The Battery of Men Without Fear
Few things are more uncomfortable than holding a conviction when the world seems hell-bent on sweeping it aside. It’s easy to blend in, to nod along, and to prioritize comfort over conscience. But history tells us a reoccurring truth: nearly every generation faces a moment where silence equates to surrender; where comfort breeds complicity.
The war that’s upon us to destroy our nation, our religious freedom, and even our churches, won’t be fought across battlefields as it was in the past. It will be fought in classrooms, boardrooms, the political theater, and on internet forums and social media. There are even those within the church who are complicit in this.
“I am astonished that you are so quickly deserting him who called you in the grace of Christ and are turning to a different gospel – not that there is another one, but there are some who trouble you and want to distort the gospel of Christ.” (Galatians 1:6-7, ESV)
It’s a cultural war fought with words, tweets, posts, actions, and the courage to stand defiant even when the consequences are severe. Since the odds seem against the cause of freedom, the number of men willing to stand for the cause seems to be dwindling. The founding fathers warned us about this. Freedom of religion, freedom of speech, freedom of the press – they’re all fragile. It takes men who will sacrifice their own comforts to establish and maintain these freedoms for others.
“To do righteousness and justice is more acceptable to the Lord than sacrifice.” (Proverbs 21:3, ESV)
But what do we do when there aren’t enough good men of valor left to fight? We must admit that when we look around, we see very few voices remaining that stand up and bravely fight for those who need help. But there are some. Christians are facing decades in prison for praying near abortion clinics, and the likes of Jordan Peterson, Matt Walsh, Joel Berry, and Seth Dillon have gone scorched earth to defend them. Women are being abused by trans athletes in their own sports leagues, but Riley Gaines has boldly stepped up to defend them. Children are being preyed upon by an education system that seems hell-bent on confusing them into rejecting their own bodies and their own parents, yet even at great personal cost, Chaya Raichik has stepped up to expose much of this. And while there are some who stand up against this insanity, we look around at the social and spiritual battlefield and wonder how many more men (and women) of honor and courage will step up in the coming years and truly put their necks on the line to defend reason and the truth.
This is the spirit we need. We need men who rally around the cause to show that they have the resolve to do what’s right, even when the cost is high. They won’t do this for personal gain. In fact, it might mean losing a job, walking away from wealth, or sacrificing social standing to defend those who need it. One day, it may even demand risking your very life. The future is uncertain, but the battle is already waging today.
“Fight the good fight of the faith. Take hold of the eternal life to which you were called and about which you made the good confession in the presence of many witnesses.” (1 Timothy 6:12, ESV)
Those on the front lines are called to be the “Men Without Fear” of our time. Not on blood-soaked fields but in the messy trenches of everyday life. Yes, there will be consequences. Disapproval, isolation, even threats.
“Share in suffering as a good soldier of Christ Jesus.” (2 Timothy 2:3, ESV)
But remember, the alternative is far worse: a life lived in silent complicity, a world shaped by the will of the loudest (and often, the worst) among us.
“No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us.” (Romans 8:37, ESV)
Will you stick with those defending righteousness and freedom in their own way and answer the call? Remember the “Men Without Fear” and choose to be counted among them. In the end, the price of silence is far greater than the cost of courage. Let history remember us not for silence, but for the battles we dared to fight and the stands we dared to take, even when the tide turned against us.
“But the Lord stood by me and strengthened me, so that through me the message might be fully proclaimed and all the Gentiles might hear it.” (2 Timothy 4:17, ESV)
What say you, Man of Valor?
Adapted from We are the Battery of Men Without Fear, by Beelon Musk. 2 February 2024