“You Can’t Handle The Truth”

Many of you recognize this quote from the movie “A Few Good Men.  LTJG Daniel Kaffee (Tom Cruise) questions Col. Nathan Jessup (Jack Nichcolson) in the court-marshal of two Marines accused of murdering a fellow Marine.  Under heavy pressure from LTJG Kaffee, Col. Jessup yells out “You can’t handle the truth”.

I wonder if the same could be said about many of us today.  Many have created this virtual world of how we see God, absent from any scriptural basis.  It is this comfortable place where we can be complacent in the events happening around us.  Everything that happens is God’s will so we have no responsibility.  We can just sit back and relax.  Nothing to do, just be spiritual couch potatoes.

We don’t want to know the truth because then we might need to do something.  We don’t want our virtual world disturbed.  We don’t want to be challenged.  Don’t bother me with the facts.

If the truth be known, we might have to do something.  If the truth be known, we would be seen as the cause for many of the problem around us.  This problem is not unique to individuals.  It is widespread problem in the church in America. 

We can ignore Satan, but closing our mind and eyes to the truth, does not change the truth.  We sit in the pew like the three, see no evil, hear no evil, speak no evil monkeys; while Satan in running rampant. 

James tells us:

“God sets Himself against the haughty, but to the lowly He gives grace.  Submit therefore to God: resist the Devil, and he will flee from you.  Draw near to God, and He will draw near to you. Cleanse your hands, you sinners, and make your hearts pure, you who are half-hearted towards God.  Afflict yourselves and mourn and weep aloud; let your laughter be turned into grief, and your gladness into shame. Humble yourselves in the presence of the Lord, and He will exalt you.”              James 4:6-10

Paul instructs us in Ephesians 6:13:

“Wherefore take unto you the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand”

God wants you to “resist the devil”.  He wants you to “stand against the wiles of the devil”.  That is what God wants.  That is what His will is.

You have a choice in this.  If you choose to not to “put on the whole armour of God”, you will not stand.  You will fall.  You will be defeated.  It is not God’s will for you to fall.  Don’t blame God.  He has given you everything you need to “resist” and “stand”.   You can sit on your couch like one of the three monkeys or you can stand. 

What will it be?

PS, Satan really can’t stand the truth.  That is why the first piece of God’s armour is TRUTH.

“Stand therefore, having your loins girt about with truth. (Ephesians 6:14)