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Strength In Numbers
I was recently watching the series Planet Earth and it dawned on me that in the animal world it really is the survival of the fittest. I watched as lions attacked gazelles, wolves attacked deer, and polar bears attacked penguins, and I began to see a picture emerging. When a predator attacks its prey, the prey group together making it more difficult for the predator to snag a victim; these natural predators are then forced to attack only the weaker animals that have been separated from the rest.
Afterward I thought about how this works in the spiritual world. The Bible tells us that our “enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour.” 1 Peter 5:8 And yet the Bible also tells us that there is strength in numbers; “where two or three are gathered together in my name, there am I in the midst of them.” Matthew 18:20
The natural world is filled with metaphorical examples for life and the writers of the Bible unashamedly used of many of these examples. The question is do we take heed and learn from the example of the natural world?
Take the example of the walrus. A hungry polar bear can be a ferocious and fearsome creature. When a hungry polar bear tries to get at the young walruses the adult walruses surround their young forming a wall and together they make their way to the sea, their salvation. The bear in the meantime will try its damnedest to get at the young walruses and may make several attempts to break through the wall of adult walruses. However, by doing so the polar bear risks injury as the walruses use their sharp tusks to repeatedly stab the bear, which can be fatal for bear.
I think the modern church, the Body of Christ, could learn a lot from this, and other examples from the natural world. What would happen if the devil attacked us and those who have stronger faith had joined together to form a spiritual wall around the weaker amongst us? What would happen if, when the devil tried to break through the wall, we lashed out at him with the razor sharp Word of God?
The Bible shows us that there is strength in numbers; strength in corporate prayer and fasting, in making a stand against the immorality all around us, and even in simple fellowship. My last thought today is this: What would happen if we as a church joined together to take a stand against the devil and all his evil ways? Do you think we’d see a change in our families and friends, our workplaces and classrooms, our towns, cities, and society in general? I believe we would!
Christian St John M.Div, BChM, ACS
October, 2009
Wow! Great post. I would like to add a thought to it: The loner christian. I’ve seen many a person who goes it alone in life, often not attending church, because, as we all know, God is not found solely in church.
What I’ve noticed about these individuals, is that they are severely malnourished (spiritually) and even “out there” when it comes to their faith. They may have even been strong at one time, but not any more. I’ve never been one that advocates being at church 24/7, and I have known a few pastors that push people to be at all the events, sometimes just to boost numbers and such. But a few years back, I did notice that the more an individual was involved in church, the more they had going for them. When something went wrong, they had help, counsel and support. They had friends and fellowship, they had joy. But the less someone was involved, ironically the more they felt like no once cared about them. And in some sad cycle, they fade into the shadows, feel less loved and then fade away. No one notices them, because they are not there to be noticed. But when asked about it , they respond “I left cause no one cared about me”. Some people never realize that the root of their unhappiness lies in their own soil.
Excellent insight Robert. I may even borrow some of it for the book I am currently writing. Thanks man.
The book about zombies?
The book about monsters…