ARE YOU PREPARED FOR THE FORCES OF COMPROMISE?

SCRIPTURE:
Therefore put on the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, 
you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, 
to stand. 
(Ephesians 6:13)

MEDITATION: 
Followers of Christ are in a battle every day.
We struggle with maintaining our faith 
in a world that wants us to compromise it.
Just giving in a little here and there, and before we know it, 
we are leaning more toward the world than we are toward Jesus.
Problems and disappointments can threaten our joy, peace and happiness,
but ultimately, we are in a war with Satan and his forces.

The scriptures tell us that this battle is nothing new to the Christian life.
Daniel and his companions were tempted to abandon their godly heritage, 
but they refused. 
They chose to face a fiery furnace rather than compromise.
God didn’t immediately rescue them from the fire, 
but He joined them in the fire.
Then King Nebuchadnezzar leaped to his feet in amazement and asked his 
advisers, “Weren’t there three men that we tied up and threw into the fire?”
They replied, “Certainly, Your Majesty.” He said, “Look! I see four men 
walking around in the fire, unbound and unharmed, and the fourth looks like 
a son of the gods.” (Daniel 3:24-25)
God honored their faith and used them as part of His ministry.

Moses was surrounded by the luxury and godlessness of the Egyptian court, 
but gave up a worldly wealth surrounded by sin 
to cast his lot with God’s people. 
As a result, God used him to lead His people out of bondage to freedom.

Lot lived in Sodom and saw the obscenities 
of that doomed city (similar to the world we live in today). 
But God saved him out of it because he trusted in Him.

Every one of the Lord’s apostles sealed their faith with their lives. 
Throughout history we have seen people 
who have put God and His way of life above all else.
And God was with them and used them in various ways.

So, how should we approach the battles that we face each day?
First of all, we have to realize our opponent 
is much stronger than we are, so we need help!

When Paul tells us to “put on the full armor of God”
he doesn’t suggest putting on ‘our’ full armor, 
because we are not strong enough to repel the attacks of the enemy.
Notice that he also doesn’t advise us to wait until we are under attack 
to put on God’s armor; he tells us instead to prepare for “the day of evil”.

Just like the apostles throughout history, 
we need to make a conscious decision to live out a life of faith.
This means we need to spend time daily reading the bible and praying.
We also need to surround ourselves with other believers 
to worship and praise the Lord at least on a weekly basis.
Some say that there is no need for them to go to church to worship, 
but that is a compromising decision to worship the Lord 
on their terms, and not on His terms.

Whenever we modify His standards, we weaken His armor 
and become more susceptible to compromising His principles to fit 
our desire to live a life influenced by the world and our own cravings.
You can hear it in the voices that proclaim, “I just want to have fun!”
(shouted by those who have failed to discover that living for the Lord 
is a joyful life!).

ACTION:
Have you made a decision to live out your faith, 
and as Paul said, “stand your ground”?
Or, do you compromise God’s principles to fit your lifestyle and do a little 
“religious stuff” to hopefully convince others that you are a person of faith?

Convincing others (or yourself) that you are a person of faith, is never 
a replacement for living a life of faith in the God who reads your heart.
Do you want to live a life of ‘having fun’ 
where happiness depends on your circumstances and moods, or 
would you rather live a life of true faith that is filled with peace and joy?

Pray,
“Heavenly Father, forgive me if I have compromised Your principles to 
fit my own selfish desires. Help me to put on Your armor in advance of 
the attacks from the evil one, so that I will be able to stand against the 
influences of this world that want to contaminate my faith, and lure me 
away from a close fellowship with You. Forgive me if I have been playing 
at faith, instead of living a life that proves to You my faith is sincere 
and uncompromised. Help me to stand by my faith in You, whenever I am 
tempted.”