This is Gary Yagel interrupting the normal beginning of this week’s blog tell you how excited I am about our new podcast series that begins next week, "Successful Spiritual Leaders at Home." I’m convinced that no Christian man wants to fail an assignment given to him by Jesus, much less fail to provide what our wives and kids need through our leadership at home. But what does that look like? This new series goes to Scripture to answer that question. Specifically, we will examine biblical answers to these questions:
- What is the biblical understanding of my job as spiritual leader of my home?
- How can this understanding be transformed into a workable plan to focus upon?
- How do I make sure I am strengthening my bond with my wife by meeting the needs of her heart?
- What basic truths of Scripture need to be built into my child's heart as his or her spiritual foundation?
- What does it look like to lead with a limp, i.e. to win influence with my kids because I am vulnerable about my own struggles to obey Jesus?
- What are the worldview issues in our culture that I must prepare them to overcome with a Biblical worldview?
- How do I tap into the motivation to do what I know I need to, as the spiritual leader of my home?
As your brother in Christ, may I make this request of you? Would you please take action to let the other Christian men in your church and sphere of influence know about this upcoming blog/podcast series, “Successful Spiritual Leaders at Home.” Please let the men of your church know about this new series. You can print a PDF to give to others, download the PDF onto your computer and email it as an attachment, or just send an email with this link to the PDF, which explains what the series will cover. Here is the link.
Today we examine a little-known part of the Christmas story that not too many Christmas carols sing about. When Mary and Joseph brought Jesus to the temple to be circumcised the eighth day, they bumped into on old man named Simeon who had been promised by the Holy Spirit that he would see the Messiah before he died. Luke recounts the story of Simeon’s words (Luke 2:28-36): He took him up in his arms and blessed God and said, “Lord, now you are letting your servant depart in peace, according to your word; for my eyes have seen your salvation that you have prepared in the presence of all peoples, a light for revelation to the Gentiles, and for glory to your people Israel.” And his father and his mother marveled at what was said about him. And Simeon blessed them and said to Mary his mother, “Behold, this child is appointed for the fall and rising of many in Israel, and for a sign that is opposed and a sword will pierce through your own soul also, so that thoughts from many hearts may be revealed.
Mary, one of the godliest women who ever lived, agreed to bear God’s child and what does she receive? A sword to her soul. Few song writers I know have put Simeon’s promise that a sword would pierce Mary’s soul to music. It isn’t sung about by children’s choirs in Christmas pageants. But Luke’s account of the true Christmas story ends on the ominous note of suffering caused by the opposition of the kingdom of darkness to Jesus’ kingship claim, just as Matthew’s Christmas story ends with the weeping of Bethlehem for the children slain by Herod’s fear of Jesus’ rule—reflecting this same opposition of the kingdom of darkness to Jesus’ kingship. This episode reminds us of the kingdom of darkness’s fierce opposition to the rule of the Prince of Peace and what to do about it.
Although it is certainly a fact that Jesus is the Prince of Peace, his ascension to the Father does not mean harmony on earth. “Peace,” when used in the NT, usually refers back to the Hebrew concept of shalom, which means flourishing the way things were designed to flourish before sin’s corruption. Shalom is therefore on a warpath with evil, because sin fractures the wellbeing and harmony of planet earth. The Second Adam overthrew sin’s rule and has ascended earth’s throne, where he is now fixing everything broken by sin. However, the retaking of Adam’s throne does not at all mean that peace reigns in this fallen world. Jesus made this fact quite clear in Matthew 10:34, Do not think that I have come to bring peace to the earth. I have not come to bring peace, but a sword. Simeon spoke of this conflict.
JESUS CAUSES CONFLICTS AMONG PEOPLE
Simeon says Jesus will be a light for revelation to the Gentiles and cause the fall and rising of many in Israel… a sign that is opposed. In other words, people will be polarized. Jesus explained this polarization to Nicodemus:
This is the judgment: the light has come into the world, and people loved the darkness rather than the light because their works were evil. For everyone who does wicked things hates the light and does not come to the light, lest his works should be exposed. But whoever does what is true comes to the light, so that it may be clearly seen that his works have been carried out in God” (John 3:19-21).
Jesus came into the world to overthrow the kingdom of darkness and replace broken human thinking “corrupted by evil desires” (Eph 4:22) with the truth of God’s kingdom of light. Christians have joined this cause, which Jesus explained in the words “You are the light of the world. A city set on a hill cannot be hidden. Nor do people light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on a stand, and it gives light to all in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before others.” Though defeated, the kingdom of darkness still fights to take captive every human mind to cause it to believe Satan’s lies. As we enter 2025, here is a sample of the lies being promoted by the kingdom of darkness in our current culture:
A. Lie: Fulfillment comes from being your own master and doing whatever you want to do. Truth: Fulfillment comes in fulfilling your creator’s design for you. Ephesians 2:10 tells us that we were designed before the creation of the world for specific good works. Whenever this goal of personal autonomy is falsely presented as the path to happiness, it is an opportunity to say, “I don’t actually believe that total autonomy is the path to happiness. As a Christian, I believe fulfillment comes in discovering and following the Creator’s design and purpose for me, which includes caring for others and contributing to community, not just my personal, selfish freedom.” Who knows where that conversation may go?
B. Lie: You build a child’s self-esteem by NEVER criticizing him, lest you harm his self-image. Truth: Welcoming correction is the path to maturity. Whoever ignores instruction despises himself, but he who listens to reproof gains intelligence (Prov 15:32), The truth is that the job of parents is not to protect children from negative feelings, but to teach them how the world works. Failure to use consequences to reinforce wrong choices is called hatred by God. Whoever spares the rod hates his son, but he who loves him is diligent to discipline him (Prov 13:24).
C. Lie: Our job as parents is to protect kids from negative emotions because they harm him. Truth: Experiencing negative emotions is vital for growing to maturity. Foolishness is bound up in the heart of a child; the rod of discipline will remove it far from him. (Prov 22:15). Pity the child whose feelings have always been pandered to. He does not know the joy of overcoming obstacles. He is denied the deepest kind of self-esteem, which comes from having the self-mastery to overcome our feelings and do what needs to be done. Whoever is slow to anger is better than the mighty, and he who rules his spirit than he who takes a city (Prov 16:32). The child who is not taught to say “no” to his feelings becomes a slave to whatever breaches the walls of his heart, A man without self-control is like a city broken into and left without walls (Prov 25:28).
D. Lie. Homosexual relationships are normal; they result from different sexual orientations. Truth: Every culture has recognized that some sexual compulsions are morally wrong and cannot be excused by arguing, “that’s just the way I am.” Like all the major religions of the world, the Bible teaches that sexual desire for my neighbor’s wife, my sister-in-law, a child, or one of the same sex is wrong. Even for the irreligious, there is strong evidence that homosexuality is not “normal.”
- Nature tells everyone that homosexual sex is a perversion. The female vagina was made to receive the male penis. Heterosexual lovemaking causes the home where children are conceived to be a place where both mom and dad are present and in love. Homosexual sex places the penis other places.
- Monogamy is almost non-existent in gay relationships with 4.5 % of men being faithful compared to 75% of men in heterosexual relationships. 75- 90 % of lesbians report sexual activity with men as well as with women.
E. Lie: Stating your belief that homosexual practice is wrong is hate speech. Truth: Love does not rejoice at wrongdoing but rejoices with the truth (I Cor 13:6). The truth is that homosexual practice is very destructive physically and emotionally, not to mention spiritually. Pointing someone away from such destruction is love!
- Gay and bisexual men make up 2% of the population but 55% of HIV infections. Monkeypox, like AIDS, is spread by gay men having multiple partners.
- The emotional consequences of such sexual brokenness are enormous. One CDC study found that, whereas 14.8% of heterosexual students contemplated suicide, that number skyrocketed to 42.8% of LGBTQ+ students. Regarding actual suicide attempts, the heterosexual student rate was 6.4% compared to a staggering 29.4% of LGBTQ+ students. This lifestyle is emotionally destructive.
F. Lie: Legislative actions against minors receiving cross gender hormones and surgery violate transgender rights. Truth: In America no minor has the right to pursue potentially self-destructive behavior, e.g. to get a driver’s license, drink alcohol, or get a permit to carry a firearm. States passing laws against cross gender hormones and surgery are protecting children from radical ideologues victimizing children who are struggling with their experience of going through puberty.
G. Lie: The goal of government and education policy should be EQUITY—not equal opportunity for all but equal outcomes for all. Truth: Justice means equal opportunity. Scripture forbids partiality even towards the poor. You might have heard, “In America, the richest 1% have 40% of all the wealth.” The implication is that wealth gap is fundamentally unjust, which makes God unjust because he placed one child in the home of a single mom crack addict, and another in the home of a Saudi Prince. The biblical call to justice for the poor does not mean unjustly confiscating the wealth of a father who worked his butt off to leave behind an inheritance to his children. That is Marxism. Justice for the poor means being sure the wealthy do not oppress them; it does NOT mean using politics to steal the money of the wealthy and redistributing it to the poor.
H. Lie: Women’s equality means denying the distinctions between the genders.
Truth: Believing men and women are created differently is not sexist but wise. To be sure, we must avoid overemphasizing gender differences or unfairly limit full opportunities for women. But the folly of attempts to erase gender differences by allowing males to claim transgender identity is so obvious that The American College of Sports Medicine released this statement, “Adult males are stronger, more powerful, and faster than females of similar age and training status. The difference in athletic performance where endurance or muscular power is required is roughly 10-30% depending on the event.” Christians need to stop being people pleasers and stop being apologetic about God’s intentional design of male and female differently to complete one another.
JESUS CAUSES CONFLICTS WITHIN PEOPLE
Simeon does not simply prophecy conflict among humans but within humans, when he said to Mary, “Your own soul will be pierced too.” One writer observes, “Mary stands before us as a representative of everybody who loves Jesus. If you love Jesus and have him in your life, a sword will pass through your heart as well. There will be inner conflict, confusion, sometimes great pain. You may fight with him. And you may fight with yourself” (Tim Keller, Hidden Christmas). The same spiritual conflict between the kingdom of darkness and the kingdom of light takes place in our own soul as it does out in the world. There we must fight a three-front battle: with Satan who knows the tactics of spiritual warfare, a sinful nature that wants its own way, and a world that wants to entice our hearts away from our first love. As 2024 ends and a fresh spiritual battle in 2025 is about to begin I think of Paul’s words urging Christ-followers to use their armor and weapons. Be strong in the Lord and in the strength of his might. Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the schemes of the devil (Eph 6:10-20). Let’s examine our equipment.
A. The belt of truth. This piece of armor is needed to fix our wrong thought patterns. Putting on the belt of truth means immersing ourselves in Scripture. We must re-program our minds because they have been corrupted by the lies of the evil one and of the fallen culture. Tony Evans in his book, Victory in Spiritual Warfare, writes, When you align your mind, will, and emotions underneath God’s view on a matter—his truth—He will then empower you to fight your spiritual battles…. By knowing and functioning according to the truth of God, you will be on your way to experiencing victory over anything or anyone seeking to over-come or defeat you. We must take control of our schedules in 2025 to make sure we immerse ourselves in Scripture so that we see life from God’s point of view.
B. The breastplate of righteousness. The word righteousness, DIKAIOSUNE, contains no hint of self-righteousness. Think of righteousness as “rightness”—the way things were originally designed to be before the fall. It is that which conforms to the moral will of God. Here are three ways that putting on the breastplate of righteousness protects us:
- The imputed righteousness of Christ protects us from Satan, the Accuser, who wants to bury us with shame over our sin and drive us into isolation.
- Righteous character protects us from harm. Righteousness guards the one whose way is blameless, but wickedness subverts the sinner. (Prov 13:6).
- Putting on the breastplate of righteousness protects us from distractions. Most humans get up in the morning and dress for work. For Christians that work is seeking to spread rightness over earth. Isaiah says the Messiah’s mission is to form a people that may be called OAKS OF RIGHTEOUSNESS (Is 61:3). We put on the breastplate of righteousness because working for righteousness in the world around us is our mission, and that mission begins with ourselves.
C. As shoes for your feet the readiness given by the gospel of peace. The emphasis here is on readiness. This is the same Greek word that Peter uses when he commands, Be ready to give a reason for the hope that is within you. Clearly, both biblical authors want us to be ready to seize the opportunity to share our faith when it arises. Here are two ways to do that:
- Think through and be ready to share the benefits to being a Christian in your own life. One man illustrates. “I talk about my experience of being a Christian—of how I now sense a purpose and meaning to life, of how I never feel alone, and how—because I feel accepted by God—I more willingly accept other people. I told how being a Christian makes my marriage better, gives me a clear conscience, and fills me with a sense of optimism and hope” (Randy Newman, Questioning Evangelism).
- Pray intentionally for opportunities to share your faith. When we have been asking God for opportunities to share Jesus, our mind is much more alert to the opportunities that cross our path. One of my favorite accountability questions is, Who are the non-believers you are building relationships with and how can I pray for your strategy to share Christ with them?
D. The shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming darts of the evil one. Raising the shield of faith means to hide beneath promises about God and his nature. Here are a few:
- He who trusts the Lord will not be in want of any good thing (Ps 34:8)
- My God shall supply all of your needs according to his riches (Phil 4:19)
- He who did not spare his own Son but gave him up for us all, how will he not also with him graciously give us all things (Rom 8:32)?
- Though he was rich, yet for your sake he became poor, so that you by his poverty might become rich (2 Cor 8:9).
- He disciplines us for our good, that we may share his holiness. For the moment all discipline seems painful rather than pleasant, but later it yields the peaceful fruit of righteousness to those who have been trained by it. (Heb 12:10-11).
E. The helmet of salvation. The purpose of a helmet is to protect the brain. The helmet of salvation is the protective truth surrounding our thinking about salvation, namely that salvation is FROM CHRIST and not FROM US. Remembering that salvation comes from Christ alone: 1) overcomes moralism—the pressure to perform so that God likes me, 2) causes us to constantly stop and ask for Christ’s help to be obedient, 3) eliminates self-righteousness and judgementalism, since we ourselves are desperate for grace, 4) enables us to get back up quickly when sin has humbled us claiming God’s promise, “God gives grace to the humble.”
F. The sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God. The Greek word Paul uses here for sword, MACHAIRA does not describe the swash buckling sword used by Zoro, but a short blade, more like a dagger, used by the Romans in close hand-to-hand combat. This weapon is for personal attacks. That specific attacks are in view is evidenced by the Greek word Paul chooses for “word” in his phrase word of God. It is not LOGOS but RHEMA. Vine writes, “Here the reference is not to the whole Bible as such, but to the individual Scripture passages, which the Spirit brings to our remembrance for use in time of need, a prerequisite being the regular storing of the mind with Scripture.” In the past few months, I have had to rememorize specific verses (RHEMA) of James 1 because I have had such a lousy attitude towards trials and difficulties that come my way. Why not steal one hour from your remaining Christmas holidays to think through your spiritual battles, memorize a verse or two, and follow Jesus’ pattern for defeating Satan?
G. Prayer. God, Himself, identifies PRAYER as the way Christ’s kingdom advances. Just as a military invasion begins with cruise missiles and bombing runs, our efforts to advance the kingdom on earth must begin with prayer, the only weapon capable of dislodging the enemy from its strongholds. Prayer is such a potent offensive weapon for advancing the kingdom of Christ over earth, that in Psalm 2 we hear God the Father identify prayer as the way Christ’s kingdom spreads. He promises Christ, “ASK of me, and I will make the nations your heritage, and the ends of the earth your possession.” As Christ-followers join Christ in ASKING that his kingdom advance, the Father promises to act. As 2025 begins, perhaps we all need to rethink our stewardship of the 168 hours/week God gives us.
Ironically, as Simeon’s prophecy to Mary made clear, the arrival of the Prince of Shalom does not mean ease and passivity but joining his fight against evil. May we put on all the armor and use all the weapons he has given us for this battle.
For Further Prayerful Thought
- What are the implications of these two facts: men love darkness because their deeds are evil, and we are called to be light to the world?
- Which two cultural lies do you hear most often? How best could you raise a question about whether that assumption is really true?
- How can you do a better job of defeating sin in your own life by using the spiritual armor and weapons Jesus has given us?
