When we attempt to preach to others of what our faith means, in an attempt to help them along the path to an understanding of Christianity, it is possible that we may face particularly difficult opposition. Particularly in the present day, it seems that Christians are increasingly likely to be persecuted for their beliefs, though this is no more than we could expect according to the prophesies if the end times.
Prosecution and imprisonment for alleged “hate crimes” whereby those in power attempt to suppress any thought that conflicts with their own satanic worldview, is particularly prevalent in the Anglosphere, though the USA’s constitutional safeguard of the right to freedom of speech is unique in maintaining some protection to this day.
In this case, it may be prudent for us to avoid conflict where it might land us in greater trouble with the law. However, when we recall in Mark 14, Peter denied Christ three times, weeping bitterly when he realised what he had done, the message is clear that we must not shrink from our faith when pressed for it.
On the other hand, if we observe how Christ carried out his own ministry, it can be shown that he employed several methods to defeat the intrigues of the Pharisees who were intent on subverting and stopping him from carrying out his good works.
For example, in Mark 12:14, the Pharisees asked of Jesus: “Master, we know that thou art true, and carest for no man: for thou regardest not the person of men, but teachest the way of God in truth: Is it lawful to give tribute to Caesar, or not?”
Their purpose here was to trick Jesus into inciting the population to rebel against their Roman rulers, for which he could be executed. However, we can see Jesus did not take this bait, at Mark 14:17:
“And Jesus answering said unto them, Render to Caesar the things that are Caesar's, and to God the things that are God's. And they marvelled at him.”
He avoided the trap by teaching the people to give Caesar his trifling tax, but using this same opportunity to instruct the people to give God his due as well. If one thinks about it, for all that God has done, his due must be far greater, and likely impossible for any human to pay, thereby teaching a lesson of faith and humility before the laws of God. However, this implication would not have been immediately evident to the Pharisees, who could do no more than let Jesus continue with his teachings.
Such a trap may be used against our own preachers today. In such circumstances, our enemies may try to trick us into preaching crime or terrorism against the prevailing government. In these circumstances, we only need inform them that we only wish to follow the laws of the Bible. To continue with their attacks, the enemy must denounce the religious text of hundreds of millions of people. This may not save our preacher from further harassment, but it would at least show all Christians present where our enemies stand in opposition to our God.
In Matthew 21, Jesus showed how we can turn our enemies’ prying questions upon them, putting them on the defensive. When the Pharisees asked Jesus where he gained his authority from, they meant to prove him guilty of blasphemy (as they understood it) by refuting the authority of the Pharisees.
But Jesus asked, at verse 25:
And they reasoned with themselves, saying, If we shall say, From heaven; he will say unto us, Why did ye not then believe him?
But if we shall say, Of men; we fear the people; for all hold John as a prophet.
And they answered Jesus, and said, We cannot tell. And he said unto them, Neither tell I you by what authority I do these things.”
If the Pharisees had derided John as a man with no connection with God, the Pharisees risked uniting the populace against them for insulting their prophet. However, if they claim he is ordained by God, then they would have been proven hypocrites and blasphemers themselves for refusing to follow God-given wisdom.
As such, they could only further obfuscate, and in doing so were forced to let Jesus go. Again we can see how the self assured righteousness of our enemies can be turned against them when they fail to consider the implications of their lies. Their evil hypocrisy is revealed to all those present, and some of those may go on to question the lies about our faith which they have been taught.
However, we must remember that Jesus could only avoid the Pharisees’ wrath for so long. There may come a time when despite all the methods we could employ to turn the tables, our enemy may hold all public opinion and power against us, and we have no room to manoeuvre . We may be called upon to account for our faith, and at that time we must preach the word of God even when it means we will suffer. The alternative is lapsing into cowardice as Peter did.
But as we see in 3rd chapter of Daniel, when the three men refused to bow before Nebuchadnezzar’s Idol, and were cast into a furnace for staying true to their beliefs, they told him at verse 17 that, “Our God whom we serve is able to deliver us from the burning fiery furnace, and he will deliver [us] out of thine hand, O king.”
Our discomfort at the hands of our enemies will be short lived compared to our salvation through God.
