The Spirit of Silence

One of the greatest threats to the kingdom of darkness is a believer speaking the truth in love. Paul wrote to the Ephesians, telling them the evidence of being a mature and fully equipped believer is the ability to speak the truth in love.

“We will not be influenced when people try to trick us with lies so clever, they sound like the truth. Instead, we will speak the truth in love”(Ephesians 4:14). Love is not mute.

While the law of the land tells us we have freedom of speech, that freedom can be restricted when specific agendas are being pushed and the compliance of silence is demanded. The old and tired argument that the Church should not involve itself in the affairs of a nation is foolish. It gets real when laws are put in place removing the right of a parent to know if their child is undergoing a life-altering medical procedure or when a school board has promoted a curriculum that stands in direct opposition to the values of a family. Would those believers who are parents and say we should not involve ourselves politically and socially sing the same tune if it were their child? What would happen if your pastor preached biblical truth regarding human sexuality and those verses were labeled as hate speech and subject to prosecution? To speak the truth in love is being defined by a compliant culture as intolerant, unloving, and open for prosecution if the dissenting voices do not comply and remain silent.

We have entered a very challenging season for the Church. Three years ago, the Lord revealed that speaking the truth in love would become one of the most challenging issues facing the Church in the future. We have arrived at that future. This will be a challenging time because it requires that we first examine the intent of our heart to see if the Spirit, not our undisciplined emotions, is speaking. It will require that we muster the courage required to deliver the truth no matter what opposition we face for speaking the truth in love. 

In all of this, we must remember we are not fighting what our eyes can see. We are battling against an unseen spirit that wants to use those in authority to silence all sounds of truth and any opposition to the fulfillment of their deception. It all sounds so dark and ominous if it were not for the increasing light of God’s truth that will eventually overcome all darkness and all evil intent.

This is an updated edition of a post originally published on Garris Elkins

Featured Image by Sonny Mauricio on Unsplash

About the Author

Garris Elkins is a Kingdom Winds Contributor. He and his wife, Jan, serve the global Church through writing, speaking, and mentoring. They live in southern Oregon, tucked away in the foothills of the Rogue Valley. Their shared desire is to have each person learn how to hear the heart of God and become a transforming voice in their culture.

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