I had just finished mowing the back yard about an hour earlier. After grabbing a bite to eat I went back outside to check on my newly planted flowers and basically admire my freshly cut grass. I was on my way to the front yard via our side yard gate when in my peripheral vision something catches my attention. I stopped and took a closer look although not another step…yup it’s a snake! I walk backwards and go inside and exit again through the garage. There it is lying right up next to the house. I’d say it was about 5 feet in length. I have chill bumps thinking and writing about it a day later. I don’t like snakes! I don’t believe this one was poisonous but I’m not an expert on snakes so who knows. Copperheads are plentiful here in the country especially with all our big trees at least that’s what I’m told…

Oh yes we have scorpions here too. They apparently love to come into your house. The first summer we lived here I killed probably 30 scorpions inside my home. Last year while getting out of my car (inside our garage) and wearing flip flops, I was stung by a scorpion on my toe. I was in excruciating pain for the next 8 hours and it took over 4 weeks for the toe to heal. I don’t like scorpions either.

Needless to say I take great satisfaction and comfort in Luke 10:19:

I have given you authority to trample on snakes and scorpions and to overcome all the power of the enemy; nothing will harm you.

Of course this scripture isn’t literally talking about crushing scorpions and snakes in our homes and yards but rather symbolizes the presence of Satan in the world. Like snakes and scorpions, Satan sometimes is right there in front of us and easy to see, easy to define and defy. Other times however, he is hidden and not so easy to see or recognize and that’s when he’s the most dangerous. Metaphorically speaking, we can walk right up on him or he can be living under our roof, infiltrating our homes through the internet, television, music and other ways but we don’t see him—we don’t recognize the danger until we feel the sting and the pain. We have been and continue to be anesthetized to the evil in the world; we now call evil good and good evil. (Isaiah 5:20) We have created a culture whereby those who speak of Jesus and the Word of God are seen as purveyors of bigotry and are told to step aside, sit down and shut up. To some extent, in my humble opinion, we Jesus followers must share some responsibility for this perception held today by so many folks. However, Jesus haters are nothing new and scripture is filled with accounts of those who hated Jesus and everything he stood for and they hated the people who stood for him.

How pleased Satan must be with the United States today. His tireless efforts for generations is bearing much fruit. We are literally marching in the streets to save animals from being abused and/or euthanized (and I am totally against abusing anything or anyone) and at the same time marching in the streets demanding the “right” to kill our unborn human babies. An animal killed in a zoo setting in order to save a small child is mourned and deified while the mother of the child is disdained. Shouldn’t we be rejoicing that the child survived and direct our anger at the fact that an enclosure housing a dangerous animal was able to be penetrated by someone other than zoo staff? Isn’t that the real question here? Where is our common sense? Where is our discernment? At what point did our society decide human life simply isn’t important? At least someone else’s life…

I could go on and on with examples of the enemy at work in our country but I’ll save that for another time. What is important to say is that as Jesus followers, we are called to put on the full armor of God every day:

Put on the full armor of God, so that you can take your stand against the devil’s schemes.  For 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. Therefore put on the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand.  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 6:11-17)

As you can see in this passage, we are told to STAND against Satan’s tactics not slink off and huddle up in fear and judgment and basically render ourselves impotent. We have been given the power and authority in the name of Jesus to stand firm against the evil that prevails all around us—it is our responsibility to do so. In a culture that exceedingly demands Jesus followers to step aside, sit down and shut up, we must stand firm illuminating the love of Christ. We don’t march with vaginas on our heads, we instead go into our communities and feed the poor and the hungry. We volunteer in homeless shelters and battered women’s shelters. We join efforts to rebuild homes and communities ravaged by natural disasters and war and the list goes on. The point is we don’t march around demanding change—we create it through displaying the love of Christ. We don’t seek applause or votes BUT we do vote. Most importantly we pray—without ceasing, we pray.

Let’s remind ourselves again that Jesus did not sit in a holy huddle with his disciples and wait for the needy to come to him. He went out into a hostile world and ministered to the sick, the poor, the depraved and the forgotten. We are called to do the same. Ask yourself this question:

What breaks your heart?

Whatever the answer(s) begin there. If you aren’t sure how to get started then ask a pastor or a trusted friend. Let’s not let the fear of “snakes and scorpions” keep us from engaging in the community around us. Adults and children are waiting on us to find the courage to make a difference in the name of Jesus—not because we are so special but because we serve someone who is special—the King of Kings, the one true Savior—Christ Jesus. Amen.

C. Deni Johnson