The Violent Take it by Force

“From the days of John the Baptist until now, the Kingdom of Heaven suffers violence, and the violent are taking it by force.” Matthew 11:12

In my other Bible, I read, “...the Kingdom of heaven has been forcefully advancing, and forceful men lay hold of it.” (NIV) Does Jesus mean that we have to be spiritually aggressive to lay hold of Kingdom blessings? Is faith a violent force? Are we not taught that the meek inherit the earth? 

But we also need to remember St. Paul’s admonition to Timothy. “Fight the good fight of faith!” he wrote in 1 Timothy 6:12. Then he writes the believers in Ephesus that, “we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places.” If that isn’t WAR in capital letters, I don’t know what is!

We are in a war alright, and we are in the thick of it, whether we like it or not, whether we know it or not. The enemy is wily, deceitful, and likes to use our weaknesses against us. Should we be meek in the face of that? The Greek word “praus” translated as meek actually means more than just being mild-mannered or gentle. It is more accurate to say that those who exercise God’s strength under His control will inherit the earth. How do we use God’s strength? 

St. Paul warned that we need to put on every piece of God’s armor to resist the enemy so we will stand firm. One part of that armor is the belt of truth which sadly is getting battered from all sides. We also need the breastplate of righteousness, the shield of faith, the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the Word of God. (Ephesians 6:10-18) 

Last but not least, we need to pray at all times in the power of the Holy Spirit. These are the weapons of war, and this is how we will be victorious against our adversary, the devil, who prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour. (1 Peter 5:8)