One of the main problems in America today is Christian men are not stepping up and taking responsibility for their faith, families and future. Part of this problem is not only caused by society; it is how men are taught to be half of the virtue of Christ in American churches. This is why it is of paramount importance for clergy to start recognizing and diligently teaching men to embrace both sides of the paradoxical virtues of Christ. The first side is the loving, peaceable, fruit of the spirit side of Christ’s virtues. This is preached almost every Sunday but the bold courageous men embodied in likes of David of old, John the Baptist and the Apostle Paul are mostly ignored. When today’s men need to learn to take on the full armor of God to fulfill Christ’s commands, while being empowered by the Holy Spirit to take His gospel to the ends of the earth (Matt 28:19 – Acts 1:8). These are the kind of men Christ desires. Standing and withstanding evil while representing Christ cannot be done by weak men. Weak men are not capable of being fierce and Christ needs strong men who can courageously face danger and overcome great obstacles.
Therefore, men need to be taught to rely on the Holy Spirit to guide them to be aggressively courageous for Christ, and a man in authority over himself, while at the same time seriously benevolent and kind. Through recognizing and believing in all of Christ’s truth male disciples can become like Jesus. Jesus was capable of great violence, whipping the money changers, but strived for peace to His core (Matt 11:22). Men, if they learn to be like Jesus, are brave pillars of strength who can become honorably ferocious in defense of righteousness but equally forgiving, and compassionate to their families, and the body of Christ. These are those who are looked upon as men of valor by their loved ones, church and their communities. These men are the bold voice of truth speakers who defend those being destroyed by the lies of regressive darkness in America and around the world (Proverbs 8:14). These are the kind of men Christ desires to represent Him.
Christian Men are made to live for Christ by emulating both sides of His character with every bit of their being. Representing the way, the truth, and the light (John 14:6) and accepting the cost of salvation when viewing the scars and nail holes on the body of Jesus (John 20:27). Men are made to contend earnestly for the faith, (Jude 1:3) against evils who try to silence and destroy the human soul. Real men honor Christ by embracing self-control, seeking justice, and standing at the front in the battle between good and evil. God designed men to give their all, expect-nothing-in-return, and humbly sacrifice themselves as Christ’s spiritual warriors against darkness and genocidal principalities. Christian men are the gender born with superior physical strength and reborn with the power of the Spirit to witness Christ, under threat of life and destruction (Revelation 12:11) to the ends of the earth (Acts1:8). Therefore, when these men die and are forgotten, they will be crowned with glory and honor by God (Hebrews 2:9) for they were men of valor (Joshua 8:3).
Men today, who learn the gift of essential biblical knowledge, have to be taught to transfer the power of the Holy scriptures (2 Timothy 3:15) into everyday practiced obedience. Without obedience men today can become the servant who hid the talent and was called wicked and lazy by his lord (Matthew 25:26). This is the necessary shifting from bible study to go out being the good Samaritan who is boldly living and speaking the truth of Christ into the lies, rage, and ruin dwelling in the public marketplace of mankind. These actions are the true evidence of their faith, because faith without Godly deeds is dead (James 2:14). Therefore men, while being embolden by the Holy Spirit, are charged by Christ to take their biblical knowledge into the darkness of humankind. This shows they are doers of the word. Doers of the word are filled with the Holy Spirit that comforts and guides them to stand for righteousness’ sake as they walk through the valley of life’s darkness (Psalms 23). All of this enables men to expose darkness (Ephesians 5:11&13) through the prism of Christ’s spiritual discernment, and boldly stand against worldly sacrilege (Ephesians 6:10-20). The glorious life of keeping and obeying Christ’s word, is the life God has designed for men (John 14:23-24). This is the reason, the goal for men is to learn how to live the whole paradoxical virtues of Christ so they can do their duty, for “By this the Father in heaven is glorified, that men bear much fruit; so, men will be Christ’s disciples” (John 15:8).
The Ten Most Important Duties Minister’s must teach men. For each title there is a brief synopsis.
- Faith in God and Christ. First and foremost, teach the elements of profound faith in the Spirit of Jesus the Christ is to seek and save the lost. Teach them Christianity is about what Christ has done for us so we can go out and do the same for others. This is to develop a close personal relationship with the Holy Spirit of Truth by knowing men have a spiritual power given and controlled through the Spirit of life (Romans 8:2). This is teaching men to be able to sacrifice everything for the better good of Christ’s truth while making the will of God visible to all mankind. This is teaching them to care more about what God cares about so they can have all the virtues to “…do to others what you would have them do to you” (Matthew 7:12).
- The knowledge of the Power of Biblical truth: Disciples of Christ know those who really knows Jesus will want others to know him. This is why men are called by God to boldly speak the power of God’s truth into darkness so the Holy Spirit can turn people’s darkness to light, and from the power of Satan to God that they may receive forgiveness of sins and an inheritance among those who have been sanctified by faith in Christ, (Acts 1:8 & 26:18). This proves “…faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of God. …Yes indeed: Their sound has gone out to all the earth, and their words to the ends of the world” (Romans 10:17-18). Their sound, the Word of God, makes intercession for the saints through the intervention of the power of the Holy Spirit, (Romans 8:27 & 2 Thess 2:13). With the utterance of God’s voice, His Spirit made creation take form, chaos yielded to order, light eclipsed darkness, and emptiness was filled with life. Therefore, faith in Christ compels His disciples to produce the sound of the power of the Word of God by speaking into the darkness of mankind (2 Cor 4:12-14 & Ephesians 5:11). God’s spoken truth is living and powerful, and sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing even to the division of soul and spirit, …and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart (Hebrews 4:12). Without speaking the minds who are blinded will not hear the sound of the power of the word of God nor see the light, who is the imagine of God (2 Cor 4:4). Therefore, we are God’s mouthpiece and are to use great boldness of speech, (2 Cor 3:12). For we war against evil by speaking the power of God’s Word, for pulling down arguments against the knowledge of God (2 Cor 10:4-6). Knowing, we will be hated by all for Christ’s name’s sake (Luke 21:17), and if persecuted for righteousness’ sake, Christ will bless us for great is our reward in heaven, (Matthew 5:12)
- Men are ministers of reconciliation (2 Corinthians 5:18): Teach men that the search for satisfaction in a man’s soul is completed in the living knowledge and fire of unshakable faith in Jesus Christ. “When Jesus told men, “…Go therefore and make Disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you” (Matthew 28:18-20), He was not pussyfooting Christ’s command is for every man to evangelize, which is sharing Christ’s truth to the world. Jesus gave this command to men, and many Christian men today don’t understand there is no opt out provision. God spoke the world into existence and His Son verbally commanded all believers to go and make Disciples. This comes from the unlimited power of God speaking reality into existence and cannot be diluted or changed by man. God gave men the power to complete their obligations when Jesus said, “…you shall receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you shall be witnesses to Me, …to the end of the earth” (Acts 1:8). Again, this is not a suggestion; this is a command to men from the Son of God!
- Men are to prove Christ’s Power by inspiring hope: Teach men to prove the power of the Holy Spirit in their lives by being men of valor, who are righteous and unstoppable in their pursuit of a Christ like life. This is teaching men bare profession alone is not enough. They must emulate Christ by being peacemakers, and they must warn the wicked from their wicked ways (Ezekiel 3:18) so they can stand firm and be courageous against the darkness of this world. Teach them, brave and compassionate men strike the spark that creates the flame of hope in their families that ignites a roaring forest fire of faith and newfound courage within the body of Christ.
- Men honor God by being obedient to Christ: Teach them, man is justified and declared righteous and approved by works of obedience to Christ (James 2:24). Therefore, obedience to Christ does not go along to get along for real men do not persuade through appeasement (Galatians 1:10). Everything God has ordered of His followers from Adam and Eve to the end of the Book of Revelation demands courageous believers to honor God’s commands. In Proverbs 28 – God advises His people are to be obedient and as bold as a Lion. John the Baptist in the four gospels was the first man in the New Testament to take on the bold speaking mantel. John criticized the multitudes, and called the Jewish leaders a “brood of vipers” (Luke 3:7) and boldly told the world of the coming of Christ. In the Book of Acts where the church is created there are ten scriptures where believers saw the Disciple’s boldness, witnessed them praying for boldness, speaking the word with grace and boldness, preaching boldly and grew bold as the Holy Spirit of truth empowered them with bold guidance (See Acts 4:13, 23, 29, 31-9:27, 29-13:46-14:3-18:26-19:6). This is Christ’s standard of behavior for men, because this is grace and bold truth in action.
- Courage and bravery is knowingly standing for Christ against darkness: Jesus was a realist. He accepted and recognized the true nature of life on earth because He was the author of everything. The Beatitudes in Matthew display the paradoxical virtues of Christ. They start with blessed are the humble and strong self-control men who are dependent on God. The point of the first part of the Beatitudes is Christians are to be compassionate and good while sponsoring an abundance of peace. Jesus continued, “Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called sons of God.” Peacemakers are the virtues of the bold and courageous who are striving to prevent contention, strife, and war by laying down the foundation of Christ. Jesus speaks of reality, lives in reality, and offers a life in reality, that does not fear, or devalue evil. With Jesus there is no set aside, because He deals in reality. He instructed men to be prepared for evil, when He said take a moneybag, a knapsack and a sword. (Luke 22:36). This gives men what they need to defend themselves. Knowing they are blessed by Christ when persecuted for righteousness’ sake and they are to rejoice and be exceedingly glad, for great is their reward in heaven (Matthew 5:1-12). This is the foundation real men build upon to influence and reconcile opposing parties, hostilities in families and in the community.
- Personal Honor – Displaying an active faith in grace and truth: This enables men to stand in the gap before God on behalf of the land (Ezekiel 22:30). Filled with the Holy Spirit that is alive, righteous and bold as a lion. Knowing backing down displays the anti-virtue of fear and dishonor’s God. Personal honor in men shows they are standing for Christ, their families and their country. Knowing there is no entity, principality, nor person who is excluded from hearing the power of Christ’s truth. This enables men to take on the mantle of being truth speakers for Christ.
- Defense of Christ’s People: Men are called to stand and protect those around them, including their family, friends, or their community. One of man’s duties for Christ, is to be seen defending Christ truth, against all enemies of the gospel of Christ. This is taking an active role to combat the threats to Christ’s people that dwell in the marketplace of ideas. Jesus’s true character was exposed when He came “into the world, He came to boldly bear witness to the truth” by defending God’s truth (John 18:37 Paraphrased). Jesus knew His witness would create conflict, as it does today, and He and His disciples would be hated (John 15:18). When He expelled the money changers, Jesus was defending and restoring the temple’s God-ordained function. He defended righteousness by showing the world He was as bold as a lion (Proverbs 28:1). He used a whip, turning great tables over to drive out the money changers (Matthew 21:12). Doing and defending Christ’s righteousness in the face of conflict is the foundation of both sides of the paradoxical virtues of Christ.
- Leadership Assertion: Standing when very few others will, shows decisiveness, courage, and a willingness to put the needs of the many above their own. This act could be seen as a public demonstration of the kind of leader Christ would desire. Men are to assert leadership in their church, and their families and in their community. This is the soldier of Christ who will stand and withstand evil as Christ ambassador speaking boldly, as they ought to speak. (Ephesians 10-20).
- For the glory of God: Men, learn that all achievement, all sacrifice, as they are emboldening themselves with the truth of the New Testament is all for the glory of God. Through this they develop deeper biblical insights and more importantly, see how faith in Christ develops their personal courage to produce Godly deeds, and to gracefully speak into darkness while defending God’s truth. This enables men to exhibit an unwavering faith in Christ and accept their societal responsibilities to the body of Christ. This inspires courage in the body as the church grows and faces daunting challenges with men carrying the flag of Christ’s courage and righteousness for the glory of God.
Obviously, the ten most important duties above are just the tip of the iceberg. They are the author’s best biblical understanding. However, clergy, now is the time to put this to prayer and action. It is time to teach men both sides of Christ’s virtue, so they can be true Disciples of Christ to go out as Jesus commanded and overcome the world for Christ. May God bless your efforts!
David Howard, Foxhole Ministry
Please note: this article is from the front lines of the cultural and spiritual war. We are committed to speaking these hard truths without compromise, but this is not free. Please partner with Foxhole Ministry to insure our radio program, The Voice of Truth’s Wake-Up Call, is spoken on the public airways across America.