Habits of a Dangerous Christian

When you think of being a Christian being dangerous is probably not an adjective that comes to mind. I associated terms like meek, calm, mild, kind, and forgiving to Christians, not dangerous. Aren’t we called to be lovers, not fighters?  The answer is yes, and no. We are called to love and serve others but also to fight hell and all its schemes here on earth. This sometimes requires us to confront difficult circumstances, people, governments, and authorities. 

Jesus was the most dangerous person in the Bible but there are other people who led a dangerous life including; Peter, Stephen, Paul, John, Lydia, and James among others. They were people who not only believed in the risen Jesus but they influenced the world with their testimony. They stood up for what they believed and faced grueling consequences. 

Rewards for a dangerous Christian:

• Ridicule
• Prison
• Falsely accused
• Beaten
• Mocked
• Crucifixion
• Martyrdom

This list would have me running for the hills if I hadn’t learned a few things about what it means to truly be a dangerous Christian. There are some life habits that make you more spiritually potent and ultimately able to live a life on the edge. You start to exhibit fearlessness not because you are not afraid but because your faith runs deeper than your fear. You walk and share with authority that is not your own. You gain access to borrowed power from the Holy Spirit. You start to see miracles and prayers answered that are literally out of this world. While it isn’t glamorous it is exhilarating. 
I recently read a great blog by Becky Getz called “Eight Spiritual Disciplines for Everyday Life.” It reminded me that the most dangerous Christians of the bible practiced many of these disciplines in order to increase their faith and effectiveness on the mission for Jesus.

Habits of a Dangerous Christian

Worship

“Enter into his gates with thanksgiving, and into his courts with praise: be thankful unto him, and bless his name.” Psalm 100:4

As we make it a habit to worship and praise God we enter His courts. Corporate worship is one of my favorite parts of a church service because it is a time where I have often felt the presence of the Holy Spirit and received direction from God. There is something really powerful about being among other believers and worshipping God it ushers in an atmosphere of reverence, peace, and joy. Worship whether it is with others or on our own places us in a position of preparedness to receive from God. This practice helps us to become sensitive to the voice and promptings of the Holy Spirit. 

Study the Bible

If we are going to be a dangerous Christian we must learn to wield the word of God. 

For the word of God is living and active and sharper than any two-edged sword, and piercing as far as the division of soul and spirit, of both joints and marrow, and able to judge the thoughts and intentions of the heart. Hebrews 4:12

As we learn more about what the word of God says and we commit it to memory the more often it will come to mind when we need it. As we face tough circumstances, people, and authorities we can rightly leverage the word of God like a sword that will divide the truth from the lies, the good from the bad, and the perverse from the pure. Any Christian who wants to be a threat to the pit of hell MUST spend time studying the word of God. This is personal private bible study, not just listening to a pastor on Sunday.

Prayer

I’m sure you knew this was coming but dangerous Christians were people who prayed. They prayed at all times and in all circumstances! 

"And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests. With this in mind, be alert and always keep on praying for all the Lord's people." Ephesians 6:18 NIV

Prayer is one of our most powerful weapons against evil in our world. If you are like me you get easily distracted and bogged down by the tasks of everyday life and sometimes I forget to pray. I noticed that when I dedicate focused intentional time to prayer I see God moving and working through those prayers in my day to day. Prayer helps me to align myself with God’s will. I love what Stephen Furtick was quoted to say, “Prayer is not the last resort, prayer is a nuclear weapon.”

In order to get dangerous in our faith, we must become people that pray consistently and intentionally. 

Repentance and Confession

This is something that is regularly done in the Catholic faith through the sacrament of confession. I am happy to let you know that you don’t need a priest in order to build the habit of repentance and confession. However, confession to another trusted believer can have astounding power. Repentance releases us from bondage, ushers in healing, and brings restoration. I would encourage you if you feel blocked in any area of life to ask God to reveal anything that needs confession and repentance. King David gave us a beautiful prayer to model this ask. 
Search me, O God, and know my heart: try me, and know my thoughts: And see if there be any wicked way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting. Psalm 139:23-24

There are many other spiritual disciplines that will help us become dangerous Christians, but these are a few that I practice regularly. They have helped me become more aware of what God is doing in me and through me. Not only that, they have helped me recognize when the enemy is meddling and trying to throw me off track. We are all on a mission and the effectiveness of that mission is impacted by how consistently we practice what Jesus and other dangerous Christians modeled for us in the Bible. What do you do that makes you dangerous? I’d love to hear about whether or not you have these habits or others. 

Mucho Love,