Historians tell us that long before Jesus, Alexander the Great and the King of Persia were at war.
A soldier in the army of Persia thought he could improve his standing with his superiors by constantly criticizing Alexander. Finally, the Persian monarch called the soldier before him and said, “Friend, I pay you to fight against Alexander, not to condemn him.”
Have you noticed that more and more people are spending their time condemning sin without fighting against it?
Everyone knows that things are wrong in this world, as well as in their lives. Sadly, most people seem to be content with complaining about those wrongs. Not many folks do anything about those sins and problems. I think God, like the Persian king, would call us in front of Him and encourage us: “Friends, I want you to fight against sin, not just talk about it.”
Do you have a personal sin — a sin you’ve been talking about, but not doing anything about? If you do, today might be a good day to hear the Lord’s encouragement to stop talking and start fighting.
Fighting against sin, death, and devil is what Jesus did when He came to this sad and sorry sinful world. Fighting against sin is what God wants us to do, too. He knows opposing sin is more effective and considerably more rewarding than complaining about it.
From a devotion originally written for “By the Way”
THE PRAYER: Dear Lord Jesus, thank You for already winning the ultimate spiritual battle for me. I praise You for taking all of my sins upon Yourself when You died upon the cross. Please, strengthen me as I fight the sins, which tempt me. In Your Name. Amen.