In an article in Mere Orthodoxy, Leah Libresco Sargeant points to the need for traditions in culture: “Traditions are tutorials in practical wisdom.  At their best, they are desired paths, wearing a clear trail to follow through the landscape, shaped by the experiences of many prior walkers.”  She quotes philosopher Ludwig Wittgenstein on the danger of losing clear trails, walking rather on slippery ice: “We have got onto slippery ice where there is no friction and so in a certain sense the conditions are ideal, but also, just because of that, we are unable to walk: so we need friction. Back to the rough ground.”

We certainly seem to be slipping a great deal today.  With so many opinionated voices pontificating on the future, the impression is given of a group of children, sliding on the ice, indifferent to any possible collisions… simply enjoying their freedom without regard to any consequences. Growing up in northern Michigan, I have fond memories of playing on ice with my buddies, unaware of ensuing chaos.  The illusion of safely playing on ice was soon met with the reality of painful accidents.  I remember the bumps and bruises received from playing so carefree on the ice.  

This image of slippery ice reminds me of Jesus asking his generation if they were really listening to him.  Remember: John the Baptist portrayed Jesus as “a voice of one calling in the wilderness, ‘Prepare the way of the Lord, make straight paths for him'” (Matt. 3:3).  Jesus asked, “How can I account for this generation? The people have been like spoiled children whining to their parents, ‘We wanted to skip rope, and you were always too tired; we wanted to talk, but you were always too busy.’ John came fasting and they called him crazy.  I came feasting and they called me a lush, a friend of the riffraff.  Opinion polls don’t count for much, do they?  The proof of the pudding is in the eating” (Matt. 11:16-19 – Message).  Are we listening to Jesus or are we more concerned about the opinions of our culture?

Slipping on ice is like having our finger in the air, paying more attention to opinion polls than to the potential consequences of slipping on the ice.  Without traction there is little hope of finding direction for the future.  We will continue to be like children, enjoying our freedom, with no sense of direction? How can one make sense of this carefree chaos, when this seems to be the dominant narrative?      

As followers of Jesus, we belong to the “Way” (Acts 9:2).  We walk on the ancient paths of pilgrims who have gone before us.  Jeremiah warns us of a crossroads: “Stand at the crossroads and look; ask for the ancient paths; ask where the good way is, and walk in it, and you will find rest for your souls ” (Jer. 6:16).  It behooves us to get “back to the rough ground.”  It may not seem like freedom, but it helps us prepare for the collisions ahead.

Hebrews 12:1 reminds us that we are “surrounded by… a great cloud of witnesses.”  We embrace “the great tradition” – walking in the path of those who have gone before. We belong to the communion of saints. To maintain our focus on the great tradition and the well-traveled paths, we need community.  “The nature of tradition,” notes Sargeant, “is that it is too large to be contained in only one person’s life.”  We need to cultivate the work of living an alternative to the dominant culture.  This can be found in the body of Christ.  

As tensions increase around the world, the word “Armageddon” is being used to describe the coming days. Even President Biden used this term recently. But as followers of Jesus we need to be clear on what this term means. It comes from the book of Revelation: “Then they gathered the kings together to the place that in Hebrew is called Armageddon” (Rev. 16:16).

This verse appears after the sixth bowl containing God’s wrath was poured out on the earth: “Bowl six is the last punishment, bringing death to them [the unrepentant]. Satan’s purpose is to assert his power; God’s is to prosecute his justice. The result is the same: Armageddon (Rev. 16:16  Bible Speaks Today). When ‘the great day of God Almighty’ comes, the powers of this world will find themselves suddenly confronted by their rejected Lord. That battle will be the last” (16:14 BST).

We need to be sure we’re on the right side of that great, coming battle.  In Luke 10, Jesus is accused of driving out demons “by Beelzebub, the prince of demons” (Luke 10:14). Jesus had shown the power of the Spirit of God to be greater than the spirit of evil. The strong man (Satan) is the evil power who guards his own house. But Jesus is more powerful, being able to bring about a successful coup.  

The Message gives this description of Jesus, the Stronger Man: “When a strong man, armed to the teeth, stands guard in his front yard, his property is safe and sound. But what if a stronger man comes along with superior weapons?  Then he’s beaten at his own game, the arsenal that gave him such confidence hauled off, and his precious possessions plundered” (Luke 11:21-22 MSG).

We also have these fateful words: “This is war, and there is no neutral ground.  If you’re not on my side, you’re the enemy; if you’re not helping, you’re making things worse” (Luke 11:23 MSG).  The challenge for each of us is to be continually evaluating our priorities as we try to follow Him in a day of intensifying conflict between good and evil. There is no neutral ground. The enemy comes to steal, kill, and destroy.  However, Jesus clearly tells us, “…If I am casting out demons by the power of God, then the Kingdom of God has arrived among you” (Luke 11: 20 NLT). 

In this same context Jesus warns about being alert and on guard: “When an evil spirit leaves a person, it goes into the desert, searching for rest.  But when it finds none, it says, ‘I will return to the person I came from.’  So it returns and finds that its former home is all swept and clean.  Then the spirit finds seven other spirits more evil than itself, and they all enter the person and live there.  And so that person is worse off than before” (Luke 11:24-26 NLT).  

Could it be that spiritually we are “worse off than before” as a nation?  Has the enemy of our souls tempted us to become negligent in our own spiritual lives?  I plead with the men reading this blog:  be fully aware of the fight we are in.  It is on the surface very complex and confusing.  But underneath it’s simply the continuing battle of the ages; between evil and good – the kingdom of Satan and the kingdom of God.

You might not like to be reminded of this battle.  If so, you have already become captive to the forces of darkness.  Remember: we are at war. We need to choose what is right – and then fight.