11 - The War Behind all Wars

Narith’s heart pounded as he fled down the dirt road of the refugee camp. Behind
him was the rat-a-tat-tat of machine gun fire. He could see thatch shacks burning,
the flames blazing into the sky. Missiles flew through the air as the enemy tried to
find the soldiers hiding in the refugee camp that was only supposed to protect
women and children.

Which way should Narith go? Where could he find safety? Narith decided to keep
going straight when suddenly a voice in his mind said turn left. It didn’t seem
safe. He kept running straight, but the voice was insistent, “Turn left!” He
obeyed and almost immediately a missile exploded on the road just where he
would have been if he hadn’t turned.

Shaken, Narith stumbled forward wondering what had saved him. “Who spoke to
me?” he questioned aloud. The fighting passed and before long Narith visited a
group of people who were believers in the Father of Life. He shared his amazing
story. They told him that the God they followed has many times protected people
in such a way and had surely protected him as well. Narith studied the Bible with
them and became further convinced that the Father of Life can be relied on for
help in the battles of life.

Life is a Battle

Do you sometimes feel like you are in the middle of a battle? Not a battle with
machine guns and missiles, but a battle between good and evil. Perhaps you’ve felt
it while trying to make a decision about what is right and wrong. Two thoughts
often run through our minds. One voice says, “Don’t do it. It will hurt someone
and bring you suffering.” Another voice says, “It’s okay. It’s not so bad. No one
will ever know and it will be fun!” It is seems like someone is trying to help us and
someone else is trying to destroy us. Life can be a real struggle. What is going on?

The Bible says there is a fierce war happening right now between good and evil.
The Bible urges us to know clearly about the two sides of the battle and to
determine that we will be on the one side that is truly safe. Our peace and joy in
this life depends on it and so does our eternal destiny. It is wise to “Choose the
winning side of the war.”

The God Beyond Understanding

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Many people around the world are confident that there are spiritual powers that
are unseen. They are not sure exactly what is out there, whether there are ghosts,
spirits, angels, or gods, but they have felt the reality of the unseen world.

The ancient scriptures, called the Bible, seek to clarify what is out there. The
scriptures tell of a supreme God who exists everywhere and from eternity. He is
often called “Father,” because He is described as the first cause of all good things
and the source of life. The Bible also says that He is perfectly holy with no evil
desires, and is full of compassion and peace.

Many who believe in the Father of Life and pray to Him have found that He is
powerful enough to help them follow the right path and willing to help them even
when they’ve made mistakes and fallen into sin.

But God is not easy to understand. The story is told about a little boy who was
digging a hole in the sand by a river. An old man passed by and watched him dig
with his spoon. “What are you making?” he asked the little boy.

“I’m making a lake and then I will put all the water of the river in it.” The old man
smiled to himself and thought about how impossible the little boy’s task was. In a
similar way we cannot put all the knowledge of God in our small minds. This God is
so immense and beyond our understanding that we could not know Him on our
own. Our minds are not great enough.

The only way we could know about such a God is if He reveals Himself to us. The
Bible says that those who wrote down these ancient scriptures were inspired by
God to do so. Many who have carefully read the Bible are confident that its
wisdom and accuracy show that God has indeed revealed Himself to us through
the Bible. Let’s listen to some of the scriptures as they describe God:

“Oh, the depth of the riches both of the wisdom and the knowledge of God! How
unsearchable are His judgments and His ways past finding out!....For of Him and
through Him and to Him are all things, to whom be glory forever” (Romans 11:33,
36).

Our country is full of beautiful birds and animals, forests and rivers. Who made
this beauty? Who keeps the complex systems of life functioning year after year?
The Bible says: “The everlasting God, the Lord, the Creator of the ends of the
earth, neither faints nor is weary. His understanding is unsearchable” (Isaiah
40:28b-29).

But this world is full of suffering. Many wonder if there will ever be justice and
who will ensure that people receive the consequences that they deserve. The Bible
says about God: “Righteousness and justice are the foundation of Your throne;
mercy and truth go before Your face” (Psalm 89:14).
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 Others are afraid of justice. They feel a desperate need for someone to help them
change their hearts. The Bible describes God as someone with compassion who
wants to help: “The Lord is high above all nations, His glory above the heavens.
Who is like the Lord our God, who dwells on high, who humbles Himself to behold
the things that are in the heavens and in the earth?” (Psalm 113:4-6).

Finally, we wonder, if God is the compassionate and just Creator, why is there
suffering in this world? God has also chosen to reveal to us in the Bible, about the
origin of angels, evil spirits, and suffering.

The Bible says that long ago God created a place called heaven where everything
was peaceful and free from suffering. He made angels to live there. There were
thousands and thousands of angels. The angels were beautiful, perfect, and holy.
Their great delight was to serve others and to worship the God who gave them life.
All was peaceful and there was no suffering.

The War in Heaven

If all was peaceful, how did the war between good and evil start? The story says,
one of the angels was called Lucifer which means “Son of the morning.” He was
very talented and was highly respected as a leader among thousands of the angels.
As time passed, something began to change in his heart. He became jealous of the
adoration that all the angels gave to God. He looked at his own abilities and
handsome appearance and wanted more power and adoration for himself.

Lucifer should have known about the Thai saying that says, “Fireflies, don’t try to
outshine the moon!” Lucifer seemed to forget that God had given him life and thus
God alone is worthy of worship.

Lucifer hid his feelings at first, but like the seed of a thistle plant, his jealousy
grew underground where no one could see it. Craftily, he began to raise questions
in the minds of other angels. “Why must we worship God alone instead of giving
appreciation to each other? Why must we serve so much instead of just enjoying
our own pleasures?”

Previously no thoughts of selfishness or sin had existed among the angels. They
were confused by what they were hearing. Lucifer suggested that there was a
better way to rule heaven, a way without laws, with greater freedom. The angels
had felt free and happy before, serving out of love. But slowly they began to doubt
and question God’s mercy and rule. Lucifer’s rebellion grew until one third of the

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 angels followed him. Truly Lucifer had the “Face of a deer and the heart of a
tiger.”

Lucifer said, “I will exalt my throne above the stars of God; I will sit on the mount
of the congregation….I will be like the Most High” (Isaiah 14:12b, 14b). It is
written about him in the Bible, “Your heart was lifted up because of your beauty;
you corrupted your wisdom for the sake of your splendor” (Ezekiel 28:17a).

What would God do? How could He bring harmony back to the universe? The
Father is the source of life. If someone breaks away from Him they will die, like a
branch broken off a tree. Lucifer deserved to stop living because of his ugly
rebellion and rejection of God. But if that happened too quickly, the other angels
would think that God was cruel and horrible, destroying the angels for having
different ideas. God chose to allow the rebellious angels to live so that everyone
could eventually see the terrible suffering that results from desire, greed, and sin.

To preserve harmony in heaven, God took action. The scriptures say, “So the great
dragon was cast out, that serpent of old, called the Devil and Satan, who deceives
the whole world, he was cast to the earth and his angels were cast out with him”
(Revelation 12:9). Lucifer and the rebellious angels were sent away. No one
called him by the nice name, Lucifer, but instead he was described as a snake,
sneaky and able to kill. He was called Satan, which means the one who accuses
and attacks. His followers had been called angels, but after the rebellion and fall
they were called devils or evil spirits.

How foolish Satan was to think he could rise to rule the universe. It is not for
created beings to exalt themselves and take the position of the supreme God. The
Bible says, “Woe to those who call evil good, and good evil; who put darkness for
light, and light for darkness….Woe to those who are wise in their own eyes”
(Isaiah 5:20a, 21). Today we also see terrible suffering every time people step on
others in order to rise to higher positions of power. Such pride eventually leads to
shame. The angels who stayed with God chose the better way. They followed the
wisdom, “Choose the winning side of the war.”

The War Comes to Earth

Satan’s hatred toward God grew deeper. Since he could not overcome God, he
determined to hurt and destroy whatever God made. God had designed the earth
with perfect beauty. There was no suffering or death. The first man and woman,
called Adam and Eve, lived in harmony and great joy. They enjoyed the beautiful
garden of Eden that God had given them with all of its fruit trees and beautiful
animals.

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Satan wanted to spread his rebellion to this planet. Of course the Father of Life
did not want Satan to come near. Satan complained, “God is not just. He forces
people to obey His will and gives them no other options.” Satan claimed that his
kingdom was better than God’s and that every person ought to have the freedom
to choose Satan’s way if they wanted.

God chose to allow the first two humans in this world, the freedom to choose who
they would trust and follow. God allowed Satan to be in only one place and He
carefully warned the humans to stay away from it. God had a deep compassion for
the people He had created, and so He told Adam and Eve that they could freely eat
anything in the garden, but that they were not to eat from one tree called “The
Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil.” That was where Satan was waiting.

God clearly told them not to go near the tree, saying, “You shall not eat it, nor shall
you touch it, lest you die” (Genesis 3:3). The Bible does not tell us how long Adam
and Eve trusted God and enjoyed perfect peace. One day Eve walked away from
Adam and went close to The Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil. She saw a
very interesting and beautiful snake. She heard a voice asking, “Did God really
say, ‘You must not eat from any tree in the garden?’ (Genesis 3:1b). The sound
seemed to come from the snake. She went closer. It looked like the snake could
talk, for that is how Satan made it appear.

Satan told Eve, “You will not surely die. For God knows that when you eat of it
your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil”
(Genesis 3:4b-5). He made it sound like God was withholding something good from
her, and she began wondering if God could really be trusted.

The fruit looked delicious. The snake seemed to have gained the power to talk by
eating it. Eve knew it was dangerous, but the Bible says, “When the woman saw
that the fruit of the tree was good for food and pleasing to the eye, and also
desirable for gaining wisdom, she took some and ate it. She also gave some to her
husband, and he ate it” (Genesis 3:6).

Satan’s evil deception combined with Eve’s discontent and greedy desire led her to
break her loyalty to the God who made her. Eve turned from all the good she had
received from God. She chose something that would only bring a fleeting
happiness. Her husband saw her mistake, and knew she would suffer and die. He
didn’t want to go against her or live without her. He too disobeyed God and ate,
following Satan’s rebellion. Through his desire, he plunged the world into
suffering. The world began to change. Plants and animals would soon begin to get
diseases and die. Sin and suffering would pass from generation to generation.

Today we can see the same thing that happened to Satan, Adam, and Eve. Greed
and desire lead people to want more than what they should have. Their sin causes
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 them pain and leads to suffering for others too. Greed leads to jealousy, hatred,
murder, and betrayal. Have you felt such pain?

A Plan for Rescue

Surely Satan and all his evil spirits gloated that the humans had opened the door
for them to bring their war of rebellion into the world. They were sure they could
control the humans who were now weakened by sin. However the story goes on.
“And they heard the sound of the Lord God walking in the garden in the cool of the
day, and Adam and his wife hid themselves from the presence of the Lord God
among the trees of the garden.” (Genesis 3:8). Sin always brings people shame.

The Father of Life wanted to help Adam and Eve, but they were afraid. When God
asked them what they had done, Adam said, “The woman whom you gave to be
with me, she gave me of the tree, and I ate.” (Genesis 3:12).

Eve said, “The serpent deceived me, and I ate” (Genesis 3:13b). They both refused
to take responsibility for what they had done. They blamed others. Isn’t that what
people often do? They are afraid to get in trouble, so they blame others.

But Adam and Eve did not need to hide from God. God had a plan to rescue
humans from the rebellion of Satan. Though Adam and Eve would suffer because
of their sin, God promised that He would find a way to give them power and
victory over sin and evil spirits. He promised that a Savior would be born into the
world to rescue people from evil. His words gave them hope that it was not too
late to, “Choose the winning side of the war.”

Take a Step Forward

The Bible says, “The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge, but fools
despise wisdom and instruction” (Proverbs 1:7). It is those who think they know
everything that make many mistakes. Those who are willing to learn avoid much
heartache and failure. Humility comes before honor. This is how we can make
sure we stay on God’s side of the war Take a step forward today by choosing to
learn more about the everlasting God. Follow His teachings. Be humble and ready
to learn.

Satan is a Deceiver and a Destroyer

In a war, a sniper is most effective if he can stay hidden in the rooftops while
shooting people down in the streets below. Satan and evil spirits work like
snipers. They are very tricky. The great teacher Jesus said that, Satan “was a
murderer from the beginning, and does not stand in the truth, because there is no

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truth in him. When he speaks a lie, he speaks from his own resources, for he is a
liar and the father of it” (John 8:44).

A man named Pornsak felt like his life had been a battlefield between good and
evil. When he was young, an evil spirit demanded that since his fortune-telling
grandmother had died, he must be the next one for the spirit to work through. He
didn’t want that and refused to be used by the spirit. Much trouble followed. One
time a robber took everything that he and his wife owned. They had to flee from
their home to a safe place.

The most difficult battles that Pornsak faced were with himself and his
temptations. He loved to play music, drink alcohol, and be with beautiful women.
He was afraid that if he didn't soon win this battle with desire, his own family
would be destroyed.

Pornsak had been studying about the Father of Life and the war with the evil
spirits. He decided to ask God to be the commander of his life. He chose to listen
to God's counsel in the Bible and asked God for power to overcome his
temptations. God helped him stop drinking. God helped him be faithful. Today he
and his wife both have good jobs and their children are studying in college.

What battles are you struggling with? God wants to help you win too. One of
Jesus’ disciples named Peter wrote in the Bible, “Be sober, be vigilant; because
your adversary the devil walks about like a roaring lion, seeking whom he may
devour. Resist him, steadfast in the faith” (1 Peter 5:8, 9a). Like Pornsak, you too
can “Choose the winning side of the war.”

Weeds in the Field

The Bible says that God is powerful enough that he could destroy Satan and the
evil spirits. Many people wonder why He has not done that, since Satan has led
the world to experience so much suffering. We sometimes say, “The sword is in the
sheath.” We mean that someone has power, but they choose to control the power
and not use it in the wrong way. In a similar way, God has chosen to allow sin to
grow until it shows its full ugliness in suffering.

Jesus explained it like this, “The kingdom of heaven is like a man who sowed good
seed in his field; but while men slept, his enemy came and sowed tares among the
wheat and went his way. But when the grain had sprouted and produced a crop,
then the tares also appeared. So the servants of the owner came and said to him,
‘Sir, did you not sow good seed in your field? How then does it have tares?’ He
said to them, ‘An enemy has done this.’ The servant said to him, ‘Do you want us
then to go and gather them up?’ But he said, ‘No, lest while you gather up the
tares, you also uproot the wheat with them. Let both grow together until the
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harvest, and at the time of harvest I will say to the reapers, First gather together
the tares and bind them up in bundles to burn them, but gather the wheat into my
barn’ ” (Matthew 13:24b-30).

Satan is the enemy that has sown the tares. He has brought evil to this world.
Good and bad are mixed together. Suffering comes because of our own evil
desires, but we also sometimes suffer because of the evil desires of other people
and evil spirits. Jesus wanted us to be patient, to learn from observing the results
of sin, and then to choose to be on the winning side of the war, by following what is
right.

Choose Compassion

Sometimes we make the mistake of assuming that everything bad that happens to
a person is because of his or her own mistake. Think for a moment about what
happens in a war. There is always some kind of battle or war going on in at least
one of the countries of the world. The news daily reports the deaths of soldiers
and civilians caught in the crossfire. Wars start for different reasons. Sometimes
the rich oppress or neglect the poor to such an extent that the poor rise up in
rebellion. Sometimes hatred between two ethnic groups leads to fighting. The
desire for land, money, power, position, and fame drives most of the wars we see.
Millions of civilians suffer. Landmine victims hobble on crutches begging for food.
Widows travel for miles searching for safety for themselves and their children. It
makes us sad to think that people are suffering right now. But did their own bad
choices cause all their suffering? Do they deserve all this?

Jesus spoke about this issue. Some people from Galilee had been killed by soldiers
and some other people were crushed when a tower fell. The people assumed that
those who died were cursed by God. Jesus said, “Do you suppose that these
Galileans were worse sinners than all other Galileans, because they suffered such
things? I tell you, no; but unless you repent, you will all likewise perish” (Luke
13:2b-3).

Jesus recognized that some things happen because our whole world is affected by
evil. He didn’t blame people for everything bad that occurred. Still He warned
them to turn from evil so they wouldn’t suffer.

Another time, “As Jesus passed by, He saw a man who was blind from birth. And
His disciples asked Him, saying, ‘Rabbi, who sinned, this man or his parents, that
he was born blind?’

Jesus answered, ‘Neither this man nor his parents sinned, but that the works of
God should be revealed in him’” (John 9:1-3). Jesus then touched the blind man
and healed him. Jesus wanted to make clear the point that we should not blame
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 people for their suffering. Instead, we should help relieve their suffering. We must
recognize that the enemy has sown tares in this world. If we want to be on the
winning side of the war, we will be helping people rather than blaming them, just
as medics in a war run out into danger to rescue the wounded.

Conquering Fear

It is terrifying to be in a war. People are always wondering if a gunman is waiting

around the corner, if they will step on a landmine, or if a bomb will be dropped on
their house. You may not live where there is war, but do you sometimes also feel
afraid? Some people are afraid of robbers. Some fear disease and pain. Others
are frightened of thunder or the dark. Some fear snakes, while others fear
ghosts.

Is there a way to conquer fear? The Bible promises, “He dwells in the secret
place of the Most High shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty. I will say of
the Lord, ‘He is my refuge and my fortress; my God, in Him I will trust.’

‘He shall cover you with His feathers, and under His wings you shall take refuge;
His truth shall be your shield and buckler. You shall not be afraid of the terror by
night, nor the arrow that flies by day, nor of the pestilence that walks in darkness,
nor of the destruction that lays waste at noonday.

Because you have made the Lord, who is my refuge, even the Most High, your
dwelling place, no evil shall befall you nor shall any plague come near your
dwelling; For He shall give His angels charge over you, to keep you in all your
ways” (Psalm 91:1-2, 4, 5-6, 9-11).

The Father of Life has promised to protect you. He has also promised to send His
angels to watch over you. These angels are powerful and swift. We do not need
to offer them anything to get their help. God does not need anything from us, nor
do the angels who serve Him. God’s protection is His free gift to those who trust
Him.

One Saturday afternoon, years after God had saved him in the refugee camp,
Narith was back living in his own country. He was returning to his home after
having visited a group of believers who had studied the Bible together and sang
songs of praise to God. He was driving his motorcycle and carrying the money
the believers had given in order to help the poor.

On a deserted curve in the road, a robber suddenly stepped out of the jungle and
forced Narith to stop his motorcycle. The robber shoved Narith to the ground and
jumped on him, intending to stab him to death with a knife. Narith screamed out
“Jesus, help me! Jesus, help me!”

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 The robber tried repeatedly, but the knife would not go into Narith’s chest.
Finally, the robber jumped off and raced away on the motorcycle shouting, “Your
Jesus is too powerful for me.” Narith knew that God had protected him once
again.

Do you have fears? We all do at some time. Take hold of the Bible’s words that
were true for Narith. Surely they will be true for you too.

“I sought the Lord, and he heard me, and delivered me from all my fears. They
looked to Him and were radiant, and their faces were not ashamed. This poor
man cried out, and the Lord heard him, and saved him out of all his troubles. The
angel of the Lord encamps all around those who fear Him, and delivers them. Oh,
taste and see that the Lord is good; Blessed is the man who trusts in Him!” (Psalm
34:4-8).

Unmasking the Deceiver

One more time, let us remind ourselves that we are in a war with an enemy that is
very powerful and tricky. Satan also promises protection. Evil spirits sometimes
use their power to protect people. We must be wise and ask ourselves, “How
reliable is the protection? Is it worth the cost?” We would do well to remember
what has often been said, “He who plays with the snake, will die by the snake.”
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The Father of Life does not need anything from us and so neither would any of His
angels. It therefore makes sense for us to avoid help from those who promise
protection for a price. We must beware lest we place ourselves on the wrong side
of the war. Satan continues to seek a position of power and authority in our lives.
He and the evil spirits want to be worshipped, just as they did in heaven, but God
alone is worthy of our praise.

A story that illustrates this happened about 200 years ago in India. The raja (ruler)
of the state of Kolhapur was having a terrible time with thieves. The state had
many gems and much gold. Over and over thieves broke in. The raja increased
his army to protect himself and his state’s wealth. “We must stop these thieves,”
he shouted. “We must catch the leader and kill him!” No one did.

Years later it was discovered that the raja himself was stealing the treasure’s of
the state and secretly making himself rich. During the day he was the protector,
but at night he was the thief! This is a clear example of what Satan has done. He
accused God of ruling unjustly. He boasted of a better way. He and the other evil
spirits continue to make false promises of help, while leading people into suffering.
Let’s not forget that they are deceivers and destroyers.

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Meditation Moment

The points in this lesson are so important that we just must remember them. Let’s
contemplate them deeply.

 “Choose the winning side of the war.”

 “Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil walks about like a
roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour. Resist him, steadfast in the
faith” (1 Peter 5:8, 9a).

 For He shall give His angels charge over you, to keep you in all your ways”
(Psalm 91:11).

 “He is the Rock. His work is perfect; for all His ways are justice, a God of
truth and without injustice; righteous and upright is He” (Deuteronomy
32:4).

These words can give you great courage in the battles you face. Think also about
these questions:

 Think about how God protected Narith as he as running down the road in
the refugee camp. What things do you fear or worry about?

 How can the truths of the story about God and Satan encourage your heart?

 God helped Pornsak in his temptations regarding alcohol and women. In

what area do you want God to help you?

The Choice Regarding the War is Yours

Are you weary of the war? Are you tired of suffering and hearing about the
suffering of other people? Some day God will end all the suffering in this world.
The Bible says, “He is the Rock. His work is perfect; for all His ways are justice, a
God of truth and without injustice; righteous and upright is He” (Deuteronomy
32:4). The Father of life has shown Himself to be powerful to protect people both
from physical danger and from spiritual attacks. Will you trust Him to help in your
battles? Consider carefully the two sides of this battle to help you make good
choices.

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 It’s not just about us winning, it’s about helping others win too. There is much you
can also do to help those who are struggling under suffering. You might volunteer
in a refugee camp to help women and children who have lost their homes. You
might tutor a child whose poverty made it difficult to get an education. Try
looking for someone this week who seems to be fighting a battle of some kind.
Share with her the truths you have learned about the Father of Life and challenge
her to, “Choose the winning side of the war.”

Take Action: Check the things below that you will put into practice this week.
_____ I will ask the Father of Life for protection before I go somewhere.
_____ I will meditate on Bible promises when I am afraid.
_____ I will call on God for help when I feel the pressure of temptation from evil
spirits.
_____ I will turn from pride and the seeking after position and choose to humbly
listen to the advice of others.
_____ I will look for someone who is fighting a battle and try to help.

Prayer Power

“Father of Life, Great Protector,

Please protect me from Satan and his evil followers. Help me make good choices
every day to follow You, and not the path of evil. Show me people who need to
know this story. Thank you so much for Your protection and help. In Jesus powerful
name, amen.”

Enjoy new victories this week as you “Choose the winning side of the war.”

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