A God of War

When the Israelites were thirsty in the wilderness, Moses was to speak to a rock to draw out water. But he struck it in a fit of anger. As punishment, he was forbidden to enter the Promised Land. Deuteronomy 32:51-52: Because ye trespassed against me among the children of Israel at the waters of Meribah-kadesh…yet thou shalt see the land before thee; but thou shalt not go thither unto the land which I give the children of Israel. He’d led the Israelites through the wilderness for the last 40 years. Now the time of his departure was at hand. In a final act of mercy, God allowed him to ascend Mount Nebo to at least see Canaan before he died. His final speech to Israel is recorded in Deuteronomy, the final book of the Torah.

It’s compelling that among the last things that Moses would ever say were violent descriptions of impending conflict. Joshua would soon take over. The young men were armed and ready to take their promised land by force. War was coming.

God spoke directly through Moses, first affirming who He is: See now that I, even I, am he, and there is no god with me: I kill, and I make alive; I wound, and I heal: neither is there any that can deliver out of my hand (Deuteronomy 32:39). Everyone’s life is in God’s hands. We often ask why death comes sooner to some than others; but the sad reality is that it is appointed unto everyone to die and only the sovereign Lord can decide when. The best we can do is always be prepared for eternity.

The Canaanites had provoked His wrath by sacrificing their own children in cannibal rituals to idols of Molech. They occupied land promised to the descendants of Abraham. They had set themselves up as enemies of God. Now their time had come. God even taunted how they would cry out to their false gods who would be powerless to save them. Where are their gods, their rock in whom they trusted, which did eat the fat of their sacrifices, and drank the wine of their drink offerings? Let them rise up and help you, and be your protection (verses 37-38).

Verse 41: If I whet (sharpen) my glittering sword, and mind hand take hold on judgment; I will render vengeance to mine enemies, and will reward them that hate me. This idea of the Lord sharpening his “glittering” sword to use against His enemies truly terrifying. Malachi 4:1 states that His judgment shall leave them neither root nor branch. But Revelation gives us insight into what the sword of God truly is. When Christ returns, riding on a white horse, wearing many crowns and a vesture dipped in blood, His eyes flaming like fire, John vividly described And out of his mouth goeth a sharp sword, that with it he should smite the nations: and he shall rule them with a rod of iron: and he treadeth the winepress of the fierceness and wrath of Almighty God (Revelation 19:15). The sword emanating from His mouth is His Word. The Bible begins with the Word creating the heavens and earth: And God said, let there be light: and there was light (Genesis 1:3). But it ends with the same Word bringing total destruction to a sinful world. The Word creates and destroys. For the word of God is quick, and powerful, and sharper than any twoedged sword, (Hebrews 4:12). The two-edged blade divides completely; there is no middle ground as it separates the wicked from the righteous.

But if that weren’t frightening enough, Deuteronomy continues with the bloody imagery. I will make mine arrows drunk with blood, and my sword shall devour flesh; and that with the blood of the slain and of the captives, from the beginning of revenges upon the enemy (Deuteronomy 32:42). Not only will His sword devour the nations (in this case, the Canaanites), but God’s arrows will be “drunk with blood.” But there was still time to avoid His wrath. Verse 43: Rejoice, O ye nations, with his people: for he will avenge the blood of his servants, and will render vengeance to his adversaries, and will be merciful unto his land, and to his people. By “rejoicing with his people,” some could still choose the right side. The choice is yours today. But be warned; the Bible is clear that ultimately, the enemies of God never win.

One of the great dilemmas people face is how uncompromising God seems between the Old and New Testaments. The doom of Moses’ parting words hardly seems compatible with John 3:16’s For God so loved the world. But make no mistake; He is still a God of war.

Critics say this stands as proof that Judeo-Christianity is violent and should be considered a danger. It does seem odd that Jesus would preach peace and brotherly love in the name of a God who promised His arrows would be drunk with the blood of His enemies. So how exactly does this translate today?

During the dispensation of grace, we are no longer commanded to pillage and burn heathen cities. However, these commandments are applicable to our lives today, because the war is spiritual. Like Joshua’s army, we stand on the threshold of enemy territory. The devil and his kingdom represent Canaan. Too many Christians play defense with Satan, standing around waiting for him to attack, bracing for whatever “storms and trials” he’s about to bring. We are long overdue to become brave warriors against him. Last time I checked, God is infinitely more powerful than the enemy.

This applies two ways. The first is in our lives. God wants us to eliminate sin the same way He wanted Jericho totally destroyed. Even the livestock had to die, the city burned and the ground cursed to never be lived on again. Christians need to take the same ruthless attitude towards unrighteousness in their own lives. Don’t tell me you can’t have total victory; the same God behind Joshua is on our side!

The second is the devil’s strongholds on other’s lives. Out there is a world of sin and hopelessness. People are addicted. People are abused. People are broken. They are unloved, sick and afflicted. Satan’s army has wreaked havoc in their lives and convinced them God could never forgive them. It’s time to do something about it. Light shines brightest in darkest places. Every time we bring Jesus to hurting people, we’re fighting demons with the sword of truth.

We have to preach the gospel to every creature in this hour. Time is running out. The devil has enslaved much of humanity, but he is powerless against the love of Christ. Upon this rock I will build my church; and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it (Matthew 16:18). This scripture clearly portrays the devil’s kingdom on the defensive; hunkered down in a siege while the mighty army of God breaks down his door with the battering ram of the Word. To the very last second before the trumpet sounds, we need to be willing to reach out and grab as many people as possible to take with us.

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My people are destroyed from lack of knowledge: Hosea 4:6.

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One of the enemy’s strongholds IS sin in the person’s life.

It’s not the only one.

There are many other ways that the enemy can gain ground in a person’s life that is not their doing in the least, but one of them is sin.

When the believer confesses and repents, he is doing spiritual warfare and ground that the enemy once controlled is now back under the control of God.

It’s ONE area that we can deal with on our own and take some responsibility for.

The last days will be characterized by war. We see this in the Olivet discourse, Daniel, and Revelation, among other passages.

After a false peace, which may include disarmament and gun control, there will be wars and rumors of wars. This includes wars between countries and also race / ethnic wars, apparently.

The antichrist will apparently worship a strange idol, which is the “god of war,” who is not the true God of the Bible but probably Apollyon the Destroyer.

In the middle of Daniel’s seventieth week, a war will happen in Heaven, at which point Satan and his angels will be thrown down to the earth by Michael and his angels.

From that point in time, the antichrist will make war against the saints and overcome them and kill them. But they will not be defeated because they will overcome him by spiritual means: by the blood of the Lamb, by the word of their testimony, and by laying down their lives.

Then this time period is ended when Christ and His armies make war against antichrist. He and his false prophet will be cast alive into the lake of fire.

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