052806 War
War: In it for the Long Haul
May 28, 2006
How many war veterans do we have here today? We applaud those who have served our nation. Thank you for your sacrifices made by you and your families! … Memorial Day, which actually began as Decoration Day, was brought about by families of war dead decorating the graves of the beloved during the Civil War. It continues now as a holiday that marks the beginning of summer. Cottages are opened up, boats get launched, and campers are camped. Very little attention seems to be given to the fallen warriors who died to preserve the union and the liberties of our nation. In some ways I think it betrays a changing mindset toward the importance of warfare. Today our armed forces are more apt to be considered the bad guys, than the heroes and preservers of liberty that they are. Some obviously earn that diminished view for themselves.
A similar attitude is showing up brilliantly in the Christian Church. It does so at the expense of God-given union and liberty. Whether anyone realizes it or not, the truth is that we are at WAR and we will be at WAR for the long haul, if we are faithful to our calling as the beloved people of God.
Here’s what I mean: Satan is always at WAR with God’s chosen people. He always seeks to separate God’s beloved from true union and liberty which exists only in Christ Jesus. The war dead in this conflict is uncountable. Yet, we still hear the cry of false prophets who speak peace to God’s people when there is no peace. And so they delude the saints into believing a lie. This is really no new thing. Jeremiah gives a clear picture of this in the early chapters. But the impact upon God’s people is best described in chapter 23. God’s people are devoured by the Satanic lies of the false prophets who speak peace when there is no peace.
Considering this ongoing spiritual warfare, it is proper to say that all who are in Christ Jesus are war veterans. But like more recent conflicts, it is not always clear who the enemy really is. This shouldn’t surprise us. St Paul says: “Satan himself masquerades as an angel of light. It is not surprising, then, if his servants masquerade as servants of righteousness.” (2 Cor 11:14f) Sounds pretty modern as far as physical warfare goes, doesn’t it? People are not as apt to be appalled by spiritual warfare however. It’s not the kind of war that leaves hundreds of thousands of people dead and decaying on a battlefield somewhere. It is none-the-less war that we as Christians are all engaged in, and will continue to be engaged in, for the long haul. We have to be lest we prove ourselves to be in cahoots with the adversary. Yes, there really are spiritual forces at work that seek our destruction, just as there are human forces at work that seek our destruction.
T. C. Graebner, in his book, War in the Light of Prophecy (St. Louis, 1942) writes: Much prophetic literature usually appears in wartime; its writers seek materialistic contemporary evidence for their views regarding the meaning of prophetic Bible passages; they try to show that individual wars and nations were specifically foretold in detail; they emphasize, e.g., the battle of Armageddon (Rv 16:14, 16).[1] The point is this: opportunistic thinking is never ashamed to take advantage of simple believers unschooled in the ways of the Pseudo-Prophets of the day.
Some people oppose the war in the Middle East where our troops are loosing their lives to help a foreign people. Others oppose such warfare on the basis of religious belief. They often cite the commandment, “You shall not kill.” They seem to overlook the biblical history of the Children of Israel. From the crossing of the Jordan and the conquest of Canaan to the Exile, their history is mainly an account of wars. Have you ever thought about why that is? Why does God sometimes command His people to war? Some of the wars were God’s punishment (cf., e.g., Dt 28:47–68) for such sins as contempt of the Word of God (Lv 26:21–25; 1 Ki 8:33), or for the shedding innocent blood (2 Sm 12:9–10). The history of Israel is for our instruction, not in waging war, but in understanding the seriousness of spiritual warfare. Perhaps they have never read Revelation 19:11: "Then I saw heaven opened, and behold, a white horse! The one sitting on it is called Faithful and True, and in righteousness he judges and makes war." Luke 21:9 helps us understand warfare properly: "And when you hear of wars and tumults, do not be terrified, for these things must first take place, but the end will not be at once.” [2] Note carefully Jesus’ words: “these things must first take place.” These things are not Armageddon in other words, so don’t be terrified by them. Keeping this in mind will help you keep the writings of the Pseudo-Prophets of today in their rightful place—not serious. Thus, I say, it’s War: In it for the Long Haul!
Just as a side note, the Lutheran Confessions speak thusly in AC XVI: “It is taught among us that all government in the world and all established rule and laws were instituted and ordained by God for the sake of good order, and that Christians may without sin occupy civil offices or serve as princes and judges, render decisions and pass sentences according to imperial and other existing laws, punish evildoers with the sword, engage in just wars, serve as soldiers, buy and sell, take required oaths, possess property, be married, etc.,”
It is probably self evident to believers that Satan is their spiritual arch-enemy; but what about the world, and even our own self? Today there is so much information being presented that purports historical accuracy like the DaVinci Code. Trust me, there is no DaVinci Code. There is only the book called by that name and a movie trying to make a buck off the public. So-called newly revealed writings in the gospel of Judas and Thomas and others are making a big scene for the whole world to contemplate. Dear friends, don’t be afraid of it all. Listen to the true apostolic writing that says: "For everyone who has been born of God overcomes the world. And this is the victory that has overcome the world—our faith." (1 John 5:4, ESV) Thus, we say, it’s War: In it for the Long Haul.
Even a cursory reading of the Scriptures points to the sinfulness of God’s people; Moses, Abraham, and David are but a few examples. I know you might think sin and God, together, not possible! You are correct. It is not possible for God to sin against God. But it is possible to be a believer and still sin. As a matter of fact, it is not possible for us to extirpate (pull up) sin from ourselves. It is always an albatross (shackle) on our lives. Even St Paul, the great apostle to the Gentiles, struggled with sin after his conversion. He laments this sad condition of humanity this way: "Wretched man that I am! Who will deliver me from this body of death?” He gives immediate answer to the question saying: “Thanks be to God through Jesus Christ our Lord! So then, I myself serve the law of God with my mind, but with my flesh I serve the law of sin." (Romans 7:24-25, ESV) This is why we say: War: In it for the Long Haul!
So, other than just accepting that we are sinners, we need to know how to conduct our warfare so as to be victorious. Do you know how to do that? Would you like God’s answer to that question? I thought you might, so here it is from the mouth of St. Paul, the true apostle of our God: "For though we walk in the flesh, we are not waging war according to the flesh. For the weapons of our warfare are not of the flesh but have divine power to destroy strongholds. We destroy arguments and every lofty opinion raised against the knowledge of God, and take every thought captive to obey Christ," (2 Corinthians 10:3-5, ESV).
War: In it for the Long Haul! That’s what we say by the very Spirit of the Living God whom we serve with a faithful and true heart. Warfare in this world is sometimes a necessary evil to preserve and protect the Union and Liberty we have been so blessed with all these years. It is an absolute necessity in spiritual warfare to overcome Satan, the World, and our own sinful human nature. Let us remain ever vigilant and faithful all the days of our life and remember this: War: In it for the Long Haul! God be praised. Amen.
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[1]Lueker, E. L. (2000). Christian cyclopedia (E. L. Lueker, Ed.) (electronic ed.). St. Louis: Concordia Publishing House.
[2] The Holy Bible : English standard version. 2001. Wheaton: Standard Bible Society.