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Persecution Works Like Fertilizer
Persecution actually works like fertilizer; it causes things to grow. Some things used as fertilizer stink, but still help produce better yields. One of the things persecutions did in the early Church was cause it to expand. Look what happened immediately after the stoning of Stephen.
Acts 8:1-4 And Saul was consenting unto his death. And at that time there was a great persecution against the Church which was at Jerusalem; and they were all scattered abroad throughout the regions of Judaea and Samaria, except the apostles. And devout men carried Stephen to his burial, and made great lamentation over him. As for Saul, he made havock of the church, entering into every house, and haling men and women committed them to prison. Therefore they that were scattered abroad went every where preaching the Word.
A modern example is the Church at China. Those who have come against the Church produced the opposite effect of what they set out to do. Instead of causing it to diminish; they caused it to grow. They fertilized it. China is only one example of many.
As the Body of Christ, it’s important to heed the implications of this principle. While God uses this adversity for good; it can have negative consequences if Christians employ this tactic in relation to the world. If you think about it, persecution is a tool of the devil, which means we have no business using it!
Exposure Versus Persecution
Light will always expose the hidden things of darkness. Exposing evil is a good thing. Part of our warfare as believers is to remain spiritual, especially when warring against unrighteousness. Here’s the key: to be spiritual, one must be Holy Spirit led. It would be very easy to slide into carnality when facing injustice and downright wickedness. For instance, many have been hoodwinked into taking on a political spirit, which is very combative and judgmental in nature. When Jesus confronted unrighteous people, He sought their repentance. He didn’t expose their hypocrisy and wickedness in order to destroy them; He sought their salvation.
Stop Screaming at the Darkness
How do you withstand evil? How do you come against the forces of darkness? Do you scream at it? How much do you suppose that would accomplish? Here’s very simple illustration as to how to combat evil. When you come into a dark room, do you scream at the darkness, commanding it to leave? Of course not, you turn on the light. Unfortunately, some have taken the approach of screaming at the darkness, so to speak, while calling it “spiritual warfare.” If you look in the Bible, you will not find these two words put together in a sentence as such. Moreover, there is no example of Jesus or any of the disciples doing this sort of thing.
Ephesians 6:12 For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places.
It’s important to remember that our fight is not against people; on the contrary, it’s against those things that have ensnared them. They need to be set free. They need Jesus. They don’t need us getting in their face like of bunch megalomaniacs. Think Kingdom! What’s the goal here? Is it to condemn people for their bad behavior, or is it to make disciples of them? What do people tend to do when someone pushes against them? They push back. When you received Jesus, did you do it because someone persecuted you for being in the world?
Okay, so how do we come against the darkness? We come against darkness by being for people. Praying the things of light into their life and circumstances. It includes loving them enough to speak truth, while making sure it is love behind the words; otherwise, it would be best to remain silent. But then, this gets back to something previously said: let Holy Spirit lead.
Here’s something to consider: pointing the finger draws attention. There are times it’s best to remain silent, and simply pray. There are times to be vocal for sure; however, being vocal can also makes things worse. The reason some are provocative is because it draws more attention. In some instances, drawing attention to something wicked in order to stamp it out, may have the opposite effect. There is something to be said for not publicly acknowledging it.
Overly focusing on the devil and the wickedness of the world, can cause one to elevate them, while neglecting to properly glorify God.
Roman 12:21 Be not overcome of evil, but overcome evil with good.
