What do you think of when you hear the term “Holy War”? What images come to mind? What historical events? You’d probably think of the medieval crusades. You might think of an Islamic Jihad. Or maybe the “wars of religion” that emerged around the time of the protestant reformation. In any case, the image of a “Holy War” is usually a negative one, at least in our culture. It’s seen as fruitless bloodshed between those who should be able to work together but insist on their own particular ways. Or we see it as representing a misguided attempt at ridding the world of evil by killing some group of people, failing to see that, as gulag survivor and prophet against the Soviet regime Alexander Solzhenitsyn said, “the line separating good and evil passes not through states, nor between classes, nor between political parties either – but right through every human heart.” We often chafe at the idea of an “us versus them” way of approaching what’s wrong with the world. If anyone were to call for a Holy War, they’d likely be ignored as a lunatic or attacked as a dangerously evil person.
But the Bible presents Holy War in a different light. In fact, one way you could summarize Jesus’ ministry is as the Holy War of God’s Holy Messiah. The Biblical picture of a world of sin and death is a world which “lies in the power of the evil one” (1 Jn 5:19), the one who has power over death itself (Heb. 2:14). The mission of Jesus is Holy War – a mission to confront these dark powers and take back those who were once under its power. Jesus comes to Israel, and to the world, as a great warrior who conquers evil beings and liberates captive slaves. People aren’t only sinners in need of forgiveness, they are prisoners in need of freedom. Holy War is a tale of two Kingdoms, where God’s Kingdom advances against Satan’s evil armies and liberates captives. As Paul says, “He has delivered us from the domain of darkness and transferred us to the kingdom of his beloved Son.” Once liberated, we are enlisted in his army to carry out his Holy War – not against former fellow prisoners, “flesh and blood”, but against “the cosmic powers over this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil.” What does the Christian life look like – what does it mean to follow Jesus? It means being trained and equipped to make war.
We need to recover and remember our calling to Holy War, because – and this might surprise you – it is the only way we can truly have compassion on our enemies and understanding for the craziness we see in the world. In 2 Timothy 2:25, Paul urges Timothy to endure evil patiently and correct his opponents gently, because God might lead them to repentance, “and they may come to their senses and escape from the snare of the devil, after being captured by him to do his will.” The most evil person you know of, while responsible for their actions, is ultimately a prisoner of war, someone who has been deceived and captured by dark powers. When you see pictures of child soldiers, is your primary response one of hatred and disgust, or compassion and understanding? If we have eyes to see behind the earthly realities to the war of the Kingdoms that rages in the spiritual realm, we too can be patient and gentle with Satan’s prisoners. If we see someone embracing crazy ideology or a destructive lifestyle that makes no sense to us, a theology of the demonic enables us to recognize that they are being deceived and overpowered by Satan, and they need help. In our passage this week, Jesus will present his mission as a Holy War – overpowering Satan and destroying his Kingdom. He knows his true enemy – may we follow his example.
Scott Limkeman
