Exodus 15
Yesterday, in response to my post about being silent and letting God fight our battles, a friend posed the question, "What about being a Christian soldier?" which made me pause and wonder: "What does that mean for us today? For our soldiers and our generals and our police?" or as she added, "For our citizens to stand up against evil?"
I'm an Army brat, so the notion of laying down arms and not fighting actively against those who have sworn to destroy us really doesn't set well. There are plenty of stories in the Bible where God calls His people to fight. God's Word also says that there is no authority on earth which God has not instituted (Romans 13:1).
But what about when the authority itself is doing something evil? Though instituted by God, all governments are comprised of men (that is, mankind) which means, they are sinful, broken, biased, in error, prideful...let's just say, they get it wrong. Often. We are to submit to the authority, but that doesn't mean we cannot speak out against it when it does wrong. That doesn't mean we can't work to guide it back to a right path, especially in our nation, where God has gifted us with a form of government where we have more control over those authorities than ever before historically. We are not ruled by kings and dictators, we are led by those we vote into office (and who we can, periodically, vote out of office).
Sometimes, God calls us to be silent, and let Him fight our battles. Sometimes He calls us to take up arms, follow the leadership of a mighty general, and fight. Sometimes he calls us to march around a city and blow horns until the walls come down. In order to know which strategy for victory He is calling us to, we must have a relationship where we hear His voice. We have to know that whichever strategy is used, ultimately, the victory is HIS, a gift He gives us, not by our might and strength, but by His power.
“I will sing to the Lord, for HE has triumphed gloriously!"
Yesterday, in response to my post about being silent and letting God fight our battles, a friend posed the question, "What about being a Christian soldier?" which made me pause and wonder: "What does that mean for us today? For our soldiers and our generals and our police?" or as she added, "For our citizens to stand up against evil?"
I'm an Army brat, so the notion of laying down arms and not fighting actively against those who have sworn to destroy us really doesn't set well. There are plenty of stories in the Bible where God calls His people to fight. God's Word also says that there is no authority on earth which God has not instituted (Romans 13:1).
But what about when the authority itself is doing something evil? Though instituted by God, all governments are comprised of men (that is, mankind) which means, they are sinful, broken, biased, in error, prideful...let's just say, they get it wrong. Often. We are to submit to the authority, but that doesn't mean we cannot speak out against it when it does wrong. That doesn't mean we can't work to guide it back to a right path, especially in our nation, where God has gifted us with a form of government where we have more control over those authorities than ever before historically. We are not ruled by kings and dictators, we are led by those we vote into office (and who we can, periodically, vote out of office).
Sometimes, God calls us to be silent, and let Him fight our battles. Sometimes He calls us to take up arms, follow the leadership of a mighty general, and fight. Sometimes he calls us to march around a city and blow horns until the walls come down. In order to know which strategy for victory He is calling us to, we must have a relationship where we hear His voice. We have to know that whichever strategy is used, ultimately, the victory is HIS, a gift He gives us, not by our might and strength, but by His power.
“I will sing to the Lord, for HE has triumphed gloriously!"
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