The War in Afghanistan

I don't tackle political issues often in this blog. Yes, we may address moral issues such as abortion or gay marriage that have become political footballs, but somehow war is not portrayed as a biblical issue often. I believe it is, and God has truly laid upon my heart the situation in Afghanistan here lately, especially in regards to our presence there.

Many do not like to discuss war, but war is indeed a common theme in the Old Testament. The children of Israel and their many enemies were engaged in constant conflict throughout the pages of scripture. Their are 2 important lessons we can take from the battles and wars we see waged in the bible: 1) When Israel fought in the power of God, they fought total war, and won. 2) When they did not go to war in the will and power of God, they were defeated.

What is total war? Well, a friend of mines nephew who recently returned from Afghanistan I believe defined the role of the military exactly. He said the military exists to "kill people and break things." Now many may say, how is that Christian? Well, this young man is a pastor's son. But he understands that our military is not trained to be a police force, an instrument to provide humanitarian aid, not trained to be political brokers. They are trained to wage war.

God knows all about waging total war. Total war meaning the complete destruction of your enemy. In the Old Testament we read countless scriptures of how Israel with the blessings of God brought total destruction upon her enemies. At Jericho God destroys the entire city. Gideon, and his army of 300, watch God bring about a complete slaughter by turning Israel's enemies upon each other. In 2 Samuel 17 David battles the giant Goliath. We all know the story of David slaying the giant with one stone and a sling, but David also, after Goliath's death, takes Goliath's sword and decapitates the brute to send an unmistakable message to Israel, who showed cowardice, and the Phillistines, whom God then had Israel slaughter. In Isaiah 37 God sends an angel and wipes out 185,000 Assyrians in 1 night. God waged total war, but we most times are unwilling to heed this lesson.

Since World War II, our military has been hamstrung by politicians from waging total war. In Korea, our military was not allowed to actively engage the Chinese above the Korean border, and thus invited a war we still are paying for today. We could not even call it a war, it was deemed a "police action," and we could not win. The tension today on the Korean peninsula is a direct result from not waging total war in Korea nearly 60 years ago.

In Vietnam, our military was not allowed to fully engage in enemy strongholds in Laos and Cambodia, thus providing a staging ground that led to the first military defeat in U.S. history. In the first Gulf War, we could not take out Saddam Hussein due to international agreement, inviting another war a decade later. In Afghanistan today, we once again are fighting a piecemeal battle that puts our troops in grave danger, as they cannot fight to truly win.

The question we must ask ourselves is, is this battle the Lord's? In 2 Samuel 17:45 as David confronts Goliath, he powerfully proclaims that he comes "in the name of the Lord!" If we go in the will and the name of God, their is no way we lose. In World War II against the evils of Hitler and fascism, their was no doubt we were in the right. The same can be said of World War I, the Civil War to end slavery, the War of 1812 to preserve freedom and the Revolutionary War to establish freedom. Can the same be said now? That is the question we must answer as a nation.

My personal opinion after much prayer is, yes, we are fighting a war for God here. Our enemies, radical Islam, have no problem declaring theirs is a war for their false god, Allah. As un-politically correct as it is to say, Islam is the enemy of God. It preaches a false gospel and is part of the "wide road" to "destruction." For the majority of Islam that is not a harmful threat to our nation, as Christians, our call is not to go to war, but rather to witness to them. But, for the extremists in Islam who have sworn destruction of our nation and values, we have the right to defend ourselves and vanquish our enemies. Their is nothing unbiblical or un-Christian about this. But we must be certain this is the path God wants us to take.

I have struggled with prayer for this war. As I've prayed I've prayed a simple prayer, leaning upon the wisdom and power of God for His will to be done. As I pray, I ask our Lord that if it is His will for us to be there in defense of our nation and others, then let us wage a war that will end this conflict. Let us wage total war. But, if it not be His will that we be there, then get us out of there.

As I stated, I do believe we fight a righteous war here. Radical Islam is a threat and enemy of the United States and of God Himself. If I am wrong, I will face God one day and be rebuked and corrected. As a nation, for the sake of our men and women dying daily, we must either commit to winning this war, or getting out. Total war, when fought in the will and power of God, is of God. Compromise is a certain way to bring about the wrath of God if defending ourselves and war is the will of God.

If you want a biblical example of this, I refer you to 1 Samuel 15. In verse 3 God instructs King Saul to utterly destroy the Amalekites. God instructs Saul to wipe out everything, but Saul does not do this(v. 4-9). Saul is later judged for this(1 Samuel 28:15-19). While the teachings of the bible are clear, that we must be at "peace" with others "as much as is possible," can we honestly say peace is an option with radical Islam? If we cannot, and we believe our cause is just, we must wage total war. As a nation we must determine and commit to either destroying our enemies, or getting out. God's will be done in this horrible situation. Let us be unceasing in our prayers to be sure of His will.