SHUNNING EVIL

And to man He said, “Behold, the fear of the Lord, that is wisdom; and to shun (depart, forsake, turn away) from evil is understanding.” Job 28:28

“Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.”  Romans 12:21

         Yesterday as William and I reviewed our first post, “WELCOME THE WISE,” he suggested further reading with these two scriptures.  He recalled a time when he had asked, “Lord, help me understand what shunning is.”

         Shunning took on a dimension of more than avoidance as he looked at cultures that lock people out of their societies.  If you happened to encounter a shunned person, you didn’t run off, you just didn’t acknowledge them.  There was no eye contact, no brief hello, not even a head nod, and certainly, never a meal with a shunned one.  

         Deeper understanding came from a Wycliffe course about “target-hardening against kidnappers” while William was a missionary in Guatemala during the early 90s.  This real-life experience taught him the value of a “posture of offense” before being overtaken by an enemy.  It was also a lesson for living in a state of spiritual barricade against any approach of evil. 

         Phrases like “be resistant” or “smell evil coming” taught Bill more about not getting close enough to smell evil.  There’s an account in the Bible when Philistines were stealing a man’s crops.    “The Philistines will never take me again.” The man resolved to know their approach and erect defenses so they couldn’t get to him again.  “But if they do get to me, they can’t take me.  But if they do take me, they can’t hold me.  If they hold me, they can’t kill me… unless God says so.   And if they do kill me, I will come back in the Judgment to judge them in the righteous final judgment.” He smote a thousand Philistines that day and his hand actually became welded to his sword as he defended his land.

         As believers, we must have this same mindset, “I will not be overtaken by evil” and that is more than a mere stand of avoidance.  Our defense system is not a defensive weapon but consider instead progressive layers as an offensive effort against besetting sin.  Overcome evil with good as Romans 12:21 tells us.  Don’t be mastered by IT, but master it by the powers of the cross.  Is your hand welded to the Sword of the Spirit as you defend your heart’s land?

         Considering my own sins, I renounce the thing that has overtaken me and I live my life in such a way not to be overtaken again.   These have also become the layers of my offensive weapon against besetting sin in my life, “But if they do get to me, they can’t take me.   (Getting to me is not a victory, just a fiercer set of defenses.)  But if they do take me, they can’t hold me.  If they hold me, they can’t kill me… unless God says so.   And if they do kill me, I will come back in the Judgment to judge them in the righteous final judgment.”  The best approach is still resistance.  "Smell evil coming" by not letting it get close enough to smell.  This is shunning evil.  

          In the creed from the Knights of St. John, a few words say it well, “We refuse to give one inch of ground to the enemies of the cross.”  Marshall Matt Dillon from “Gunsmoke” fame might say, “there’s not room enough for the two of us in this town and I win.”     

THE END

(c)2014