Christians today lament plummeting church membership, anti-Biblical indoctrination in public schools, and political threats to religious freedom. However, such opposition is not a sign for the faithful to keep their heads down, clinging in submissive silence to the hope that “this too shall pass.”
Rather than shortsighted pessimism, these circumstances call for faith and expectation. In fact, God has a consistent record of reviving his people when society seems impossibly removed from His vision. The Lord’s omnipotence is no less present today than it was thousands of years ago, and it’s time for Christians to stop moping, fix their eyes on the sovereign power of Christ, and stand up amidst the cultural pressures of our time.
If anyone in the Bible knew how to stand when everyone else kneeled, it was Ananiah, Mishael, and Azariah (Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego). These men were taken captive to Babylon, where they were a tiny minority of those faithful to God in a nation of paganism, polytheism, and worldly idols.
Yet when the king ordered them to kneel before his image, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego refused. No one else joined in their cause of resistance. They were completely and utterly alone, except of course for the God of the universe who guarded their every step.
A culture that is increasingly hostile towards Christianity presents believers with the same ultimatum faced by the trio of Israelites—we can conform to the pressure of worldly authority or remain openly loyal to God. The only thing stronger than the fear of man is the fear of God, and opposition forces us to rely on Someone greater than our meager concept of human courage.
Maybe the modern church needs this duress to shock it out of complacency. Maybe the church needs to be convicted of its apathy in sharing the Gospel and standing for truth. Maybe the Christian life has become too comfortable. Whether this is the case or not, when secularism becomes militant and moves into the national spotlight, Christians have a prime opportunity to confront the cultural trajectory.
The “fiery furnace” series of events in Daniel ends with the king ordering severe punishment on those “who say anything against the God of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego … for no other god can save in this way.” The same is true of Daniel being thrown into the lions’ den. After witnessing the power of the one true God, King Darius issues a decree that everyone in the kingdom “must fear and reverence the God of Daniel.”
Neither of these examples imply that all Babylonians converted or that believers won’t be martyred. The point is that fierce persecution gave God’s people a platform to share the testimony of His power and sovereignty to an entire nation of people that had no regard for God.
The men of the book of Daniel did not whine, burn down small businesses, storm the Capitol, or troll their opponents on Twitter. But they also didn’t back down. They didn’t compromise. They stood to be judged by the only Judge whose verdict lasts for eternity.
It’s more than a time to persevere, more than a time to stand—right now is an opportunity to loyally serve the only true God in a way that leads others to Him.
