Resistance, Russia, and the Devil

Warned about possible sanctions if they do anything to escalate Ukraine’s internal conflict, what did Russia do? They flew jets into Ukraine's airspace and aligned themselves with rebel Russian Ukrainians over control of the rebel-held town of Slavyansk—whose outcome could determine if Russia takes control of the whole of eastern Ukraine.  

Should it surprise anyone that after invading Crimea with almost no resistance from the U.S. or Europe, Russia is pushing the boundaries (quite literally), changing geopolitics for decades, even centuries.

Not to infer that Putin is the devil, the word “resistance” brought to mind a spiritual truth—we have to resist our enemies. If you “resist the devil, he will flee from you” (4:7). Imagine that! We have the power to put the devil to flight! And not unlike what is going on in Russia and Ukraine, if we do not resist him (giving him the advantage), the personal outcome will be disastrous. “Therefore, put on every piece of God’s armor so you will be able to resist the enemy in the time of evil. Then after the battle you will stand firm (Eph. 6:13).

No Time for Slouching!

The election is over. Most of us took a stand on issues. The outcome of the election has not changed our posture. We’re still ‘standing firm’ (Eph. 6:11-14). Up ahead, it may get a lot harder to stand against a cultural of moral indifference and tolerance.

People will say, 'But isn't your God tolerant?' No. He specifically says “I will not tolerate… sin, idolatry, bribery, evil...” In fact, under Jewish law, the punishment for tolerating false gods was death (Deut. 13:10). Aren’t you glad not to be living in 1500 BC? Indeed, we are privileged to be living in the age of grace. But forbearance and forgiveness have not  given way to God's Holy posture. 

There has never been a more important time to maintain good posture, “standing firm in one spirit, with one mind striving together... in no way alarmed by our opponents, which is a sign of destruction for them, but of salvation for us” (Phil. 1:27-28).  There's no time for slouching.

All Shook Up

I’ll bet you think I’m referring to yesterday’s surprise earthquake on the East Coast. But the idiom “shake up” could refer to any number of things going in the world today: nervous investors unable to trust a shaken stock market; the Congressional shake-up over the failed ‘debit increase’ negotiations; or the shaken lives of Texas farmers by the driest 10-month period in Texas since 1895. And we are still feeling the effects of the shaking up of Japan’s post-tsunami economy. And then there is the summer of discontent in the North African and Middle East countries. And these are but a few of the natural and political catastrophes that have our world all shook up.

To “shake up” means to jostle and toss someone or something back and forth. To “shake someone up” means to shock or upset someone. Oftentimes, a container of liquid needs to be shaken before it can be consumed or used. The idiom is also used in “shaking up” an organization—to make it more effective. But the term isn’t always negative: “shaking up” can be good for a dull relationship.

But one thing is certain. The God of the Universe (the One we are privileged to call our Father) is shaking up things, people, and nations. The reason earthquakes are frightening is that they shake the ground we stand on. What better reminder than yesterday’s startling East Coast quake that we should be standing on firm ground, “firmly rooted and built up in Him and established in our faith” (Col. 2:7), not forgetting God’s promise, "Once again I will shake not only the earth but the heavens also. This means that all of creation will be shaken and removed, so that only unshakable things will remain…so we can receive a Kingdom that is unshakable" (Hebrews 12:26-28, edited).