Bring Back Spiritual Swagger
- Strength For Life
- 20 hours ago
- 4 min read
Spiritual swagger is good, and all Christians should have it. If you regularly listen to Strength for Life content or NorthStone Baptist Church sermons, you have heard the term “spiritual swagger” as a synonym for God-confidence. The redeemed should be confident enough to confront civil authorities, like John the Baptist when he confronted Herod about his adultery. “It is not lawful for thee to have her,” he told the civil magistrate in Matthew 14:4. Though John was beheaded for his righteous stand, his boldness remains an example of spiritual swagger that is confident enough in God to bring His law into the halls of political power.
The redeemed should also be confident enough to preach the exclusivity of Christ in the centers of religious influence, as Peter and John did in Acts 4. “Neither is there salvation in any other,” they told Jerusalem’s religious leaders. “For there is none other name under heaven given among men whereby we must be saved” (Acts 4:12). Peter and John were willing to disobey the earthly authorities and preach in the name of Jesus; seeing such God-confident boldness from “unlearned and ignorant men,” the Jewish council resorted to arresting them to get them to stop preaching.
One of the greatest examples of God-confidence for the redeemed to imitate may be the New Testament deacon Stephen. In Acts 7, Stephen rebuked not only the Sanhedrin, but also Caiaphas the high priest as “stiff necked and uncircumcised in heart and ears” who were resisting the Holy Ghost (v. 51). Stephen was not a pluralist who believed in multiple ways to God. He rebuked the religious authorities because they rejected the Just One, the Lord Jesus. Stephen’s bold rebuke required spiritual swagger, especially since he knew how his “trial” would end. We read that they “gnashed on him with their teeth” (v. 54), threw him out of the city, and stoned him.
Regardless of how our message is received, we, like John the Baptist, Peter, John, and Stephen, are responsible to God to proclaim His Word. We are called to preach not only the gospel, but also the implications of the gospel. Fulfilling this responsibility requires both our voice and our conduct. Just like the men above, we are to yield to the Spirit as He sanctifies our character and conduct for the watching world to see. We are to be salt and light, after all. Sadly, most Christians act like salt that has lost its savor (Matt. 5:13), or like light that is hidden under a bushel (Matt. 5:15). Christians have lost their spiritual swagger.
In many cases, the redeemed have given up their God-confidence under the threat of social intimidation. After all, in 2020’s America those who agree with Scripture that there are only two genders will face social pressure. It takes even more God-confidence to say that homosexual “marriage” is not actually marriage, but a sin that should be illegal in all 50 states. It takes yet more God-confidence to say that homosexual “parenting” is child abuse, or to say that adultery is a sinful violation of the 10 Commandments. Those who understand the gospel must speak out, for the world has become more immoral in the last 25 years. Pornography and abortion are evils that our society accepts, but there is no excuse for either of them. The production of pornography should be outlawed and platforms like OnlyFans shut down. Killing unborn babies should be a crime in every state. Femininity is beautiful, but feminism and effeminacy are evil and should be socially stigmatized.
It is time for Christians to stop being spectators as our country and our world go to hell figuratively and literally. Instead, it is time for Christians to push back against the unrighteousness of our day, just like our spiritual forefathers opposed the unrighteousness of their day. If we do not stand up, no one will.
It is important to remember that God-confidence and spiritual swagger are not rooted in self. Instead, God-confidence is rooted in the righteousness of Christ. True confidence, spiritual swagger, promotes the gospel, biblical principles, and holy living. John the Baptist, Peter, John, and Stephen confronted their culture about Christ, and they were willing to pay the price of pain and death. By contrast, many modern professing Christians are not willing to pay even the small price of social disapproval, and so they fail to represent Christ or oppose our culture's godless behavior. Unless we overcome our social embarrassment and witness for Christ, our only option is to accept the increasing immorality around us.
Now that we have seen examples of genuine God-confidence, and recognized the pitiful lack of it in our time, the natural question is how we can grow in our spiritual swagger. To answer, we must first understand why we were placed on the earth. The Christian who understands that God created him, that his purpose is to give the Lord glory, and that death is the gateway to heaven and the presence of Christ, is a Christian man with spiritual swagger and holy boldness.
I encourage you to take time to pray for two things. First, that your confidence would be rooted deeply in God and His Word. Second, that you would walk through this life with holy boldness and spiritual swagger. As God grants those requests, apply them to your life exclusively for God’s glory so that men will see your life and glorify Him. After all, He is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble. So what do we have to fear?
The above article was written by Pastor James C. Johnson. He is the pastor of NorthStone Baptist Church in Pensacola, Fl. To offer him your feedback, comment below or email us at strengthforlife461@gmail.com.
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