Standing Up Against Evil

Evil from the pit of hell has reared its ugly across the world.
I do not have to tell you that Satan inspired, demon empowered evil is spreading like a deadly  viruss of death throughout humanity. Misguided men and women and their supporters, under the devil’s dominion, are savagely ravaging their fellow human beings with their blind belief that lies and hate are greater than truth and love.  
Unchecked evil, that ruins and destroys innocent people’s lives, gets my spiritual dander up. If you don’t know what spiritual dander is, it means evil really ticks me off! Makes me righteously angry!
Defiance and rebellion towards God. Disrespect for lawful authority. Sexual immorality. Perversion of purity. Violence against others. Murder of the unborn. Taking advantage of the elderly. Lying. Stealing. Cheating. Corruption. Vile hatred. Terrorist attacks. Barbaric butchering of human beings. Being a false witness. These evil deeds, as well as others, get Steve Roll’s dander up in a hurry! 
My friends, it is time to call evil evil.
The words evil, evils, evil doers, evil deeds are mentioned at least 700 times in God’s Word. If you want to know what is evil, pay clear attention to what God says is evil, (not the world, media, political figures or your favorite celebrity!) 
In the Bible, God calls good good and evil evil. Nowhere in the Bible does God tolerate evil. Sorry politically correct world: Tolerance is not a biblical principle regarding evil. Meditate on this ominous, foreboding warning from Isaiah 5:20-23.
“Woe to those who call evil good and good evil; who substitute darkness for light and light for darkness; who substitute bitter for sweet and sweet for bitter. Woe to those who are wise in their own eyes, and clever in their own sight. Woe to those who are heroes in drinking wine and valiant men in mixing strong drink; who justify the wicked for a bribe and take away the rights of the ones who are in the right.”
No comment necessary except if you dare to call evil good or good evil, you better think again.  God’s “woe” means watch out! Hit the deck! Judgment from the hand of Almighty God is coming!
Satan, “the evil one” in the Bible, always makes evil look good. The devil is a deceiver who entices and seduces unsuspecting, naïve, vulnerable people into accepting evil over good. Satan is a liar who peddles falsehood to folks who are not grounded in God’s good Word.
Our current culture, and some segments of the church, are soft-peddling evil, making light of and mocking what is good. Christians who love the Lord and His Word should be appalled, ashamed and gravely concerned about the tolerant attitudes toward evil that are coming from some pulpits. Many so=called Christians are blinking and winking at evil when they should be speaking out and standing up against it.
Making evil palatable and excusable is inexcusable for the body of Christ. Jesus never tolerated evil in any way, shape or form. The Cross was horrifically evil. Jesus voluntarily died on that cruel cross to save you, me and all of mankind from the evil of all evils, eternity in hell.
Compromising and coddling evil by the culture or church invites the displeasure of the One who Sent His only Son to redeem us from sin and deliver us from the evil one.
What do you think about evil? How do you feel about evil’s onslaught on our society and world? Does it matter to you that evil is being exalted while good is being trampled underfoot?
  Steps For Standing Up Against Evil

• Pray for you and your family to be protected from evil. God delivers His people from evil.
• Our Father who is in heaven, hallowed be Your name. Your Kingdom come, Your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread and forgive us our sins as we forgive those who have sinned against us. Do not lead us into temptation, BUT DELIVER US FROM EVIL. For Yours is the Kingdom, and the power and the glory forever. Amen.”  (Matthew 6:9-13).
• Pray for our nation to return to the Lord. Life-changing spiritual awakening and moral revival forsakes evil and embraces good. We need good, not evil, citizens.
• Pray for the protection from evil for the innocent, naïve, vulnerable, the unborn, children and elderly and all who are preyed upon by evil men and women.  
• Pray that God will shut the mouths of evil speakers and shut down the wicked deeds of evil men and women. It’s time for evil to be dealt with, not ignored.    
• Push back the gates of hell. That’s right. Don’t be pushed around by evil.  Push evil around with good. Jesus said “I will build My church and the gates of hell will not prevail against it.” (Matthew 16:18). The body of Christ isn’t called to hold on, hang in there, hope it somehow survives Satan’s assaults.  Quite the contrary. Jesus meant that Christians are to push back the gates of hell to hell where Satan and evildoers belong!
• Attend a church where the Pastor stands up for good and stands against evil. If your pastor compromises the Word by calling good evil or evil good, find another church.
• Never return evil for evil. Return good for evil. “Never pay back evil for evil to anyone. Respect what is right in the sight of all men.” Romans 12:17
• Stand up. Speak up. Oppose evil in Jesus’ mighty name. No time for being a wimpy, wish-washy, compromising believer. It is time to stand up boldly in the power of the Holy Spirit for our Lord Jesus Christ, His eternal Kingdom and the Word of God that was given to save all of us from sin and evil.

 Booker T. Washington once said” A lie doesn’t become truth, wrong doesn’t become right, and evil doesn’t become good just because it is accepted by the majority.”
Truth. Goodness. Righteousness. Holiness. What is right. What is just. What is pure. What is sacred. When have these biblical virtues ever been a majority?
My friend, boldly rise up with others as a fully committed, God-loving, God fearing minority that has the full force of heaven on our side to turn our increasingly evil society and world back to goodness and decency.
I am signing up for God’s side. How about you?
“Then Elisha answered, for those who are with us are more than those who are with them.” II Kings 6:16
A Word For your Week: Evil will retreat when God’s good people stand up against it.