I’ve always been fascinated by movies and television shows about firefighters – Third Watch, Back Draft, Ladder 49, among others. Firefighters are the most highly regarded of public servants, and rightfully so – their vocation is not only dangerous, but it is difficult. In the midst of a terrible fire a firefighter finds himself triangulated by three competing demands. There is the demand to rescue those trapped by the fire, the demand to fight the fire itself, and the demand to preserve his own life. I cannot imagine the challenge to balance these three demands in the midst of the most stressful and confusing of situations, but failure to do so will likely mean loss of life. If the firefighter doesn’t attack the fire, it may spread to other buildings, or intensify to the point that rescue is no longer an option. If the firefighter doesn’t quickly find and remove those trapped by the fire, the window of opportunity will close and those lives will be lost. If the firefighter doesn’t protect himself, and move cautiously he may become injured or killed, and will be unable to help anyone. – Three balls have to be kept in the air in the midst of mayhem and conflagration with lives in the balance.
In the face of such intense challenge it is no wonder that career firefighters often describe the fire itself as a sentient enemy, as having personal identity, and evil intent. I understand the feeling.
Not that I presume to possess, or fully understand the heroism, and dedication to task it takes to be a firefighter. But I do know, as do you, something of the triangulation a sophisticated enemy bent on evil can bring to bear on the person wanting to do good.
The Church is the body of Christ (Ephesians 4.11-16), the very temple of God (I Corinthians 3.16). We are expected to keep the body healthy (Romans 12.3-8), and the temple holy (I Corinthians 3.17). That is one responsibility. Another is the rescue of lost souls (Matthew 28.18-20). Then there is our own spiritual well-being, we must be careful to keep ourselves unspotted by the world (James 1.27).
And so we are similarly situated with the brave firefighters mentioned above, juggling the same three balls they juggle – to rescue the lost, to protect the house, and to protect ourselves. We too struggle to keep this balance in a hostile setting (II Timothy 3.12). We too face a sophisticated, predatory enemy (I Peter 5.8).
We can be so focused on creating a healthy church family that we neglect the lost. We can be so focused on the lost that we neglect our own children, our own doubters, our own hurting. We can be so focused on either of the above that Satan easily slits our throat with arrogance, anger, infidelity, lying, callousness, or any number of sins that come so easily when the ends overwhelm the means. It is so easy, since the world is so hostile, and the enemy so ruthless, to lose balance. It is easy, and deadly, because souls are in that balance.
So what do we do? What do firefighters do? They train. They stay prepared, alert and disciplined. We are told to do the same. We have to work hard to know the word and how to use it (II Timothy 2.15, Hebrews 4.11, Ephesians 4.3). We have to keep our eyes open, and our heads clear (I Peter 5.8, I Thessalonians 5.6). And there is something else.
No firefighter will last long without a proper respect for the fire, and how quickly, how thoroughly it can destroy. We too start with humility – not before the enemy, but before God.
The I Peter 5 passage that talks so frankly about the Devil and his predatory attacks begins with an urgent plea to humble ourselves before God. The James 4 passage that speaks so honestly about the way we fight with each other concludes with the same plea – almost verbatim (compare James 4.10 and I Peter 5.6). Humility, then is the indispensible quality we must have to succeed.
Much of the time a firefighter spends on the job is spent waiting – often for long stretches. We have no such luxury. We are in fight now, and in it constantly until Jesus comes again. But we do not fight alone – God lifts us up, and Jesus is with us all the way, until the end of the age.
