Torch, Summer 1990

swords of the Spirit were too heavy to carry around. The solution, he claimed, was to carry a small light-weight, plastic dinner knife. "A plastic dinner knife can't cut through anything!" Morris protested. "How can I discern right from wrong with a plastic utensil ?" "Well, my advice is not to worry about right and wrong. It's much too tiring to be concerned about. " The cash register rang again, and another sale was made. Finally, Morris left the shop equipped from head to foot. But rather than being equipped with a breastplate of righteousness, a shield of faith, a helmet of salvation, and a sword of the Spirit, he had a T-shirt of conformity, a shield of compromise, and a sword of self-indulgence. A few minutes later, another customer entered the shop. "You won't believe what I just saw," the customer told the shopkeeper. "I saw a guy trying to fight off temptation with nothing but a designer T-shirt, a credit-card shield, and a plastic knife. He wasn't even wearing a helmet. " "I know," the shopkeeper smiled. "I sold him those things." "You? Since when do you sell outfits for fighting temptations? l thought you were in the business of delivering temptations!" "I am," the shopkeeper said. "But yesterday I put up a sign outside saying that I was selling armor, and that fool believed it! " After the shopkeeper and customer howled with laughter for at least a minute, the phone rang. "Beelzebub Temptations, Inc. ," the shopkeeper said into the receiver. "Yes, we do have a special deal today- two free colas with every extra-large temptation. What's that? You want an extra-large temptation sent to a guy whose neighbor has been getting on his nerves? Right away. Yes, we do have free delivery.. .any time, any place." The shopkeeper smiled a smile that could only be duplicated by a spider that had just snagged a fly in its web. Are You on Satan's S ide? J esus said, "He that is not with me is against me" (Luke 11 :23). There is spiritual warfare going on everywhere, and if you are not on God 's side, you are on Satan 's side. Although Satan seems very powerful, the Bible clearly states that he and his followers are destined for destruction (Matthew 25 :41 ). "What," you ask , "can I do to make sure I am on God 's side?" God says you c.annot come to God by your own efforts. You c.an•t sign up nor can you do anything to earn your way to Him. "There is a way that seems right unto a man, but in the end it leads to death" (Proverbs 16:25). God says there is only one way to oome to Him. "Jesus answered ' I am the way , the truth , and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me"' (John 14:6). He also says that you have a sin problem which needs to be taken care of before He c.an accept you. "...for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God" (Romans 3:23). "For the wages of sin is death... " (Romans 6:23a). Amazing as it sound , God•s provision for your salvation is a free gift. It has been purchased for you by God Himself. The cost? The death of Jesus Christ for your sin and His resurrection from the de.ad. "...the gift of God is eternal life in Jesus Christ our Lord" (Romans 6:23b). "But God demonstrates His own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us " (Romans 5:8) . "God made Him [Christ] who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in Him we might become the righteousness of God" (2 Corinthians 5:21). How c.an you be on God•s side and be assured of eternal life? By ' believing what the Bible says about your need to acknowledge your in, repent, and receive Jesus Christ as your Savior. ".. .unless you repent, you too will all perish" (Luke 13 :3). "Yet to all who received Him, to those who believed in His name, He gave the right to become children of God .. ." (John I :I 2). For more information about how you can come to know Christ as your Savior and be assured that you are on God ' s side in this spiritual warfare, please contact: Dr. Harold Green Vice President for Christian Ministries Cedarville College P.O. Box 601 Cedarville, OH 45314 513-766-2211 ext. 202 Quotations are from the New International Version.