Trial By Fire

For those of us coming of age here in 2020 and 2021, it is a trial by fire.

The time we are given is one of great darkness. There is worldwide disease, possible election fraud, unrestrained mob violence, defunding of peacekeeping forces, an overt effort to rewrite history, and a scary trend towards socialism. Those of a “prophet” disposition – those who tell the hard truth, fire-and-brimstone style – can see the fall of the West, the end of capitalism and freedom, and maybe even the End Times coming. Evil in many, many forms is accepted and even openly endorsed. How is one to face such a formidable giant? How is one to come of age at a time like this?

The natural question to ask in a situation like this is why? Why me? Why do I have to come of age in this dark time? It is like what Tolkien writes in his masterpiece:

‘“I wish it need not have happened in my time,” said Frodo.

‘“So do I,” said Gandalf, “and so do all who live to see such times. But that is not for them to decide. All we have to decide is what to do with the time that is given us.”’

Wise is Gandalf, and wise is Tolkien! Frodo’s time was dark: he had to oppose the dark lord against all odds. Tolkien’s time was dark: he fought in WWI as a young man and lost most of his closest friends in the trenches of France. We, like Tolkien and like Frodo, are given a time of great darkness. But no matter how dark, it is the time we are given – and we must decide what to do with it. And those of us coming of age now have a unique challenge: we do not have the wisdom of many years to aid us in this battle, nor are we young enough to be oblivious. We must face a great evil and face being a young adult. There are enough challenges in growing up – but we must also decide what to do about an evil we know we can’t ignore.

So what can we do? I see two options. We can give up, throw in the towel, and surrender to the evil. Or we can fight our battle, surrounded by a cloud of witnesses and standing on the shoulders of those who have fought evil before us, and by God’s grace, overcome. It comes down to this: we can be proved unworthy of the fight that is before us, or we can be proved the stronger because of our greater trial.

The first option has a major upside: it’s easy. It would be so easy, to not even try; and to try would be so hard. But there is also a major downside. If we don’t do what must be done, if we don’t run the race that is set before us, how are we worthy to be called children of God? If we don’t face the evil and fight it, of what worth are we?

Now the second option has a downside as well: it’s hard. Facing down a giant is hard. Ask David – don’t you think it was intimidating to stand before Goliath with just a slingshot? Ask those who came of age in WWII – don’t you think it looked impossible to face Hitler’s unspeakable evil? Our coming of age will not be easy either, but others have triumphed before us. It can be done – we are not the first to face a challenge that looks impossible. The giant we must face is bigger than any that has come before, but the same is true of every giant. Every new challenge has never been faced before, and every generation faces a giant bigger than the last – and by God’s grace, every giant has been defeated! We stand on the shoulders of great giant-killers, and though it will be difficult, we can defeat our giant too!

But there is also an upside to taking our stand: with a great challenge comes a great triumph. Think about it – is it satisfying to beat a preschooler in a race? Does a ridiculously easy math lesson teach you anything? The evil we must face may be huge – but when it is defeated, it will be a glorious triumph indeed. When we overcome, we will be stronger than we would have been if it was easy.

So will we give up? Will we surrender to the evil, and be proved unworthy of the battle? Or will we stand firm even among the fiery darts of the evil one, fight out battle, walk bravely through our trial by fire, and come out the stronger for it?

Know this: God’s side is the winning side. Whether or not we fight, He will win. But if we do not fight, we will lose. If we surrender, one day He will say to us, “I know you not” – and we will be forever lost. Moreover, to never commit is to oppose God. To be almost saved is to be completely lost.

We must fight our battle.

If we don’t fight for freedom and truth, who will?