Saturday, April 21, 2018
Unconventional warfare
2 Corinthians 10:3
For though we walk in the flesh, we do not war according to the flesh.
The contemporary Christian is often so comfortable with church that the warfare edge disappears. We wear our best clothes to church services, attend conferences in the best venues, and enjoy the best that life has to offer. That’s ok if we do not think that the war is over.
At least up to the second world war countries in the western hemisphere were always conscious of when they were at war. The whole country would be mobilised and on edge. Young men were pulled from their homes and their dreams to go to the front lines. Women were dragged from their conventional roles in the home and given work in the factories to build machines, missiles and munitions for the war effort.
Today, as conventional warfare has become more and more sophisticated, the average person in the powerful western countries could watch live what’s taking place in a theatre of war somewhere around the world from his living room like home theatre. They even get the same view as the fighter pilot, his generals, and the commander in chief. When the show is over the television set or streaming video is turned off and everyone sleeps comfortably.
Of course, if you are living in Syria today, or Gaza, Crimea, or somewhere else where bombs from powerful countries are raining down on your city, the experience is totally different. And then there are dozens of other conflicts in the world today that get less media attention even though people and their lives are being ripped apart every day.
Coming back to the comfortable western world, nothing shakes it like an unconventional attack on its soil. This was most pronounced when the attack, now known as 9 -11 took place. The silent enemy was in the camp. The enemy, undetected, launched an attack at the heart of the comfortable western world and life has not been the same since. The elimination of the mastermind of the attack, Osama Bin Laden has not changed the new sense of unease.
In a dangerous world, it is dangerous to get comfortable and not be prepared for war at all times. The enemy, though sometimes silent, is always on the prowl looking for weakness, waiting for a point of attack. For the Christian, here is how we are advised to approach it, “Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil walks about like a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour.” 1 Peter 5:8.
In the Old Testament, after the wars of conquest under the leadership of Joshua, there was this same tendency to become so comfortable that they forget war. Entire generations, like in today’s western world and the Christian church, were coming up not knowing anything about warfare. That is a very dangerous position to be in. So, God got ahead of His people and took action.
“Now these are the nations which the Lord left, that He might test Israel by them, that is, all who had not known any of the wars in Canaan (this was only so that the generations of the children of Israel might be taught to know war, at least those who had not formerly known it)” Judges 3:1,2.
It was so important that the people of God know how to fight, and that the skill of warfare be passed on to each generation that God kept some of their enemies alive and available that warfare would always be on their borders. For if one day an enemy came from afar they would not be unprepared and inexperienced.
It was important for the people of God to know warfare then, and it is important for the people of God to know warfare now. And, as wars today become more and more unconventional we have a responsibility to understand the present schemes of the enemy and be prepared to fight.
We, God’s people, were always admonished and taught to fight in unconventional ways. Our tactics and techniques were not to be like the others around us for we go to war with different weapons, with God’s warring angels in the battlefield, and, most of all, with God on our side.
Here is a summary of our approach to war, “For though we walk in the flesh, we do not war according to the flesh. For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal but mighty in God for pulling down strongholds, casting down arguments and every high thing that exalts itself against the knowledge of God, bringing every thought into captivity to the obedience of Christ, and being ready to punish all disobedience when your obedience is fulfilled.” 2 Corinthians 10:3-6
Every day, different persons and families are under attack by a merciless enemy. People show up at our churches with emotional problems, psychological problems, and physical problems. People come traumatised by abuse that’s sexual, emotional, psychological, and physical. Others are the abusers, abusing people and substances.
Sometimes these problems require conventional approaches that are clinical in nature, but at other times they require unconventional approaches because what we are up against is not faulty wiring in the brain, it is the activity of a vicious and merciless enemy seeking to destroy people and families. Sometimes, those families are ours.
Look for the signs of war declared, sickness, failure, fear, abuse, madness, substances, suicide, infidelity, incest, ingratitude, disrespect, violence, vulgarity, conflict, contention, divorce, and on and on. We must know when there is a war on our hands and fight.
Blessed be the Lord my Rock, Who trains my hands for war, And my fingers for battle— Psalm 144:1
Think on these things:
- Are you facing circumstances in your life that aren’t being changed by the regular response or treatment?
- Have you observed any trends in your family line that are persistent and troubling?
- Do you feel confident that some event in your life, or that of someone you know, must be of spiritual origin and not natural?
Prayer focus:
Let us pray today that we would remain battle ready and fight.
In His Grace, 200
Pastor Alex
