We Are at War!

             This past weekend, I had the pleasure of joining ten of my girlfriends at a cabin at Lake Cumberland.  While the weather was not quite what we had anticipated, we were still surrounded by the beauty of God’s creation.  As one of my friends put it, “It’s so quiet and peaceful here.”  She was right, aside from the leaves blowing in the wind and the laughter coming from our cabin, it was very quiet, peaceful, and joyful.

            Then, I made the mistake of checking the news, only to discover that Israel was under attack.  Problems in the Mideast always take my mind to end-times prophecies, and especially as our world falls further and further into sin, we can’t help but wonder “Is the end near?”  When I heard the Israeli Prime Minister say, “We are at war”, I knew that the situation had moved to a whole new level of hostility. 

            Even as I thought about end times and Christ’s second coming, I couldn’t help thinking that, as Christians, we are always “at war”.  A state of war exists every day between God’s Church and Satan and his demons.  We don’t have to worry about rockets lighting up the night sky or bullets tearing through our bodies, but we do need to be ready to fight Satan’s “flaming arrows” that seek to attack and wound us every day. Paul makes it clear in Ephesians 6, that “our struggle is not against flesh and blood” but against the “powers of this dark world and the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms” (Ephesians 6: 12 NIV84).

            Unfortunately, Israel’s defense system failed them this weekend.  Fortunately, our Christian defense system is infallible, so long as we put our faith and trust in the One who made our defense system possible.  While urging us to stand firm in our faith, Paul also tells us exactly the kind of armor that we need to “take our stand against the devil’s schemes.”  We must put on the armor of God, which consists of the belt of truth, which is the Truth that sets us free, the breastplate of righteousness as our defense, feet that are fitted with readiness to follow where He leads, the shield of faith which will extinguish those flaming arrows, and the helmet of salvation, which will guard our minds against Satan’s attacks.  Add to all that the sword of the Spirit, which is the Word of God and our only weapon of offense.  Finally, Paul tells us to pray!  Pray for strength, for guidance, and especially for boldness.  Our mission for God is not finished.  We are in a battle for the souls of mankind.  We can’t win that battle unless we spend time on our knees, seeking not just protection but boldness as we spread the Good News of the Gospel.

            Yes, just like Israel, we are in a war!  Unlike Israel, we already know the outcome.  God wins in the end, and if we are His, so do we!  Praise the Lord!  Don’t be afraid of what may come in the days ahead.  Be strong and courageous!  We serve a mighty God and He will bring us through whatever comes.  Our job is to be ready for the battle.  Our Commanding General will lead the way.  We just have to follow.

Ephesians 6: 10 - 20

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