The Culture War is a Spiritual War is a series. It picks up where Part 1 ended. Click here.
Even though I’ve tried to set a different example through the years, I count myself among those who occupy the pulpit. I want to stand in proxy and ask your forgiveness for our failure to equip and prepare you for this spiritual and cultural war we are in.
The war began in heaven and spilled to earth in Revelation 12. Verse 9 says, “So the great dragon was cast out, that serpent of old, called the Devil and Satan, who deceives the whole world; he was cast to the earth, and his angels were cast out with him.” In verse 10 he is called the accuser of the brethren and in verse 11 it describes how God’s people can overcome the attacks. One of the three key elements is “the word of their testimony.”
This is a war of words! It’s a war between dark and light, lies and truth, Satan and our Lord Jesus Christ who was the word made flesh (John 1:1-14).
There are those who testify and speak the truth and then there are those who lie. Jesus is called the way, the truth and the life (John 14:6) and it says that no one comes to the Father except through Him. John 8:44 reveals that Satan is the father of lies and his children are liars, deceivers or murderers. It’s what they do.
Satan needs people for their mouth, hands and feet. Otherwise, how could sin, iniquity and abominations be spread? He works through people. God works through people too.
Ephesians 3:9-11 reveals that it was God’s eternal plan to show forth His manifold wisdom to principalities and powers through THE CHURCH. Why? Because there is a spiritual war taking place and the issue at hand are the souls of men and women and their eternity in heaven or in hell.
How does God show forth His manifold wisdom? He speaks and works through people. He needs our hands, feet and tongues otherwise we could not go, we could not preach, we could not teach, we could not cast our demons and neither could we lay our hands upon the sick so they might be healed (Matthew 28:18-20, Mark 16:15-18 & Romans 10:14).
This spiritual war, which is manifested through a cultural war, is actually a proxy war. God works through people and Satan works through people who stand in proxy. The weapons of our warfare and not carnal (ie. natural weapons) but rather spiritual weapons. Words are used to convey lies, evil ideas, teachings of demons as well as the truth and good doctrine. The Christian’s primary weapon, our only offensive weapon is the Word of God (Hebrews 4:12, Isaiah 55:11 & Ephesians 6:17). That my friends is the truth!
Do you know who responds to God’s word? Angels! Psalms 103:20 says, “Bless the Lord, you His angels,
Who excel in strength, who do His word, Heeding the voice of His word.” So, you see, this war is a proxy war.
Angels respond to God’s word, but God choose to limit Himself and work through people. When God’s people speak His word, inspired by Holy Spirit, then His angel armies can be activated. It’s why when they asked Jesus to teach them to pray, He responded in Luke 11:2 with, “So He said to them, “When you pray, say….” He did not say, when you pray think, He said, “when you pray, say, Our Father in heaven, hallowed by Your name. Your kingdom come, Your will be done…”
God gave us a free will. We can choose to speak His word, or we can choose not to. If you choose not to lend your lips to His word, then guess who your words help? That’s right. Satan’s minions are activated by the same spiritual principle. That’s why Jesus will have each of us give an account of every idle word we speak in the day of judgment (Matthew 12:6). Truly, death and life are in the power of the tongue (Proverbs 18:21).
Whether you like it or not, we are in a spiritual war. The stakes are eternal, but I promise you, the sacrifice is worth it.
Three Kinds of People in War
I had an uncle who served I World War I. My Dad served in the Navy I World War II. My brother served in the Marine Corps in Vietnam and I retired from the Navy Reserve. My war was Operation Desert Storm.
There is a concept or a principle we find in 1 Corinthians 15:46. It teaches us that the natural comes first and then the spiritual. In other words, we can often learn about the spiritual by observing the natural.
With this concept in mind I’ve learned from my experience plus my study of history that there are three kinds of people in war. There are:
- Volunteers – These are patriots who love their country and are willing to take action to serve.
- Anti-war protestors – These are those who actively oppose war. There efforts indirectly support the enemy and sometimes some of them even go so far as to actively ally with the enemy.
- Everyone else or the neutral – At least, that’s how they like to portray themselves when in truth its more of a cover for complacency, ignorance or apathy.
It’s easy to identify the patriots. It’s easy to identify the antiwar protestors. The group that is the most damaging are those who fall into the neutral or complacent, ignorant, apathetic category. The complacent know what’s going on but just don’t care. Ignorance and apathy go hand in hand. They don’t know and don’t care to find out. Why? It’s because they are selfish. They are more concerned about me, myself and I. Bottom line, their inaction supports the antiwar protestors.
The question is, which category do you fit in today? I will underline the portion of Psalms 110:1-3 that speaks to me. It says, “The Lord said to my Lord, “Sit at My right hand, Till I make Your enemies Your footstool.” The Lord shall send the rod of Your strength out of Zion. Rule in the midst of Your enemies! Your people shall be volunteers In the day of Your power; In the beauties of holiness, from the womb of the morning,
I want to be a volunteer. I want to be found standing with our Lord and not against Him. How about you?
