THE BATTLE BELONGS TO THE LORD

There is an enemy that threatens to destroy us. It is not a country. It is not a terrorist organization. It is an enemy we see everyday. The sad part is that we embrace this enemy; we do not fight it.

This enemy is present in the streets. It is in the coffee shops, the grocery stores, in our schools, even in our churches. It screams out from the movie screen and the television. It mocks us with clothing, language, entertainment, and it strikes all ages.

This enemy has a name. It is called immorality.

The army of this enemy is composed of all kinds of people including beautiful, successful people. It uses our families, our friends, and our associates to influence us.

Like Goliath, it taunts us with threats and promises, just like the Philistine did with the Children of Israel. Satan leads this army, and he is doing his best to destroy the goodness God created.

Paul was explicit in his letter to the Galatians about what is immoral. “Now the works of the flesh are evident: sexual immorality, impurity, sensuality, idolatry, sorcery, enmity, strife, jealousy, fits of anger, rivalries, dissension, division, envy, drunkenness, orgies, and things like these. I warn you, as I warned you before, that those who do such things will not inherit the kingdom of God” (Galatians 5:19-21 ESV). 

As I sit in my favorite coffee shop working on this article, I have witnessed immorality, impurity, and sensuality. I have heard the “OMG,” seen two very attractive young women in tank tops that reveal their undergarments, and one that is wearing a “long top” with no slip. Hope she doesn’t have to bend over. (Actually, she just did. She provided quite a show for the men in the room).

Yes, ladies. This is immorality, and the Bible offers us instruction regarding what and how we should avoid this enemy. “Likewise also that women should adorn themselves in respectable apparel, with modesty and self-control…” (First Timothy 2:9). 

There is, of course, the age-old argument, “But what is modesty? What was modest years ago is just old fashioned now. It’s all about what is in style.”

Listen to the words of Jesus. “But I say unto you that everyone who looks at a woman with lustful intent has already committed adultery with her in his heart” (Matthew 5:28).

Ladies, don’t think for one minute that you don’t know when you walk out the door whether or not you are modest. If you truly think you don’t know, read the definition of modest from the New Oxford American Dictionary.

“(of a woman) dressing or behaving so as to avoid impropriety or indecency, especially to avoid attracting sexual attention.

• (of clothing) not revealing or emphasizing the figure.”

This is simple to understand. Jesus says you should not dress in a way that causes a man to look at you and sin. If you are modestly dressed, and he sins, that is his sin alone. If he sins because of the way you are dressed, that is your sin and his.

The Christian’s answer to the giant of immorality should be the same as David’s answer to Goliath. “…and that all this assembly may know that the LORD saves not with sword and spear. For the battle is the LORD’s, and he will give you into our hand” (First Samuel 17:47).

Neither the Lord nor we can take a sword or spear to fight the enemy of immorality. The battle is the Lord’s, and He will fight it with us whenever we ask Him.

From our resources, we need some simple defenses. We need a study of God’s Word to see what He wants us to do. We need Christian friends who are trying to serve the Lord. We need dedicated parents that are teaching their children what God expects of them. We need church leaders that are teaching morality from the pulpits. We need constant prayer that we will always choose what is right.

David chose five stones as he faced Goliath. I have shown you five avenues to fight the battle of immorality. One stone was sufficient for David, his faith in God. One is sufficient for us—our faith in God. If we have that faith, we will do the things necessary to fight our giant.

Immorality has a lot to do with vanity. It isn’t easy to dress differently and modestly. It is a little more difficult to find clothes that aren’t revealing, but they are out there.

Remember what Paul said to the Corinthians in Second Corinthians 6:14-18? His instructions are about their worshiping idols; and he speaks of the temple of God, our bodies, being joined with unbelievers. He says:

• “Do not be unequally yoked with unbelievers” (verse 14).
• He compares this unequal yoking with righteousness vs. lawlessness and light with darkness (verse 4).
• It is Christ against Belial, a heathen god (verse 15).
• It is a believer vs. an unbeliever (verse 15).
• It is the temple of God with idols (verse 16)

Once he makes these comparisons of what being unequally yoked is about, he says, “Therefore go out from their midst, and be separate from them, says the Lord, and touch no unclean thing; then I will welcome you, and I will be a father to you, and you shall be sons and daughters to me, says the Lord Almighty” (verses 17-18). 

Ladies, come out from the world. Be different. Fight immorality. Be modest.

Sandra Oliver