When the army goes out against your enemies, then keep yourself from every wicked thing. (Deuteronomy 23:9)
As William T. Sherman once said, “War is …” — well, you know. In times of war, a soldier is most likely to see anything and everything, good and bad. God knew that going against these heathen nations would expose His people to terrible sights, sounds and influences, and so, He warned them to remain vigilant. Things that would be unthinkable in peacetime are commonplace during wartime, and so, those in the service of the LORD must be on guard against every kind of enemy — those without and those within. By within, I don’t necessarily mean to say the guy standing next to you; it could be that kind of situation but it could also be — and in some cases most definitely is — the person who stares back at you in the mirror. That being so, I would suggest that relatively insignificant issues we grapple with in times of peace can become very big and very dangerous in times of stress and warfare.
It is a fact that when we are under a great deal of stress, we have a tendency to give in to weaknesses that, at any other time, we wouldn’t think of doing. Making the matter more potentially explosive is the Jewish belief that, when we are in these situations, Satan goes on a rampage with accusations against God’s people. Therefore in stressful situations, times of war if you will, we must be even more diligent to keep ourselves from every wicked thing. We certainly don’t want to give the Adversary any ammunition to use against us.
As the text continues to make clear, God expects His people to preserve spiritual cleanness in every situation — wartime or peacetime. It doesn’t matter what the provocation may be, the reality is that allowing uncleanliness to remain in our life will eventually lead to ungodliness. Understanding that there are times when life is more stressful, thus making it is easier for us to buckle under the pressure, we must nevertheless remember that God is holy and challenges us to be holy. That we might attain the goal He has set before is precisely why He allows these stressful times to touch our lives — so that we can exercise our faith muscles. And so, whether you find yourself in the midst of the battle or in a respite remember, “The Lord your God walks in the midst of your camp, to deliver you and give your enemies over to you; therefore your camp shall be holy” (Deuteronomy 23:14).
Blessings and Shalom,
Bill
Recent Comments