Military Service and War

Well, it's wonderful to get together and eat together. I had the perfect bite just a minute ago. I had a cup of coffee and a dessert, and I did this, and then I drank that, and it was just like, for a moment, everything went away. And I went to my happy place for a moment.

And then Howard came and ruined it for me. He brought me right out of it.

Well, I love it when we get together like this, and I was reminded that we're going to get together again in a few weeks for the fun show. So that will be more food and music and fun.

We won't go too long today, but I do welcome your thoughts. These matters are important. Anybody have any thoughts that came to mind with regards to the sermon? Oh, wow. Yes, Jason, thank you.

So in your first point, you talked about life is sacred because life is a different God. Right? And the first thought that I had was, I have a number of friends that I grew up with, or the school with, and they have chosen to be vegan either because they are millennials or because they have this idea that all life is sacred. And so the idea that I wrote down was, why isn't killing an animal well? Because God created animals just like He created man.

Good question. Anybody want to take a stab at that?

Could the second fundamental point that we went over help address that? Only man is in the image of God.

And it does speak about man having been placed in dominion over the animal kind.

Yeah, but that's a good question. You want to come to where they are. What has led them to elevate animals to the level of man, in a way? To where, do you think that killing a calf in their eyes would be equivalent to killing a human baby? I wonder. Sometimes they elevate the animal. And so by elevating animals in that way, in a sense, aren't they kind of devaluing the specialness of mankind? Even unconsciously, how did you answer them? Did you answer them? No. A lot of these questions were more like, ha ha, ha, ha, we have to have these answers. Yes, John.

Yeah, so I guess with those type of discussions, you have to come to some you can establish your belief. Often, the person that you're having a discussion with might not hold the Bible to the level that you do. So you can do a qualifying statement and say, well, for me, I base my understandings on life and all matters of life based on scripture. I'm sure you can appreciate that. Whether you agree or not, I'm sure you can appreciate that I base my foundation on that, my life foundation. So from scripture, it says these things. So that's where I come up with my belief system. And then you can ask them, do you have a foundation belief system that you base your views on? And you might see what they say. You know, I think in the past, people weren't eating, though, the quantity of meat that many Americans eat. That was a special occasion. We were eating brains more, eggs, things like that. So I think people, sometimes the reaction to chameleon is almost a reaction against people that are eating so much food. Perhaps that might be why they've kind of gone the other direction. Yeah. The mass farms, the chickens, and you know, you know, all the horrible things, the way some of these animals are raised. So, yeah, so you can find common ground with someone. That's always helpful, even if you have different viewpoints. So you can then say in the Bible, there was with the sacrifice of animals, there was very specific instructions that God handed down on how to do it. And it was very humane. And the instructions were in such that, you know, the animal wouldn't feel the pain.

So with the treatment of animals, and there's other scriptures that come to mind, I'm with you on that. We need to be very humane in our treatment of animals, you know. So we can find some common ground there. But as far as consumption, I see in the scripture that God does allow for it. But as far as the treatment, you know, sometimes that's the real question that there's always a question behind the question, you know, and maybe that individual is getting to the point where they're saying they're worried about the treatment, and we can come to common ground on that. None of us want an animal to be mistreated, you know, and even God doesn't, He has words for those that mistreat animals as well. So that's very good. Thank you, Jason. What else?

Well, now I'm not. Did you have something? The other Jason? I will try a minute. Don't talk about my bird of bees. Yes.

You said that it's unlawful to be, that all ends are sacred. And in this world, we have a prison system that, well, you did this time, you're in the prison system, and that's an okay thing to do in God's eyes, who should be. Because in times past, you committed a crime, you're shown. Now, when Jesus comes, it says, how many times has my brother sinned against me? How many times have I forgiven? So I guess I'll ask a different point of question. Yes. I've got a note that I pulled this. Actually, our website, by the way, is very helpful. So there are laws to judge in the Old Covenant.

There are, of course, there were certain things that were put in place by God for different circumstances, even unintentional killings or unintentional crimes. There were cities of refuge in Israel that if an accidental killing occurs, the person could go there and find protection. Maybe in the circumstance where a family member of the one that was unintentionally killed would go after that one, there could be a protection there. God did allow for that. In the administration, now if it was murdered or determined as such, then it was dealt with. There were laws that dealt with that. God did give Israel the ability to deal out the death penalty in the reasonable process of examination, judgment, based upon God's teachings and law. And He gave that to the nation of Israel. And there are certain writings. We might have time to get into this based on what we know from Romans that the Apostle Paul understood that God even allows for that in the nations today. The authority that human government has to and should they choose to enact the death penalty, the authority is given by God. Now, what convolutes all of that is we have a system that's not looking to God for righteous judgment in those things. So even though there was an allowance, we can see that the system is so corrupt that you don't see justice in many cases.

That's a great question. We'll kind of work through some of this. One question that was brought up in London today with regards to this topic of military service and war. So you're dealing with murder. One of the topics that came up was—and we may have time to talk about it here too—is self-defense. That's a big one. And I will say in this topic that we're about to discuss—military service, war, and the things that are associated with that—not everybody in the church agrees with it. And that's okay. God doesn't give us the mandate to agree with one another always. He does give us the mandate to look into Scripture individually and come out praying, what is your will in these matters? Show me, God, what your will would be for me and my belief in these matters. So we are given that mandate.

So that's what we're going to try to do today. I want you to think about certain things with regards to participation in military service and war, how that relates to the taking of an individual's life. But if you'll look at your handout today, the summary—I'll just read that for you on the first page of page 114—we believe that Christians are forbidden by the commandments of God from taking human life directly or indirectly, and that the bearing of arms is contrary to this belief. Therefore, we believe that Christians should not voluntarily become engaged in military service. If they are involuntarily engaged in military service, we believe that they should refuse conscientiously to bear arms and, to the extent possible, refuse to come under military authority.

So, and you can look at here, and based on that fundamental belief, you will see that, of course, as we see every time that we do these, each statement is backed by Scripture. So the reason we can say that Christians are forbidden by the commandments of God from taking a life directly or indirectly and enlist those four Scriptures, and then that bearing arms is contrary to this fundamental belief, and you'll see the Scriptures listed. So it's a real good study, and I encourage you to go through this. I extracted, as best I could, what I believe the most important thing is for us to set a foundation in our thinking, and then based on that foundation, we can then go to God and make our individual belief system. We can set that belief system, and we can do so prayerfully. So I want to look at the overall view of these matters, and then that will allow us to build upon that in our individual decisions, like self-defense, for example. It's an individual decision that you and I would make in that regard, and what level we would go in self-defense. Let's get started. We'll not come to that topic here in a minute, but with regards to this fundamental belief, military service and war, the teaching and perspective that we most draw from for this is the Sixth Commandment. You shall not murder.

So as we think about military service and war, then this matter of murder does come into the picture. What is murder? Murder is the premeditated, intentional, anger, or hate-filled approach to the taking of an individual's life. Premeditated, intentional, anger, or hate-filled approach. That's what God's talking about here in this commandment. Thou shall not murder. So it deals with taking the life, but we know when Jesus Christ came, He expounded upon all the commandments, including this one. So what comes along with murder? What feelings? What other sins might come along in a matter such as murder?

What would you say? Hate, anger, wrath, violence, all those things. And you just think about, just as a side note, if man just kept this commandment alone, the Sixth Commandment, and all that goes with it, you can imagine how society would change. No more murder. No more of those things associated with murder. And this fundamental belief does go into all of that. Envy? What's associated with murder and war? What else? Lust, greed? All that would disappear with even this one commandment. And if you start keeping the other commandments, well then you're ushering in the kingdom of God, of course. So as we think about God's view in our participation in this, in war, you can just go to the very end. Let's turn to Matthew 24, if you will. Matthew 24 and verse 6. As you think about the impact of this breaking, this this law, this murder law, thou shall not murder, Christ speaks about this in this future prophecy. So Matthew 24, let's read verse 6 and the beginning of verse 7 here.

The disciples asked what would be the signs of the end of the age. And look what he wrote here. So Matthew 24 verse 6, And you will hear of wars. This is what's coming. Rumors of wars. See that you're not troubled, for all these things must come to pass, but the end is not yet. For a nation will rise against nation and kingdom against kingdom. Let's stop there. So you have this, and we know that there's increase of violence and war leading up to the end of the age. Go down to verse 21. For there shall be great tribulation. We know this. Such has not been seen since the beginning of the world until this time. No, nor ever shall be. So tribulation, global conflict, to the point where all flesh will be at risk of being annihilated here. So everyone, loss of life, everyone will feel the effect of murder, in a sense. The unlawful taking of life.

So verse 22, go down to verse 22. And unless those days are shortened, no flesh would be saved. But for the elect's sake, those days will be shortened. So let's ask. Here's a question. At this time, at the end, what kind of people will make up the elect?

You know, unless these days were shortened, no flesh would be saved. But for the elect's sake, those days will be shortened. What kind of people will make up the elect? Are they people that are going away from war, violence, hatred, and anger? Or are they people... are they going toward that? Are they going the way of those things? Are they going the way of war, violence, hatred, and anger? Or are they people that are going away from that? Who will make up the elect?

So it's what will the elect's characteristics be? Will they be participating and active in all matters of violence, hatred, anger, war? All these things that we mentioned at the end time that we know are listed here. That's something to think about. What will God's elect look like?

It's profound to think that war and the violation of this sixth commandment leads the world to this point. So as far as our participation in military service and war, does man have the right to take life?

If not, who has the right to take life? Turn to Deuteronomy 32 verse 39. Deuteronomy 32 verse 39.

And if you have a thought, you can just stop me along the way. Deuteronomy 32 verse 39. God gives life. We establish that. God has the right to give it. And we're about to read that God has the right to take it to take life.

Deuteronomy 32 verse 39. That's expounded here. Who has the right to take life? Deuteronomy 32 verse 39. Now see that I, even I, am he, capital H, and there is no God besides me.

I kill and I make alive. I wound and I heal. Nor is there anyone that can deliver from my hand. Who can deliver from my hand?

So God gives life and He has the authority to take it away. And we know, obviously, through God's perfect plan of salvation and the resurrections, that God will give life once again. You know, if He gave life initially, He planned that life, formed that little boy and girl in the womb, gave life. God has the authority to take it and God has the authority to raise them back up in the resurrections once again. Back to life. God has that right. We see in Scripture that God kills. What's an example where God killed? It was destroyed in a major position. Yeah. Sodom and Gomorrah also. Exactly. Plenty of examples where God killed.

I kill and I make alive. God gives life. He takes life. Again, in the resurrections, He'll give life again. So in Scripture, we only read of one who has the total authority and control to give life and to take life.

Yeah. So it's a logical thing that God only has the ability to have that judgment to kill or to make alive because He's the only righteous one, right? He's the only the righteous judge. We look, you know, we're not righteous. We're flawed in this life. So, you know, does He give that right to mankind? In the cities of refuge, if you were found guilty of killing someone, it wasn't an accident. You were then killed. Yeah. So someone had the authority, you know, to high priest.

Now, if you were determined innocent, you had to stay there until the high priest died. So it was almost, it could be 20 years you had to stay in that city of refuge. Or you still could be killed by the kin of the one that you killed by accident. So someone, somehow God had to have the system that allowed them to put someone to death for capital crimes. Exactly. So there was an ordination or ordained right given there as they were looking to God for the to find His will, His perfect will in matters of judging.

You know, we are living in a broken world, you know, and like I said, our judging system is broken. And it's just, it's unfortunate, you know, God did. You know, you think about how are we as the elect to reconcile these things, you know, because we are living in a broken world, but we're supposed to have kingdom thinking in many ways.

So you start to think about how can I base my thoughts and my decisions on certain things? How do I come up with the biblical view on these things in a broken world? Everything's broken. So you bring up a good point. And one thing that the elect can do is go back to original intent.

Original intent. What was God's original intent with regards to these things? If you go back to the Genesis, Adam and Eve, and their decision to eat of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil.

After their expulsion from the garden, what was the first fruit displayed from as a result of that tree of the knowledge of good and evil? What was the first fruit from that tree displayed? Yeah, yes, yes. Yeah, jealousy and murder. Yeah. So that's the first tangible fruit from what we have recorded of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. Cain and Abel. The dispute came, just like what you said, James.

Cain rose up, killed his brother, filled with jealousy, envy, anger, wrath, killed his brother. Sin enters in to the human experience. As we have one brother making war with another brother. So what was God's original intent? And how can I, as his elect, live and move in this world with that in mind? The original intent. That can help us make good, sound judgment decisions in these matters.

Original intent also comes to us in Matthew 19. Let's turn there. Matthew 19. This is over a completely different subject, but it gives us some understanding that God and Christ pointed us, points us to original intent sometimes. As we're trying to make wise decisions based on what God's will would be. So Matthew 19, in verse 3, Christ here is questioned about the matter of divorce.

And we won't go off on the tangent about divorce. I don't want to do that, of course. But the Pharisees were testing him. Here in verse 3, is it lawful for a man to divorce his wife for any reason? And Christ you'll see, he goes back to original intent. And he says, in the beginning they were made male and female. This is the technique that Christ used. And for that reason, a man was to leave his father and mother and be joined with his wife.

The two would become one flesh. They were no longer to be two, but one flesh. Therefore, what God has joined together, let man not separate it. So he says, this is the original intent if man and woman come together, let not man separate it. What was the original intent here? That was his teaching. So he goes back to a period prior to the decision to eat of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. Verse 7, so why were they allowed then? Why was man allowed to separate it?

Verse 7, why did Moses then allow for divorce to give certificate of divorce to put her away? Verse 8, and he said to them, Moses, because of the hardness of your hearts, permitted you to divorce your wives. But from the beginning, it was not so.

So that's interesting. Here's the technique that was used to go back to the original intent of what God intended for mankind. Prior to us getting off track after we ate of that tree of the knowledge of good and evil. And this is interesting, this hardness of heart. When we come into a relationship with God, under the new covenant, what's the first thing God gives us? What's the first thing God gives us? A new heart. And is that heart? What does he replace? He replaces a stony heart with a flesh, a heart of flesh.

So it's interesting because of the hardness of your heart. So maybe we can say in the new covenant, we're not to have this hardness of heart. We're to be moving through society with a tender heart, a heart in which these things can be written upon. If you ever try to write on something that's a hard surface, you can't do it really, or it just wipes off really easily. But the heart we're supposed to have as God's elect is a heart that can be written upon, have these laws written upon. He permitted you to do this thing, but from the beginning it was not so. So should God's elect live under original intent? That's a good question to think about.

Justice Scalia, who died, one of the things that was most admirable of him, what people would say as they were reviewing his life, was what? That he called him an originalist? Why? Because he took the Constitution and he tried to think about whatever issue was before him. He tried to go back and think of what was the original intent of those that wrote these things. And then he tried to base this decision upon that. So I wonder if we should be spiritual originalists, you know, in many cases. Yes, Howard?

Yes, I never thought about that. That's good.

So, and that's the topic that got on this morning was the self-defense. Ah, that's a hard one. That's a hard one. And you have to decide that for yourself. You really do. You know, you go into God because I would never want to take things in my own hands and operate from my abilities. And then somehow go against God's will in the matter. But if I see someone harming my wife, you know, that's hard. I don't know if anyone has any thoughts on that.

And I know God... oh, go ahead. Did you have a thought? Yeah. My daughters and granddaughters have gone to self-defense classes and have thought they'd commit because they work out in this society at night. And they have to drive back and forth because of those at night. And for their own protection, they've done that. And I can't believe I'm here. Because there's only a maniac out there that will grab on the floor right into the car that come off the hill or sell off the sex truck. Yes. They're a little bit isolated. So they've done that. And I think they did that because of the society's legal and they have to work. Yep. Yes. I appreciate that comment. I really do. That's real. That's real. We can only hope, like you said, that when I put it into a position, we have to make a decision unlike you. If somebody broke in from my home at night or day any time and started to talk to my wife, I don't think I could sit there and watch it. I would have to do something, I believe. I just pray that I never input an expedition. I went through the draft deal and I went through the conference projector program and had to go for the legislative team to explain the monetization. Wow. The stuff really, really tough with the art is today. They don't face that draft. They don't face it draft. They may be dumbing, but it's really a hard one, like you said. It's a hard one to do. I mean, if somebody came in this door, like they did in living, and began to shoot, if I were in that conversation and I had a firearm on me, I couldn't sit there with a firearm and let this guy shoot everybody in the church. I couldn't do it. I would have to take action, I believe, in my present state. I just hope and pray that I never put an expedition. But, you see, it is a tough one.

No, my intention would never be to stop him, to stop, that's probably good, to stop that intention, to harm innocent lives. And I don't know if you fight that, you fight God's look on that. But I'm just so thankful that God can see my heart and can judge me, and I'm not judged by anybody else. Exactly. He can see why I think it's more important in all the years I've been in the church to understand very well, aspect of things. It's probably more important, and I believe you can prove this biblically, that why you do what you do is more important than what you do in the gospel. Like the, for instance, in good America. And the awesome it is. The power is in your life, and you see somebody that's supposed to be pieced in the Sabbath, and they get an ox out of the ditch. You know, well, my birthday actually, you're pregnant now. Yeah. But I don't know the gospel. I don't know, but God does. God does.

Supposedly, he's right in one of his walks. Do you know what I'm saying? Yeah, yeah. So, God does look upon the heart in attitude. You know, what's coming from it? That's key, right? If you look at, David had a lot of sin, but if you look at his heart, if you look at his attitude, you know, God, he was a man after, you know, God's friend. So, yeah, great points. Anyone else have any points on that?

Yeah, so, well, you keyed in on something there, because you said, I pray that I'm never put in that position. And I think that is number one. Number one, we need to be thoughtful on these things, and we need to pray. We need to pray, first and foremost, Father, don't ever allow me to be, please don't put me in a position like that. And if I'm in a position like that, I want your will to be done. I don't want to take a life, so allow me a way of escape. Help me to let me run, you know. Let me kick, let me run, let me get out of the situation. And I think that would point to attitude. Get out, you know, get away from the situation.

I think primarily our attitude should always be looking at God to protect us. And I can't say if you're in a situation, you don't always know what it'll be, but I think if you think, well, I got my good right by my bed, you know, I'm going to shoot you, but come in, that's almost looking at yourself, okay? You and I think maybe we, foremost, should be looking to God. I'm not saying it's wrong to, you don't know what the situation is going to happen, so I'm not going to make a judgment there. God will judge. But if our attitude is more looking at Him, I think if that's more pleasing to God, then I'm going to take care of myself.

Yeah, there is some intention involved by having the gun by your bed. And good or bad, there's some intention there. There's a pre-planning, I'm going to have this on my person. Faith. So that's the question, is it an issue of faith?

Yeah. Any other comments on that? Yes.

Like you said, we don't know what you've been doing in a situation like that, but never in Ambassador College. Was it game one? Because there are a lot of guys who go out there on campus, and the basic thought was, restrain. Restrain somebody that's going to do that. Well, I'm not going to talk about that. But if you come into a situation like that, where, you know, you may have to restrain someone from doing something bad to them, or else. But I think that would be reasonable to actually think and do something, but not to like, I don't think there's any other anger or tension. I mean, these are difficult, like I said, for a different situation. Yeah. But I think the days are coming, future, where the properties are going to be. So, we live in Babylon right now, and that's going to be this toxic, dirty, kind of, weird situation. We're really in, we'll be person-toed, and some will be, you know, killed in our families. So, we used to think about that in advance, and really, it's become more spiritual in language, so that we can have that relationship with God, and that day comes, and we will give us the understanding and the ability to deal with it.

And we've been going through, yes, and we've been going, absolutely, we've been going through Daniel, and God, in many ways, allowed Daniel and his friends to enter into the fire, you know, so to speak, literally, in one instance, and figuratively in the others, allowed him to go through that. So, it's really hard, and then Howard brings up the mercy and forgiveness part, and I just know, from my personal life, God had his purposes in some very traumatic things in my life, had some purposes in that. So, you know, Daniel's prayer, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego's prayer was, we're not going to bow. Whether God delivers us or not, we're not bowing down. You know, we're going to move according to God's will. He can save us in there, or he cannot, but I know we're not bowing down, you know, to you, King. So, it's interesting to think about, you know, obviously none of us would want to go against God's will in our lives, and even the trial and the trouble, and we see that God's people are going to go through tribulation. It's prophesied. So, do you go out? I don't know. How do you go out? You know, how is it? What will the elect, what will characterize the elect in the end? There's another point, because he says, a year brought before King, don't worry about what they're going to say, because I will review the words, and I think that may imply also to find a situation that God will find a way because he will deliver his people, and he can do it in any way possible. As long as we have that relationship with him, and that starts today, and that's the day. Yeah.

Well, that's that relationship, that day, and the first day.

I remember talking with one church member a few years ago, and he said, well, if I was out with my wife, and somebody came up with a gun, and wanted to take my wife's purse, he said, if I had a gun, I would shoot them, and I was just like over at first. But so I think you can share it. It's one thing, I mean, this was pre-meditated. I'm just going to shoot and let's take tries. So I think that, in my mind, wouldn't be pleasing to God, because I can't say what a person would do in a desperate situation. Yeah. So, but to be pre-meditating, I don't know if God is thinking we're looking at Him first for protection. Yeah, and so that's interesting. So, it can come down to some faith. You know, faith is mixed in this, and what John mentioned there, you know, God will give us the Word. That sparked a thought in my mind is, so what sword should we be using? What aggressive emblem should we be using? Should we be using an actual gun, you know? Or does God want us to use that sword through His Word to defy man? You know? Could you get that, Howard?

I don't like that ringtone, either. You need to change that.

So, yeah, I had another thought till Howard did that again. Yeah, so, yeah, so the sword. Yes, oh, did you have a... Brandi? Okay.

We want all... Hey, this is safe ground. No, it is important for us to talk through this because, honestly, I don't have my opinion fully formulated on this. I'm still working through certain things. I don't think it's a right thing. Okay. If I have a gun in my house, it's in my family. Because if somebody comes into my house, unwillingly, on my part, they're not there to say, Hi, how are you? Let's have a talk about Jesus. They are there to be formed. Yep. They're either going to rob me, they're going to rape me, or they're going to kill me. Yep. And I can frame my way through it as soon as I hear somebody coming through the door. And I can pray that God will protect me and the person will run. But if they come in my house, give them protection. Yeah. Yeah, and I appreciate that. And the whole key is, again, like I mentioned, for us not to all agree with each other. But, you know, all of us need to be going prayerfully to God. And again, pray that His will be done and that that situation never happened. You know, that's key. There was one example given in London where the individual knew they were going to be in a bad situation, a bad area. And this topic was on his mind. And he knew that the Scripture that came to his mind—and we'll maybe read that here in a minute—but vengeance is God's. But he was praying and praying and praying that God would protect him. Yeah, and so, but I couldn't do that. You know, in that kind of really rough environment, scary, getting bottom-called within the whole time, but he decided at some point that he was not going to ever kill someone or get possibly because of the harm he don't like. So, knowing he did that, he did want to be protected on it. And so, he would still have to take up the conflict of praise, but he would protect him, and keep him from what he was in the situation, and never allowed to be in that situation. And he would be in the greenables, and what would disappear, and just the way he did come through. And almost, with the natural human being, different from it, the person would realize, you know, they would go back in praise, and all the very certain chances occurred, and they would look throughout. And there was one situation he mentioned that it's almost like, I'll do this, I'll say this for the kids. His spider senses started tingling. Yes, they knew that was, I would appreciate it. No, but it was God's Spirit, of course, giving him understanding of a situation that was becoming bad. And he was alerted to it, and he was able to divert and get out of there before it actually came to fruition. So God can even give us help. But Brandy, I'm not, you know, that I'm with you. I hear you. And it's, the whole key in this is for us to look at this. And to that, to this now, another aspect to think about is who we're actually battling. Are we actually battling this person that's in front of us? Or is the battle actually occurring somewhere else, somewhere higher? You know, what's behind? What's the spirit behind this individual that's about to harm me? So do I need to come at it with a physical solution? Maybe. Maybe up to a certain point? I don't know. But ultimately, I need to attack the principality spirit with spirit, right? Holy Spirit, God's help with who I'm actually battling here. We know where all this originated, don't we? We won't turn there, but Ezekiel 28 verse 16, what happened is it speaks of the king of Tyre, but it's a human type of Lucifer. He was filled with violence within.

So all this originates from Satan, his influence. Violence filled him.

And he's the originator of murder, of war. Revelation 12, war broke out in heaven.

So pre-biblical, pre-genesis, war broke out in heaven because there was evil intent, violence, and that spirit has translated to mankind. That's where the real battle is occurring, isn't it?

So ultimately, where's the victory going to come from? You know, it's going to come from... We can't battle that spiritual world. We can't battle that darkness. We're nothing compared to that. We're toast. We have to battle that. We have to put on the armor, of course, the spiritual armor.

Maybe we need to fight with the sword of the word. There was one another example in London. I think it was the same guy. There was an example where someone was happening. He raised his hands and the individual said, what did he say? That's a humorous example, but it does show the power of the word. You know, God's... And so, I don't know, just something to really think about. We as the elect, we're called to a higher level of living that doesn't always make logical human sense. It's not always the human logic that is to prevail in these situations. So we got to think in spiritual terms. We got to go back to intent, like we mentioned about. But if we know the originator was Satan the devil and his spirit is now translated to mankind, and we once walked according to the course of this world. We once walked... The elect walked according to the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that now works in the sons of disobedience.

We once walked toward that, with that, according to that. But he goes on to say, and they're in Ephesians 2, that we're called to walk a different way, move away from the culture that is epitomized and driven by the prince of the power of the air.

All right. Let's go to turn to James 4, and we'll kind of start working to a conclusion here. James 4, just... and we'll wrap up this particular aspect of where all this comes from. I'm so glad it just... God's Spirit is here, and it's just really led to some great discussion. James 4. So who are you battling? You know, where do these... where does war come from? Where does this thought? James 4 verse 1.

Where do wars and fights come from among you? Do that not come from your desires for pleasure that war in your members? It's a rhetorical question, but an appointed question. Verse 2, You lust and do not have, you murder and you covet and you cannot obtain, you fight and you war. Yet you do not have because you do not ask. You ask and you do not receive because you ask amiss that you spend it on your own pleasures. Adulterous. Adulterous is. Do you not know that friendship with the world is enmity with God? Whoever, therefore, wants to be a friend of the world makes himself an enemy of God? Or do you think that Scripture says in vain, the Spirit who dwells in us yearns jealousy? But he gives more grace. Therefore, he says, God resists the proud but gives grace to the humble. So we're to submit to God's Spirit in all these aspects here. So we see where war and murder and fighting and where we see where it all comes from. There.

So I think we can put an explanation point by turning just to one more set of Scripture, and we can conclude with this. And we can go out from here. Let's talk more about this as we share with each other and share with others. Let's turn to Romans 12, if you will. Romans 12. We need to continue to sharpen each other on these matters. This is a wonderful passage. So this is the elect's viewpoint. Start here with what we're about to read. Start here as you start to formulate how you're going to respond to this warring war, a world in which we live. And it's going to become worse and worse and worse. Go back to this. This is where you start. Romans 12, verse 9.

Let love be without hypocrisy. Abhor what is evil. Cling to what is good. Romans 12, verse 10. Be kindly affectionate to one another with brotherly love and honor, giving preference to one another, not lagging in diligence, fervor in spirit, serving the Lord, rejoicing in hope, patient in tribulation, patient in tribulation, continuing steadfastly in prayer. We talked about that. Distributing to the needs of the saints given to hospitality. Now get this. It's just bizarre thinking from the human perspective. It doesn't make sense to our human intellect, but we need to be thinking in a different way here. Verse 14. Bless those who persecute you. Bless and do not curse. Rejoice with those who rejoice. And weep with those who weep. Be of the same mind toward one another. Do not set your mind on high things, but associate with the humble. Do not be wise in your own opinion. Repay no one evil for evil.

Have regard for good things in the sight of all men. If it is possible, as it depends on you, live peaceably with all men. There was a lot there in that scripture. If it all possible, when it depends on you. Beloved, do not avenge yourselves. That's a big statement. That's a big statement. But rather give place to wrath, for it is written, vengeance is mine. That's God. I will repay, says the Lord. Therefore, how should we respond to these things? Therefore, if your enemy is hungry, feed him. If he's thirsty, give him a drink, for in so doing you will heap coals of fire on his head. Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.

That's a lot there. And that is hard. I don't know. There's no way we can fulfill these admonitions of him by ourselves, only with God's grace and his help. Can we rise to this level? And we're going to have to really rise, because in the end time it's going to get really hard to respond humanly. We're going to respond spiritually. And this is what we need to be praying. So let's really pray tonight.

That we will be a people that will show the world who God is, and how we respond in every way, even with the things of envy and lust and anger, hatred. Let's start there so that we can be preparing ourselves, building our muscles, so when these physical things come against us, we'll be ready. We'll be ready to fight the good fight.