There was a day when all warfare happened nose to nose. You could look into the eyes of your assailant as you shielded your heart from his blows and hacked at him with your sword. But today there’s a method of warfare sophisticated beyond the imagination of previous generations: robotic warfare. A pilot can fly a Predator, dropping bombs and targeting the enemy in Iraq, while he sits halfway around the world in the safety of his office cubicle in Nevada, with a remote control in his hands.

This is the temptation every believer faces: The temptation to live the Christian life from remote control. The temptation to do battle without risking anything. And this happens frequently because we forget the presence of the One who makes all the difference in the world. God is with you. That alone is enough to create more courage than you would need in a thousand lifetimes of spiritual battle! 

But what about those days when you don’t feel His presence at all? In fact, on some days, the presence of God feels very fictitious, especially at moments when the temptation to sin feels very real. What then?