If I were to postulate that we live in a world at war, would anyone disagree with me? Before agreeing or disagreeing, most folks would ask the question “What do you believe we are at war against?” My first answer…pretty much everything it seems.
Central banks around the world are at war against deflation. Their battles are fought with academic policies and monetary experimentation such as negative interest rates. The political headlines question who we are at war against but the injured and dead body count continues to rise. Nations devalue their currencies for competitive purposes and are known as currency wars. There are trade wars, gasoline wars, wars on cash and coal. It’s easy to call this political season a war for your vote as evidenced by the candidates and their supporters. Whether you like it or not, war is raging all around.
Ok, let’s make it personal. Our national debt has the budget war for entitlement services front and center. There is a war for your social security and your retirement funds. Today it’s public pensions, tomorrow it will be your 401k and IRA. There is a war on democracy itself. Say what?
A lot of people are tired of the way the government has been run as evidenced by Bernie Sanders and Donald Trump. It was reported in the “July 2011 edition of the Journal of Democracy, 25% of American citizens said that democracy is a “bad way” to run the country and an even larger number would prefer an authoritarian leader who didn’t have to deal with the nuisance of election (WSJ 9-14-16).” A 2015 Rasmussen survey found that 48% of likely voters “think America’s best days are in the past.” The spirit and hope of democracy is under attack.
Still not convinced we live in a world at war? The war for privacy is in your home and on your phone everyday. E-mail phishing, bogus calls from the “IRS”, hacked credit and debit cards. Mark Zuckerberg himself created a stir on Instagram this summer. If you looked at the picture you’ll see tape covering the CEO of Facebook’s laptop camera and microphone jack. The war for privacy does not discriminate and everyone is a target. You may not hear or see the enemy, but let’s PLEASE agree he is out there and battling on many fronts.
War has existed since the beginning of time. Some people don’t relate to being at war because they haven’t served in combat or they haven’t lost someone they know to a direct confrontation and loss of life. But c’mon people, everyone has felt the battle we’re talking about. War is a conflict to control, destroy and change. Everyone has either been personally attacked or knows someone who has been attacked. Regardless of the battlefront, there is a war and you are in it.
OK, now you might start to agree that we live in a world at war and wars, but who and what are we at war against? CAN we, SHOULD we name the enemy? Wake up people!! Absolutely we should name the enemy. But let’s get it right. Let’s dig deeper than the headlines and soundbites.
What are the wars all about and who is the real enemy? Christians will be quick to reference Ephesians 6:12, “For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms.” OK. That may explain some things. We don’t always see the enemy, and we know there is a bigger picture. We know there is more than meets the eye and makes the CNN headlines.
You may not agree with all the wars I’ve mentioned, but they DO represent battlefields and attacks on virtually everyone. The wars I’ve mentioned represent a war for control and a struggle for something that you hold dear. There are numerous battlefronts because people have become more divided in their beliefs by false leaders and lies. At first glance the war is for your money, your future security, your identity. But the real battle is much more concentrated than at first glance. The battle is for your life, your spirit, your very soul. That my friends is the origin of the battle and it starts in your mind.
So, whats a person to do? “Set your mind on things above, not on earthly things.” “In your relationships with one another, have the same mindset as Christ Jesus:”. The Word is full of good directives, but if we could camp out in one location for just a little while, I would recommend Romans 14:1, “Therefore let us stop passing judgement on one another. Instead, make up your mind not to put any stumbling block or obstacle in the way of a brother or sister.” Dang. Ceasefire right there.
Individually, let’s recognize the wars we know are battlegrounds for heart and mind. Let’s also respect that there are physical and cultural wars we might not see or agree with…they are wars none-the-less. And, all the wars are similar in nature. Financial and economic wars seek to control the heart, mind and body of ALL people on this planet just like conventional wars.
Let’s also recognize the real enemy is not one we can see. The real enemy is evil and he takes many forms, names, colors and creeds. He fights on many fronts because people are divided in what they believe and care about. Don’t let him take YOUR mind off the truth that Christ won the battle more than 2000 years ago. Be of sober mind, be alert. Stand firm in and for your victory, brothers and sisters.