Fighting Spiritual Cowardice & Discouragement

This is just a quick post as I seem to be noticing a pattern lately where those who know they should speak out about the evil we see are backing out and remaining silent or removing comments out of fear, intimidation or giving in to the spirit of discouragement in so many ways.  I was working on another blog entry that will be going up shortly doing scripture research but because I keep experiencing this the Lord has impressed upon me to put that blog temporarily on hold to write about this as it is weighing heavily on my heart.  As I reflected more and more upon it, the verses at the end began coming which are what inspired me to write on discouragement and spiritual cowardice.

 

Let me ask you a few things;

 

Did the apostles of Christ who were called to preach to the gentiles abandon their calling because they were afraid of rejection?  Did the prophets who received the words spoken by the Lord of impending judgments refuse to go out and warn people to repent of their sins?  The answer is no and no.

 

As many people are engaging in small talk, so is the opportunity presenting itself to talk about these things that are happening.  People are dying.  How do you know you are not being put in the path of someone who needs witnessing of the truth as to the times and hearing of Jesus?  If you hide or have the spiritually prideful attitude to say, ‘Well, I already tried to tell a few people so I am no longer going to waste my time because they wouldn’t listen to me so to each their own but as for me and my house we will serve the Lord.’

 

So that’s it?  You are going to be self-serving and spiritually prideful?   To me, seeing a phrase like that is similar to raising the spiritual white flag and throwing in the towel.  We are warned about being luke-warm in Revelation 3 (verse below).  Galatians 6 also tells us not to think we are too self-important not to help others, and this falls in line with speaking up for what is good and taking a stand against evil.  By not doing so we are being complacent and we are sinning by willfully going along with evil.

 

If you are willing to give up that easy what will you do when times get really tough?  Will you deny Jesus just like Peter did when he swore that he never heard of Him?  Will you betray Him like Judas?  Will you betray the Lord or your family for a meal like when Esau sold his birthright for a meal?  Will you take the mark of the beast and also betray your family when you have no money or will you still stand for the truth?

 

I asked the Lord in prayer why I am seeing this.

 

He replied, “Though many are called.  Few embrace their calling.   My son, in this season you will see me raising up many into their calling and tearing down those who refuse.  Speak of this, but remain encouraged, for many will attempt to argue with you.  You are not to argue with them but use my Word as your response. Those who truly are mine will embrace my calling to do mighty exploits in my name.”

 

If you struggle with what you feel conviction to do, keep it between you and the Lord in your actions but know if you feel the pulling to speak then you know you are being led to.  If you don’t, how do you know who will?  To put it into perspective; If you saw a single woman with kids at a gas station and noticed her car had a tire that was soon to be flat or that she left the gas cap on the roof of her car and was about to take off, would you tell her or assume someone else was going to do it?  That is spiritual cowardice to know when you are called to do speak up and you don’t do it -it’s no different here.  If you know that you need to speak out and don’t do it out of fear then you are willfully going against what the Holy Spirit is leading you to do and that is a sin.   We are told not to be fearful.

 

I was warned by the Lord in two dreams previously that though people would not listen, they would remember eventually.  He told me months ago, ‘Though it may seem to you that your words are not effective, those I direct you to speak to will remember what I told you to say.  Do not be afraid when I call you to do this.’

 

Friends, that is another reason I began this blog because either the information I found was scattered or it wasn’t being presented in such a way where it was all in one place and easily understood.  It does not matter whether or not the person listens, it does matter whether you spoke up when you should have.

 

There is a poem by a Lutheran Pastor, Martin Niemöller, and in the coming storm we now face, what he said after World War II, was very fitting;

 

‘First they came for the socialists, and I did not speak out—
Because I was not a socialist.

Then they came for the trade unionists, and I did not speak out—
Because I was not a trade unionist.

Then they came for the Jews, and I did not speak out—
Because I was not a Jew.

Then they came for me—and there was no one left to speak for me.’

 

It may only be you standing between a fatal mistake someone is about to make that the Lord desires to save that person from.  Don’t feel afraid to speak up if you feel you should.  Better to do it when you feel you are called to than to regret not doing so after the fact. Indeed the times are evil, but we need not be afraid or discouraged.

 

Each day I pray the Lord to lead me in His Word, and pray against any discouragement or inhibitions that may arise.  I write this blog not to judge anyone or make anyone feel bad, but rather to encourage you to find the courage and strength to do the same and say what needs to be said when called upon.

 

Add Edit (3/17/2021):  I’m not the only one speaking out about this!  This morning as I was having my coffee out on the patio as I usually do, I found that Baptist Spencer Smith, who runs his own church in Kentucky, did a sermon on this very topic titled, “The Sin of Silence.”  He talks about David and Goliath and I liked his take on it because we are indeed, facing a spiritual Goliath and we need to stand strong against it!  I highly encourage you to check out this video here.

 

I am shortly going to be posting a blog on spiritual blindness because I feel I am being led to speak of this as well -that is, those who believe they can see but don’t and those who believe they can hear, but won’t.  All of these are tied together.   I pray that this blog speaks to those who are struggling in facing timidity.  As always, take these to the Lord in prayer and ask Him to give you strength.  Do not wait, as we are warned in Ephesians 6 to keep our spiritual armor on!

 

Verses as they pertain to the above;

 

Revelation 3: 15-16 (NKJV)

¹⁵“I know your works, that you are neither cold nor hot. I could wish you were cold or hot.¹⁶So then, because you are lukewarm, and neither cold nor hot, I will vomit you out of My mouth.

 

Leviticus 5:1 (NKJV)

‘If a person sins in hearing the utterance of an oath, and is a witness, whether he has seen or known of the matter—if he does not tell it, he bears guilt.

 

Ezekiel 3: 18-20 (NLT)

¹⁸ If I warn the wicked, saying, ‘You are under the penalty of death,’ but you fail to deliver the warning, they will die in their sins. And I will hold you responsible for their deaths.¹⁹ If you warn them and they refuse to repent and keep on sinning, they will die in their sins. But you will have saved yourself because you obeyed me.

²⁰ “If righteous people turn away from their righteous behavior and ignore the obstacles I put in their way, they will die. And if you do not warn them, they will die in their sins. None of their righteous acts will be remembered, and I will hold you responsible for their deaths.

 

Galatians 6: 3-5, 7-10 (NLT)

³If you think you are too important to help someone, you are only fooling yourself. You are not that important.

⁴Pay careful attention to your own work, for then you will get the satisfaction of a job well done, and you won’t need to compare yourself to anyone else. ⁵ For we are each responsible for our own conduct.

⁷Don’t be misled—you cannot mock the justice of God. You will always harvest what you plant. ⁸Those who live only to satisfy their own sinful nature will harvest decay and death from that sinful nature. But those who live to please the Spirit will harvest everlasting life from the Spirit.⁹ So let’s not get tired of doing what is good. At just the right time we will reap a harvest of blessing if we don’t give up. ¹⁰Therefore, whenever we have the opportunity, we should do good to everyone—especially to those in the family of faith.

 

Ephesians 6: 10-13 (NKJV)

¹⁰ Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord and in the power of His might. ¹¹ Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil. ¹² For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this age, against spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places. ¹³ Therefore take up the whole armor of God, that you may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand.

 

1 Peter 3: 15-16 (KJV)

¹⁵ But sanctify the Lord God in your hearts: and be ready always to give an answer to every man that asketh you a reason of the hope that is in you with meekness and fear:

¹⁶ Having a good conscience; that, whereas they speak evil of you, as of evildoers, they may be ashamed that falsely accuse your good conversation in Christ.

 

2 Corinthians 5: 9-11 (NKJV)

⁹ Therefore we make it our aim, whether present or absent, to be well pleasing to Him. ¹⁰ For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, that each one may receive the things done in the body, according to what he has done, whether good or bad. ¹¹ Knowing, therefore, the terror of the Lord, we persuade men; but we are well known to God, and I also trust are well known in your consciences.

 

Ephesians 5: 8-15 (NKJV)

⁸For you were once darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. Walk as children of light ⁹(for the fruit of the Spirit is in all goodness, righteousness, and truth), ¹⁰finding out what is acceptable to the Lord. ¹¹And have no fellowship with the unfruitful works of darkness, but rather expose them.¹²For it is shameful even to speak of those things which are done by them in secret. ¹³But all things that are exposed are made manifest by the light, for whatever makes manifest is light. ¹⁴Therefore He says:

“Awake, you who sleep,
Arise from the dead,
And Christ will give you light.”

¹⁵See then that you walk circumspectly, not as fools but as wise, ¹⁶redeeming the time, because the days are evil.

 

Philippians 2:3 (NKJV)

³ Let nothing be done through selfish ambition or conceit, but in lowliness of mind let each esteem others better than himself.

 

Philippians 4:13 (NKJV)

¹³ I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.

 

2 Peter 1:10-11 (NKJV)

¹⁰Therefore, brethren, be even more diligent to make your call and election sure, for if you do these things you will never stumble; ¹¹ for so an entrance will be supplied to you abundantly into the everlasting kingdom of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.

 

2 Peter 3:3 (NLT)

³ Most importantly, I want to remind you that in the last days scoffers will come, mocking the truth and following their own desires.

 

2 Timothy 1: 7 (KJV)

7 For God hath not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind.

 

James 2: 18-24 (NKJV)

¹⁸ But someone will say, “You have faith, and I have works.” Show me your faith without your works, and I will show you my faith by my works. ¹⁹ You believe that there is one God. You do well. Even the demons believe—and tremble! ²⁰ But do you want to know, O foolish man, that faith without works is dead? ²¹ Was not Abraham our father justified by works when he offered Isaac his son on the altar? ²² Do you see that faith was working together with his works, and by works faith was made perfect? ²³ And the Scripture was fulfilled which says, “Abraham believed God, and it wasaccounted to him for righteousness.” And he was called the friend of God. ²⁴ You see then that a man is justified by works, and not by faith only.

 

James 4:17 (KJV)

¹⁷ Therefore to him that knoweth to do good, and doeth it not, to him it is sin.

 

Jeremiah 12:5 (NKJV)

⁵“If you have run with the footmen, and they have wearied you, Then how can you contend with horses? And if in the land of peace, In which you trusted, they wearied you, Then how will you do in the floodplain of the Jordan?

Matthew 12: 35-37 (KJV)

³⁵ A good man out of the good treasure of the heart bringeth forth good things: and an evil man out of the evil treasure bringeth forth evil things.

³⁶ But I say unto you, That every idle word that men shall speak, they shall give account thereof in the day of judgment.

³⁷ For by thy words thou shalt be justified, and by thy words thou shalt be condemned.

 

Matthew 15: 7-9 (NKJV)

⁷ Hypocrites! Well did Isaiah prophesy about you, saying:

⁸ ‘These people draw near to Me with their mouth, And honor Me with their lips,
But their heart is far from Me.⁹ And in vain they worship Me, Teaching as doctrines the commandments of men.’”

 

Matthew 22:14 (KJV)

¹⁴ For many are called, but few are chosen.

 

Romans 8: 30-31 (KJV)

³⁰ Moreover whom he did predestinate, them he also called: and whom he called, them he also justified: and whom he justified, them he also glorified.

³¹ What shall we then say to these things? If God be for us, who can be against us?

 

Genesis 25: 29-34 (KJV)

²⁹ Now Jacob cooked a stew; and Esau came in from the field, and he was weary. ³⁰ And Esau said to Jacob, “Please feed me with that same red stew, for I am weary.” Therefore his name was called Edom.

³¹ But Jacob said, “Sell me your birthright as of this day.”

³² And Esau said, “Look, I am about to die; so what is this birthright to me?”

³³ Then Jacob said,“Swear to me as of this day.”

So he swore to him, and sold his birthright to Jacob. ³⁴ And Jacob gave Esau bread and stew of lentils; then he ate and drank, arose, and went his way. Thus Esau despised his birthright.