Last week, news reports broke that the regime of Syria's president Bashar al Assad apparently used chemical weaponsin a massacre of civilians on a scale not yet seen in that country's two-year-long civil war. A year ago, U.S. president Obama drew a red line, stating that if Syria used them, America would recalculate its plans for dealing with the violent government crack-down on rebels attempting to overthrow the regime. Up to then, and to this day, he hasn't made any moves to intervene. The international community has likewise kept its distance.

Puzzlingly, the attack came at a time when United Nations weapons inspectors had been invited into the country. Those inspectors now on the ground will be reviewing the scene of the attack and if it confirms chemical weapons were used by the Assad regime, global support for stronger action will be almost unanimous. We'll find out what that stronger action looks like. Analysis of the situation exposes a precarious position—if America strikes, what's to stop Syria from retaliating by launching an attack on Israel? One of Syria's most loyal allies, Iran,has warned that an attack on Syriawould lead to such an attack. If Syria does that, Israel will undoubtedly hit back with a barrage of its own. At that point, not to be dramatic, we're looking at the possibility of World War III.

But it all begs the question of "Why?" Assuming Assad launched a chemical attack on his own citizens, why would he do so right at the moment weapons inspectors are arriving, and why now after more than two years of uprising? A New York Times pieceseeks to answer this question, and does a good job at explaining many possible reasons. Many of the reasons put forth in that piece could certainly be true and be factors.

But another explanation that I think could very well be a large part of all this turmoil is that there is a great struggle going on in the spirit realm. We know that the spirit realm, although unseen, is involved in human affairs—the story of Job, the angels of the churches in Revelation, the angels pouring out different events in the end time, etc. In another example and a fascinating passage of scripture, an angel appeared to Daniel the prophet and told him that he had been sent to see Daniel earlier, but was delayed for three weeks by the prince of the kingdom of Persia (Daniel 10). He was unable to overcome the prince of Persia until one of the chief princes of God, Michael, came to his aid. Clearly the princes referred to are angels or fallen angels. With regard to the prince of Persia and the prince of Greece (verse 20), those are evidently spirit rulers over these empiresunder the chief of demons, Satan the Devil. Apparently, there are spirits who rule over different nations, and the spiritual battles between them manifest themselves physically in our realm.

The latest attacks on the people of Syria presumably by their own leader, Bashar al Assad, make no logical sense. But if we look at things through the lens that there are spiritual forces at work who perhaps are eager to see a spiral downward into massive global war, things begin to come into focus.

As always, we should be praying for God to speed the day of his coming while drawing closer to Him in our lives, perfecting our character as Christians. And that He will protect us in the times of danger ahead.