April 18: CONTENDING FOR THE FAITH

Then the woman fled into the wilderness, where she has a place prepared by God, that they should feed her there one thousand two hundred and sixty days . . . the woman was given two wings of a great eagle, that she might fly into the wilderness to her place, where she is nourished for a time and times and half a time, from the presence of the serpent. Revelation 12:6,14

The wilderness denotes a place devoid of human protection. To be preserved there is a testimony of the divine protection of God. The nourishment of the woman was for the benefit of everyone in this fallen world where Satan roams. The message of salvation is for everyone. God has messengers in every generation. Never has He left us without a witness (see Romans 1:20).

The dark history of the 1260 years known as the Dark Ages is brightened with the record of those who stepped forward to speak of the light found in God’s Word. As they personally overcame falsehoods that had crept into the established church, they also helped others to do the same. The process of reformation is still in progress, but will soon come to its conclusion (see Revelation 22:11). Do not be fooled by those who say, “The Reformation is over!” We are living in the last days of fallen earth’s history, and the Lord is urgently calling His people out of Babylon.

In the heyday of pagan Rome, the Apostolic Church was unpopular and maligned by pagans as well as unconverted Jews; they called it a sect (Acts 24:14 – see also Luke 23:12) which “threatened” political stability. The Roman coliseum became a monument to the dreadful persecution of early Christians. Amazingly, this persecution was accompanied by explosive church growth. The original faith spread like wildfire. The very intensity of the persecution of those days kept the church free from nominal Christians. A true Christian was “all in” with the clear understanding that there was no middle ground. It is still true today: there is no middle ground! Compromise with the world is deadly. Friendship with the world is enmity with God (James 4:4).

By the time of the church’s open compromise with paganism that began under Constantine’s rule, there were stalwart Christians* who objected to bringing pagan idols into the church and changing the day of worship from the seventh day to the “day of the sun” (321AD). This happened decades before Christianity became the state religion of the Roman Empire (380AD), allowing time to condition minds toward acceptance of civil authority above that of God. By the year 538, armies loyal to Rome destroyed the last of three groups who had opposed papal authority. They were quite literally plucked out by the roots (Daniel 7:8).

*These faithful ones were the direct extension of the original, Apostolic Church. Just as Scripture foretold (Daniel 2:40, 7:7), the church fell into apostasy. Those willing to learn from history can look back and see the New Testament church dividing into two branches: the false and the true. The false steadily endeavors to silence or override the true. He who is not with Me is against Me, and he who does not gather with Me scatters abroad. (Matthew 12:30)

The eternal future of those who remain true to Jesus will continue to be divinely protected as described above. Just as the true woman held to a pure, undefiled faith, the rest of her offspring (Revelation 12:17) will continue in like manner, empowered by the Spirit of grace (Hebrews 10:29).

Beloved, while I was very diligent to write to you concerning our common salvation, I found it necessary to write to you exhorting you to contend earnestly for the faith which was once delivered to the saints. Jude 3