A World at War

Theoden: I will not risk open war.

Aragorn: Open war is upon you whether you would risk it or not.

We have a tendency to forget that we live in a world that is at war. I am not talking about the war against terror, but the spiritual war that rages all around us. We may choose to ignore its reality, but it is there none the less.

Our modern western mindset which sees science as the ultimate way understanding reality has really turned us off to talking about the supernatural. It is easier to think that the supernatural is only for the ignorant and superstitious rather than the educated and intelligent. In other words we are willing to accept that Jesus had good ideas for living a moral life, but the talk of Satan, demons, and even miracles are best left in the first century.

We do this to our determent. By living as if we are not at war we become very vulnerable to Satan's attack. Just because we choose to ignore the spiritual reality around us doesn’t make it disappear. The Enemy is taking shots at us and we don’t have the sense to take cover.

When we come to accept that war is the context of our days life itself will begin to make more sense. The pesence of strife, tragedy, death, and every other form of evil can be traced back to the reality of a world in rebellion against God.

See more at Paul's Ponderings: Living in a World at War 


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A World at War

Theoden: I will not risk open war.

Aragorn: Open war is upon you whether you would risk it or not.

We have a tendency to forget that we live in a world that is at war.  I am not talking about the war against terror, but the spiritual war that rages all around us.  We may choose to ignore its reality, but it is there none the less.

Our modern western mindset which worships science as the ultimate way of knowing has really turned us off to talking about the supernatural.  That is the reasont a spiritual war raging in the cosmos seems to be the stuff of superstition for most people. As Americans we are too advanced and smart to believe such things!  

We do this to our determent.  By living as if we are not at war we become very vulnerable to Satan's attack. Just because we choose to ignore the spiritual reality around us doesn't make it disappear.  The Enemy is taking shots at us and we don't have the sense to take cover.

The apostle Paul knew this cosmic battle was real.  This is what he wrote in Ephesians:

A final word: Be strong with the Lord's mighty power.  Put on all of God's armor so that you will be able to stand firm against all strategies and tricks of the Devil.  For we are not fighting against the rulers and authorities of the unseen world, against those mighty powers of darkness who rule this world, and against wicked spirits in the heavenly realms.

Use every piece of God's armor to resist the enemy in the time of evil, so that after the battle you will still be standing firm.  Stand your ground, putting on the sturdy belt of truth and the body armor of God's righteousness.  For shoes, put on the peace that comes from the Good News, so that you will be fully prepared.  In every battle you will need faith as your shield to stop the fiery arrows aimed at you by Satan.  Put on salvation as your helmet, and take the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God.  Pray at all times and on every occasion in the power of the Holy Spirit.  Stay alert and be persistent in your prayers for all Christians everywhere (Ephesians 6:10-18; NLT).

I realize that this language of war seems to be melodramatic when we have soldiers who are actually dying on foreign soil.  Let me assure you it is not.  Yes, we are experiencing the harsh reality of war, as every generation has, but that doesn't mean the war of physical combat is any more brutal than the spiritual war that we are involved in.  Everyday people are wounded and destroyed because of the war Satan is fighting against God's Kingdom.  We are his targets since we are God's ambassadors, agents, and soldiers in this world.

Every suicide, every drug addict, every abused child, and every murdered person are victims of this war.  Divorces, pornography, drug abuse, and terrorism are all the result of a world being torn apart by war.  Satan isn't out to tempt you to do wrong.  He is out to destroy your life.  This is the spiritual reality that we ignore.

Christians, we can no longer afford to ignore the spiritual reality going on around us.  It is time we stand our ground and fight.  Fight with truth, fight with love, and fight with prayer.  Be prepared to take hits and be willing to handle the suffering that happens in combat.  Remember, we can make a difference, but we have to be willing to pick up our swords and stand our ground. The fight is on, are you ready to do your part?

Daily Thought: Implementing the Victory

"The battle between the true God and the powers of evil that enslave and deface humankind came to its height on the cross.  But the church is charged with implementing the victory that was won there, and the powers don't like it." ~ N. T. Wright, Paul for Everyone: Galatians and Thessalonians, p. 102

We Don't Stand Alone!

Put on all of God's armor so that you will be able to stand firm against all strategies of the devil...Therefore, put on every piece of God's armor so you will be able to resist the enemy in the time of evil. Then after the battle you will still be standing firm (Ephesians 6:11 and 13; NLT).

The Bible does not hide the reality that life is hard and that we will be under attack from the Evil One. It should not surprise us that we experience temptations, trials, and struggles.

During these times we are commanded to stand firm. It is when we stand firm that we are able to resist the Satan. Yet experience tells us that we don't have the strength to stand firm. Time and time again we have been knocked down by the attacks of the evil one. So it can get discouraging if we think standing firm depends entirely on us.

Part of the Gospel message is that we don't stand alone and unaided. God has placed in our lives the Church so we can stand firm together, and He has provided us with the equipment we need so we are have what we need to resist the Enemy.

I urge us to take time and ask God to teach us how to use the equipment He has given us so we can stand firm by His power. Remember we don't stand alone!

Daily Thought: The Victory Is Secured

"Only by the power of God, working in heart and mind, can we subdue the slumbering tyrant within.  Only by the Holy Spirit's prevailing strength can we restrain the evil desires seeking to spring forth.  Within each person, a battle rages; only through God is victory secured." ~ George MacDonald, The Best of George MacDonald, p. 144

We Are At War

Originally posted on Wednesday February 16, 2005

“Friends, we are now in the midst of an epic battle, a brutal and vicious war against and Enemy who knows his time is short. Open war is upon you, whether you would risk it or not.” ~ John Eldredge; Waking the Dead

We have a tendency to forget that we live in a world that is at war. I am not talking about the war in Iraq, but the spiritual war that rages all around us. We choose to ignore its reality, but it is there none the less. We tend to chalk the negative experiences and bad things that happen to us up to life. While I would agree that those things happen as a consequence of living in a fallen world, but that doesn’t negate the reality that there is an Enemy that wants to destroy you.

Our modern western mindset has really turned us off to anything about the supernatural. The talk of a cosmic war or a spiritual war, for most people, seems to be the stuff of superstition. We might believe that, we think, if we were uneducated savages, but we are too educated to buy into that junk.

We do this to our determent. By living as if we are not at war we become very vulnerable to the attacks Satan makes upon our lives. Just because we choose to ignore the spiritual reality around us doesn’t make it disappear. The Enemy is taking shots at us and we don’t have the sense to take cover.

The apostle Paul thought is cosmic battle was real. This is what he wrote in Ephesians:

A final word: Be strong with the Lord’s mighty power. Put on all of God’s armor so that you will be able to stand firm against all strategies and tricks of the Devil. For we are not fighting against the rulers and authorities of the unseen world, against those mighty powers of darkness who rule this world, and against wicked spirits in the heavenly realms. Use every piece of God’s armor to resist the enemy in the time of evil, so that after the battle you will still be standing firm. Stand your ground, putting on the sturdy belt of truth and the body armor of God’s righteousness. For shoes, put on the peace that comes from the Good News, so that you will be fully prepared. In every battle you will need faith as your shield to stop the fiery arrows aimed at you by Satan. Put on salvation as your helmet, and take the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God. Pray at all times and on every occasion in the power of the Holy Spirit. Stay alert and be persistent in your prayers for all Christians everywhere (Ephesians 6:10-18; NLT).

I realize that this language of war seems to be melodramatic when we have soldiers who are actually dying on foreign soil. Let me assure you it is not. Yes, we are experiencing the harsh reality of war, as every generation has, but that doesn’t mean the war of physical combat is any more brutal than the spiritual war that we are involved in. Everyday people are wounded and destroyed because of the war Satan is fighting against God’s Kingdom. We are his targets because we are God’s ambassadors, agents, and soldiers in this world.

Every suicide, every drug addict, every abused child, and every murdered person are victims of this war. Divorces, pornography, drug abuse, and terrorism are all the result of a world being torn apart by war. Satan isn’t out to tempt you to do wrong. He is out to destroy your life. This is the spiritual reality that we ignore.

Christians, we can no longer afford to ignore the spiritual reality going on around us. It is time we stand our ground and fight. Fight with truth, fight with love, and fight with prayer. Be prepared to take hits and be willing to handle the suffering that happens in combat. Remember, we can make a difference, but we have to be willing to pick up our swords and stand our ground. The fight is on, are you ready to do your part?

The Courageous Christian #1

Fear is a part of our lives. Each one of us is afraid of something, and many of us are afraid of multiple things. This fear often prevents us from living the life God created us to live. The tasks God designed us to do are the very things that Satan uses to fill our hearts with fear. We must be courageous if we are going to be the people, and thus the church God wants us to be.

I have no idea what fear lurks in your heart, preventing you from really living life. What I do know is that fear holds you back from living the life God wants for you. At least that is true for me. Here is the question I think we need to consider: What fear does Satan use to keep you from living the life God planned for you to live?

This fable by Aesop illustrates how many of us respond to fear:

An old cat was in the habit of catching all the mice in the barn.
One day the mice met to talk about the great harm that she was doing them. Each one told of some plan by which to keep out of her way.
“Do as I say,” said an old gray mouse that was thought to be very wise. “Do as I say. Hang a bell to the cat’s neck. Then, when we hear it ring, we shall know that she is coming, and can scamper out of her way.”
“Good! Good!” said all the other mice, and one ran to get the bell.
“Now which of you will hang this bell on the cat’s neck?” said the old gray mouse.
“Not I! Not I!” said all the mice together. And they scampered way to their holes. (The Brave Mice; p. 457; The Book Of Virtues)

Many of us want to be part of something bigger than ourselves and to do something that has lasting value, but when it comes time for the rubber to meet the road we run away and hide. We don’t want any part of it. Yeah, we may talk a good game, but in reality we know we are going to chicken out in the end.

That is why people who have demonstrated courage amaze me. You can see that courage in many of the men who fought during World War II. My grandpa, my mom’s dad, flew B-17s in the war, even being shot down on at least one occasion. When I was preaching in Russellville, Arkansas one of the guys at the church had a heart attack. When I was visiting him doing his recovery he told me a couple of stories about fighting in the Pacific during WWII. I am amazed at their courage, and I am left to wonder if I could do that.

In the March 2003 issue of World War II magazine there is an article about an infantryman and his experience during the Battle of the Bulge. This is what the author, Wyatt E. Barnes, wrote about the assignment he was training to do in the days leading up to the battle.

“I was to be a pole charge man; I would have to run up to a bunker with a long pole capped with a block of TNT. If I survived to reach it, I was to thrust the pole into the bunker’s firing embrasure and detonate the TNT. Others in the unit had equally unappealing assignments. But like infantrymen everywhere, we did not think much about it. We could not change anything. We would have to deal, somehow, with whatever was to come.”

I think we can see an element of courage in what Mr. Barnes wrote. That element is the realization that the task is dangerous, or unappealing as Mr. Barnes put it, but being committed to deal with whatever is to come. Courage is not the absence of fear. If there was no fear then it wouldn’t take courage. Fear is there to remind us something is dangerous, that the task is not safe. Courage, therefore, is the determination to do what needs to be done in spite of fear. For the follower of Christ we know hat determination comes from being committed to God. Total trust in God gives us the courage to deal with whatever obstacles that may pop up in our path.

Courage is not just for soldiers, law enforcement officers, and fire fighters. Christians need courage. We need to recognize that courage is a vital part of our lives. Bill Hybles wrote; “Living as a fully devoted follower of Christ takes courage on a daily basis for the rest of our lives!” We need courage because we are in a war. There is a spiritual war raging all around us and we are, as C. S. Lewis reminds us, living in “Enemy-occupied territory -- that is what the world is.” We need courage, because Satan is at war with God, and he is doing whatever he can to thwart God’s will. As God’s children we are prime targets for the evil one.

Not only are we prime targets of the evil one, but we are also called to fight in this spiritual battle. The apostle Paul tells us:

Finally, be strong in the Lord and in the strength of his might. Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the schemes of the devil. For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers over this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places. Therefore take up the whole armor of God, that you may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand firm (Ephesians 6:10-13; ESV).

Courage is an essential part of the Christian’s life. While there are many things that bring fear into our lives it is possible to live with courage. We can be courageous Christians!

Experience can be Deceiving

{Job 4:12-17; NLT}

“This truth was given to me in secret, as though whispered in my ear. It came to me in a disturbing vision at night, when people are in a deep sleep. Fear gripped me, and my bones trembled. A spirit swept past my face, and my hair stood on end. The spirit stopped, but I couldn’t see its shape. There was a form before my eyes. In the silence I heard a voice say, ‘Can a mortal be innocent before God? Can anyone be pure before the Creator?’”

I started to read through the book of Job this morning during my devotional time. I was struck by what Job’s friend Eliphaz said concerning Job’s condition. The “truth” that Eliphaz gives to Job came to Eliphaz through a spiritual experience, and because of that experience Eliphaz was certain that what he was saying was true. Yet as I read through what he said there were a few red flags that popped up to remind me that this isn’t truth.

Before I get to the red flags I want to mention something about spiritual experiences: they are real. The Bible is clear that there is a spiritual side to creation, and it is equally clear that not all spiritual beings are good. We can have many different types of spiritual experiences, but that doesn’t mean that all spiritual experiences are good. I believe that the vast majority of spiritual experiences people have are deceptive, ways Satan gets us doubt God, His goodness, and His love. Therefore a spiritual experience is not an evaluation of truth. I am certain that people who follow different gods and religions have powerful spiritual experiences, but that doesn’t make their religions true, all that it does is to remind us that there is a spiritual side of life.

Eliphaz fell for the trap of experience. He had a powerful spiritual experience, and because of that experience he allowed Satan to deceive him. I hope that we can learn a few lessons from Eliphaz experience so we are not equally deceived through experience.

The first red flag that I saw was that this truth was given like a secret whispered in his ear. This just feels wrong to me. I recognize that God can speak to us privately by that still small voice in our hearts, but what Eliphaz describes seems to be something different. I think that we need to be wary of truth that is given to us in secret and evaluate it against God's Word. This is not about a lack of faith, but it is about making sure we know the truth. God commends those who earnestly seek His truth.

The second red flag was that it was a disturbing vision. The vision caused, not just fear, but dread in the heart of Eliphaz. There was a spirit, but it hid its true shape. When you think about the encounters people had with angels in the Bible there was something to see, a shape and a form that people recognized, many times the angels had the appearance of men. Though angels often also produced fear in people, they also told the people not to fear. These angels often brought news of hope and joy, not of fear and trembling. Jesus told us that we would know false teachers by their fruit, and the fruit of this spirit seems to be contrary to what we expect from an angelic servant of God.

The third red flag was that the “truth” Eliphaz was given is just part of the story. It is true that there is no one who is pure and innocent before God. One of the basic truths of Christianity is that all have sinned and fallen short of God’s glory. Yet, there is more to the story. The amazing part of the story, the Good News, is that God loves us and made it possible for us to become righteous. We can stand before God pure and innocent, not because of what we have done, but because of what Christ has done for us. So the people in Eliphaz's day knew that faith plus animal sacrifice dealt with their sin (we understand that animal sacrifice merely rolled their sin forward until the sacrifice of Jesus), and we know that the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus has taken care of our sins and that we no longer have to fear death and hell.

Spiritual experiences are real. They can be intense and life changing, but if we are not careful we can allow Satan to use them to deceive us and lead us away from God. Please remember: Not all spiritual experiences are from God! We have to be vigilant and test all the experiences we have against the word of God. We need to ask ourselves the questions: Did this experience teach me something contrary to what the Bible says? Is the truth that I received from this experience tell the entire story? Does the experience lead me to love God and people, or does it lead me to exhalt myself?

There is no question that spiritual experiences can be exciting and powerful, but don’t let your faith be built on spiritual experiences, because sooner or later Satan will deceive you. Let your life be guided by Scripture, because then you can be certain that you will experience the life God created you to live.

It Explains A Lot

In preparation for The Wild at Heart Boot Camp I am attending at the end of April, Ransomed Heart Ministries has been sending out, via e-mail, daily readings. These are excerpts taken for John Eldredge’s books. Since I was on my computer fast I am behind in my reading, so one of the ones I read today is from March 15. I would like to share it with you:



Until we come to terms with war as the context of our days, we will not understand life. We will misinterpret 90 percent of what is happening around us and to us. It will be very hard to believe that God’s intentions toward us are life abundant; it will be even harder not to feel that somehow we are just blowing it. Worse, we will begin to accept some really awful things about God. That four-year-old little girl being molested by her daddy— that is “God’s will ”? That ugly divorce that tore your family apart—God wanted that to happen too? And that plane crash that took the lives of so many—that was ordained by God?

Most people get stuck at some point because God appears to have abandoned them. He is not coming through. Speaking about her life with a mixture of disappointment and cynicism, a young woman recently said to me, “God is rather silent right now.” Yes, it’s been awful. I don’t discount that for a moment. She is unloved; she is unemployed; she is under a lot. But her attitude strikes me as deeply naive, on the level of someone caught in a cross fire who asks, rather shocked and with a sense of betrayal, “God, why won’t you make them stop firing at me?” I’m sorry, but that’s not where we are right now. It’s not where we are in the Story. That day is coming, later, when the lion shall lie down with the lamb and we’ll beat swords into plowshares. For now, it’s bloody battle.

It sure explains a whole heckuva lot.

You won’t understand your life, you won’t see clearly what has happened to you or how to live forward from here, unless you see it as battle. A war against your heart. (Waking the Dead , 17–18)

On Monday evening I helped a man out who has an embarrassing problem, the lack of bladder control. He was out of money and needed some pads to function at some level, so I went to Wal-Mart and picked him up some. When I delivered them began to tell me his story (you have to understand I don’t know who this man is, he called the church looking for help and I helped him out). He told me that he had been asking God why He was doing this to him. The man also told me that he was toughing it because people kept telling him that “everything happens for a reason.” But I could tell from the sound of his voice and the alcohol on his breath that he was in pain. What do you tell a guy who believes that the evil that is happening to him is the will of God?

I told him that everything that happens doesn’t have a reason and that we have to remember that there is an enemy, Satan, who is out to destroy our lives. Then I told him that the awesome thing about God is that He is so powerful that He can use these evil things Satan throws at us to harm us for good. I suggested that he pray differently, rather than blaming God, asking God to redeem the pain in his life.

Understanding that we live in a world at war and that we have an Enemy out to get us makes life and this world a whole lot more understandable. Otherwise, we start thinking so awful things about God, and blaming Him, rather than turning to Him to redeem our lives.

Sunday Quote: The Victory is Won

"Scripture clearly teaches this perspective: Christ has already won the victory (1 Cor. 15:1ff.; Col. 2:15; and Heb. 2:14ff.). The crucial battle has been fought and won in the incarnation and the resurrection. The ceasefire is yet in the future. Jesus' followers continue to fight against the principalities and powers (Eph. 6:10ff.) until he comes again to bring about the final end of the war. We do not know how long the warfare will continue. As we battle the forces of evil, we also witness in the shadow of Christ's victory on the cross and his ultimate victory to be achieved at the final coming. We fight with the conviction that someday all weapons will be placed at the feet of Jesus. This concept should encourage all believers. It can also exhort all to be be faithful to Jesus and his cause." ~ Robert Lowery; Revelation's Rhapsody: Listening to the Lyrics of the Lamb; p. 43

Sunday Video: Spiritual Warfare