War--and Rumors of War--(Part II)

What's going on?
Where have all our voices gone?

And why are we afraid of words like war?

Need I remind you, that we are an army and armies engage

Yes! armies engage when the threat is too much to ignore

Sounds like we should sound the alarm

I could answer a few of the questions put forth by rock band Jonah 33 in their song "Scream." Like the matter of our voices. Once beacons, once seasoning, now silent. They are vibrate off a forked tongue and crawl up from a throttled throat on a leash. We wouldn't dare speak up. We wouldn't dare scream at the top of our lungs. We're soft. The word war? It isn't a pretty word. Three jagged, half-hearted letters mixed up and limp. But was it always that way? Or were there once warriors? Did a time exist where the rumor of war was a predestined scent of victory and a call to action rather than a commercialized step in the direction of a larger church and the almanacs claim that Christianity is the largest religion in the western world (excluding the asterisk indicating a lukewarm footnote). Someone needs to remind us that we are an army and that we should engage instead of knitting sweaters to send to the boys already in the battlefield because they are out there.

Sounds like we should sound the alarm.

To sound said alarm, (and to calm my doubts and catalyze my deeds) I asked fellow blogger Kevin Jacobs of For This Cause Ministries to write in the way of war. But what he normally gets in the way of is the Enemy. I've seen his blog attack Satan with all the stealth and strategy that God would demand of us. Through knowledge and the love of Christ he's jumped in trenches not often touched by the average scribes of our Lord. Underlying all of these posts, I always sense a warrior spirit. The twiddle-your-fingers vibe is nonexistent. So I asked his thoughts and this is what happened:

War is not pretty.

Brave men and women lose their lives fighting for what they believe in and often innocent lives are lost and countless lives are changed forever by war. War, as ugly and brutal as it is, is necessary. Necessary because there are people in this world who are controlled by evil and that evil is their own lusts and desires for domination and power. As long as there are those who seek to destroy and dominate others, there will be need for war.

Since Lucifer was found with iniquity in his heart and deceived a third of the angelic host into rebelling against God, war has been unleashed in the spirit world and upon mankind. Since being cast out of heaven, Lucifer has waged eternal war against God. His desire for dominance and hatred of God and man consume him.

The question was asked, do I think Christianity is a war? My answer is both yes and no. Yes because as we become Christ followers we have become willing targets of the enemy by standing on the side of God. My answer is no, because as humans as God’s creation we were already targets of the enemy whether we believe in God, the enemy, or this spiritual war or not. So, this spiritual war we are in not for being a Christian, but for being man, God’s creation.

“For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places.”

Ephesians 6:12

It is hard to imagine that there are unseen forces that are at war with us. The most fearsome enemy to face is the one that we cannot see. Think about it. Some of the best and most frightening movies are the ones where the enemy is not seen until it’s too late. Satan and his army are spiritual beings. They are like the wind. We can’t physically see it, but we can see its effects. The effects of Satan’s army are the ravages of this sin cursed world and the effects sin and death have upon us.

Another question asked is the possibility that Christianity being a war is just a gimmick. Let me say it this way. Could the possibility of Christianity being a war be over spiritualized? My answer is that I don’t think it is spiritualized enough. There are books upon books and teachings upon teachings about spiritual warfare, but I don’t think it is taught enough and I don’t think is taught serious enough and taken serious enough. I believe that if we truly realized and took serious what is being put against us spiritually, we would act different and be different concerning the world and concerning Satan and his attacks against us.

“Put on the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil.” Eph 6:11

The bible has many scriptures that pertain to war and spiritual warfare. Take this verse for instance. It tells us to put on the armor of God. Armor is used for battle, for war. If it is not a war then why put on the armor? It says that we may be able to stand against the wiles or tactics of the devil. If the devil is not coming against us with tactics or attack plans then why should we stand against him? So, in one verse God is telling us we are in a war and it is against the devil who is attacking us and we need to put on battle armor for it.

There are wars of many different types. Nations war against nations, people war against people, culture against culture, ideology against ideology. Let’s not forget the wars we fight within ourselves. The war between our spirit and flesh, our evil nature against our reborn spirit. None of these wars are as crucial as that great unseen war in the spirit. We are in the middle and yet a part of it. We fight on our knees with the armor and weapons God has provided us.

Until this war is finished and we are finally called home, there will always be Wars And Rumors Of Wars.

And so what will we do with the rumours? Write them off as gimmicks? Dismiss Lucifer as mythology as he whittles away the totem pole of saved souls? Shall we wear our armour like a statement of fashion or enter in the demonic stomping grounds with the preparation of the Gospel? There is something going on behind the scenes that is translating to the visible stage.

Jonah 33 continues:

Don't look now

But somehow our worst enemies

Have found their way inside the walls we've made

These are the moments

That define us as cowards or men full of valor

So shutup and fight and don't let them know you're afraid!

I'm not one to lay down and die

I'm not one to lay down and die either.

Rumor has it there's a war going on. And I want in on it.