"These Men"

Sometimes an act of terror,

Descends upon our land,

And then the Good Lord raises up,

These men who still have sand.

And they say no to evil,

In the name of all that’s right,

Men of strength and valor,

And armored up with light.

They see the need and meet it,

They don’t consider risk,

They do not make excuses,

And let me tell you this,

They are fierce in their humility,

Dependent on God’s grace,

Care nothing for the praise of men,

Sincerely seek God’s face.

And some of them are cowboys,

Who clearly speak truth plain,

Mounted for the Master,

And glorify His name.

So look out for these brothers,

They go while others wait,

For something like permission,

But these men won’t be late,

For the battle where they’re needed,

For the protection they can give,

For all who need their rescue,

And an example how to live.

“Be on guard. Stand firm in the faith. Be courageous. Be strong. And do everything with love.” (1 Corinthians 16:13-14, NLT)

Paul’s bullet-point advice is powerful in its simplicity and clarity. God raises up people, and especially men, in every generation of the Church who rise to the threat of evil. They are the defenders, the rescuers, the intercessors, and the faith-walkers. Playing it safe does not occur to them because they have been slapped in the face with the enemy’s agenda to steal, kill and destroy. Their answer? No mas. Not on my watch. We draw the line here, and will not yield to the bully, in Jesus’ name. This is what it means to don spiritual armor and do battle with that which does not bleed. These are the men who stand in the gap. May their tribe increase.

Lord, give us courage, in Jesus’ name.

Art by R.S. Riddick, used by permission. Thanks, Ron, and God bless you.