A Girl and a Book

Today, the political cartoon in USA Today shows a picture of 14-year old Malala Yousafzai, the Pakistani girl that was shot in the head last week on her way home from school by Taliban.  Malala had become internationally known for advocating education for girls in opposion to the Taliban's strict religious ban on teaching girls.

Next to Malala's picture is  the statement: “What terrifies religious extremists like the Taliban are NOT American tanks or bombs, or bullets… It’s a girl with a book.”

And in this statement, I find a simple, but deep spiritual analogy. What scares Satan to death (pun intended) is not prosperity preachers, signs and wonders, or multitudes in mega-churches but one man, woman, boy or girl who reads “The Book.”

Wars and Rumors of Wars

Has there ever been a time when there were so many civil wars? US military involvement in Iraq, Egypt, Libya, Tunisia, and Afghanistan has only increased sectarian violence. And one-time stable (albeit autocratic) governments have destablized into anarchy—and all of this, the backdrop to the devastating conflict in Syria.

Even if this was all, it might be seen as a fulfillment of Jesus’ end-time prophecy, “And ye shall hear of wars and rumors of wars..." (Matt 24:7). But there’s much more.  Today, there are ongoing violent internal conflicts in Yemen, Sudan, Nigeria, Somalia, and Congo—not to mention the dozens of anarchist rebel groups (besides Al Quaeda) in countries on every continent. The last century saw the greatest escalation of war in recorded history, with the death of 100 million people (including mass genocides of Armenians, Jews, Tutsis).

While you may think it could never happen here, what do you suppose the spirit of lawlessness can stir up when people are unemployed and can’t find work, and when they are hungry and homeless? Was the “Occupy” movement a prediction of things to come? As you follow the news events, keep in mind Paul’s words: “the secret power of lawlessness is already at work” (2 Thess. 2:7).

Fighting the Culture of Defeat

We watched Ann Coulter’s interview on O’Reilly last night. Characteristically caustic, she said we can't succeed at “nation-building” in Afghanistan where they have more goats than flush toilets, and where 70% of the population is illiterate. Then, this morning, I read an editorial by Richard Cohen of the Washington Post who said a tad more eloquently, “Afghanistan is an odd place to get bogged down. We can kill terrorists but not the culture that produces them.”

This discussion is particularly timely because the President will announce his plans for troop withdrawal today. Having lived for two years in Afghanistan, I know that Richard Cohen’s perspective is right on. And so is Ann Coulter’s. Fighting the Taliban without changing the culture in which they thrive is futile. This is a principle of biblical origin. All believers are in a war—a war with their adversary the Devil (1 Pet. 5:8) and his evil forces. Satan’s primary strategy is to disguise his activities so that it appears that someone or something else is to blame, getting our attention on the "symptoms" not the "source."

We all know that a decongestant will help relieve a stuffy nose, but it will not cure a cold. Likewise, you can fight the symptoms of your problems, but you will not 'cure' them until you destroy the source. One time, after Jesus had cast out a devil, He explained that in order to overturn the works of the Devil, you must first bind him. "How can one enter a strong man's house and plunder his goods, unless he first binds the strong man?" (Matt. 12:29). All Christians must be aware that they will not realize true victory over specific sins until they destroy the strongholds underlying them. And God  has given us spiritual weapons to do this (2 Cor. 10:4), resulting in a cultural change: from one of defeat to one of victory.

The Temptation to Compromise

Today’s USA Today front page story says Afghanistan is increasingly Obama’s war—40% of Americans now believe it was a mistake to go to war. As the war efforts droned on in 2010 with marginal success, the Obama administration, eager to find a political solution, encouraged the Karzai government to negotiate, i.e., compromise, with the Taliban (who are allied with Al Quaeda). And so, discussions began…

Until last week, when it was revealed that the top-level Taliban commander the U.S./NATO alliance had been negotiating with was an impostor—he had no authority to speak for the Taliban at all. The Taliban must be laughing their heads off! But this is no laughing matter—decisions about winding down the war by 2014 were based on these deceptive discussions. I wonder what affect this will have on our Administration’s future attempts at negotiation and compromise with the enemy!

The SPIRITUAL parallel is inescapable. When the pressure of warfare increases, so does the temptation to compromise. Growing weary of the conflict of flesh & spirit (Gal. 5:17; Rom. 13:14), we are tempted to relax our stance. Or conflicts with co-workers, friends or family who oppose our godly principles (Matt. 10:36) may result in our acquiescence! We are rapidly moving toward a cultural crisis where intolerance (refusal to compromise) will not be tolerated. But James says “…don't you know that friendship with the world is hatred toward God? Anyone who chooses to be a friend of the world becomes an enemy of God?” (4:4).

Born On a Battleship

I read in the paper this morning that the Taliban is flourishing despite opposition. This shouldn’t surprise any student of history. Opposition is the sure way of keeping a 'cause' alive. Christianity survived, thrived, and increased through 2,000 years of resistance and persecution.

Paul said the Christian’s mindset should be that of a soldier suffering hardship (2 Tim. 2:3). He frames the Christian’s struggle as warfare (2 Cor. 10:4), and declares that those who suffer with Christ will reign with Him (2 Tim.2:12).

Do you see yourself as a Passenger on a Cruise Liner or a Battleship?

I recently heard a Christian motivational speaker compare a Christian’s expectations to that of passenger on a cruise ship or a battleship. Unfortunately, too many Christians, he said, expect that being a Christian is like being a passenger on a cruise ship—fine dining, comfortable living quarters, sunny skies, easy living, etc. But such people are quickly disillusioned when they experience long lines at meals, noisy, inconsiderate cabin neighbors, and cloudy days. On the other hand, Christians who see themselves as passengers on a battleship have no such preconceptions to set them up for disappointment. Like sailors on a battleship, they know meals will be mediocre, and they expect inconveniences of confined living quarters: crowded bunk rooms and shared bathrooms.

The speaker’s point, of course, is that we should have a “battleship” mentality rather than cruise liner expectations.

I was very grieved when Joel Osteen answering Larry King’s question “is it hard to live the Christian life?” said “No, Larry: it’s fun.”

I fear many Christians are going to think they signed up for a cruise ship when they got born again, and, not knowing that they were “born” into a war zone, will, as Paul said, be “shipwrecked” in their faith.

What about you? Do you have a battleship or a cruise liner mindset?

[Hint: you can know the answer to this question by asking yourself how much you complain and grumble about your circumstances! Your disappointment is directly related to your expectations!]