Mission-focused
One of my favorite movies is Act of Valor, a movie that highlighted the skills of Navy Seals and other special forces warriors. Real Seals starred in the movie. The storyline explained no matter the circumstance, the Seals never take their eyes off the mission. Each one is encouraged to bring their problems out into the open before they leave for a mission so they can be addressed.
Rent/mortgage not paid? Children having problems? Other financial concerns? Tell the team leader. None of them were to carry family concerns, finances, etc. into the battle. This “bottling up” ensured a laser focus on the mission.
Our War as Christians
The Bible very clearly lays out the prayer strategy and mission for Believers. 2 Corinthians 10:4 says the weapons of our warfare are not carnal. Ephesians 6:12 identifies who and what we are to warfare against: principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places.
How do we war?
First by putting on the whole armor of God (Ephesians 6:13). Then we are to pray without ceasing (1 Thessalonians 5:17) because our prayers avail much (Ephesians 5:16). Our prayers should target the principalities God identifies, should target the powers, the rulers of the darkness of this world, and the spiritual wickedness in high places, to pull them down because that is the purpose of our weapon.
This past year was a rough one.
- The nation was whipped into a frenzy as skin color was weaponized to keep America divided.
- Seeing Ahmaud Arbery being chased down and shot by Gregory and Travis McMichael was horrifying,
- Witnessing Derek Chauvin’s knee on George Floyd’s throat caused an avalanche of violence across the nation resulting in even more deaths.
- Covid-19 crossed the shores into America, resulting in death, isolation and separation, devastating Black people according to some headlines, more than others.
- Planned Parenthood was able to continue targeting Black babies having been deemed in most states as essential. In fact, they set a new record for the number of abortions they performed in one year.
So, millions of Americans began to pray. Crying out to God for physical and cultural healing. Beseeching Heaven to pull down the principalities and powers that were destroying the nation, cities, and neighborhoods.
Then a darker cloud descended, reminding me that too many of us have come into agreement with the devil. Professed believers in Jesus Christ began praying through the lenses of skin color rather than according to the mission God has placed before them.
Too many “Christians” talking about white churches and Black churches. Too many “Christians” agreeing there is such a thing as different races and thereby racism whether systemic or not. Too many “Christians” reciting the dogma that weaponized “race”.
This is the Time
Genesis 10 tells us that God views humans through the lenses of “language, clan, and national identity” (NLT verse 5). So where did this notion of different races come from? From the mind of Charles Darwin, a man who suffered psychological symptoms such as panic disorder with periods of irrational fear.
His book The Origin of the Species, or the Preservation of the Favored Races in the Struggle for Life, defined humans through the lenses of his fears, and of course, the darker-hued people of the earth did not fare well in his analysis.
Many have picked up Darwin’s fears and embraced them as their own. Today that irrational fear has permeated every area of America’s culture. It is that irrational fear that has the nation in disarray, fighting one another over God-given qualities rather than fighting against today’s present darkness.
God never responds to fear. He only responds to faith.
Perhaps it is time for the faithful to lay down the weapons of satan – fear, hatred, division– and pick up the weapons of God – prayer and love. It is time for the special forces of God, the prayer warriors who see beyond skin color, to rise up, discern the times, and take authority over the forces of darkness that have kept us bound for centuries.
