I used to admire rugged individualism. The “Think for yourself. Walk alone. Take the path least traveled” kind of heroic machismo. That self-reliance gene exists in each of us but gains traction through cultural influences. For me, such an influence came from movies like Rambo, in which a tough soldier fights alone and saves the day. 

That movie, and others like it, shaped a generation of young men who grew up thinking it was them against the world. I think some of us still believe that’s the way it is. If internet memes are any indication, that is the case. Check out these lies:  

“A wise man can always be found alone. A weak man can always be found in a crowd.” Or, “Those who walk alone have the strongest direction.” And finally, “If you want to be strong, learn how to fight alone.” That one has barbs: an appeal to strength. Fighting alone sounds exciting. It sounds noble. It sounds heroic. Rambo! 

I was shocked when I actually read the book First Blood, by David Morrell. You may have noticed there is no Rambo book series. That’s because in Morrell’s novel, John Rambo dies. I realize that in the movies Rambo fights battle after battle, enemy after enemy, and literally walks off into the sunset as we look on with admiration—and not a little envy. In the book, however, he is so distraught, lonely, wounded, and mentally unstable, he seeks to take his own life until his commanding officer from Vietnam tracks him down and puts him out of his misery. 

Rambo died just like he fought—alone. No friends. No help. No army. But that lackluster, anticlimactic ending got a Hollywood makeover. Last I heard, Rambo was still at in in 2019, this time warring with with the Mexican Cartel who made the mistake of kidnapping his “niece” into sex trafficking. As usual, he fought alone.   

A lot of Christians are living some kind of spiritual version of the Rambo saga. They call themselves “spiritual but not religious” and claim to be against organized religion. That means they love the idea of Jesus, but not the church. Church cramps their style. They don’t have time for community. They fly solo. Spiritual John Rambos. 

It all sounds idealistic and romantic, doesn’t it? Except, it’s a terrible lie. We’re not honey badgers. We’re sheep. We belong to a flock. We’re soldiers, but we don’t fight alone. We belong to an army, the church—the body and bride of Jesus. And for those who try and pit Jesus against the church? Stop insulting a man’s bride.

Jesus is not against religion. He's against false religion. He’s against self-righteous, hypocritical, legalistic religion. He’s against the kind of religion that left widows destitute, didn't cloth the naked, didn’t feed the poor, didn’t care for the sick, and didn’t serve others. The kind that didn't tell the truth about God. Jesus is against false religion.   

As we’ve seen in this series, Satan is a master deceiver, the father of lies. He loves to slander one of the most powerful means of grace God has given us: the local church. Here’s one of his favorite fiery darts to hurl: 

You’re better off alone. But are you? Is isolation good? Not a chance. “Then the Lord God said, ‘It is not good that the man should be alone’” (Genesis 1:18). Interestingly, about eight verses after that statement, we meet the serpent.

An alarming number of Christians view the church as a burden rather than a means of grace. They flaunt an ambivalent “take it or leave it” attitude with the church. And more often than not, “leave it” wins the day.  

They replace gathering locally with some kind of virtual or digital version of worship, or download their favorite teacher at their convenience. Or maybe they catch a podcast on their commute to work, and call that “church.” They’ve believed the lie. They are sheep without a flock. Soldiers without an army. Disconnected body parts. They are sitting ducks in a spiritual battle, and it’s only a matter of time… 

Isolation is the devil’s playground. It’s where he does his best work. The prowling lion looks to isolate his prey, wear down resistance, cut off support, and enjoy his meal. We cannot resist the devil in isolation, nor can we flourish and grow.       

People who live in isolation often share a tragic end. Examples abound. Ted Kaczynski, the Unabomber, mentally withered away in a remote Montana cabin while mailing bombs all over the world. Christopher McCandless died alone in the Alaskan wilderness trying to escape the complexities of relationships. Being fully human is not a private affair. And neither is becoming more like Jesus. Christianity is a community project. But Satan would love for you to go at it alone and try to resist him on your own.

I get it. I understand that a lot of people—young adults especially—distrust anything that smells like an institution. They’ve seen scandals, moral failures, and spiritual abuse. They’ve watched religious leaders grow rich and influential while their followers grew poor and weak. Many of them suffered the abuse of moralistic, hypocritical, legalistic cultures. They’ve got some hurt in their history. But don’t we all? And can we not find a faithful local church locally where the gospel is preached? Are we better off alone? No! 

We’re better together. We fight temptation better, suffer better, rejoice better, and believe the gospel better—together! And don’t let anyone tell you otherwise. Alone, you’re vulnerable and stuck.    

King David wrote, “So I have looked for You in the sanctuary, to see Your power and Your glory. Because Your lovingkindness is better than life, my lips shall praise You.” I’ve heard plenty of people ditch church on Sunday by claiming to worship God in their deer stand, on the golf course, at the fishing hole, or at the beach, but I’ve never heard them come back and say, “Your lovingkindness is better than life.” Why not? Because that kind of clarity happens when we gather. Don’t ditch church. Get up. Show up. Look up, and resist the devil while you exalt the risen King.