Memorial/Armed Forces/Veterans/Patriot Day: Onward Christian Soldiers

Our homes and churches—and the world—need to see more women of God rather than women of the world. Our daughters need to see mothers who are intentionally submitting to the leadership of Christ. Let me encourage you ladies to become women of God as a lasting Mother’s Day gift to your husband and children. Then your family will join together and proclaim this to be true:

“Many women do noble things, but you surpass them all.” Charm is deceptive, and beauty is fleeting; but a woman who fears the Lord is to be praised. Honor her for all that her hands have done, and let her works bring her praise at the city gate. Proverbs 31:29–31

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Memorial Day—Last Monday in May (also for Armed Forces Day, Veterans Day, and Patriot Day)

Join with me in suffering, like a good soldier of Christ Jesus. No one serving as a soldier gets entangled in civilian affairs, but rather tries to please his commanding officer. 2 Timothy 2:3–4

Ever since the events of 9/11, we have been fighting the “war on terrorism.” This has been a new kind of war for us as Americans. It is a sinister war without borders. The enemy has successfully infiltrated us from within. He doesn’t wear a uniform, so we can’t recognize him. There are no safe zones where we can securely hide. Thousands of American lives have been lost.

In addition to this war on terrorism, we have rogue regimes to deal with. Not only do we have to contend with weapons of mass destruction, we also have to face the more insidious weapons of chemical and biological warfare.

The Bible is soberingly clear that human history will always be filled with war, right to the very end of civilization as we know it. Daniel prophesied that “war will continue until the end, and desolations have been decreed” (9:26). And Jesus said, “You will hear of wars and rumors of wars, but see to it that you are not alarmed. Such things must happen, but the end is still to come. Nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom” (Matthew 24:6–7). Ultimately, history will end with a series of escalating wars that will be consummated by the final great world war of history, initiated by the Lord Jesus from heaven, as recorded in Revelation.

How are we to respond to war as Christians? Are we to be pacifists or activists, peaceniks or warmongers, expansionists or isolationists? Regardless of how we answer these questions, all of us Christians must awaken to the reality that we are all at war.

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