Have you ever thought about how if we didn’t have men like Adam, we might not have women like Eve? If Israel didn’t have a king like Ahab, they wouldn’t have had a queen like Jezebel. If America didn’t have a morally weak and selfish man like Clinton, it might not have a power-hungry women like Clinton. In the same way, if we didn’t have Trump we might not have Hillary either.
Evil goes hand in hand, and if men want to be called the leaders than we should probably accept the fact that our sin comes first and sets the tone. We can be holy and set a tone of safety, security, and the pursuit of other people’s interests above our own. Or we can be lustful and set a tone of selfishness, pride, and putting ourselves before the rest.
Whatever we are as men we’ll get in return through the world around us.
If we want to see goodness in the world around us, and if we want to receive it, then we as men must go out and create it. If instead we want to send the message that there is no good in this world, that you better fend for yourself because no one else is going to take care of you, then we can continue doing what comes easiest for us. We can keep seeking out whatever gives us the greatest sense of pleasure in the quickest amount of time.
But what could happen in the world if men decided to stand up and be men? I don’t mean rough, belching, low hygiene kind of men. And I don’t mean soft, pushover, gentle cuties either. I mean the kind of men with enough backbone to take a blow for something of value and enough sensitivity to patiently relate with those who don’t see everything eye-to-eye with them.
How would the world change with a men who called out the sin of divorce while pursuing the hearts of their wives with passion and understanding?
How would our communities change if we had men who stood uncompromisingly on morality and marriage as a covenant between one man and one woman while also tenderly pursuing those who struggle with lust and same-sex feelings, helping them discover the healing and empowering grace of God?
I imagine that kind of man would be met with significant opposition. Some wouldn’t like his conviction and sense morality. Others would probably simply feel threatened—jealous that he’s courageous enough to take a stand, yet gracious enough to be loved. Truth be told, the prince of darkness fears the power of godly men. He will do whatever it takes to squelch any kindling fire in him.
But we must rise up and be this kind of man.
There are people looking for us to be strong, to give direction and to create order from the chaotic mess of life. When a man dares to be that for his family and community, Satan’s forces are rendered powerless.
In Frank Peretti’s book This Present Darkness he depicts a scene where Ashton Community Pastor, Hank Busche, is being seduced by the spirit of lust through a flirtatious lady he and his wife have been counseling. In the scene, His wife Mary is running late at the grocery store, and Carmen, the counselee, shows up at the house before she gets back.
As Carmen moves on Hank, sharing how lonely she feels and how much strength she finds in him, the demonic forces move in on Mary at the store and the angel guarding her. They pierce Mary’s car making it unable to start, and provoke a man to come and harass her. Back at the house Carmen is slowly seducing Hank.
Mary’s guardian angel, Triskal, is helplessly outmatched and takes several slashes from swords of the demons who have come to destroy her. Just as Mary’s harasser begins banging on the car window with a buckle, closing in on his victim, Hank lets Carmen know that he is not the man to provide the comfort and care she is desperately longing for and brings their session to a close.
In that moment, the spiritual atmosphere completely shifts. Mary’s angel is freed to direct her away from the enemy. Carmen, dumbfounded, backs off from flirting with Hank. The forces of darkness are defeated and forced to flee.
I like this scene because it illustrates the spiritual power of a man doing what’s right. Spiritual warfare isn’t just something we do through prayer. It’s also something we do through the way we live our lives.
We defeat the enemy by living according to the call and commands of Christ.
But you know what, the life Christ calls us to isn’t easy. That’s why he tells us to count the cost.
It will cost. It won’t be popular. People won’t always like us. We’ll face all kinds of spiritual battles. But it will move and shake the world. Principalities will be defeated when we align our lives with God’s Truth.
When we rise up and be men of morality and courage, our homes become havens of safety and communities become places of relationship and healing. When we dare to reach outside of ourselves and care not only about the immediate, but eternal welfare of those around us, the people in our lives feel loved and valued.
It’s not easy—but we don’t need more men like Adam or Ahab or Bill or Donald. They do the easy thing. We need men tough enough to do something hard, for once. Something that goes beyond reputation and their own sense of significance.
We need men to be like Christ. Dying for faults he didn’t commit. Giving to others what he did not owe.
Are you willing to be this kind of man? Tell me “you’re in” by sharing in the comments.
