“For though we walk in the flesh, we do not war according to the flesh. For the weapons of our warfare are not [a]carnal but mighty in God for pulling down strongholds, casting down arguments and every high thing that exalts itself against the knowledge of God, bringing every thought into captivity to the obedience of Christ, and being ready to punish all disobedience when your obedience is fulfilled.”

-The Apostle Paul to The Church at Corinth 

The time is upon us once again. The annual duty that has existed since America’s birth. The joys of living in a democracy, or a republic. It depends on who you ask. This system of “We The People” has become so desired by other nations that it has spread to cause their liberation from appointed rulers. This system trickles down, from the President of a nation, to the clerk of our local court. Even the sheriff isn’t immune. However, there are a select few of The Way that wash their hands of this. They may choose not to vote, or they may vote quietly while sewing their own lips shut upon standing up against or for the “issues”. Many of these Christians, that are anemic politically, tend to hide behind their faith. The Christ, if you will. They choose to disconnect from the political arena under the phrase “I serve a different King that is not of this world”. Or something to that effect. They stare so stoically into the sky that the world around them becomes nearly non-existent. They only speak of Him, yet never addressing the collapse that surrounds them. They take to heart to turn their eyes upon Jesus, that the things of this earth become strangely dim. They become so heavenly minded… that they are no earthly good. The fires give them no interest.

Believe it or not this is a problem.

The world that we live turns. Time does not cease or slow down for anyone. The sun is guaranteed to rise and fall, even behind the storm clouds. One thing that is promised is the demise of society. Of humanity. Of mankind. And we are in the midst of said demise. The Christian that has chosen blindness to this world would be in awe to see just how far we have fallen and how fast. Legalized drug abuse. Murdering of The Innocence. The normalization of Marital Death. Common filthy speech. Men and women trading genitalia. Pregnant men. Drag Queen Story Hour. Child drag queens stripping before adults. The embracing of pedophilia. Hatred for the family. Hatred for The Church. Hatred for God. And we’re just getting started.

These Christians. They sleep. Their love for Jesus has put them into a catatonic state. As they stand with hands raised to the heavens, the house around them burns. In time it will collapse upon them. Survival is not a given. Maybe Christ is both their safe space and scapegoat. He is their escape from a world that they cannot bear. A shattered realm that they cannot set their eyes upon for the hurt that it offers. It is impossible not to hear the nails of this world scraping on their walls. It is impossible to lend a deaf ear to the screams of those that this monster swallows by the whole. They disengage that they may not have to engage with The Beast.

They can shout “I serve a King and His Kingdom is not of this world”. However, The Beast does not bow to those sentiments. When the powers that be arrive at your doorstep to take from you your children that are homeschooled, because it has become illegal, what will you do? Will “His Kingdom is not of this world” save you? The Dark Ones that are taking over do not care of our King. To them He is a myth. When these Dark Ones arrive at the houses of worship with chains in tow, will they run because His Kingdom is “not of this world”? They scoff at such an idea as they divide families, hauling them away. When their shadow darkens the threshold of your door and they drag you away as you are haunted by the screaming of your wife and daughters, will they run in fear as you say “I serve Jesus and His Kingdom is not of this world”? Will they escape the grip of fear and run before they can confiscate and destroy The Word? No. They do not fear because they do not believe. They do not believe because it is not His Kingdom that they serve. But only one of wicked ruin.

“Not Of This World”. It means that you do not conform to it. You do not drink from its bitter cup willingly. You do not feast from its gluttonous platter. You have no part in it. It does not mean that you disconnect. It does not mean to lock yourself into the closet of ignorance. Never to discuss politics. Never to discuss culture. Never to discuss what creeps outside of the door. Never to care. For the demons do not rest. They care not about your slogan. They care not that you have crawled into the hole called “Not Of This World” and locked yourself away. They care not that your eyes are closed and your ears are stopped. They care not that you never offer an utterance of them. They will hunt you. They will find you. They will drag you out to your own destruction. They fear not His Kingdom. Because they believe that theirs is the only one. The greater one.

Engage in politics and put your ear to the ground. Pay mind to The Enemy. Pay mind to the attacks. Like Israel’s defense against her pagan neighbors, we are called to stand against evil by the proclamation “not of this world”. The Way is the weapon against The Dark Ones. Against their sword of wickedness. NOTW is not our escape room to hide in. It is not our shield to hide behind, but both our defense and our offense. It is the guide to where we stand in culture. It is our guide to politics and how we vote.

Christian, we are here as representatives of The Kingdom. Our voices should not grow silent as the cancer of evil spreads, permeating and infecting ourselves and our loved ones. An infection that is promised if we remain silent and ignorant to its existence. An infection that is not cured by silly quotes. That does not answer to Him or His Kingdom. Our voices should be heard. In the home. In the schools. In the workplace.

In the voting booth.

“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.”

-The Apostle Paul to The Church at Ephesus