It is true indeed that salvation is bestowed by grace and received through faith β entirely apart from works, religious or otherwise. But it is equally true that it costs to embrace the truth and costs even more to stand for it, rather than selling out. This is why Proverbs 23:23 exhorts us toΒ βbuy the truth and sell it notβ. In this sense we are not to sell the truth. Yet in another sense we are salesmen of the truth, urging men to buy it.
As we do this we find that there are those who would actually seek to hinder men from buying the truth. Yet it is not primarily they who oppose our efforts, but Satan and his hosts.
βFOR WE WRESTLE NOT AGAINST FLESH AND BLOOD, BUT AGAINST PRINCIPALITIES, AGAINST POWERS, AGAINST THE RULERS OF THE DARKNESS OF THIS WORLD [age], AGAINST SPIRITUAL WICKEDNESS [wicked spirits] IN HIGH PLACESβ (Eph. 6:12).
This is why Godβs salesmen must also beΒ βgood soldiers of Jesus ChristβΒ (II Tim. 2:3). We must make the glorious message knownΒ despite the opposition. We mustΒ βput on the whole armour of GodβΒ and meet our adversaries withΒ βthe Sword of the Spirit, which is the Word of GodβΒ (Eph. 6:11,17). When they would shut our mouths we must pray for ourselves and each other:
ββ¦that utterance may be given unto me, THAT I MAY OPEN MY MOUTH BOLDLY, to make known the mystery of the [Paulβs] gospel.
ββ¦THAT THEREIN I MAY SPEAK BOLDLY, AS I OUGHT TO SPEAKβ (Eph. 6:19,20; Rom. 16:25, 26).
This, by the grace of God, is our prayer and our resolve. source
