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LET WELL ENOUGH ALONE

As a wild-eyed, inquisitive young lad, I often found myself in very precarious situations. With a couple of green acres of the Piedmont plot to plod around and enough imagination to get me into a heap of trouble, it's a wonder I made it out of childhood alive. From crashing bicycles, catching black widows in dixie cups, climbing and falling out of trees, and pouring gasoline into the underground nests of unsuspecting miner bees, my younger years were filled with all sorts of unsupervised and unsafe adventures.

If there was a limit, I was the one testing it. If there was a line, I was usually crossing it. If there was some cue the average person was supposed to pick up on, I was oblivious to it. And, on more than one occasion, my grandpa dutifully came outside delivering a message that likely originated with grandma, saying: "Kendall, don't you think you'd better leave well enough alone?" The point he was getting after was that my life's homeostatic balance hung in the balance of my next move. A nervous grandma was inside shuddering over the safety of her pride and joy, and a man who wanted to please her had detected that "well enough" was somehow in danger. The status quo was being threatened. Peace and vitality were in jeopardy, and the one accosting it all was me.

As an adult, I realize there are many occasions where "leaving well enough alone" is good. We do not need to poke every sleeping bear, throw rocks at every bee hive, or go to war with every enemy. Sometimes doing nothing is the exact right thing to do, and knowing when that applies takes wisdom and discernment.

Yet, there are other times when doing nothing would be morally wrong, strategically unwise, or giving into cowardice. In truth, there are some hills we need to die on, some enemies we need to face, and some risks we need to take. Again, wisdom and discernment are required here.

In what follows, I would like to sketch out why I cannot leave well enough alone when it comes to Satan Con coming to Boston.

If you are unfamiliar, the largest Satanic conference in human history will be hosted on April 28-30 by The Satanic Temple right in our backyard. In this article, I will provide a few reasons why I am going to Boston, preaching the Gospel on the streets, handing out tracts, and praying like crazy that someone down there will be delivered from darkness and rescued by the Light of the World. As you read this article, I hope it will also encourage you, and by that, I mean to give you the courage to find creative ways to get involved in Jesus' great mission where you are.

Sometimes, you cannot leave well enough alone because

GOD IS SOVEREIGN

When I heard that the largest Satanic conference in human history was coming to Boston, my first thought was gratitude that I would not be there. I do not go to Salem in October, I do not watch horror movies with occult rituals or pagan symbolism, and I am certainly not inclined to be a stone's throw away from a burgeoning bevy of Baphomet's best buddies in the belly of Bean town. I stay away from such things because, you know, leaving well enough alone, right?

But as I thought about it, I realized I was acting in fear. You could have invited me to preach in any church in New England, storm any library, or skydive out of any plane, and I would have relished the opportunity. But, intentionally traveling to a gathering of secular Satanists had unnerved me.

I was then reminded that God is sovereign over all things, which means He has the right, power, and ability to control all things. Nothing occurs outside His administration, governance, and will. Because of that, even Satan cannot afflict us unless He has divine permission to do so (Job 1). His absolute sovereignty is the reason demons shudder (James 2:19). This is why they necessarily obey Him when He issues forth commands (Matthew 8:31-32). And this is also why unclean spirits cannot even speak unless King Jesus allows it (Mark 1:34). This tells me that He is entirely in control over all things, especially when a gaggle of goth-garbed Luciferians is gathering in our streets.

Whatever reasons I might want to stay away, fear cannot be one of them. The Lord is sovereign and in control. Fear has no place in our decision-making.

Second, we cannot leave well enough alone because

THEY ARE TRESPASSING

When Jesus rose from the dead, the first thing He told His disciples was:

"All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth.

This means, of course, that Satan has no authority in the cosmos. It means demons, Satanists, and secularists have no inherent ability beyond what God allows. It also means that their message has no authority to be believed, their worldview has no power to rescue the damned, and the vision they peddle has no jurisdiction here since everything in all creation was made by Him and for Him (Colossians 1:16).

To say that differently, Christ now owns the world. He bought and paid for it at Calvary's hill and possessed it in His glorious resurrection. He ascended to the right hand of God to rule over His Kingdom and is sending His Church out into the world to reclaim the nations for His own (Psalm 2; 110; Isaiah 9:6-7; Daniel 2:44; 7:14; 1 Corinthians 15:24-25). All who dare oppose His rule do so also by trespassing on His property, which is a capital offense in the Kingdom of God.

In this age, Christ has given authority to His Church to declare the Gospel message to the nations, calling them to repent and turn from their wicked ways before it is too late. In the age to come, in eternity, all who are opposed to Jesus will stand before the righteous judge; they will be sentenced for their crimes and thrown into eternal torment and perdition. This is why we must declare the Gospel because the only one with authority has given His Church the authority to preach the only authoritative message, the Gospel. That is the only message that can save the lost (Acts 4:12), the only hope these Satanists (or anyone else for that matter) can have, and we must boldly declare it in the hope that they will be saved (Romans 1:16).

Third, we cannot leave well enough alone because

WE MUST IMITATE CHRIST AND HIS DISCIPLES

When Satan tempted Christ in the wilderness, Jesus did not shrink back or hide like a girl scout troop encountering a sleuth of hungry grizzly bears. Instead, he courageously confronted the enemy with God's word and watched that slithering serpent flee in mortal defeat. He is the one who crushed the serpent's head on the cross and inspired Paul to ascribe that same vocation to the advancing church (Romans 16:20).

Even beyond Jesus' war against the scaly dragon, He also brought the battle to all the malevolent and unclean spirits during His ministry. He did not avoid them or leave well enough alone. He cast them out, drove them out, and demonstrated that He had power over the underworld, over all rulers, authorities, and powers, and over all who would follow after them. He also commissioned His disciples, gave them authority over the legions of hell, and sent them out to imitate Him in their ministry both before and after His resurrection.

When He rose from the dead and gave His followers the Holy Spirit to empower them for mission, He forever declared that there is no power on earth above or hell below that is sufficient to stop the advancing church and witnesses of the Gospel.

In Acts 1:8, Jesus says this:

But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you shall be My witnesses both in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and even to the remotest part of the earth."

We have been called to enter Satan's domain and declare the Gospel of freedom to everyone under His spell. And when we say all people, we mean everyone from the grand poobah of Satanism, sacrificing goats in his backyard, all the way to the most tender-hearted vegan who barely has the stomach to harm a vegetable. Everyone under the domain of Satan has been hoodwinked by Eden's Serpent, and only the Gospel can set them free!

That is why next week, by the decree of God in Scripture, with the commission and authority of Jesus Christ, and in the power of the Holy Spirit, we will declare the Gospel to anyone who will listen. We cannot leave well enough alone here because Jesus, His disciples, and all the believers in Scripture didn't either.

Fourth, we cannot leave well enough alone because

WE KNOW JESUS WINS

We are not afraid to go and tell anyone about the Gospel because we know the Son of Man will be victorious. We know that His Kingdom will advance, and the gates of hell will not stand in opposition (Matthew 16:16-17). When human history is complete, every tongue will declare His triumph, and every knee will bow before the Lord of glory (Philippians 2:10). Far from retreating from an event like Satan Con, we are rushing towards it. Not in hubris or pride, but to remind everyone who is there that their plight is lost and Christ has already won!

More than anything, we do not want to see men and women go down with a sinking ship. Therefore, we preach so they will defect from the devil's ranks and join us in our march toward victory.

CONCLUSION

You don't have to preach outside of Satancon to be a Christian. You certainly don't need to get involved in something like this to be faithfully engaged in Jesus' mission. But, you must be engaged somewhere.

Usually, the Kingdom of God will advance in our homes as we train up our children in the fear and admonition of the Lord. When doing that, the Lord will also give us opportunities among our extended family, friends, and those we work with at our jobs. And then, sometimes, the Lord will lay it on your heart to do something you usually would not do. To get outside your comfort zone, follow Him into the uncomfortable, and declare His Gospel in ways you could not imagine. Be open to whatever He calls you to do, be engaged in His Kingdom at every level, and pray that we will see it expand in New England and beyond.