"My Duty"

The New Testament teaches God's people are to be aggressive. There is no such thing, according to the Bible, as a disciple of the Lord sitting down and doing nothing. The Lord's people are taught to go forth and fight, go forth and meet the enemy, go forth and tear down the arguments of the devil and his followers.

Listen to some of the passages that teach this: "For our wrestling is not against flesh and blood, but against the principalities, against the powers, against the world-rulers of this darkness, against the spiritual hosts of wickedness:" Eph 6:12. "Fight the good fight of faith, lay hold of the life eternal," 1 Tim 6:12. "Suffer hardship with me, as a good soldier of Christ Jesus," 2 Tim 2:3. "For though we walk in the flesh, we do not war according to the flesh (for the weapons of our warfare are not of the flesh, but mighty before God to the casting down of strongholds); casting down imaginations, and every high thing that is exalted against the knowledge of God, and bringing every thought into captivity to the obedience of Christ," 2 Cor 10:3-5.

How can one read these passages and not conclude that we are to be involved in a fight for the Lord? Look at the reasons why: "For such men are false apostles, deceitful workers, fashioning themselves into apostles of Christ. And no marvel; for even Satan fashioneth himself into an angel of light. It is no great thing therefore if his ministers also fashion themselves as ministers of righteousness; whose end shall be according to their works," 2 Cor 11:13-15. There is such a thing as FALSE TEACHERS, "beware of false prophets, who come to you in sheep's clothing, but inwardly are ravening wolves," Matt 7:15.

When one stands for truth there will come many charges from those who oppose error being exposed. Those in error will use expressions such as: "Trouble makers," "Legalists," "Watch dogs," "Hardliners," "Rabid", "Church splitters," -- all of these terms are used for the purpose of taking the issue away from them and transposing to to the one who is standing for truth. I have always heard that a hit dog will howl and I believe it. They howl not by answering arguments but rather by heaping scorn upon him that is following the teachings of the Bible.

In the realm of logic there is such a thing as erecting a "straw man!" This simply means that you present the person that stands for truth as a "evil doer," and take the heat off of yourself. But, you see, to do this you have to lie. You lie about the person that stands for truth. Rev. 21:8 tells us that all liars will be lost. While trying to get out from under the heat of being a false teacher they then compund their problem by making it worse, now they have lied.

I understand that I am going to be standing before the Lord on the day of judgment and will give account of my acts and deeds. Because of this fact, I have to deal honorably with those who are in error. One does not fight error with error, he fights error with truth, John 8:32. May the Lord bless us in our stand for truth.

By Carl A. Allen vial "The Berean" Vol III No. 2

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