My wife Carol and I were having a discussion today remembering the old 1950s western cowboy movies in America. If you are not that old, then look at the re-runs. They always made it seem like the bad guys were winning and that the good guys were doomed to destruction. Then a great switch occurred in the last seven minutes of the thirty-minute TV movie. Suddenly the good guys obtained some unexpected help and the bad guys lost. This would keep the viewer on the edge of his/her seat every time, even though they knew for sure how it would end. It still stirred the emotions.

That is the way it is with God and His process in our lives. We should be reminded that at the Cross it appeared to the bad guys that they had triumphed victoriously over Jesus. Satan must have been having a great drunken orgy feast with everyone putting snake like crowns on his head in congratulations.

Then suddenly the resurrection took place! The victory could not have been so complete without the ripening of evil, without God allowing evil to have its full course. What looked like a defeat of the good guys and the best they had to offer, turned out to be the greatest spiritual military victory ever accomplished.

We live in a microcosm of this type of spiritual warfare and process. Do not be surprised if it looks hopeless. It is supposed to. That is the script of your Christian life!

However we cannot just sit back and be lazy during this time. Paul said in Ephesians 6:13, "Therefore take up the whole armor of God, that you may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand." Our standing has to do with the Word of God. Our standing also involves knowing who we are in Christ and living a life worthy of that calling.

This is not about a gun duel showdown between you and Satan, it is about God and Satan!

Joshua was told that God was neither for him or his enemies, but that he, Joshua, needed to get on God’s team.

"And it came to pass, when Joshua was by Jericho, that he lifted his eyes and looked, and behold, a Man stood opposite him with His sword drawn in His hand. And Joshua went to Him and said to Him, "Are You for us or for our adversaries?" So He said, "No, but as Commander of the army of the LORD I have now come." And Joshua fell on his face to the earth and worshiped, and said to Him, "What does my Lord say to His servant?" Then the Commander of the LORD’S army said to Joshua, "Take your sandal off your foot, for the place where you stand is holy." And Joshua did so" (Joshua 5:13-15).

Hang on for seven more minutes, God will win and ascribe to victory to your account!

Larry Chkoreff, April, 2001