Evil abounds everywhere. How men respond to its presence determines society's survival and well-being. One individual said, "Masculinity is accepting responsibility to diminish evil and produce good."
No culture will ever ascend above the character of its men. The feminist lie has been that patriarchy is oppressive and terrible. They declare it is toxic and ought to be destroyed. To destroy masculinity and strong male leadership leads to the present disaster of society. Weak men have given us this legacy. Weak men deliver the death of society.
Weak, immoral men produce more weak, immoral sons. And we are in danger because the present crop of men is contaminating the children.
"Thou shalt not bow down thyself unto them, nor serve them: for I the Lord thy God am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children unto the third and fourth generation of them that hate me, And shewing mercy unto thousands of them that love me and keep my commandments." – Deuteronomy 5:9-10
Repeatedly, God says corrupt fathers create a generational legacy of corruption in society. He's not stating that a child would be punished for a father's sin; that is not the case. We are declaring that fathers—plural—who are corrupt leave a heritage that will not be overturned in three or four generations.
How do we break the cycle of this generational, weak masculinity? We must begin by understanding that this is natural to the human heart. Every man's default position is corruption. We have to begin as believers who have new natures. What you're witnessing today in the chaos of this culture and the weakness and foolishness of people in high places is just the fact that corrupt fathers destroy society. So, what makes a man?
Fortitude
We need fortitude. What is fortitude? Firmness is the power of the soul that confronts danger with courage. It bears loss and hurt without complaint.
A man with fortitude doesn't compromise, even amid danger, when it escalates to pain and fear. Fortitude is a mixture of conviction, courage, and endurance. It is the willingness and desire to challenge difficulty and bear suffering with courage.
Men should be the protectors, the purifiers, who secure their wives and children and perform all that must be done to reduce evil in society and produce good. Yet, for years and decades, this society has had men actively producing evil and diminishing good. True manliness is tied up in the word "courage." That is the virtue that characterizes a real man.
"Watch ye, stand fast in the faith, quit you like men, be strong. Let all your things be done with charity." – 1 Corinthians 16:13-14
Courage is the quality of a man. Courage in the face of danger and temptation. Even in the face of loss and suffering.
Verse 13 is practically four statements saying the same thing, "be strong." It is then balanced in verse 14: "Let all that you do be done in love." How important it is to add that. There's nothing more manly than a man with conviction, courage, and endurance marked by love. That's a man – not weak, vacillating, scared, but loving.
Real men encounter life with this type of fortitude. They're watchful of the dangers around them. They're alert. They have convictions about what is true. They dare to live out those convictions and have the strength to be unwavering when those convictions will cost them everything. Your convictions are only real if they hold up under the most intense pressure.
"Be strong and of a good courage, fear not, nor be afraid of them: for the Lord thy God, he it is that doth go with thee; he will not fail thee, nor forsake thee. And Moses called unto Joshua, and said unto him in the sight of all Israel, Be strong and of a good courage: for thou must go with this people unto the land which the Lord hath sworn unto their fathers to give them; and thou shalt cause them to inherit it. And the Lord, he it is that doth go before thee; he will be with thee, he will not fail thee, neither forsake thee: fear not, neither be dismayed." – Deuteronomy 31:6-8
This declaration assumes that your devotion to God will be tested, and you must be strong. There is no way around it.
Men don't resist fear, pressure, intimidation, and temptation. They don't seek the easy way. They will take the pain, invite the risk, confront the challenge, and not bow to the pressure to compromise the commandments of God. The strength of a man is that he lives on the principles of the Word of God, lives on conviction, stands firm against everything that comes at those convictions, and bravely faces challenges in a fortified way. Manly fortitude means contending with tribulation, facing all enemies, bearing the pain, maintaining self-discipline, upholding truth, and pressing on to the goal.
The only way you can do this is to submit to the Word of God so that it is constantly in your mind and you live out its truths. You can be obedient if the Word of God saturates you.
You must show your children spiritual fortitude – strong, courageous, secure, love for the Lord and the family. The legacy of man to his wife and children is spiritual strength and spiritual courage. Resist the temptation to compromise biblical convictions.
Being a good father is far more than spending time with your children and playing with them; it's showing them what an uncompromising, courageous, godly life looks like.
This culture has turned on God and eliminated His Word. The leaders of this nation have no interest in God or His Word, and they are running this country into hell as fast as they can. This will not stop with a group of feminized men who think God wants to give them what they want so they can be happy. We live in a world of compromise.
Integrity
People who have no price have integrity.
What is integrity? Integrity is a firm adherence to the moral law, the Word of God. It comes from "integer," which means "complete" or "whole." Its synonyms are "honesty," "sincerity," "simplicity," and "incorruptibility." It's antonym is "hypocrisy." A person who has no integrity is a hypocrite. Integrity means living by your convictions: you say and hold to what you believe; you're immovable. The world will pull you into temptation, and Satan is a seducing deceiver, driving us into compromise and, thus, into hypocrisy.
"Lord, who shall abide in thy tabernacle? who shall dwell in thy holy hill? He that walketh uprightly, and worketh righteousness, and speaketh the truth in his heart." – Psalm 15:1-2
This sort of uncompromising spiritual manhood is severely lacking in today's society. We watch spiritual leaders in one form or another collapse all the time. They forsake conviction when compromise is more profitable. Men say they believe the Bible, yet don't faithfully proclaim it. Men say that sin should be punished, but not if it's committed. Men oppose dishonesty and corruption until they confront somebody in their lives, which could cost them a job. Men maintain high moral standards until some illicit impulse kindles their lusts. Men are honest until a bit of dishonesty will save them money. Men hold convictions until they're contested by someone they admire or fear.
That is men's failure. The feminist movement has pounded them to give up leadership, and they have succumbed. They have fallen to their lusts and weaknesses. And now you have a society of men who will not fight to produce good and eliminate evil. We need a generation of men who are alert to danger, stand firm in the faith, are courageous with the Word of God, and are uncompromising and strong.
Manliness, conviction, and courage will be tested. The pressure will come even in unexpected ways. You may get away with your statement of conviction for years. Still, there will be tests, and many will shock those who knew them by selling out, compromising, deserting their integrity, and playing the hypocrite out of cowardice.
"And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God." – Romans 12:2
Don't let the world squeeze you into its mold. We need a generation of men who will say I will stay faithful no matter what and not compromise. The question men must ask is, what can we do for the love of Christ?