Therefore take up the whole armor of God,

that you may be able to withstand in the evil day…

…above all, taking the shield of faith with which you will be able

to extinguish all the flaming arrows of the wicked one.

Ephesians 6

For the wages of sin is death…

Romans 6.23a

 

The tragic news of the shooting at a Catholic church and school in Minnesota recently highlights a lesson every Christian needs to internalize every day. I could speak of the growing antagonism of secular society toward religious beliefs and practice, but this has been Christian experience since the birth of the church on the Day of Pentecost. But I was struck more by the destructive  power of Satan, and sin.

 

Too often, we pay lip service to what Satan is doing in the world, since we are usually isolated from its most terrifying results. Secular society, since it has no concept of ‘powers of darkness’ causing evil in this world, focuses on the need for more compassionate care, gun control, or mental health efforts. And we Christians, while we know Scripture speaks unambiguously of the danger of Satan’s schemes, often look for social solutions to spiritual problems.

 

The young man who perpetrated the attack in Minnesota is a classic example. He was struck by a “flaming arrow” of the evil one – as an impressionable young man, he succumbed to the demonic idea that humans are not created by God male and female, but that he could somehow magically transition from being a boy to being a girl. What followed was the unavoidable results of Satan’s schemes, leading eventually to him in abject misery, hating who he had become, and deciding to take his own life, and the lives of others at the same time. Our spiritual enemy, who hates the Giver of life, and life itself, successfully imprisoned this young man in a dungeon of sin, and sin paid its awful wage, death.

 

In blazing contrast to Satan’s deadly ends, God sent His Son, Jesus, so that we might have life, and have it abundantly (John 10.10)! Beyond anything we can yet imagine, He purchased for us on the cross (and through His resurrection) the forgiveness of sin (which always leads to death) and the gift of eternal life. Sin is deadly – the biblical reference to Satan’s “flaming arrows” is not just a graphic pictorial expression, it is a serious warning.

 

Our role as light-bearers in this dark world under the spell of sin is critical. When we see the ‘wages of sin’ destroying life, it should motivate us anew to unashamedly live out our new life in Christ, and express our love for Jesus and His love for the world whenever we can.

 

This month we will have an opportunity to share the gospel at the annual Comal County Fair, where we will have a booth giving people a ‘religious survey.’ But our goal is no less than to ‘extinguish flaming arrows of the wicked one,’ and instead “infect” those who are lost in the darkness of sin with a message of life, and hope. Let’s pray for God’s saving message to reach many this year.