now nothing more than a means of entertainment and openly rewarded each year during the various award shows. Nothing wholesome or God-honoring stands a chance at being recognized and celebrated by the Hollywood elites.
Understandably, we all crave peace in this current age. According to Scripture, however, we are to expect a spiritual battle throughout the course of this evil age. Although the fight for righteousness is long and exhausting, God is all-powerful and will sustain us in the fight. His victory over the powers of darkness is guaranteed. Nevertheless, it is up to us as the church to faithfully proclaim the gospel and courageously stand against the forces of evil that would love nothing more than to silence the church. In the midst of the conflict, we must cling to the promise of Jesus when He said to Peter, “I will build my church, and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it” (Matthew 16:18).