“For
our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against
the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the
spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms” (Eph. 6:12).
Across
much of the news today is the talk of ISIS (Islamic State Iraq and Syria). ISIS
has a track record of carrying out great acts of terrorism. They have made the
news by beheading American journalists and foreign aid workers. And they have
also forcefully overtaken cities and regions in Iraq and throughout the Middle
East. Furthermore, the possibility of seeing terrorist type acts carried out by
them in Europe and even here in the USA are high!
ISIS’s
main desire is to see the Middle East (and eventually the entire world)
following the Islamic Sharia law. Looking back historically, this type of
warfare is not uncommon from Muslim groups. Who can forget about Al-Qaeda’s
role in September 11, 2001? If one was to go back further through history the
examples abound! In fact, their conquests were one of the primary reasons for
the spread of Islam all the way back in the 7th Century A.D.
Now,
the point of this article is not to have a history lesson on Islam or to debate
the appropriate actions concerning how we as individuals should respond to ISIS
(the Bible deals with that in Luke 6:27-36). Nor is this article about how our
government should respond to ISIS (the Bible deals with that in Rom.
13:1-6). Likewise, the point is not to
get into a debate between Islam and Christianity. Furthermore, we should hold
nothing personally against any Muslim. Rather, the point of this article
is to consider the physical evidence of the Holy War revealed in our world.
To
understand this all one must do is consider the motivation behind ISIS and
other extreme Islamic groups.
While
the lure of money and a sense of belonging motivate some Muslims, the primary
reason according to ISIS is found in their holy book, the Quran. The Quran
commands Muslims to kill individuals who refuse to convert to Islam (Surahs
9:5). "...Fight those who do not believe in Allah or in the last day and
who do not consider unlawful what Allah and his messenger (Muhammad) have made
unlawful and who do not adopt the religion of truth (Islam)" (Surahs
9:29).
Ever
since the fall of mankind in the Garden of Eden, there has been a war going on
between God and Satan (Gen. 3:15). When Adam and Eve gave into Satan’s
temptation, they gave Satan control (Matt. 4:8-9; 2 Cor. 4:4; Eph. 2:2; 1 John
5:19). On the cross, Jesus defeated Satan (Col. 2:14-15; Heb. 2:14). However,
Satan’s punishment will not be fully carried out until Jesus returns (Rev.
20:10). Until that day, Satan, though restricted, will continue to attack those
who follow true Christianity (Rev. 12:17).
Two
of the most common ways that Satan wages war against Christians are found in
groups like ISIS. First, ISIS is an
example of the “beast coming out of the sea” (Rev. 13:1-10). The beast coming
out of the sea is a picture of governments which oppose Christianity (Isa.
51:9-11; Dan. 2:41-43; 7:7, 24). ISIS has been known to behead children who are
a part of Christian families in Iraq.
Anti-Christian
governments are common in our world today and not just among Muslim majority
nations. Nearly one-third of all the countries in the world have restrictions
on Christian freedoms. Furthermore, over one quarter of the nations in the
world are hostile towards Christians.
Second,
ISIS is an example of the “beast coming out of the earth” (Rev. 13:11-18). This
beast is a picture of false religions (see also Rev. 16:13-14; 19:20-21). In
many Islamic countries, a person who is not a Muslim is restricted on what they
can buy and sell (Rev. 13:16-17), what type of education they can receive, and
types of jobs they are allowed to work, and what means of public transportation
they are allowed to utilize (for example in certain parts of Tanzania some
buses are restricted for Muslims only).
Similar
arguments could be made of certain Hindu, Buddhist and indigenous groups
throughout the world. The bottom line is this: these groups are clear evidence
to the spiritual reality; likewise, they point to the holy war between God and
His faithful followers versus Satan and those under his control.
Because
of God’s love,
Matt
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