Nick is a man's man. On the job, he's known as a go-getter and a very hard worker. He's a good provider who loves his wife and kids. He's well respected by his neighbors. Nick drives a very nice four-wheel-drive pickup. He loves the outdoors and takes every opportunity for a little hunting and fishing. He enjoys a cold beer and a dirty joke. He does not go to church. Ask him why he doesn’t go to church, and he’ll offer up words like boring, irrelevant, and hypocrite. But the real reason Nick doesn’t go to church is that he’s already practicing another religion. That religion is masculinity.
The ideology of masculinity has replaced Christianity as the true religion of men. We live in a society with a female religion and a male religion: Christianity, of various sorts, for women and non-masculine men; and masculinity . . . for men. Nick practices his religion with a single-mindedness the Pharisees would envy. His work, his hobbies, his entertainment, his follies, his addictions, everything he does is designed to prove to the world that he is a man. His religion also demands that he avoid anything that might call his manhood into question. This includes church because Nick believes deep in his heart that church is something for women and children, not men. He is not alone. Nick sees Christianity as conflicting and incompatible with his manhood. It’s a women’s thing. Men have believed this for centuries. In the 1800s,
Charles Spurgeon said, “There has got abroad a notion, somehow, that if you become a Christian you must sink your manliness and turn milksop.”
Men like Nick have all but disappeared. Tough, earthy, working guys rarely come to church. High achievers, alpha males, risk-takers, and visionaries are in short supply. Fun-lovers and adventurers are also underrepresented in church. These rough-and-tumble men don't fit in with the quiet, introspective gentlemen who populate the church today. The truth is, most men in the pews grew up in the church. Many of these lifers come not because they desire to be transformed by Christ but because they enjoy participating in comforting rituals that have changed little since their childhood. There are also millions of men who attend services under duress, dragged by a mother, wife, or girlfriend. In too many cases, today’s churchgoing man is humble, tidy, dutiful, and above all, nice.
Almost every man in America has tried church, but two-thirds find it unworthy of a couple of hours once a week. When men need spiritual sustenance, they go to the wilderness, the workplace, the garage, the lake or the corner bar. They watch their heroes in the stadium or on the racetrack. They plunge into a novel or sneak off to a movie. The church is one of the last places men look for God. The average man accepts the reality of Jesus Christ but fails to see any value in going to church.
What a contrast to the men of the Bible! Think of Moses and Elijah, David and Daniel, Peter and Paul. They were lions, not lambs—take charge men who risked everything in service to God. They fought valiantly and spilled blood. They spoke their minds and stepped on the toes of religious people. They were true leaders, tough guys who were feared and respected by the community. All these men had two things in common: 1.) they had an intense commitment to God 2.) they weren’t what you’d call saintly and reverent. So, the question is, “who is the man in the pew??” “Daniel 11:32 “And such as do wickedly against the covenant shall he corrupt by flatteries: but the people that do know their God shall be strong and do exploits.” exploits (plural noun) a bold or daring feat. "the most heroic and secretive exploits of the war" synonyms: deed · act · adventure · stunt · escapade · triumph · handiwork · caper strong “having the power to move heavy weights or perform other physically demanding tasks. synonyms: powerful · muscular · brawny · well-built · powerfully built · strapping · sturdy · able to withstand great force or pressure. Great endurance and perseverance
All things that men like Nick want to portray or aspire to be but think that none of these characteristics exist in most men they see in the church. Afterall what do strong men need from God? How did a faith founded by Jesus and His twelve disciples become so popular with women, but anathema to men? The church of the first century was a magnet to males. Jesus’ strong leadership, blunt honesty, and bold action mesmerized men. A five-minute sermon by Peter resulted in the conversions of three thousand.
Furthermore, of the men who do attend church, most decline to invest themselves in the Christian life as their wives and mothers do. The majority of men attend services and nothing more. Jay is such a man. He’s in church most Sundays, but he’s not very excited about it. “I go mainly for my kids and my wife,” he says. “Church is okay, but it really doesn’t enthrall me like it does her.”
Judges 6:12 And the angel of the LORD appeared unto him, and said unto him, The LORD is with thee, thou mighty man of valor.
It could be that the majority the men in today's churches see themselves more like Gideon is this passage: weak, afraid and lacking courage. Afraid to be a risk-taker, fear of failure. Or worst of all “a fear of being found out not to be the man that they portray to others on the outside,” so the reverent quiet approach to God has become their safe-haven. Men hate to admit weakness or neediness, so their false masculinity has become their God. Hollywood has created its fantasy illusion of brave, mighty, tough, and successful men. They sell John Wayne, Clint Eastwood, Sylvester Stallone, Mel Gibson, Arnold Schwarzenegger, Russell Crowe, and others; but they only look tough with steroids, makeup, retakes, and heterosexual stuntmen for action scenes. While their movies are challenging, inspiring and even some a little soul searching, they do not compare to the mighty men mentioned in the bible.
David (a man after God’s own heart) gathered and organized the most elite and successful fighting force of men in history. David was a mighty man of valor himself, and others were inspired to join him, I Sam 16:18,21; 17:34-37,49-51; 18:5-7,27). A brief review of David’s mighty men is valuable to appreciate their skill and faithfulness. The most definite account gives a list of 37 names, (2 Samuel 23:8-39). They were a captain-general, three high captains, three lower captains, and thirty regulars, though all 37 of these men are mighty and valiant military men. So, let us look in more detail at a few of them. JASHOBEAM (I Chron 11:11), was chief of captains. He used a spear to kill 800 men at one time. Try that Van Damme or Rocky! ELEAZAR defied the Philistines, fought through fatigue, and left only spoil (23:9-10). SHAMMAH fought the Philistines in a field of lentils when the people fled (23:11-12). These three mightiest men brought David water from a well in Bethlehem (23:13-17). ABISHAI, a brother of Joab, slew three hundred (23:18-19) and a giant (21:15-17), URIAH, the Hittite, was a mighty man for David and the husband of Bathsheba (23:39), rejecting personal pleasure while his men were fighting. The character and integrity of these mighty and tough men are worthy of our attention. Their honesty and devotion were most admirable. They could weep and show great emotion over Saul's death (2 Samuel 1:11-12). They had personal loyalty to David both fierce and tender (2 Sam 23:13-17). The exploits of these men were many, for they were the Navy Seals of the day.
1 Chronicles 12:8-15 Some Gadites defected to David at his stronghold in the wilderness. They were brave warriors, ready for battle and able to handle the shield and spear. Their faces were the faces of lions, and they were as swift as gazelles in the mountains. Ezer was the chief, Obadiah the second in command, Eliab the third, Mishmannah the fourth, Jeremiah the fifth, Attai the sixth, Eliel the seventh, Johanan the eighth, Elzabad the ninth, Jeremiah the tenth and Makbannai the eleventh. These Gadites were army commanders; the least was a match for a hundred, and the greatest for a thousand. It was they who crossed the Jordan in the first month when it was overflowing all its banks, and they put to flight everyone living in the valleys, to the east and to the west.
Who Are the Gadites? The Gadites came from the tribe of Gad. Gad was the seventh son of Jacob. His name means "troop." The Bible describes the Gadites as "men able to bear shield and sword, to shoot with a bow, and who were skillful in battle, who went to war" (1 Chr. 5:18). When Jacob blessed his 12 sons before he died, he prophesied, "Gad shall be attacked by raiding bands, but he shall raid at their heels" (Gen. 49:19). In other words, it looked like Gad had lost the fight, but he made a comeback. We find another mention of the Gadites in 1 Chronicles 12:7-9: "From the Gadites mighty men of valor, men of the war battalion, who could handle shield and sword, whose faces were like the faces of lions, and who were as swift as the gazelles on the mountains, separated themselves for David in the stronghold in the wilderness" (MEV). Remember, it was the Gadites who stood on the side of righteousness with David amid Absalom's great rebellion. The Gadites are the ones who will stand strong amid the Great Falling Away we're seeing in the church even now.
Matthew Henry's Commentary describes the Gadites this way: "They were able-bodied men, men of incredible swiftness, not to fly from, but to fly upon, the enemy, and to pursue the scattered forces. In this they were as swift as the roes upon the mountains so that no man could escape from them; and yet they had faces like the faces of lions so that no man could out-fight them. They were disciplined men, trained up to military exercises; they could handle shield and buckler, use both offensive and defensive weapons ... They were daring men, that could break through the greatest difficulties. The enemies tthat they met within the valleys when they had passed Jordan, were not mentioned by name; but they put them to flight with their lion-like faces and pursued them with matchless fury. Perhaps the most important lesson we learn from Gad (and all the other tribes) is to recognize the need for complete faith and trust in God. God commanded Moses to remind the Israelites to “carefully follow the terms of this covenant, so that you may prosper in everything you do” (Deuteronomy 29:9). “Make sure there is no man or woman, clan or tribe among you today whose heart turns away from the Lord our God to go and worship the gods of those nations; make sure there is no root among you that produces such bitter poison” (Deuteronomy 29:18). The soldiers mentioned in the bible engaged in sword and weapon practice daily to retain and improve skills. Our sword is the word of God, which also requires daily effort (Ps 1:3; Acts 17:11). The Lord seeks a few good men, who will be courageous in the spiritual war of the last days. We are not called to a flesh and blood struggle, but a spiritual war. We need to understand the spiritual aspect of each piece of armor as well as the practical application of each. To be carnally minded is death, but to be spiritually-minded is life and peace (Rom 8:6). The man in the pew fights against satanic influences, and the greatest of which may be carnal Christianity and the pressure to conform to a social image (even inside the church).
2 Cor 10:3-5 For though we live in the world, we do not wage war as the world does. The weapons we fight with are not the weapons of the world. On the contrary, they have divine power to demolish strongholds. We demolish arguments and every pretension that sets itself up against the knowledge of God, and we take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ. The Armor of God Finally, be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power. Put on the full armor of God, so that you can take your stand against the devil’s schemes. For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms. Therefore put on the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand. Stand firm then, with the belt of truth buckled around your waist, with the breastplate of righteousness in place, and with your feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace. In addition to all this, take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one. Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God. And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests. With this in mind, be alert and always keep on praying for all the Lord’s people.
[more]There is not a single effeminate or sissified aspect to Christianity under either the old or new covenant. David and the mighty men that followed him perfectly fulfilled Paul's New Testament militaristic exhortations in the flesh. And we must not forget that Matthew 11:12 says And from the days of John the Baptist until now the kingdom of heaven suffers violence, and the violent take it by force.
Why did God spend several chapters of the Bible listing and recounting the deeds of these men? For you, me and I and every man sitting in the pew! The mighty men that followed David showed a degree of love and loyalty that cannot be matched by another. David’s mighty men were famous in earthly pursuits, but we have a greater spiritual battle (Eph 6:10-20). If David could induce their great love and loyalty, how much more should Jesus Christ and the Holy Spirit induce ours?! The Bible has recorded the records of these brave men for our learning (Rom 15:4; Heb 11:32-40). The character of men after God’s own heart shows that Christians are not sissies. It is the men who truly know God that will do the greatest exploits on earth. The purpose and emphasis of this teaching is to ask;
Are you a mighty man of valor for the Lord?
Marty Martin
Rightlydividing1@gmail.com
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