Week of Monday April 27 - May 3
Coexist? – Man as Defender
“Now the angel of the Lord went up from Gilgal to Bochim. And he said, “I brought you up from Egypt and brought you into the land that I swore to give to your fathers. I said, ‘I will never break my covenant with you, and you shall make no covenant with the inhabitants of this land; you shall break down their altars.’ But you have not obeyed my voice. What is this you have done? So now I say, I will not drive them out before you, but they shall become thorns in your sides, and their gods shall be a snare to you.” As soon as the angel of the Lord spoke these words to all the people of Israel, the people lifted up their voices and wept.” - Judges 2:1-4 ESV
More than likely you’ve seen the “COEXIST” bumper sticker with each letter formed by a different religious symbol, all blended into a single mantra. At first glance, it looks harmless with its message of peace, tolerance, and unity. Yet beneath the surface, it sends a darker message: Give up on your beliefs, go along with the culture, and live for everything—even what God clearly calls sin. For followers of Christ, truth doesn’t “coexist” with lies. Light doesn’t associate with darkness.
However, if we’re honest, many of us can live out a quiet version of that same deceptive message. We try to coexist with sin. We don’t fully reject it—we attempt to manage it. We tolerate certain habits, justify certain compromises, and convince ourselves we’re still in control. We assume the consequences won’t catch up to us. That we can keep it contained. But sin was never meant to be managed. God calls us to ruthlessly remove it.
Israel did the same thing. They tried to coexist. Yet God had given them clear, unmistakable orders: Drive out the enemy completely. Tear down their idols and altars. Remove every particle of pagan worship. God knew that anything left behind could come back to bite them. Yet Israel stopped short. They allowed pagan remnants to remain—pieces of perversion, traces of temptation, shreds of sin. Consequently, the Angel of the Lord confronted them: “You have not obeyed my voice. What is this you have done?”
That question lands just as hard today. God makes no provision for peace with evil or partnership with sin. Partial obedience is still disobedience. Yet by conquering most of the land, they convinced themselves they had done enough. But “enough” wasn’t what God commanded. And what they refused to ruthlessly remove became exactly what God warned it would be— “thorns in your sides” and a “snare.” The very things they tolerated would eventually entangle and enslave them.
That’s how sin works. It never stays contained. It never remains manageable. The habit you excuse today becomes the stronghold you battle tomorrow. The compromise you justify quietly begins to reshape your heart, your thinking, and ultimately your life. Coexistence can lead to catastrophe. Men, we are not called to manage sin—we are called to eliminate it. That requires decisive action. It requires courage. It requires stepping up as a Defender.
When the Israelites heard God’s rebuke, they wept. It was a moment of brokenness, a recognition that they had fallen short. But the deeper call wasn’t just to feel sorrow—it was to change course. Real repentance doesn’t stop at regret. It moves to decisive action.
It identifies the altars that should never have been left standing—and it tears them down.
Let’s not stop short or settle for “almost.” Don’t just “live and let live” when it comes to sin. Be that man who goes all the way in defending your heart and your home against evil. Don’t just coexist. Finish the mission.
Coexist? – Man as Defender
“Now the angel of the Lord went up from Gilgal to Bochim. And he said, “I brought you up from Egypt and brought you into the land that I swore to give to your fathers. I said, ‘I will never break my covenant with you, and you shall make no covenant with the inhabitants of this land; you shall break down their altars.’ But you have not obeyed my voice. What is this you have done? So now I say, I will not drive them out before you, but they shall become thorns in your sides, and their gods shall be a snare to you.” As soon as the angel of the Lord spoke these words to all the people of Israel, the people lifted up their voices and wept.” - Judges 2:1-4 ESV
More than likely you’ve seen the “COEXIST” bumper sticker with each letter formed by a different religious symbol, all blended into a single mantra. At first glance, it looks harmless with its message of peace, tolerance, and unity. Yet beneath the surface, it sends a darker message: Give up on your beliefs, go along with the culture, and live for everything—even what God clearly calls sin. For followers of Christ, truth doesn’t “coexist” with lies. Light doesn’t associate with darkness.
However, if we’re honest, many of us can live out a quiet version of that same deceptive message. We try to coexist with sin. We don’t fully reject it—we attempt to manage it. We tolerate certain habits, justify certain compromises, and convince ourselves we’re still in control. We assume the consequences won’t catch up to us. That we can keep it contained. But sin was never meant to be managed. God calls us to ruthlessly remove it.
Israel did the same thing. They tried to coexist. Yet God had given them clear, unmistakable orders: Drive out the enemy completely. Tear down their idols and altars. Remove every particle of pagan worship. God knew that anything left behind could come back to bite them. Yet Israel stopped short. They allowed pagan remnants to remain—pieces of perversion, traces of temptation, shreds of sin. Consequently, the Angel of the Lord confronted them: “You have not obeyed my voice. What is this you have done?”
That question lands just as hard today. God makes no provision for peace with evil or partnership with sin. Partial obedience is still disobedience. Yet by conquering most of the land, they convinced themselves they had done enough. But “enough” wasn’t what God commanded. And what they refused to ruthlessly remove became exactly what God warned it would be— “thorns in your sides” and a “snare.” The very things they tolerated would eventually entangle and enslave them.
That’s how sin works. It never stays contained. It never remains manageable. The habit you excuse today becomes the stronghold you battle tomorrow. The compromise you justify quietly begins to reshape your heart, your thinking, and ultimately your life. Coexistence can lead to catastrophe. Men, we are not called to manage sin—we are called to eliminate it. That requires decisive action. It requires courage. It requires stepping up as a Defender.
When the Israelites heard God’s rebuke, they wept. It was a moment of brokenness, a recognition that they had fallen short. But the deeper call wasn’t just to feel sorrow—it was to change course. Real repentance doesn’t stop at regret. It moves to decisive action.
It identifies the altars that should never have been left standing—and it tears them down.
Let’s not stop short or settle for “almost.” Don’t just “live and let live” when it comes to sin. Be that man who goes all the way in defending your heart and your home against evil. Don’t just coexist. Finish the mission.
- Where have you made room for compromise in your walk with God? What habit or influence have you allowed to settle in your life? What sin are you tolerating instead of tearing out? What steps are you taking to defend your loved ones from such compromise?
- Pray and ask the Lord not only to point out those areas of compromise but also give you the courage to remove them with His help.