Closing The Door On Compromise

Stand firm then . . . with the breastplate of righteousness in place.   Ephesians 6:14, NIV

One of Satan’s favorite ways of leading us into compromise is by suggesting that God’s standards are only ideals.

God says, “Don’t let the sun go down while you are still angry” (Ephesians 4:26). We respond, “Well, we all know that that’s how it should be—in an ideal world.” God says, “Obscene stories, foolish talk, and coarse jokes—these are not for you” (5:4). We respond, “That’s something we can work toward.” God says, “Get rid of all bitterness” (4:31). We say, “But I have good reason to be angry.”

The enemy will be happy if we regard God’s commands as ideals we should work toward rather than instructions we should obey. There’s a big difference. One of my professors pointed out, “This college holds the standard that students don’t beat up the faculty. The day people start talking about it as an ‘ideal,’ I’m out of here!”

A person who calls God’s standards “ideals” has opened the door to a compromised life. That’s one of the enemy’s strategies, and the only defense against it is the breastplate of righteousness. This is not the righteousness of God that is counted as ours when we come to faith in Christ but the daily, personal choices we must make to do what is right. You need to be intentional about putting it on.

It’s the choice to get rid of bitterness so that you can be light in a world that’s full of bitterness. Or the choice to pay back money that’s owed, even when that is costly. Or the choice to tell the truth, even when it is uncomfortable.

Without intentional choices of righteousness, your testimony will not be credible. This is where the battle is fought. It’s not surprising that Paul says, “Be strong in the Lord” (Ephesians 6:10). The only way to prevail in the battle against compromise is to determine what is right before God and make the choice to do it, irrespective of the cost.

For further reading, see Acts 5