It is not the saints who will have to flee Antichrist and the great tribulation, it is the wicked who will flee from the sight of the saints!

They charge like warriors; they scale walls like soldiers. They all march in line, not swerving from their course. (Joel 2:7—NIV)

We are being trained to fight like this today. The Lord will help us to charge against the enemy, to climb over every difficulty.

The church people of today have a difficult time marching in a straight line, not swerving from their course. They are all over the place as the fancy strikes them. In numerous instances they are almost completely unaware the Lord Jesus demands strict discipline from His disciples.

As long as we are living in our sinful adamic nature we will never march in a straight line. Fear, personal ambition, lust, pride, jealousy, self-will, seeking to be preeminent, and a thousand other motives and drives will keep us from proceeding for very long in a straight line. Only those who are putting to death the deeds of their body are able to walk a straight line with Jesus.

They do not jostle each other; each marches straight ahead. They plunge through defenses without breaking ranks. (Joel 2:8—NIV)

You have never been in a Christian church in your life where the people did not jostle each other and break ranks. The churches are filled with gossip and slander, criticism and envy—believers demanding that they have their own way.

Am I correct?

In time past we may have accepted such behavior as being normal and acceptable for Christians. It is not acceptable. It is proof that the walls against sin have been broken down so the enemy can attack us at his pleasure.

Every pastor and leader is to make it clear that gossip and slander, criticism and envy, are absolutely not tolerated in the Kingdom of God, in the army of the Lord. These behaviors are not acceptable!

But can they be overcome? Of course they can be overcome by the unlimited authority and power of Jesus Christ. But first the people must realize such actions and attitudes will no longer be tolerated. These behaviors belong in the Lake of Fire, nowhere else.

Believers who refuse to reject and renounce gossip and slander, criticism and envy, will be driven from the ranks of the true Christians in the days to come. Such people make it utterly impossible for the enemy to be conquered.

We are in a new day. What was acceptable yesterday may no longer be acceptable today. We are preparing ourselves for the historic confrontation between Jesus Christ and Antichrist; between the Holy Spirit and the False Prophet; between God and Satan. Do we imagine there is any place in the Lord's army for gossip and slander, criticism and envy? These actions are of Satan, the accuser of the brothers. Whoever participates in them is aligning himself or herself with Satan, whether or not he or she claims to have saving faith in Christ.

To be continued.