Becoming Giant-Slayers

3/20/2025

Here is a question from someone asking about how some of those they grew up with were baptized but later decided to love the world and betray Jesus: “I was so excited as I watched them be, initially, what I thought was born again! How does that happen?”

“Their going out proved they were never among us” (1 John 2:19). Guess what? ALL of those John referred to—were baptized. But the secrets of the heart and love of the present age certainly revealed in time that it was never a Covenant for them of “though none go with me, still I will follow” in the deepest places of their heart.

It’s not really our job to know all that, but just to do our best and hope and pray. Why does it happen? For us, God “left Giants in the land”—to test and refine the Israelites in war (Judges 3:1-4). We are growing in strength and wisdom and love and discernment, being refined from emotion and shallow lifestyle assumptions.

Do you think Jesus was ever naïve or made assumptions that hanging out and saying the right things was delivering anyone from the power of darkness and death? He knew Judas was there. It happens. Some, like Judas, hang themselves. Others, like Peter, did the same thing—but become giant-slayers.

Be that.

“We do not cease to pray for you, and to ask that you may be filled with the knowledge of His will in all wisdom and spiritual understanding; that you may walk worthy of the Lord, fully pleasing Him, being fruitful in every good work and increasing in the knowledge of God; strengthened with all might, according to His glorious power, for all patience and longsuffering with joy; giving thanks to the Father who has qualified us to be partakers of the inheritance of the saints in the light. He has delivered us from the power of darkness and conveyed us into the kingdom of the Son of His love, in whom we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of sins. He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn over all creation. For by Him all things were created that are in heaven and that are on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or principalities or powers. All things were created through Him and for Him. And He is before all things, and in Him all things consist. And He is the head of the body, the church, who is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead, that in all things He may have the preeminence.” (Colossians 1:9-18 NKJV

There’s not a bunch about a history lesson, an ideology, a doctrine, a cultural system or way of life, or a club. It’s fully deeply HIM—or it’s not Him.

And the end of that same chapter...

“Now I rejoice in what I am suffering for you, and I fill up in my flesh what is still lacking in regard to Christ’s afflictions, for the sake of his body, which is the church. I have become its servant by the commission God gave me to present to you the word of God in its fullness – the mystery that has been kept hidden for ages and generations, but is now disclosed to the Lord’s people. To them God has chosen to make known among the Gentiles the glorious riches of this mystery, which is Christ in you, the hope of glory. He is the one we proclaim, admonishing and teaching everyone with all wisdom, so that we may present everyone fully mature in Christ. To this end I strenuously contend with all the energy Christ so powerfully works in me.” (Colossians 1:24-29 NIVUK)

Song: These Days

Listen carefully to the words of this song please. Wouldn’t you agree that “Giants left in the land—in order to train us in combat” (Judges 3:1), and all of the recent opportunities to learn how to actually “walk AS Jesus walked” (1 John 2:6), “keeping in step with the spirit” (Gal. 5:25), “unto the full measure of the stature of Christ” (Eph. 4:13), (doing nothing He doesn’t see the father doing and saying nothing He doesn’t hear the father saying, by crushing the radio and the flesh and living only in the spirit)... Wouldn’t you say those are necessities for the days to come? Instead of just being religious and good little boys and girls?