We Are All Warriors
All eyes are glued to the television as reporters for the U.S. and U.K. report in on the progress of the war in Iraq. This war is thousands of miles away, but beamed live into our homes 24 hours a day. We watch and feel helpless; but are we really helpless? If we are believers in the Lord Jesus Christ, then we are called to be warriors. We have a job to do that is equal to or possibly even more important than what the soldiers are doing in Iraq.
Ephesians 6:12 (KJV) reads, "For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places." The battle in the Middle East is not really against Saddam Hussein, it is against a spiritual principality in that area. It is likely the same principality that Daniel encountered in Daniel 10, the "prince of the kingdom of Persia." This principality kept the angel of the Lord from reaching Daniel for 21 days. It was Daniel's continued prayer that enabled the angel to be freed by Michael to deliver the message from the Lord.
Although most of us are not called to physically fight the war in Iraq, we are all called to fight the spiritual battle in Iraq. Instead of sitting glued to the television, we should don the armor of God (Ephesians 6:10-11) and go to battle. The enemy, who is Satan or the devil, has motivated Saddam and his leaders to do evil. Satan has set up strongholds and principalities over the Middle East that have been there for thousands of years. The believers of the world need to unite in prayer and break down those strongholds. 2 Corinthians 10:4 (KJV) reads, "For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal, but mighty through God to the pulling down of strong holds." We have been given spiritual weapons, that if we understand how to use them, will enable us to pull down those strongholds.
The key to understanding these weapons is given by Jesus in Matthew 16:19 (KJV), "And I will give unto thee the keys of the kingdom of heaven: and whatsoever thou shalt bind on earth shall be bound in heaven: and whatsoever thou shalt loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven." Jesus has given all his disciples the keys into heaven to do battle with the spiritual principalities, powers, and rulers. He goes on to tell us exactly what we are to do: "whatsoever thou shalt bind on earth shall be bound in heaven..." We are to bind those spiritual principalities, powers, and rulers in the Middle East. The Greek word that translates as "bind" in this scripture is deo, which means to fasten with chains or throw into chains, but it also means to forbid or prohibit, and the definition I feel fits best in this situation is to put under obligation of the law.
Satan and all of his principalities, powers, and rulers, have been placed under the rule of Jesus Christ. As with an criminal type, they are often breaking the law and must be captured, bound, and placed under the obligation of the law. We like the police department in the spiritual realm and Jesus is the Judge. Our first job is to bind the spiritual principalities, powers, and rulers in the name of Jesus Christ. We must break up the spiritual mob that is controlling the Middle East.
Our second job is revealed to us in the last part of Matthew 16:19, "whatsoever thou shalt loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven." After we have bound the enemy and presented him to the Judge, we are to loose the peace of God into the Middle East. In Matthew 5:44 (KJV), Jesus gives us instructions, "But I tell you: Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you. . ." As odd as it may seem, we need to be praying for Saddam Hussein and his regime. Imagine if Saddam were to have a "road to Damascus" experience like Saul the Christian hater did? Imagine if Saddam the Israeli hater were turned into Saddam the Christian leader? All believers need to join together and begin praying for the salvation of Saddam's eternal soul.
We might be thousands of miles from the physical action, but our prayers can have a dramatic effect on the outcome of this war. It's up to us; we can sit on our couches and watch the war on television or we can get involved and do our part!
