February 22, 2009

Speak Boldly

And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God; praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, being watchful to this end with all perseverance and supplication for all the saints—— and for me, that utterance may be given to me, that I may open my mouth boldly to make known the mystery of the gospel, for which I am an ambassador in chains; that in it I may speak boldly, as I ought to speak. (Ephesians 6:17-20 NKJV)

We are in a battle for souls. Paul was given to the ministry of the Gospel, and as such is a wonderful example for our following.

He knew the weakness of the flesh and the strength of the enemy. Therefore, he asks repeatedly for prayer that he might have boldness to continue proclaiming the truth.

Sharing the gospel is not an easy thing. It’s not hard theologically. You don’t need to be a scholar to proclaim enough truth for a person to be saved. However, having the boldness to speak when it is easier to remain silent is hard.

I don’t know a lot about modern warfare, but it seems the usual strategy is to shell or bomb an area until the defenses are softened up. Then ground troops are sent in to finish the battle. You don’t just land on a fortified island without first shelling it.

If you will allow me to use that example, you don’t just walk out onto a spiritual battle field without first shelling it. In this case, the shells are not explosives fired from Howitzers, but prayers fired from the knees of saints.

This was the Apostle Paul asking for prayer. The man who said for me to live is Christ to die is gain (Philippians 1:21). Do we expect to have more courage than this mighty man of God, and that without prayer? Our pride is only outdone by our foolishness.

Instead of beating yourself up for not speaking as you ought, begin to pray. Those encounters with lost friends and family are not easy battles. In many ways, they are the most fierce. Pray that next time, at the Lord’s leading, you will have the boldness and tact needed to speak the words of God in such a way that the Spirit of God melts the hearts of the unbelieving.

Then one of the crowd answered and said, "Teacher, I brought You my son, who has a mute spirit. "And wherever it seizes him, it throws him down; he foams at the mouth, gnashes his teeth, and becomes rigid. So I spoke to Your disciples, that they should cast it out, but they could not." He answered him and said, "O faithless generation, how long shall I be with you? How long shall I bear with you? Bring him to Me." Then they brought him to Him. And when he saw Him, immediately the spirit convulsed him, and he fell on the ground and wallowed, foaming at the mouth. So He asked his father, "How long has this been happening to him?" And he said, "From childhood. "And often he has thrown him both into the fire and into the water to destroy him. But if You can do anything, have compassion on us and help us." Jesus said to him, "If you can believe, all things [are] possible to him who believes." Immediately the father of the child cried out and said with tears, "Lord, I believe; help my unbelief!" When Jesus saw that the people came running together, He rebuked the unclean spirit, saying to it, "Deaf and dumb spirit, I command you, come out of him and enter him no more!" Then [the spirit] cried out, convulsed him greatly, and came out of him. And he became as one dead, so that many said, "He is dead." But Jesus took him by the hand and lifted him up, and he arose. And when He had come into the house, His disciples asked Him privately, "Why could we not cast it out?" So He said to them, "This kind can come out by nothing but prayer and fasting." (Mark 9:17-29 NKJV)