Fight, Flight or Faith - Part 1

There are many aspects to end times theories and probabilities, but one area that is most often neglected is how should we, as christians, behave and what do we do when we find ourselves actually living in the midst of the latter days? Should we hoard food or stockpile guns and ammunition? Should we find a cave to hole up in and just wait for Christ’s return or should we be defying the powers that be via armed resistance or sabotage? These are all very good questions and it would be wise to dwell briefly on these things so that we may not be caught off guard.
This is one area of christian living that the bible doesn’t really seem to address. There are no physical offensive or defensive strategies mentioned except for the one verse in Matt. 24:16, which instructs the residents of Judea to flee to the mountains. Those who believe in dispensationalism use this verse as proof that only the jews are being spoken to in the Olivet Discourse, but of course we know this isn’t the case. Events just begin there and He is informing the believing remnant to go into hiding to fulfill Rev. 12:13-14. Some might argue that the lack of instruction concerning these days is further proof of a pre 70th week rapture but as you’ll see that argument is very weak.  
Believers must come to realize is that there are two aspects to end times living. One is survival in the first 3 ½ yrs. plus and the other is enduring the persecution of believers that begins at the great tribulation of Satan’s wrath upon the church as pictured in Rev. 12:17 & 13:7-10. Each one will require a different response on the part of the latter day christian. Every local body of believers may very well have to go underground. It is my opinion that one of the reasons why the word "church" isn’t used in the main body of Revelations is because the focus has changed from the Body of Christ having a corporate responsibility to the world; to more of an individual responsibility in regards to relationships, witnessing, etc.
   While the bible doesn’t have much to say on how to survive until the persecution begins, it does have some information on how we as believers should handle persecution. Luke 21:34-36 says, "Be careful, or your hearts will be weighed down with dissipation ( literally, a hangover), drunkenness and the anxieties (cares/worries) of life, and that day will close on you unexpectedly like a trap. For it will come upon all those who live on the face of the whole earth. Be always on the watch, and pray that you may be able to escape all that is about to happen, and that you may be able to stand before the Son of Man."  (NIV) (words in parenthesis mine)
     The anxieties spoken of here are those things which can choke out the spiritual fruit in a believer’s life. (Matt. 13:22) There are several things the Lord warns us to not worry about. They are: How long a person’s life is, Matt. 6:27, the necessities of life (food, water, clothing, shelter, etc.) Matt. 6:19-34, and what you should say if brought before authorities during times of persecution, Matt. 10:19. If you’re not concerned with these areas in your life, it frees you to remain focused on witnessing and proclaiming the righteousness of God to this last generation. It is not inconceivable that one way God will provide these necessities of life would be to prepare you beforehand; to "ready" yourself for times when these things may not be easily available.
   Now that we know what not to concern ourselves with. What shall we do concerning persecution? We are told to live holy lives, to be watchful at all times, pray without ceasing, and to resist temptation. The major thing that we need to pray for, is strength. The strength to resist the temptation to compromise if we are being persecuted. The strength to be able to escape (come through unscathed) the events of the last days and most importantly the strength to stand (with moral correctness and holiness) before God at the Bema Seat judgment.(2 Cor. 5:10) Jude tells us how to receive a positive judgment in vss. 21 and 24 - "Keep yourselves in God's love as you wait for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ to bring you to eternal life...To him who is able to keep you from falling and to present you before his glorious presence without fault and with great joy."  (NIV)
We are given the specifics on how to perform our christian duty in Eph. 6:10-18 - “Finally, be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power. Put on the full armor of God so that you can take your stand against the devil's schemes. For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms. Therefore put on the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand. Stand firm then, with the belt of truth buckled around your waist, with the breastplate of righteousness in place, and with your feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace. In addition to all this, take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one. Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God. 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 saints. (NIV)
God has provided us with everything we need for faithful living in the latter days. Truth, righteousness, peace, faith, salvation and the Word of God are all the equipment necessary to successfully see us through the persecution of the end times.
                    BUT
    Jesus affirms for us in Luke 22:35-36, that there is a time for walking in faith and a time to realize the practicalities of life. “Then Jesus asked them, "When I sent you without purse, bag or sandals, did you lack anything?"
"Nothing," they answered. 36He said to them, "But now if you have a purse, take it, and also a bag; and if you don't have a sword, sell your cloak and buy one.” (NIV) The book of Proverbs also offers a couple pieces of advice on preparation. Prov. 30:25 - “Ants are creatures of little strength, yet they store up their food in the summer” (NIV) and Prov. 27:12 - “The prudent see danger and take refuge, but the simple keep going and suffer for it.” (NIV)
We know that for the most part, persecution won’t really get intense until the latter half of Daniel’s 70th week. So, how do we survive until that time? Of course, we must always rely upon God and His leading, but since He has graciously given us ample warning to prepare for the hard times to come, how should we prepare?