Meekness Is The Goal

If you are a follower of Yeshua, evil doesn't try to kill you, it tries to lead you. It waits for opportunities of offense to sway you to it's ways.

Genesis 4:7 NKJV — “If you do well, will you not be accepted? And if you do not do well, sin lies at the door. And its desire is for you, but you should rule over it.”

To be killed for resisting evil makes you like Jesus. Evil isn't trying to do that! Evil wants no one to act like Yeshua!

Read that again. Evil's goal is to get you OUT of meekness. That's the whole point of the devil's wiles.

To save your own world by embracing evil is the goal of evil.

Romans 12:17-21 NKJV — Repay no one evil for evil. Have regard for good things in the sight of all men. If it is possible, as much as depends on you, live peaceably with all men. Beloved, do not avenge yourselves, but rather give place to wrath; for it is written, “Vengeance is Mine, I will repay,” says the Lord. Therefore

“If your enemy is hungry, feed him;

If he is thirsty, give him a drink;

For in so doing you will heap coals of fire on his head.” Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.

I want to find ways into this, not around it.

To be "overcome by evil" is to find reasonable excuses to act like the evil we see.

Ephesians 6:10-12 NKJV — Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord and in the power of His might. Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil. For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this age, against spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places.

Jesus' might was to reject the self defense the world naturally takes up and to go on the offense against evil. He did this by loving enemies, blessing those who cursed Him and praying for those who spitefully used Him.

The devil whispers to the meek, "stop being run over by evil." This is Satan's main strategy to get the meek into evil.

Jesus declares something different.

Matthew 5:5 NKJV — Blessed are the meek, For they shall inherit the earth.

Over my 50 years, most of the people I've pursued Jesus with who started out with a vision of the value of being meek have given in to evil because of offense and think they do so to serve God. Very few have grown in meekness. Very few.

Luke 22:31-34 NKJV — And the Lord said, “Simon, Simon! Indeed, Satan has asked for you, that he may sift you as wheat. “But I have prayed for you, that your faith should not fail; and when you have returned to Me, strengthen your brethren.” But he said to Him, “Lord, I am ready to go with You, both to prison and to death.” Then He said, “I tell you, Peter, the rooster shall not crow this day before you will deny three times that you know Me.”

What preceded Peter's fall into denying Jesus was taking up the sword to protect Jesus. Evil got Peter because meekness made no sense under pressure. Peter was sifted in the arrest of Jesus and then found himself alone, denying Jesus. Jesus won't stay with you if you decide meekness doesn't work. He will wait for you in the truth of meekness, but He won't follow you into self preservation. When you reject meekness, you reject following Jesus.

The sifting revealed how much Peter didn't trust God. Jesus tried to warn him, but he wouldn't listen to Jesus.

Will I? Will you before it's too late? Falling away doesn't happen in a big leap, it happens in the day to day choices of how I respond to what I perceive as evil.

Jesus didn't war against the people who arrested him, he warred against the sin that held those very people captive. You can only follow Him by doing the same, starting with truly owning, then repenting of, your proclivity to sin and self defense when under the pressure of offense