A Constant Warfare in the Spirit

Christianity in conflict with the world is nothing new. It’s as old as Christianity itself – nearly two thousand years. However, in these "LAST DAYS," there is a notable surge of conflict with Christianity throughout the world, and the United States in particular.

This should not come as a surprise, since Jesus Christ confessed that He was “not of this world,” and neither is He of this world today (John 8:23, 18:36).  He made clear on several occasions that “in the world, we will have tribulation” (John 16:23).  Before leaving the world, He prayed that His Heavenly Father would “keep” those He was leaving in the world, since He knew we may enter into conflict beyond our natural ability to remain faithful without Him (John 17:11).  

In addition, the apostle Paul said, “All that will live godly in Christ Jesus will suffer persecution” (II Tim. 3:12). And the apostle John said, “If any man loves the world the love of the Father is not in him” (I John 2:15). The list of scriptures promising persecution for those who actually embrace true Christianity goes on. Many such experiences are recorded in the New Testament.  For example:

Christianity in Conflict Due to a Moral Stance

John the Baptist was the first martyr in Jesus’ day, being imprisoned for the conflict he stirred when shining a light on an unholy divorce and remarriage, a hallmark of Christian truth. Later, he was beheaded just to please the friends of the governor he criticized. 

Christianity in Conflict Due to Resisting Religious Teachers who were Absent of His Spirit

The New Testament Church was persecuted until torn apart only months after the Spirit of God was poured out at Pentecost. This was due to the uncomfortable conflicts its members brought to some of the Old Covenant leader/believers of that day – leader/believers who claimed to know the Spirit of God because of their expert head-knowledge of God’s Word, and their perceived obedience to it.     

Stephen was the first deacon martyr. He brought conflict resulting in ridicule and threats from a bunch of so-called religious men, when simply insisting that Jesus Christ was and is the Messiah, the only Savior of the world. Then he further infuriated those same men by accusing them of resisting the Holy Spirit of God since they refused to believe God – the God they claimed to know so well. Finally, they stoned him when he claimed to actually see Jesus in a vision, standing in the heavens at the right hand of His Father.

Christianity in Conflict Due to its Having Become an Ever-Growing Nuisance to Modern Cultures

James was the first apostle to be martyred. He was beheaded by the governor simply in an effort to bring into check the conflict that Christian preaching brought to the society of his day.

Tradition records that all the apostles were eventually martyred, with the possible exception of John the Beloved, who survived being dipped in hot oil and then lived through exile on a remote island. All these martyrs were a result of nothing more than true Christianity in conflict.

Christianity in Conflict Due to its Lack of Cooperation with Established "Christian" Religion
 
In more recent history, it is well known that as many as fifty million Christians were martyred by the leader/believers of the Catholic religion over a period of 1400 years known as the Dark Ages, and countless more were martyred by the authorities of the State Church of England. Many were martyred because they simply believed and practiced baptism by submersion rather than by sprinkling. Others were martyred for simply resisting institutional religion. They resisted loyalty to the institutional church by refusing to pay the church tax, now referred to as the tithe. They secretly met in small home-groups for worship, preaching without the influence of the religious hierarchy, and edifying one another in the simplicity of faith. For these and other similar reasons, true Christianity has always stirred great conflict in the world and among its religious institutions. Today is no exception.

Christianity in Conflict on the Rise Due to the "LAST DAYS"

According to reputable sources, there may be more Christian persecution in the world today than at any other time in history. Imagine that! At a time when democracy is growing throughout certain regions of the world, true Christianity is stirring unprecedented conflict all over the world. This is especially the case in America! Still, we haven’t suffered persecution “unto bloodshed,” as Hebrews 12:4 says, “striving against sin.”  But indeed, we are ridiculed and persecuted in ways that ostracize the Christian community.  One needs only to listen to national newscasts and Hollywood’s scripts, and observe what our government officials are saying, to realize that the surge of Christianity in conflict is real, especially here in America.

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