Everyone associated with the Government of the United States affirms their allegiance in an Oath of Office. Though the wording varies a bit, all federal employees, including Cabinet, Senators, Congressmen, Supreme Court Justices, and even our military repeat these common words:
I do solemnly swear that I will support and defend the Constitution of the United States against all enemies, foreign and domestic;
Everyone, on the same page, pledging to defend the Constitution – that document that represents who we are and what we stand for – against all enemies, foreign and domestic. But as we know, that isn’t as easily done as spoken. Especially when current practice is to redefine what it means to support and defend while reassessing who qualifies as an enemy.
It’s generally much easier to recognize our foreign enemies than domestic. We declare war against a particular nation or ideology. We centralize that war in a country or region. We surveil their location, capabilities and activity and prepare our response.
From Viet Nam to today however, and particularly with the war against terror, wars have become more difficult since enemies tactically blend into society and operate within non-hostile communities. This broadens the scope of the war zone, since the enemy can hide in plain sight.
Terrorism has become the broad term which makes identifying the enemy a challenge. To label a group or person as a terrorist, there is supposed to be a procedure in place to watch what they do, where they go, who they associate with. Then to determine if they have the ability to do damage or cause emotional strain. But because they market fear it’s easy to place people we’re afraid of into the category of terrorist, classifying them as an enemy. Without specific criteria, anyone who causes us to be uncomfortable can be labeled as a terrorist.
A couple of weeks ago, the brush that paints people as enemies bled over onto some whose activity doesn’t fit the definition but are being designated by the term Domestic Terrorists, simply because their actions create fear in the hearts of some.
According to the FBI: Domestic terrorism is defined as: Violent, criminal acts committed by individuals and/or groups to further ideological goals stemming from domestic influences, such as those of a political, religious, social, racial, or environmental nature.
Recently, the National School Boards Association, sent a letter to Biden requesting that his Justice Department include parents who strongly express their frustration with school board decisions as domestic terrorists. The subjects these parents oppose are: Critical Race Theory, Trans students using the wrong bathroom, the obsession with gender confusion and health decisions that should be made by parents and not school personnel. Parents see that in many school districts, board members seem to be following an agenda that these parents oppose and are at a loss as to how to stop it.
The attitude they faced was captured in a statement by the former governor of Virginia. On the topic of transgendered students, giving parents a say in their kids’ education, and voting on what books should be allowed in the library, the former Governor of Virginia said: "I don't think parents should be telling schools what they should teach."
From the letter the National School Boards Association: “As these acts of malice, violence, and threats against public school officials have increased, the classification of these heinous actions could be the equivalent to a form of domestic terrorism and hate crimes. As such, NSBA requests a joint expedited review by the U.S. Departments of Justice, Education, and Homeland Security, along with the appropriate training, coordination, investigations, and enforcement mechanisms from the FBI, including any technical assistance necessary from, and state and local coordination with, its National Security Branch and Counterterrorism Division, as well as any other federal agency with relevant jurisdictional authority and oversight. Additionally, NSBA requests that such review examine appropriate enforceable actions against these crimes and acts of violence under the Gun-Free School Zones Act [and] the PATRIOT Act in regards to domestic terrorism.”
One member of that board said, “We want to stop the death threats, threats to family members, and other harassment and acts of intimidation.” Then listen to what the parents are saying.
In response, someone wrote: “to be clear, the FBI has stopped real terrorist threats. [But] the use of the FBI to monitor school board meetings is an incredible expansion of the federal government’s police power.”
In an opinion written in the Washington Post: “I worry about the Justice Department’s actions seeming to imply that angry, even disruptive and intimidating parents should be silenced.”
But here a governing organization has decided their enemy is within the people they were elected to serve and want to take action to defend themselves against any who oppose their positions. In doing so, they have crossed the line from civilized disagreement to vindictiveness in seeking to punish those who disagree.
When governing leaders are allowed to determine who they can label as a threat, and take actions to remove those threats, they are not protecting the Constitution but rewriting it to serve their own agenda. At that point, the battle lines are blurred because there is no common enemy we can classify as Domestic. Without a clear definition it’s easy to include anyone on the list. Everyone is suspect.
Knowing who the real enemy is essential when drawn into battle. In preparing to go into Jericho, Joshua was confronted by the captain of the army of the Lord. Unsure of who he was, Joshua asked a key question.
Josh 5:13 Now it came about when Joshua was by Jericho, that he lifted up his eyes and looked, and behold, a man was standing opposite him with his sword drawn in his hand, and Joshua went to him and said to him, "Are you for us or for our enemies?”
That’s the first question to ask: Are you on our side or their side?
When Jody moved to Alabama, the first person he met asked him: Alabama or Auburn?
Knowing who is for us helps us form a partnership with others who join in the fight. When the US was in Afghanistan, our fight wasn’t with the Afghani people but with the Taliban. As a result, many Afghanis allied to help us. Other countries joined in.
Most wars today are fought with coalition forces. The enemies of our friends are our enemies as well. And we can’t fight battles alone.
No one wants war, but when it is necessary and becomes inevitable, we need to know who is there to help us. Battle lines get drawn and it’s important to know who are the friendlies and who are not.
Mark 9:38 John said to Him, "Teacher, we saw someone casting out demons in Your name, and we tried to prevent him because he was not following us." 39 Jesus said, "Do not hinder him, for there is no one who will perform a miracle in My name, and be able soon afterward to speak evil of Me. 40 For he who is not against us is for us.
That question has broad application. Not only in society but in the church as well. The religious world has been in conflict from day one, fighting over doctrines, social practices and concerns, methods of worship and affiliation. If you disagree with me, you are wrong and we can no longer fellowship together.
The cancel culture isn’t new. It’s been practiced throughout history. Within cancel culture friends agree, enemies disagree. So that: He who is not for us is against us. This is what the National School Boards Association felt. Any who oppose our agenda is an enemy.
That often is seen when demoralizing agendas overtake common sense. They attempt to take the fight out of the hearts of those who feel helpless to stop it.
Those are Satan’s tactics. Oppose us until we give into his threats.
Acts 13:8 Elymas the magician was opposing them, seeking to turn the proconsul away from the faith. 9 But Saul, who was also known as Paul, filled with the Holy Spirit, fixed his gaze on him, 10 and said, "You who are full of all deceit and fraud, you son of the devil, you enemy of all righteousness, will you not cease to make crooked the straight ways of the Lord?
The enemies of righteousness are those who fight against God’s provisions for how we can be right with Him and live godly lives. Their tactics are deceit and fraud, seeking to distort the ways of the Lord. The issues are rarely the issue, but symptoms of deeper conflict.
John 8:44 You are of your father the devil, and you want to do the desires of your father. He was a murderer from the beginning, and does not stand in the truth because there is no truth in him. Whenever he speaks a lie, he speaks from his own nature, for he is a liar and the father of lies.
Satan’s lies cause confusion. Truth clarifies. From our God who cannot lie we know that: 1Cor 14:33 God is not a God of confusion.
When there is a distortion of truth, it corrupts and reshapes life. It creates confusion. It is not of God but the Devil. That can happen in a home, at work or in a school board meeting.
When Paul faced it within the church, he asked: Gal 4:16 So have I become your enemy by telling you the truth?
They were being misled by contrary teaching. Because Paul told them the truth, some placed him on the wrong side of the battle line.
Since Satan is the Father of Lies, when the battle is over the truth, we have moved into the realm of Spiritual Warfare. That means we’re fighting battles with opponents we can’t see but are manifesting their intentions through those we can see. Satan stealing, killing and destroying through those who will do his work for him even though they are unaware they are doing so.
Eph 6:12 For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the powers, against the world forces of this darkness, against the spiritual forces of wickedness in the heavenly places. 13 Therefore, take up the full armor of God, so that you will be able to resist in the evil day, and having done everything, to stand firm.
Men in this room who served in the military, took the oath to pledge themselves to defend our country. It was a surrender of their lives for the greater cause. It placed them within the greatest military force in the world and in doing so they had the support of a grateful nation. They were given weapons and tactics and a team to surround them. Battles are never fought alone. Spiritually, it’s the same.
2Chron 20:14 Then in the midst of the assembly the Spirit of the LORD came upon Jahaziel 15 and he said, "Listen, all Judah and the inhabitants of Jerusalem and King Jehoshaphat: thus says the LORD to you, 'Do not fear or be dismayed because of this great multitude, for the battle is not yours but God's. 16 Tomorrow go down against them. Behold, they will come up by the ascent of Ziz, and you will find them at the end of the valley in front of the wilderness of Jeruel. 17 You need not fight in this battle; station yourselves, stand and see the salvation of the LORD on your behalf, O Judah and Jerusalem.' Do not fear or be dismayed; tomorrow go out to face them, for the LORD is with you."
Back in the story about Joshua and the Captain of the army of the Lord, how did that play out?
Joshua 5:14 He said, "No; rather I indeed come now as captain of the host of the LORD." And Joshua fell on his face to the earth, and bowed down, and said to him, "What has my lord to say to his servant?" 15 The captain of the LORD'S host said to Joshua, "Remove your sandals from your feet, for the place where you are standing is holy." And Joshua did so.
When we enter Spiritual Battle, it is essential that we realize we are standing on Holy Ground. What does that mean? It means God is present and prepared to fight for us. We’re in a battle with forces we cannot defeat. But He can. Whatever the battle ground, whoever is our enemy, when truth is our banner, God is on our side.
Ps 124:1 Had it not been the LORD who was on our side," Let Israel now say, 2 Had it not been the LORD who was on our side When men rose up against us, 3 Then they would have swallowed us alive, When their anger was kindled against us; 4 Then the waters would have engulfed us, The stream would have swept over our soul; 5 Then the raging waters would have swept over our soul. 6 Blessed be the LORD, Who has not given us to be torn by their teeth. 7 Our soul has escaped as a bird out of the snare of the trapper; The snare is broken and we have escaped. 8 Our help is in the name of the LORD, Who made heaven and earth.
How do we fight spiritual battles? Through trusting in the only One who wins those battles as He grants us all we need to stand firm while He fights on our behalf. We can draw near to Him and when we do, Satan must withdraw. We fight the Spiritual Battle on our knees. So, stand on the Holy Ground as He who fights on your behalf gets the victory.
We are standing on Holy Ground.
And I know that there are angels all around.
Let us praise Jesus now.
We are standing in His presence on Holy Ground.
Rom 8:31 What then shall we say to these things? If God is for us, who is against us?
TAKEAWAYS:
- Fighting our battles alone makes us vulnerable to defeat.
- By ourselves we are not equipped for all we face.
- God never expects us to take on the enemy by ourselves.
- He will fight on our behalf if we’ll trust Him to do so.
- He’s never lost a battle yet.
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