Fast 40: Practicing the Ancient Spiritual Discipline of LentSample

One of the tragedies of Christian pacifism is that it often spends more time fighting against fighting than against evil itself. While most of us wouldn’t call ourselves pacifists in the traditional sense, we often act like it in the spiritual realm. Many are shocked to learn, not only that we have an enemy, but that we are called to fight.

Some adopt a passive attitude: “God’s got this.” “It’s all good.” “The Devil can’t touch me.” We sit back, sipping our spiritual piña coladas, and then wonder why our lives, families, and communities are falling apart. But Jesus said, “The kingdom of God suffers violence, and the violent take it by force” (Matthew 11:12).

In the Christian life, if we aren’t taking ground, we are losing ground. If we don’t “cast off the works of darkness,” darkness will overtake us. If we aren’t fighting, we are surrendering. God gave Israel the Promised Land, but He didn’t simply hand them the keys. They had to fight for it, city by city, stronghold by stronghold (Deuteronomy 7:22). Though Christ has won the victory, we must still enter into it. We may know Christ, but we must also “put on the Lord Jesus Christ.”