“Then war broke out in heaven. Michael and his angels fought against the dragon, and the dragon and his angels fought back. But he was not strong enough, and they lost their place in heaven. The great dragon was hurled down—that ancient serpent called the devil, or Satan, who leads the whole world astray. He was hurled to the earth, and his angels with him.” (Revelation 12:7-9)
The recent invasion of Ukraine by the Russian military has left many around the world utterly shocked. Millions of citizens have been displaced, thousands have been killed, and hundreds of buildings have been destroyed. Never before have the realities of
war, and the devastation that is left in its’ wake, been more visible – in our generation, or even in previous generations due to the availability of video recording devices and access to social media. Like a window into what seems like a different universe, we watch as pure devastation spreads like a raging fire.
I must admit. I have been personally conflicted. On one hand, I am drawn to reading or watching the news, as my curiosity nags at me until I see for myself the latest happenings of the war. On the other hand, I feel a sense of guilt for being so interested, and for receiving what feels like a twisted form of entertainment sourced from other people’s suffering. But then, should I ignore what is happening? Should I focus on something else? Is that not worse? And is there a spiritual way to view what is going in the world? How does God want me to see things? How does He want me to respond?
Maya rejoices as she comes out of the waters of baptism!
In the later part of the first century, the disciples faced a similar horror. The Christians were heavily persecuted by the Roman Emperor, Domitian. Hundreds were being tortured and killed for their faith, some even denying the faith and falling away. Amidst their devastation, the Christians wanted to know why God was allowing it all to happen. Thus, the book of Revelation. Though Revelation has often been confused as a book of “monsters”, or as a foretelling of the end of the world, it is by nature a book that is meant to clarify. The Greek word from “Revelation” is apokalypsis. It comes from the word apo, meaning “away from”, and kalupsis, meaning “veiling”. In other words, it is meant to be a revealing of things – a “revelation”.
What was this revelation to reveal? Simply put, it was the revealing of what was happening in the spiritual world to make sense of what was happening in the physical world. The devastation that our first-century brothers and sisters were experiencing was just a symptom of something greater. There was a spiritual battle going on that they couldn’t see, but that had an impact on the physical world around them, and everything they could see. The images and visions that the Apostle John was given were hard to explain because he was attempting to describe spiritual realities in terms of physical things that the disciples in his generation would understand. Some of these visions were horrifying because the spiritual reality behind them was equally so. But ultimately, it revealed that “war broke out in heaven.” And that is why there was war on earth.
he war in Ukraine shouldn’t shock us. It shouldn’t surprise us that there are wars in this physical world. In fact, the war in Ukraine is not even the only war that is happening at the moment. These catastrophic events are mere symptoms of the spiritual realities that parallel them. Because there is a spiritual battle going on, there are physical battles as well. The causes of these wars have nothing to do with anything physical, but only spiritual. There is a spiritual deficiency, and a spiritual depravity that has permeated the world, causing men to want more than what they have. So they attempt to take it through whatever means necessary. This is what James spoke about when he said, “What causes fights and quarrels among you? Don’t they come from your desires that battle within you? You desire but do not have, so you kill. You covet but you cannot get what you want, so you quarrel and fight. You do not have because you do not ask God.” (James 4:1-2)
Miriam enters into the glorious Kingdom of God!
So what perspective should we as Christians have when being confronted with the harsh and disturbing realities of the war going on in Ukraine? First, we should be sober-minded about why it is really happening. It is not because Russia alone, or even its’ dictator, is evil. All men are. (Romans 3:23) The war is simply a physical manifestation of a spiritual problem: the world is lost. Second, we must understand that the only spiritual solutions can fix spiritual problems. Only spiritual weapons can “demolish strongholds” and “arguments and every pretension that sets itself up against the knowledge of God.” (II Corinthians 10:4-5) Truly, the world is lost and it is up to us to save it by spreading the gospel of hope and truth.
Perhaps God even allows times like this to happen so that we can see the worst of mankind, and how truly lost it is? That way, we are ever more urgent to bring the healing message of light to the rest of the world. What could be more important? “And who is equal to such a task?” (II Corinthians 2:16) “But thanks be to God! He gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.” (I Corinthians 15:57) To Him be the glory!
Evan Bartholomew