If you have been serving the Lord for any amount of time you have already discovered that Christianity is no “walk in the park”. Whether we like it or not, we are in combat. In this conflict there is no such thing as a “neutral”. It is a battle to the finish and that is why Paul admonished Timothy to be valiant and “fight the good fight of faith”.

In Matthew 9:23-25, we are told about a ruler named Jairus whose daughter died. Jairus, a man of obvious faith, asked Jesus to bring his little girl back to life. When Jesus and his disciples got to the house they literally walked right into a noisy crowd of professional mourners playing their flutes, wailing, and making a huge commotion. Jesus ordered them to stop the raucous. He said, “The girl is not dead but asleep.” The faithless group laughed at him but Jesus would have none of it. He put the clamoring fools outside. Then he went to the girl, took her by the hand, and raised what had been deemed “dead” back to life.

As we press on in His name, laying hold of the eternal life to which we have been called, we will encounter many forms of spiritual antagonism. Let’s follow in the steps of our Master and “put out” all the voices that would undermine our faith in the One who has power to bring the dead back to life.

“When Jesus entered the ruler’s house and saw the flute players and the noisy crowd, he said, “Go away. The girl is not dead but asleep.” But they laughed at him. After the crowd had been put outside, he went in and took the girl by the hand, and she got up.” Matthew 9:23-25