A Battle Rages

A declaration of war is the document that heads of state often use to unite and galvanize a people into common action against an enemy that is threatening the very life and existence of a nation. Those who remember the terrible days of World War Two will never forget the words of Churchill as he declared war upon the Nazi powers and called the peoples of the British Commonwealth to unite in a valiant effort to defend their homeland.

After the infamous day of Pearl Harbor, the words of Roosevelt were equally challenging to the American people. Even the Old Testament is replete with examples of prophets, judges, and kings calling Israel into counsel and making a declaration of war against her enemies.

In His Word, God states what should be the obvious; we Christians are already at war. Satan has declared war upon the saints and against the souls of mankind. He is a terrible foe. A powerful and dreaded enemy. As a lion, he vengefully walks the face of the earth seeking whom he may devour. He is called the adversary. The accuser. The wicked one. As someone said long ago, “ Evil is not something, it is someone!”

A paraphrase of Ephesians 6:12 clearly states the situation of war, “For our wrestling match is not with persons with bodies, but against ruler-ship, and the realms of authority, against the world dominators of the present darkness, against spiritual forces of wickedness in the heavenlies.”

It is obviously a worldwide conflict. Wherever God’s people are gathered, Satan’s war strategy involves hindering and harming the cause of Christ. Just as in days gone by, Christian soldiers who are in God’s army on the earth today have a real and continuing battle on their hands. No hold is barred and no quarter is given by the forces of evil arrayed against the saints of God. His weapons of sin, temptation and compromise have never been more powerful or fearsome than in our day and time.

This war is also a personal confrontation. Hand to hand combat of the dirtiest and most difficult sort is the order of the day. It’s person to person and eyeball to eyeball. Satan is not confined to hell or Hades, nor is he residing solely on the surface of the earth. He has a headquarters in the heavenlies. He rules over a band of rebellious angels. He controls myriads of demonic spirits. Apparently he has sub-rulers in delegated areas of authority on earth. Neither empires, kingdoms, nations, states, communities, or cities escape his malevolent attention. Sovereigns, dictators, princes, potentates and democratically elected officials are all subject to his power and control. He promotes anarchy and is delighted with the breakdown of law and order. He is known as the lawless one in the scriptures.

In all out war there can be no neutrality. In the spiritual warfare that still rages the real issue is whose side are you on? Jesus said no man can serve two masters. Someone has said that the hottest fires of hell are reserved for those who in times of great crisis try to maintain their neutrality.

How Does God Measure Success?

We must never mistake quantity for quality. Neither must we confuse physical prosperity with success and happiness. A wise grandfather once asked his grandson when a man was rich enough. The grandson replied, “When he has a million dollars!” “No “. “Ten million?” “No.” “A hundred million?” “No”. And on and on the little boy raised the ante. When he finally gave up the old gentleman gravely said, “”When he has a little more than he has, and that is never!”

The Bible clearly expands upon the error of the principle of pursuing prosperity, pleasure or popularity as our primary purpose in life. In the Old Testament, God chose the small despised nation of Israel for his special people and special channel of blessing to the world. He then chose the small town of Bethlehem and a manger as the cradle for His Incarnation.  In the New Testament He chose what some would see as a motley collection of common folk as the first witnesses of His glorious gospel. And then a diminutive disciple named Paul was chosen to be the powerful and peerless preacher of His gospel.

God is not always the God of the crowd or the majority. If you recall a unanimous vote called for His crucifixion. God is more often than not interested in the dedicated two or three. He looks on the inward man. He’s a heart-reader, not a head-counter. Success achieved at the cost of compromise is no success at all. Conscripts can scarcely be classed as converts nor draftees as devotees; no matter how many may swell the ranks of popular religion. When the pressure is applied by Satan, they too will turn back in the day of battle.

At the crucial moment of crisis many would be disciples are willing to slide along on the coat tails of those who are prepared to pay the price. They sometimes decide it is just all too much. They turn back in the time of trouble. Evidently their possession  doesn’t measure up to their profession. They put on a good show until the testing time comes. They construct an impressive facade, even to the point of being outwardly indistinguishable from genuine disciples.

They are of the same sort John spoke of in his first letter, “They went our from us, but they were not of us, for if they had been of us, they would no doubt have continued with us: but they went out, that they might be made manifest that they were not all of us.” They are of the same caliber and character Jesus spoke of on another occasion when He said, “No  man having placed his hand to the plough; and looking back, is fit for the kingdom of God.” They are of the sort often called, “On again, off again, Fennigan types.”

Gypsy Smith once asked such a man in an after-meeting, “Are you a Christian?” “Yes,” the man replied, “For twenty-eight years, on and off.” “More off than on, I guess,” replied the evangelist.

The Master was fully aware of the inevitable decrease in His popularity with those who were pseudo-disciples. The waning popularity of His heaven sent ministry and message would culminate at the cross. Is it any wonder He once said, “Woe be unto you when all men speak well of you.”? Numbers are not always a correct criterion for claims of spiritual success or is a crowd of people a perfect gauge of powerful preaching. Let us never be caught up into the contemporary pseudo- Christian movements that clearly seem to mistake quantity for quality and size for success!

When is Enough, Enough?

I published the following article in the Church Bulletin of the Church I pastored some twelve years ago. In view of the rapid deterioration of our cultures since then it would seem the fears and concerns expressed in the article were more than justified and could be viewed as somewhat "prophetic."   The article still speaks volumes to the need for Christians to take a stand today.

"I could not believe my ears! A spokesperson for a Queensland Teacher's Union was actually saying on the current affairs programme called, " Summer Diary," that they were pushing the Queensland Education Department to forcibly require all students in Queensland Schools to participate in sex education classes that would include details about homosexual lifestyles and present this aberrant behaviour as normal and acceptable conduct!

They would insist parents who object to such deviant brain washing not even be allowed to withdraw their child from such classes! She said they were making it an issue of human rights for the children. That parents would not have the right to deprive their children of such so-called education! She was followed by your obligatory, stereotypical, know -it-all, University Professor, who, with the usual pseudo-tolerant smile for the unwashed masses, was trying to allay the fear of any ignorant parent that this might be harmful to young children.

I said to myself, "That's it! - That's enough." It's time we who call ourselves Christians quit talking and start walking! I agree wholeheartedly with the following excerpts from an article by Dr. James Dobson: ‘There are Christians leaders who do not feel it is the role of the church to confront evil in government. They feel they must concern themselves only with spiritual matters, as though the killing of unborn babies and the support for public morality are beyond their scope. ... these leaders are saying, 'It's not our calling.' Others say, When we use our influence in society, we expose ourselves and our faith to ridicule and rejection.' ....

To those Christians who want to say nothing against evil Dr. Dobson asks some important questions: ‘At what point will you rise to defend what you believe? Is there anything worth putting your reputation or your life in jeopardy for? Will you object if your children are routinely indoctrinated in homosexual ideology in public schools? Will you object if imperfect babies are killed in our hospitals? . Will you object if involuntary euthanasia becomes widespread in our nursing homes? Will you object if the government tells your pastor or priest what he can say from the pulpit? (In Sweden an evangelical pastor who preached a sermon on Sodom and Gomorrah was convicted of "verbal violence" and was sentenced to a four week prison term) ...

Will you object if the government assumes ownership of children and tells parents how they must raise them - under penalty of losing custody? Will you object if boys and girls are given a wide range of rights that override the wishes of their parents? Will you object if each family is permitted only one baby, as is the official policy in China today? Will you object to a homosexual and lesbian quota hiring system being imposed upon business and churches? Will you object if obscenity laws are repealed and child pornography is ignored by the government?

Are these changes coming to Western nations? I don't know. Some are already well entrenched. Others appear to be right around the corner. Anything can happen in a civil war." To those who say we can't win this battle Dr. Dobson says, ‘That's irrelevant. It is not our duty to win. It's our duty to be fight and be faithful!’