I have been fishing a tremendous amount with a friend who is agnostic.
It is amazing to me just how much influence this unbeliever can have on me. I am not talking about my salvation, but rather my daily walk with the Lord has suffered. I catch myself slipping towards the world using some profanity, not praying as often, and other subtle, yet definite lapses from my Christian walk. Our friends and acquaintances have a tremendous effect on our Christian walk if we allow it. By the same token we can also have a tremendous effect on non-believers. I have witnessed to this guy until I am blue in the face and he is annoyed with it. I am afraid I might have made things worse as I have tried to lead him to Christ one minute and then say a cussword when I lose a fish or tangle my lines the next. I feel really bad that on occasion I set a terrible example for him; especially in light of the fact that one reason he is anti-religion is that so many Christians that he knows are hypocrites.
The Bible tells us to so let our “light” shine that unbelievers will want to become believers. I have a great story to tell because prior to God entering my life I was a disaster. After Christ came into my life I completely changed in such a dramatic fashion that it is nothing short of miraculous. I must be on guard every moment however as satan would like nothing better than to take away my witness to others. If I have a lapse in judgment and sin just as if I was a non-Christian, then I have done the Lord a disservice and serve as a terrible example for everyone who comes in contact with me. I tell my friend not to judge God by me or any mere humans as we are weak and not good representatives of a perfect and loving Savior, but it falls on deaf ears. He observes Christians behaving as bad as or often worse than non-Christians and he equates that with religion being a big farce.
I have vowed to be a better witness to my friend. Instead of having his non-Christian influence negatively influence me, I am going to call on Christ to help me to positively influence him. I cannot do this without God’s help. God’s mighty weapons are available to us as we battle satanic influences and live the Christian life in a non-Christian world.
Prayer, faith, hope, love, God’s word and the Holy Spirit are God’s mighty weapons. They are powerful and effective. Make no mistake about it we are in the midst of an all out war. Alone we will lose the battles and possibly even the war. I need all of God’s mighty weapons just to keep my head above the surface much less engage in warfare; how about you?
2 Cor. 10:4
For the weapons of our warfare
Are not carnal but mighty in God
For pulling down strongholds…