Battle Won, Not the War!

Years ago it was not uncommon for us to hear a Korean or Vietnam War veteran say, “We won the battle but lost the war.” On the Internet recently I heard a Christian minister saying similar, “As Christians we’re good at winning battles, we’re just not good at winning wars.” There’s a valid excuse for the war veterans. Both wars would have been won (and swiftly too!) had the military not been hampered and hijacked by the global cabal of criminals and compromising politicians. But there’s no excuse for Christians! The military doesn’t fall asleep on the job but, might this be a valid charge against the church? Why?

Too many Christians think the battle they win is the war they win! They don’t know the difference. My timely example is the new President of the USA. For many months Christians fasted and prayed to the Lord God to divinely intervene and push hell back through its gates. They took God seriously, they took prayer seriously. They now don’t doubt God’s intervention for there was no other way for a non-Establishment, non-politician to take on 20-odd Candidates (many from within the Establishment!) and win. Battle won, not the war! They kept prayer going throughout the countless post-election schemes and trickery carried out by the countless silly and sore losers right up to the Inauguration and God answered again. Battle won, not the war!

Few people around the world are not fascinated at the pace in which the new President is “getting the job done.” But if social media is any indication, then I see a danger for Christians. I’m getting the impression many believe the war is won. Battle won, not the war! The same applies to the following headlines: Mike Pence Will Make History as First Administration Official to Attend ‘March for Life’. Again: Full Transcript of VP Mike Pence historic speech to March for Life. Again: VP Pence tells March for Life: “Life is winning again in America.” Again: President Trump says persecuted Christians will be given priority as refugees. Again: CIA Director Mike Pompeo: Jesus Christ is the only solution for our world. Battle won, not the war!

Multitudes of Christians will nod their head with an, “Amen,” when the preacher quotes, Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil walks about like a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour 1 Peter 5:8. But in their nodding, too many nod off to sleep! At a personal level, they fail to discern the devil’s change of tactics; he stops roaring and whispers instead, “You’ve won the war.” It matters not what it is – it may be we’ve had a decisive victory over some personal besetting sin, sickness or chronic disease; a decisive victory over some spiritual, mental and/or physical enemy. At a corporate level it may be the evangelistic program created the desired church growth prayed for, and, “You’ve won the war,” is the whisper. Battle won, not the war!

It’s my belief churches down through history have lost their influence not because Satan roared, but because he whispered. We know churches thrive under persecution, which is a grand example of his roar, but they curl up and sleep when he whispers. In other words when complacency and compromise take hold, when things become business as usual, that’s a church whose members have nodded off to sleep spiritually as a result of his whisper. No longer can they hear the call to, Walk as children of light ……..have no fellowship with the unfruitful works of darkness ……., or the call to, Awake, you who sleep…….. Ephesians 5:8-14. Now it becomes a case of battle lost, not the war!

It’s not difficult for us as Christians to see how the wiles of the devil Ephesians 6:11, operate through the Leftist/Marxist media, the pro-abortion/feminist movement, the anti-Trump movement, the Black Lives Matter movement and every other godless movement you can poke a stick at around the world. What can be difficult for us to see is that while he’s got us focusing on them, he’s focusing on us at the same time. Satan never lets up! Whether he roars or whispers, he ceases not. One example: As we note the methods and behavior of the “protesters” we fail to discern his whisper in our ear to go ahead and curse them. Because we believe God has overruled their will and plans we do curse them feeling smug and self-satisfied for having done so. Battle lost, not the war!

The wiles of the devil. Theologian Albert Barnes said, “The word rendered “wiles”  means properly that which is traced out with “method;” that which is “methodized;” and then that which is well laid – art, skill, cunning – cunning devices, arts, attempts to delude and destroy………. A man who has to contend with a visible enemy, may feel safe if he only prepares to meet him in the open field. But far different is the case if the enemy is invisible; if he steals upon us slyly and stealthily;……. Such is the foe that we have to contend with – and almost all the Christian struggle is a warfare against stratagems and wiles…………” Amen! Put on the whole armor of God Ephesians 6:10-18 is not in the Bible for no good reason. Without it we fail to discern his methods! Battle lost, not the war!

The following is a typical example of that which I believe is satanically “methodized.” On Facebook there was a photo of the President sitting at his desk signing an executive order. VP Pence and another man are standing behind him. The headline underneath reads boldly: ‘Gay Marriage Is Evil. It Has No Place In America. America Belongs To God – President Trump.’ Comments from Christians were in their hundreds; “Amen” “Praise God” “Hallelujah” “God bless this President” and on and on and on. On looking for the original source of this I couldn’t find it. When asking for the source, no answers were forthcoming. Bible Christians might agree with the statement but unless the source is authenticated I don’t believe President Trump said it. Battle lost, not the war!

If we don’t exercise God’s gift of discernment as Christians we’ll exercise Satan’s “gift” of gullibility. It’s either one or the other and if we’re not sure, that’s the time for us to hold off until we are sure. I speak to myself on this matter also. There’s much to praise God for in the world right now but we must ensure such praise is for truth and not for tricks! For us to get caught up in Fake News is bad news, because we harm God’s reputation more than we harm ours. Bearing in mind too, this is only the beginning. From here on out it is Satan’s intention not only to make President Donald Trump look silly, it’s his intention to make those who agree with him look silly too, especially Bible Christians. But if we’re under Christ it won’t affect us. Battle won, not the war!

Sadly though, the recent March for Life confirms there are multitudes of Christians who have not put themselves under Christ. It is not only the devil’s crowd giving approval to “My body My Choice” – women claiming to be Christian are giving it too; gullible women that is. They know how to use multiple Bible Scriptures to support their stand too, even if using them out of context. I see the same thing this week with the President’s temporary Immigration ban. Gullible Christians galore are protesting against the ban, including church leaders who should know better and would know if they submitted themselves to what the holy, infallible word of God declares about the need for adherence to a nations laws. Battle lost, not the war!

Back to the minister’s statement, “As Christians we’re good at winning battles, we’re just not good at winning wars.” Regardless of where we are on the Lord’s path, we’re in a battle whether we want it or not. But with regards to this current upheaval taking place worldwide, Satan wants us fighting against flesh and blood (one another) rather than against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness, against spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places Ephesians 6:12. If we should forget that reality and get caught up in his tricks, then criticism, curses and abuse become the name of our game too. Turn that around, repent, get blood-washed, get real, get back into the fight and the Lord is with us every step along the way. Battle won, not the war!

One way of helping us to stay in the battle is to allow the Holy Spirit to remind us that were it not for the mercy of God the Father in leading us to Jesus we would be in as much spiritual darkness as this Cultural Marxist-influenced crowd. The difference between us is the spiritual light we possess. I have come as a light into the world, that whoever believes in Me should not abide in darkness John 12:46. That makes these people our mission field for Christ. Prayer, intercession and engaging in spiritual warfare on their behalf, if it does anything, it’ll help keep us from looking down our noses at them. Picturing Jesus bleeding on the cross for them will help too. Battle won, not the war! The war ends with Jesus’ return. For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not…… John 3:16.