We live in a world given over to sin. Many walk, unaware that the evil one works within them and through them (cf. Ephesians 2:2). As Christians, we struggle with this reality. We reject sin and its devastating effects. We also fall into temptation and do what we know we should not. Surrounded by sin, we may allow it to overwhelm us. The enemy would like to deceive us into believing that he and his collective servants (often represented in the media, corporations, and even political parties) possess insurmountable power and influence in the world.
Elijah found himself surrounded by enemies on every side. Though pockets of faithful people existed near him, Elijah did not know they existed (1 Kings 19:14, 18). The wicked King Ahab and his malevolent wife, Jezebel, plunged Israel deeper and deeper into idolatry, expunging all the prophets of Yahweh they could. God preserved Elijah and sent him to confront Ahab. The confrontation led to a contest on Mount Carmel, in which Elijah faced off with 850 prophets of Baal and Asherah.
The odds appeared against Elijah and Yahweh. The contest presented a simple opportunity for the display of divine power. Each party would construct an altar and call upon their respective gods to send fire to consume a sacrificial offering. The contest should have been the perfect opportunity for Baal, the Canaanite god of lightning, wind, rain, and fertility to prove himself. Surely Baal could procure one bolt of lightning to secure his reputation!
For several hours the prophets of Baal pleaded, marched around their altar, and ritually mutilated themselves trying to garner Baal’s attention. 1 Kings 18:29 says, “but there was no voice. No one answered; no one paid attention.” Baal could do nothing, for he was nothing but a creation of human imagination.
By contrast, when Elijah’s turn came, he offered a simple prayer, “Answer me, O LORD, answer me, that this people may know that you, O LORD, are God, and that you have turned their hearts back.” The One True God immediately responded with a deluge of fire that consumed the altar and everything upon it. The LORD demonstrated His power; He also proved that human odds hold no sway over real divine power.
The powers of sin surround us, but they cannot match the power of God. First John 4:4 says, “Little children, you are from God and have overcome [those who are against Christ], for he who is in you is greater than he who is in the world.”
Clay Leonard
