March 1

Wake Up Dead Man

 Now if we died with Christ, we believe that we will also live with him. For we know that since Christ was raised from the dead, he cannot die again; death no longer has mastery over him. The death he died, he died to sin once for all; but the life he lives, he lives to God.  ––Romans 6:8-10

One of the things I appreciate about U2 is they typically have at least one overtly Christian song on each album they release. Some of my favorites in this spiritual category include “Yahweh” off of “How to Dismantle an Atomic Bomb ”; “Magnificent” off  of “No Line on the Horizon”; “40” off of “War” and “Wake Up, Dead Man” off of “Pop.”

The lyrics for “Wake Up Dead Man” are intense—a cry to God asking, “Where are You right now?” It’s raw and real, reflecting both faith and frustration for when God feels far away. I think Bono is telling himself to wake up, as well as asking Jesus,

If there’s any order

In all of this disorder

Is it like a tape recorder?

Can we rewind it just once more?*

Life can be chaotic and confusing, and it’s not uncommon to suffer doubts. I used to think I lacked faith if I had doubts—that my Christianity was somehow lacking or “less than.” Man of God, there’s a big difference between doubting your purpose and doubting your position. One follows the other: We gain our purpose by understanding our position in Christ. In other words, even for those who fully understand their eternal, secure position in Christ, doubts in this life don’t mean you lack faith.

Every once in a while we need to tell ourselves: “Wake up, dead man!” We need to shake ourselves out of the lethargy that this world wants to place on us—the spiritual malaise that weakens our resolve and dulls our senses. Further to today’s verse, Paul goes on to say that we should count ourselves “dead to sin but alive to God in Christ Jesus” (Romans 6:11).

As men of Christ, we are all dead men: dead to sin, dead to condemnation, and dead to the world’s ability to knock us out of the fight … unless we allow it to. In other words, while we are dead to sin, we must also be alive to God in Christ. I love this verse because the prescription for feeling overwhelmed by the disorder is to constantly ask the Holy Spirit to wake us up, fellow dead men. Awake to the schemes of the devil; awake to the glory of His love and righteousness; awake to the power of faith and hope to overcome our personal trials and tribulations.

I want to suggest a small exercise: create a list with “Alive” on one side and “Dead” on the other. Then write out all the things you are alive to as a man redeemed by Christ, and a list of the things you are now dead to as a result of your position in Christ. For example, I’m alive to: the power and activation of the Holy Spirit to work through me to do His will in the world; and I am dead to the power of sin to continue to hold me in bondage.

Wake up, dead man. You are alive to God in Christ Jesus, and dead to sin!

 

Father, thank You for allowing me to be dead to sin by being alive in Christ. Help me to stay awake and responsive to the things You want me to say and do today.

 

* “Wake Up Dead Man” lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group. Songwriters: Adam Clayton, Dave Evans, Larry Mullen, Paul David Hewson