As I've walked with several people who are suffering grave injustices and the stuff of nightmares, I have dug into the most important, impactful revelation of who God is: the God who is present.
Every Christian will, at some point, drink the cup of suffering. It's inevitable. Jesus says we will have trials and tribulations. We will all suffer—sometimes just because life is full of difficult things and difficult humans. Many times we suffer because the world and its ruler hate the God who redeemed us from the darkness they cherish. Other times, we suffer because we are directly under attack, whether we are aware or not.
"Stupidity, neglect, and being off guard in the conflict with Satan are much more than mistakes or indiscretions. They are fatal defeats—eternal and irreparable losses. Nothing advances Satan's work with more skillful hands than to be ignorant of Satan and his ways. To escape his snare, we must have a strong faith in the fact that Satan exists. We must also have an intimate knowledge of him and his plans." (See 2 Corinthians 2:11.) - E. M. Bounds, Guide To Spiritual Warfare
"The existence and work of the Devil is a serious matter. It is to be considered and dealt with from the most serious standpoint, and only serious people can deal with it." (See also 1 Peter 5:8.) - E. M. Bounds, Guide To Spiritual Warfare
We know that all around the world Christians suffer for the Gospel, yet, here, in America, that level of suffering is remote and obscure. We know that missionaries around the globe are under obvious spiritual attack, yet, here, in America it seems almost fanciful, banished by Western reason and enlightenment.
And yet we still suffer on this continent. I have walked with daughters who have been abandoned, sons who have been rejected. I have walked with wives in marriages that lasted decades who find out their husbands have been untrustworthy. Husbands whose wives have left suddenly, seeking to "find themselves" somewhere other than the home they made together. Grandparents who are raising grandchildren while their parents give in to addictions of all sorts. Abuse of all kinds. Self-worship in all forms. Cancer diagnosis. Terminal diagnosis. Sudden infant death. Sickness and diseases with no cure. Acts of violence that leave us shaken to our core. Intentional violence. Unintentional consequences. Suicide. Mental illness. Reputation smears. Sudden calamity. Business failure. Betrayal. Natural disasters made worse by human incompetence, or worse, by human callousness. Destruction of identity. Stolen destinies.
We stagger under the weight of suffering that results from our rebellion and the current state of rebellion around us.
This is war, my friends. Make no mistake.
As Christians, we must recognize we are at war but understand that the battle belongs to the Lord (2 Chronicles 20:15-17). He teaches our hands to fight, but the battle is his (Psalm 144). But blessed are those who do not reduce God to their circumstances, who trust in the goodness of God's character even when everything is falling apart. Especially when everything is shaken to its core.
This is where we must be confident of our God who is present. It is the revelation of the God who is present in our times of need that will carry us through.
God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in time of need. - Psalm 46:1
The presence of God is the difference-maker in the battles we face. Moses would not move forward without God's presence (Exodus 33:14-16). And it is what we must know in the same deep place in our innermost being.
We must grab hold of the life-changing revelation of God as omnipresent—always present, all of space and time existing in him, simultaneously. He is not only present, but he is present in the past, the present, and the future all at the same time, all the time. We must wrap our hearts around the life-giving revelation of God as eternal—unbound by time, without beginning and end, for whom eternity is an everlasting "now." There is no past, present, or future for him—he is already there. This is why the battles belong to the Lord, he has won it. We must immerse ourselves in the revelation of God as infinite and immense. He has no boundaries—he fills all of time and space and there is still more. This means that all of who he is has not been seen or discovered, not even by the four living creatures who are the first to see him in the antiphonal worship of the heavenlies. And finally, we must grasp the foundational revelation upon which all the others rest: God is HOLY. He is perfect and complete as he is and has always been. This is why he does not change (immutable). God cannot change the essence of who he is, nor his eternal decrees, nor his mind about anything...because he has already fulfilled his decrees and done what he purposed to do. He is truth. He is faithful to himself. He is the Promisor of promises, fulfilled.
This is the God who invites us to the banqueting table with him, set in front of our enemy: Taste and see that the Lord is good! (Psalm 34:8)
Recently, in the Voice of the Martyrs monthly publication, I read a story of a pastor in the Middle East who was standing behind the pulpit on a Sunday morning. Armed Al-Quida fighters stormed in screaming, "Jihad!" They pulled terrified worshippers from their seats and aimed their automatic weapons at them. The pastor was about to run to them when, amid the chaos, God gave him a vision of heaven. "I saw heaven open and heard angels singing," he said. Compelled by the heavenly vision, he yelled, "God is welcoming us! Be at peace! We are going to heaven!" His unexpected response to an immanent threat of death caused a reverent hush to fall over the congregation. "All the people stopped crying and readied to meet their Savior," the pastor explained. "They could feel the presence [of God]."
Bingo. They felt the truth of the pastor's words and the presence of God. It changed everything in a moment. The terrorists did not know how to respond to the Christians who no longer feared death. Instead of killing people, they ransacked the church and left without harming anyone. They warned the church that if they returned to the building they'd be killed. The next day, even more church members arrived to worship God. They arrived ready to die and fully aware that they needed the presence of God more than life itself.
Another Sunday, this same pastor felt the prompting of the Holy Spirit to pray for a stranger in their midst. The Holy Spirit revealed that he had a bomb and was planning to detonate it shortly. The pastor began to pray for him and the man began to cry. He had a bomb strapped to his body and was sent by Al-Quida as a suicide bomber. He said, "See, I have all these things; I want to blast. But I feel the love of Christ. I want to receive it." He placed his faith in Christ and was baptized that day.
These are only the physical manifestations of a spiritual war. And while we do not typically have to fear terrorists in America, we must be just as sure of God's presence as our brothers and sisters in another country. We cannot afford to denigrate the experience of God's presence. We cannot relegate spiritual warfare to the few oddballs in the congregation. We must prioritize his presence, pursue his presence, and learn to fight while clothed in the power and presence of the Holy Spirit.
His presence is the antidote to fear. The church is commanded in Ephesians 6:10 to "be strong in the power of His might." The outcome of the battle rests on God's power, not on our skill or strength. We simply focus on our task at hand: to be strong in His presence (2 Chronicles 32:7-8; Isaiah 35:4; Joshua 1:7). The challenge that faces us will most certainly exceed the strength of the very best...unless we rely wholly on God. We must make God's presence our refuge and strength.
The LORD is my light and my salvation—so why should I be afraid? The LORD is my fortress, protecting me from danger, so why should I tremble? - Psalm 27:1
If we take refuge securely in his fortress and protection, we will not fear. We must be watchful to let no enemy sneak in and prevent every breach (Colossians 4:2, 1 Corinthians 16:13-14). If we learn to fight in the strength his presence brings, we are guaranteed to overcome (Psalm 18:34, Colossians 1:11).
"For this reason, our position must be one of bristling opposition, fortified for war, with no barriers down, no open gates, no low places. Fenced in and barricaded against the Devil is the only safe place." - E. M. Bounds
This is the grace that teaches our hands to war.