The powers of the world are relentless. This comes out in the story of the Exodus. It’s a story we all know so well. One of the more memorable parts of the story is at the end where the walls of water come crashing down on Pharaoh’s army and chariots. This was the climatic moment in which God destroys Israel’s adversary as personified in the Egyptian monarch (Pharaoh). All the other plagues prepare us for this moment.
Did you ever notice that in this story Pharaoh, the adversary, is constantly and relentlessly trying to keep God’s people in slavery. All throughout the process, Pharaoh refused to let God’s people go. In fact, Pharaoh’s relentless hold on Israel is one of the central points of the story. It’s the cause of the “cause and effect” feature of the story. Without Pharaoh being so hard-hearted, there would be hardly a story (interesting, isn’t it, that God doesn’t just deliver his people in one fell swoop and that he even let’s Pharaoh feel like he’s got some control?). Pharaoh is so hard-hearted that he goes on to pursue Israel to the very last moment of redemption—into Red Sea and even to his own demise.
Pharaoh is relentless.
The powers of the world are the same. The forces of evil are relentless with those who God is extracting from the darkness. Satan does not like losing control. There is no idea that the Adversary hates more than losing control—God’s Kingdom come on earth as it is in heaven. After all, that’s why he rebelled in the first place according to Christian tradition, because he hated God’s rule. He will do whatever it takes to keep control, to keep people in darkness. He will pursue until the waters of the Red Sea come crashing down upon him.
Why am I making this point? To remind us that we must be diligent. We must be more relentless in our love and obedience to Jesus than the Adversary is in the world. Paul is constantly reminding the recipients of his letters to resist Satan, put on the armor of God, never cease praying, fight for the Kingdom. We must be diligent, we must be focused, we must be urgent, we must be missional.
At the same time, we must remember that the battle is won. This is one of the mysteries of the Gospel: the Kingdom is now, but not yet. Yes, Jesus, has won the battle and been vindicated through his resurrection, but his Kingdom has yet to come in fulfillment. Until Jesus’ return and final judgment, the Adversary is chasing God’s people until the very last moments trying to reclaim them for himself. We must be more diligent.
Never cease praying.
Amen and Amen