Are You in the Wrong War?

I had the great privilege of being raised in Sunday School.  Among the songs I still remember was “I’m in the Lord’s Army”:

I may never march in the infantry
Ride in the cavalry
Shoot the artillery
I may never fly o’er the enemy
But I’m in the Lord’s army (Yes, sir!)

[All done with physical motions simulating marching, riding, shooting, and flying.  Great memories.  I’m still in favor of kids having fun in Sunday School -:)]

But here’s the thing: I never thought, even as a child, that we were actually at war with people, because I had also learned Scripture passages like Ephesians 6:12 that says, “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.”  Lest you’re tempted to interpret words like ‘rulers’ and ‘authorities’ to mean ‘government’, the verse just prior says, “Put on the full armor of God, so that you can take your stand against the DEVIL’S schemes.  For our struggle is not against flesh and blood …”.  This famous passage on spiritual warfare is clearly about battle against spiritual forces, using spiritual weapons (see vv. 13-17).

This famous passage on spiritual warfare is clearly about battle against spiritual forces, using spiritual weapons.

Soldiers in the Culture War?

Yet to hear some Christians talk, we’re apparently in a war with others, culturally and politically.  I’ve been told things like, “We’re in a battle for the soul of America” and “If we don’t win against the Liberals we won’t be able to preach the Gospel”.  One professing Christian recently wrote in a publication called “American Greatness” (um, not recommended): The decent know that they must become ruthless.  They must become the stuff of nightmares—but the nightmares of bad and dangerous people …To this end, the good man must spare not a moment to train, in both body and mind, to become the monster that he may need to become in order to slay the monsters that prey upon the vulnerable—whomever these monsters happen to be (see here).  Oh, by the way, Jesus loves you.

I’m trying to envision any of the apostles saying anything close to the above.  I know they didn’t say it in Scripture.  Quite the contrary.  Paul ‘lost’ to the Roman government in the sense that he was indeed imprisoned for his ministry, but never said anything approximating the handwringing above.  Instead, he said that what appeared to be a defeat to the world was in fact a victory for the Gospel: What has happened to me has actually served to advance the gospel.  As a result, it has become clear throughout the whole palace guard and to everyone else that I am in chains for Christ.  And because of my chains, most of the brothers and sisters have become confident in the Lord and dare all the more to proclaim the gospel without fear (Philippians 1:12-14).

Truth and Love

Last week I spoke to a group of pastors about preaching.  One of the sessions was on preaching to the unchurched.  Though I agree with very little Bill Hybels has ever written, I do agree with him on this, and quoted it to the men:

A prerequisite to effective preaching to non-Christians is that we like them.  If we don’t, it’s going to bleed through our preaching.  Listen closely to sermons on the radio or on television, and often you’ll hear remarks about “those worldly secular people.”  Unintentionally, these speakers distance themselves from the non-Christian listener; it’s us against them.  I find myself wondering whether these preachers are convinced that lost people matter to God.  It’s not a merciful, “Let’s tell them we love them,” but a ticked off, “They’re going to get what’s coming to them.”  These preachers forfeit their opportunity to speak to non-Christians, because the unchurched person immediately senses, They don’t like me.¹

But for far too many Christians, we are at war with the very people we’re called to reach.  Christian friends, God has not called you to a culture war, a holy war, or any war against flesh and blood.  The church is not an outpost in a political struggle, and pastors are not its generals.  Instead, Jesus commanded us to “Love your enemies” (Matthew 5:44), “Pray for those who persecute you” (also Matthew 5:44), and said, “Blessed are you when people insult you, persecute you and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of me.  Rejoice and be glad, because great is your reward in heaven” (Matthew 511-12) because, after all, “Human anger does not produce the righteousness that God desires” (James 1:20).

Christian friends, God has not called you to a culture war, a holy war, or any war against flesh and blood.  The church is not an outpost in a political struggle, and pastors are not its generals. 

It has been said that “Truth is the first casualty of war”, and that applies to so-called holy war.  Remember the spiritual war you’re waging, and so take up the weapons appropriate to it, starting with the ‘belt of truth’ (Ephesians 6:14), “spoken in love” (Ephesians 4:15), for the benefit of those you’re called to love – everyone.

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Ken Brown is the pastor of Community Bible Church in Trenton, MI. We republish his article by permission.

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Photo by Sammy Williams on Unsplash

1. Bill Hybels in Mastering Contemporary Preaching, p. 30 [↩]