The preacher asked the question last night: Are we winning the culture war? My answer was, “We are not even engaged in the battle.” We are waiting on God and He is not going to give us victory until we enter the struggle by taking up the full armor of God. It is a travesty that we accept God’s salvation without acknowledging our responsibility to join Him in the battle for which Jesus gave His life.

We have all the necessary tools (Spiritual Gifts), we have our battle plan and marching orders (Holy Bible); we have an all powerful General to lead, equip, and advise (Holy Spirit) We have a totally secure communications system (prayer), and yet we are reluctant to take a stand against the works of the devil which was the purpose of Jesus’ life on earth (1 John 3:8b). We can hardly expect the works of evil to be destroyed if we aren’t willing to join the battle. It is imperative that we rid ourselves of the passive attitude that plagues us, and take up the “Full Armor of God” so that we can become victorious against the wiles of the devil.

“Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil;” and, “Therefore take up the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand” — Ephesians 6:11, 13, 14-18.

The phrase “never the twain shall meet” was used by Rudyard Kipling, in his Barrack-room ballads, 1892: This might well have been penned about the Church, and her adversary, Satan. We (the Church) are more interested in staying away from evil than in taking a stand by living Godly lives; afraid of getting our hands dirty, we allow Satan to attack us from the rear as we attempt to stay clear of his presence. Instead of “resisting the devil, and he will flee” (James 4:7) we either ignore his presence, or worse, aren’t uncomfortable with accepting his temptations.

Sadly, the Church today is often like an old Cavalry Fort, where the soldiers are prisoners of their own doing; cloistered in the Fortress built by their own hands, and surrounded by the enemy; they will only be victorious when they fling wide the doors and actively resist the enemy.

Rev. Bobby Thornhill is a retired pastor.