"Talk" for IVCF

Survivor – In the World as a Christian

In the times after Jesus died, the world was a dangerous place for His flock: All but one of His apostles were violently killed for trying to preach the Gospel. They were stoned, crucified and beaten to death. Many other believers met in secret, fearing for their lives. It was either openly proclaim your faith in the Truth and probably be killed, or hide it fearfully in the hopes that you weren’t found out. A dangerous time for Christ’s followers. Some individuals were bolder than others, though they generally still felt the need for secrecy. A code was developed to know when one was speaking with another believer. If you were a traveler during this time, and you came upon a stranger on the road and you thought they might be a fellow Christian, you would draw an arc in the sand. If the stranger were just a stranger, they might just think you were a crazy person and leave in a hurry (ha) or, if the stranger were follower of Christ, they would draw another arc, forming a rough outline of a fish. This image was a representation for the Greek word for fish: “ichthys.” It is said that the Greek letters for “ichthys” formed an acronym that stood for “Jesus Christ, God’s Son, Savior.” This code was also thought to indicate new meeting places for Christian congregations meeting in secret.

Today, we don’t need secret codes or hiding places; we can be vocal and demonstrative about our faith. We can meet when we want, where we want with out the fear of losing our lives for what we believe in. (At least, mostly.) Just because we don’t have to hide our faith doesn’t mean that we are in any less danger today. 1 Peter 5:8 says, “…Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour.” We are in danger. Every moment of every day. 1 Peter 5:8 says, “Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour.” He’s out to get you. As believers, we are a threat to him.

Some of the tools Satan uses against us are Fear, Stress, and Temptation. Now, everyone here is perfect, so none of you have any idea what I’m talking about, right? Yeah, I’m sure. As college students, we’re in the thick of it. It’s a time when most people are trying to figure out what direction their lives are taking and the road is rockier for some than for others.

When I left high school four years ago, I thought that I had conquered my Depression. I thought I’d defeated the gray haze that took my life from me every so often. I was wrong. When I got to college, the Enemy used every opportunity I gave him to beat me over the head with my weakness. He hit me hard and fast and left me dizzy and despairing. The stress of college took over my life. I felt like I was drowning. On the way down I grasped at everything I could think of (which didn’t end up amounting to much) but it was when I felt broken and like I had nothing left that I stopped trying to fight it on my own and turned to God. That was so much easier! I don’t know how people who don’t know God can stand everyday and walk under the weight of the world. I need every bit of help the Lord gives me, and even with it, I still stumble.

While leaning on God is what He wants us to do and what we should do, it can make life harder for us in a way. Being an active believer has its obvious benefits, but it also puts obstacles in our way. It draws attention to us. We can just blend in with the crowd—not quite. At least, we shouldn’t be able to if we’re doing it right. Just kidding! Matthew 5:16 tells us to “let [our] light shine before men” and in doing so, it sets us apart. Being different from the masses can be hard. Our differences make many people uncomfortable and they don’t welcome our nonconformity. John 15:19 says, “If you belonged to the world, it would love you as its own. As it is, you do not belong to the world, but I have chosen you out of the world. That is why the world hates you.” We are not of this world. We aspire to something better; we are called to something greater.

Don’t be fooled by this world we live in. Don’t be lulled into a false sense of security. Though this is not the age of secret meetings or coded messages, I hope that we can still feel the danger around us as the first Christians did. We don’t need to fear being stoned or crucified, but the threat is just as real. As it says in Ephesians 6:12, “…our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms."

Luckily for us, Heavenly Father has provided us with tools to survive in the world as a Christian: “Stand firm then, with the belt of truth buckled around your waist, with the breastplate of righteousness in place, and with your feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace. In addition to all this, take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one. Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God.” Ephesians 6:14-17. The Lord has equipped us for our role in the world today; we just have to tap into it all by communicating with Him and by being conscious of our “spiritual status.” Keep tabs on it. If you don’t know where you stand, you’re vulnerable to being attacked by any of the many weapons at Satan’s disposal. So, friends, “Put on the full armor of God so that you can take your stand against the devil's schemes.” (Ephesians 6:11). That’s the only way we can successfully survive in this world as committed Christians.