In times of great tribulation many grow faint of heart and succumb to fear, declaring that God doesn’t care about us. They defiantly declare, “How else could He allow such suffering to befall us?”
I take a different view. The way I see it, God allows Evil to create havoc because He wants us to grow strong in our faith and actions, and to face down all the fears which are planted in us by the dark forces at work in this fallen world. We should not fear Evil, nor even death itself, but look to the Lord for our fortitude in times of crisis.
That’s the entire point of His Creation, for us to become strong in Spirit to overcome our human weaknesses as best we can until the day He releases us from the bondage of this mortal coil, and calls us home.
You might call it tough love.
The Armor of God
10 Finally, be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power.
11 Put on the full armor of God, so that you can take your stand against the devil’s schemes.
12 For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms.
13 Therefore put on the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand.
14 Stand firm then, with the belt of truth buckled around your waist, with the breastplate of righteousness in place,
15 and with your feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace.
16 In addition to all this, take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one.
17 Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God.
18 And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests. With this in mind, be alert and always keep on praying for all the Lord’s people.
Ephesians 6:10-18 New International Version (NIV)
