We're at War People!

I've been reading a book called "Wild at Heart" by John Eldredge which is, in his words, an invitation for Men to be man they are supposed to be. This book is a pretty intense read and one of the realisations that it has opened my eyes to is that we're at war. Sure I don't have bombs going off in the streets that I live in but God is opening my eyes to the fact that I am a part of a spiritual war, one between the Kingdom of Light and that of Darkness and contrary to the polished stone, stained glass windows and pretty painted walls that we see in our churches with our physical eyes, this isn't pretty at all. While we don't have limbs being blown off and people being disfigured physically there is are far more devastating results in the spiritual realm with souls being scarred and minds being tormented.

This realisation has changed my perspective on a number of scriptures including my life verse, Romans 8:28, which states that "all things work together for the Good of those who love God and who are called according to his purposes". This is an awesome powerful scripture that once you get a hold of it can do wonders for your outlook on life. That and other scriptures like Jeremiah 29:11 and that other one that I can never remember the reference for that says "The steps of a Good man are ordered by the Lord".

God has slowly been changing my view on Rom 8:28, first by revealing the things he's specific about in that scripture and also the things that he's not specific about. For starters he's not specific about who the good is going to happen to, except that it's for those who love him and are called according to his purposes, and he's not specific about how it's going to happen. He likes to have that ace up his sleeve, sometimes i think so he can stand back and say "Betcha didn't think it'd happen like that hey." The thing that he's specific about is what will be used, and he's quite specific that it's all things. At first the realisation that I might go through troubling times and not get anything out of it at the end or see a result for my pain is quite disappointing. This is also quite selfish and when it boils down to it, the perspective is limited to that which I can see in the natural and doesn't trust God to the full.

He added another piece to the puzzle about this scripture this week. The fact that we're at war in the spiritual makes an incredible difference in this. A war is made up of many battles, some of which the importance isn't entirely apparent when they're being fought, nor readily apparent to the men in the trenches, and it's not until days, weeks or months down the track that the significance becomes apparent. The battles may even incur heavy losses, inflict physical and emotional pain on those fighting on the front lines but the sacrifice plays it's part in the totality of war even when the soldiers don't understand at the time.

Normally in war it's only apparent to the Generals looking at the bigger picture how the pieces fit together, how each individual battle fits together to secure the victory. Playing each piece of the strategy in it's place. It's the very same with the spiritual battle that each christian wages every day. Each trial and persecution is an individual battle that we go through, persecution from the forces of Darkness to attempt to prevent us from fulfilling that which God has set before us. While we might come out the other side of a battle bruised, bloody, worn out and drained it may not be immediately seen why we had to fight that particular fight. We need to trust that the General knows exactly how that battle fits into His plan of War and that he, as the master strategist knows exactly what He's doing, even though we don't know how the result may end up. He knows, He's promised that it WILL be good and really that's all that matters.

The other thing about fighting this war, is that we're not just numbers. The Master Strategist knows the number of hairs on every soldier's head, he catches every tear and bottles it, and he knows my name. He's been in the trenches with me, fighting side by side with me and he promises that everything I go through He's there along side me, watching my back and yet he knows exactly how my battle fits into the war in it's entirety. Not something that I find easy to get my head around but He's the alpha, the omega, the beginning and the end, He holds the universe in the palm of His hand, and yet he cares for me.

I take heart that God is using the battles I go through for the good of His people, we may not see the outcome immediately but it will be Good. Knowing that the outcome will be good almost makes me glad for persecution. After all, no-one attacks something that they do not perceive to be a danger. I know that if I am under attack it means that God must have something pretty awesome planned and that I can do all things through Christ in me.