World on Fire

We know that God is faithful to walk with us through the trials and challenges we face.  He has made available to us the full armor of God so that we might be equipped to counteract the strategies that
Satan would deploy against us. Ephesians 6 says:
12 For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this age, against spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places.
13 Therefore take up the whole armor of God, that you may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand.

Are we living in the "evil day" to which Paul refers here?  I would certainly think so - actually, because we live in a fallen world, every day has its share of evil that we encounter.  We face temptation from within, we commit sin against Almighty God, and we come face-to-face with the weakness of humanity - our own and that of others.  We need God's strength to sustain us; otherwise we can feel helpless and overwhelmed.

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The Church is the physical representation on earth of our King Who sits on the throne in the heavenlies.  And, we have been granted power and authority in Him to counter spiritual forces that
are aligned to destroy God's work. 2nd Corinthians 10 reminds us:
3 For though we walk in the flesh, we do not war according to the flesh.
4 For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal but mighty in God for pulling down strongholds,
5 casting down arguments and every high thing that exalts itself against the knowledge of God, bringing every thought into captivity to the obedience of Christ...

We are witnessing unprecedented violence in the streets of America, and a trend has been emerging over the past few weeks that should be disturbing to people of faith - the destruction, or attempted destruction, of houses of worship.  The anarchists tipped their hand in Washington, DC in the beginning stages of the protests - setting fire to the historic St. John's Church across from the White House.  That act of vandalism prompted the President to walk to the front of the church and hold up a Bible.  Religious leaders saw that as a symbolic gesture to defend the foundations of our faith; admittedly, some saw it as merely a "photo op."

In response to a fire at a church in France recently, Tony Perkins of Family Research Council stated:

One of the last times people saw flames in France's Saint-Pierre-et-Saint-Paul church was during the Allied bombing in 1944. What's happening now isn't World War III, but it certainly feels like it, as things get increasingly violent on every continent. While believers around the world pray for an end to the chaos, arsonists, knife-wielders, and vandalizers are taking the battle to them.

On Monday, July 13, Gary Bauer of American Values related:

Fires ravaged churches in three states over the weekend.

• In Saint Gabriel, California, a fire gutted the interior of the historic 249 year-old Saint Gabriel Mission Church.

• In Ocala, Florida, a man crashed a minivan through the front door of a conservative Catholic church, then lit the interior ablaze while parishioners prepared for morning Mass.

• And a Pentecostal church outside Huntsville, Alabama, caught fire Friday evening, destroying the sanctuary, bathrooms, and the fellowship hall.

He went on to say:

There's a phenomenon in the news industry called spiking. It's when a newsworthy story is withheld and not reported, often for political reasons. And predictably, these church fires were barely mentioned by the national media.

Bauer said: "Investigative reporters should be asking whether the church fires have anything to do with recent protests against Christian monuments in recent weeks. The Saint Gabriel Mission that burned in California was founded by Junipero Serra, a Franciscan priest whose statue was recently torn down by radical activists who claim he was a colonialist."

Perkins also noted:

In New Haven, Connecticut, parishioners of St. Joseph's Church woke up to satanic symbols sprayed across the doors. "It was certainly shocking and disturbing," Rev. John Paul Walker told reporters.

But even that was minor compared to what happened at Virginia's Grace Covenant Church right outside of Washington, D.C., where a man walked into a Bible study Saturday and viciously stabbed the pastor leading it. Miraculously, local police chief Ed Roessler was in the class, and together with another churchgoer, subdued the man -- but not before being injured themselves. "We are grateful for the courage exhibited that prevented worse from happening," Pastor Brett Fuller said in a statement.

In a conversation with FRC's Sarah Perry, author, commentator, and media host Eric Metaxas, according to the piece, "...ticked off examples throughout history of rebels wanting to overthrow authority and then turned their attention to the church -- people in France, Russia, China. They all 'found themselves swept up in a rage that had no bounds and that could never be satisfied.'" He said that activities that we are seeing currently are "a rage against God and all authority. They want to burn down Western civilization."  Eric called for prayer in the face of these acts of rage across our nation.

Is there a connection between violent protests and the destruction of churches?  After all, among the targets of these radicals are historical representations. In America, especially, the Church has had a profound impact.  So, it is not a stretch to think that churches and religious symbols could be targets. Especially when you consider that activist Shaun King called for the destruction of statues of Jesus, claiming that His representation as a white European, in King's estimation, is a form of "white supremacy." It's just more divisive language that threatens to unravel the commonality in our communities, and has even infiltrated the Church.

I think that we can certainly recognize the degree of spiritual warfare that is occurring today.  And, while it easy to identify individuals or groups of individuals, you have to recognize that the fight described in Scripture is not "flesh and blood."  The enemy is attempting to divide the Church and create chaos in culture.  We have to make sure that we are praying and speaking boldly the truth of God.

And, the current circumstances can produce fear, certainly.  During the COVID-19 crisis, at Faith Radio, we have continued to emphasize "Faith Over Fear."  That concept applies to what we are seeing occur around us; it can be scary when we are seeing unrest, tension, and violence explode around us, and perhaps even toward us, when churches become targets.  But, the fact is that we can be bold and courageous, not cowering in fear sitting on the sidelines in our COVID-induced isolation, but recognizing that we have a responsibility to stand strong in Christ.