Anglican Morning Devotion for 24 September 2021 Anno Domini
A ministry of the Anglican Orthodox Communion Worldwide
There prevails a popular sentiment in the western countries, especially today, that no offense can justify general war. We would prefer to indulge in limited ‘police’ actions rather than mobilize the full resources of the nation and her allies for general war. As a result of this flawed mentality, we are constantly engaging in limited wars around the globe. Instead of investing the enemy at points of his greater concentration, we meet him on the far reaches of his perimeter, and never come to an unconditional victory. Such policies feed the coffers of bankers and investors quite well, but it also assures a continuous conflict at diverse points of our frontiers.
As John Stuart Mill has said: “War is an ugly thing but not the ugliest of things; the decayed and degraded state of moral and patriotic feelings which thinks that nothing is worth war is much worse. A man who has nothing for which he is willing to fight, nothing which is more important than his own personal safety, is a miserable creature and has no chance of being free unless made and kept so by the exertions of better men than himself.”
War is so pervasive and engrained in the minds of mankind that eventually one must resort to arms to protect life and property. The time may come when governments cannot be relied upon for that protection, or is the source of the threat to liberty, and we will find ourselves at the primitive stage of history in which the burden of protection and liberty must be borne by the individual families.
This worldly system will even end in an all-out general war waged against the Elect of God. “And when the thousand years are expired, Satan shall be loosed out of his prison, 8And shall go out to deceive the nations which are in the four quarters of the earth, Gog and Magog, to gather them together to battle: the number of whom is as the sand of the sea. 9And they went up on the breadth of the earth, and compassed the camp of the saints about, and the beloved city: and fire came down from God out of heaven, and devoured them. 10And the devil that deceived them was cast into the lake of fire and brimstone, where the beast and the false prophet are, and shall be tormented day and night for ever and ever.” (Revelations 20:7-10) Notice that there will be very few Elect at this last battle. The saints will be garrisoned behind the walls of only a camp, while the armies of the wicked are gathered from the four-quarters of the earth to do battle. But all of the armies of the world are no match for the shore batteries of Heaven. God will be the Victor in this last war.
You may be wondering what all of this discussion of war has to do with the Christian religion – it has all things to do with faith and life. The resources of our Army are not vested in heavy ordnance and small arms; but rather in the Sword of the Word of God and the Armour of Faith and Courage: “Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord, and in the power of his might. 11Put on the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil. 12For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places. 13Wherefore take unto you the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand. 14Stand therefore, having your loins girt about with truth, and having on the breastplate of righteousness; 15And your feet shod with the preparation of the gospel of peace; 16Above all, taking the shield of faith, wherewith ye shall be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked. 17And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God: 18Praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, and watching thereunto with all perseverance and supplication for all saints;” (Ephesians 6:10-18)
The enemy we face is deployed in force across the landscape of the earth. The Prince of Darkness is their Commander, and he is totally devoid of pity, honor, or reason. His pawns are made up of a diverse collection of like-minded culprits from the ranks of drunks, the ambitious, politicians, rapists, plunderers, cutthroats, bankers, the military elite in some cases, and the most perverse of all humanity. Unfortunately, the most dangerous offenders who obey this Prince are imposters posing as clergy. The latter have not stood in defense of moral righteousness or the written Word of God. They have capitulated to the Wicked One at all points such as Constitutionally protected prayer in school, the Bible in public places, abortion, and the undermining of the family and Godly marriage. Had the churches stood up in righteous indignation when a decadent gathering of Supreme Court justices ruled school prayer (a matter that had been Constitutionally protected from the first days of our Republic) no longer Constitutional, the outcome would have definitely been different. The silence of the churches was profound! But worse, is the silence of the individual believer. Are you silent, or do you stand as a watcher on the wall with your Sword unsheathed.
