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The Bible tells us that we are in a war (2 Corinthians 10:3–5), but this war is not like the wars fought between human nations. It is not fought with the weapons of the world, because it is not a war of physical might and power (Zechariah 4:6). It is a war for hearts and minds over two different views of God. It is a war of truth versus lies, love versus selfishness, freedom verses coercion and control. The war is over two types of government: God’s versus Satan’s. Ultimately, the war is between two antagonistic methods, systems, principles, or laws—God’s laws, which are design laws, and Satan’s laws, which are made-up rules requiring imposed punishments.
Through Christ Jesus the law of the Spirit of life set me free from the law of sin and death (Romans 8:2 NIV84).
The law of God is the law upon which life is built. Satan’s kingdom is built upon lies, the primary one being that God’s law functions like human law (imposed rules requiring God to inflict death). When we believe this lie, it presents God as the source of death, inflicted as a punishment for sin, which breaks our trust in God and incites fear and selfishness—the survival-of-the-fittest drives—and this cascade causes pain, suffering, and death. The me-first principle, based upon fear and selfishness, is the law of sin and death, and it is rooted in believing lies that keep us from trusting God.
Prior to sin, there was no sickness, woundedness, brokenness, pain, suffering, or death. Prior to sin, there were no thorns to wound, ferocious beasts to ravage, or poisonous plants to sicken. And in the new earth, when God eradicates sin and restores this world to perfection,
The wolf will live with the lamb, the leopard will lie down with the goat, the calf and the lion and the yearling together; and a little child will lead them. The cow will feed with the bear, their young will lie down together, and the lion will eat straw like the ox. The infant will play near the hole of the cobra, and the young child will put his hand into the viper’s nest. They will neither harm nor destroy on all my holy mountain, for the earth will be full of the knowledge of the LORD as the waters cover the sea (Isaiah 11:6–9 NIV84).
And,
There will be no more death or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away (Revelation 21:4 NIV84).
Everything that wounds, harms, injures, and destroys does so only because sin is in the world. Even though not every wound, sickness, or injury is caused by personal acts of sin, no wounds, brokenness, or sickness would exist if sin weren’t in the world. As the Bible says,
For the creation was subjected to frustration, not by its own choice, but by the will of the one who subjected it, in hope that the creation itself will be liberated from its bondage to decay and brought into the glorious freedom of the children of God. We know that the whole creation has been groaning as in the pains of childbirth right up to the present time (Romans 8:20–22 NIV84).
All of nature is caught up in this war between these two opposing forces: self-sacrificing love versus fear-driven, survival-of-the-fittest selfishness; between the law of life versus the law of sin and death.
Everywhere in the world, we see these two kingdoms warring against each other—the kingdom of life battling against the kingdom of death.
Satan’s kingdom is the source of every injury, harm, wound, and death. God’s kingdom is the source of healing, comfort, recovery, and life.
The agencies of Satan fracture, wound, cause disease, and destroy. The agencies of God protect, nurture, remedy, and restore.
When you see a tree marred and sap flowing to cover the mark and heal the wound, you are seeing the war.
When a bone is broken and the body rallies its energies, producing progenitor cells to rebuild the bone, you are seeing the war.
When a surgeon puts a pin in a fractured bone, the surgeon aids the forces of God. The surgeon does not heal; rather, the surgeon places the fractured pieces of bone in their proper alignment and then the life energy from God, acting upon the laws that God coded into the genes, utilizes the nutrients placed in nature by God to build the new bone that heals the break.
When a virus infects and the immune system defends, you are seeing the war.
When doctors intervene to treat a disease, they are not implanting life; they are not infusing health; they are not instilling vitality; if their treatment leads to healing, then they have provided interventions that support the agencies that God has built into nature, which do the actual healing.
When a person suffering from pneumonia receives an antibiotic, the medicine does not bring life; rather, it interferes with the reproduction of the infecting agent, allowing the body’s immune system and restorative powers to eradicate the offending pathogens and heal the damage.
All healing interventions are simply actions that harmonize a person with God’s design, laws, and presence, either by providing the nutrition, rest, energy, air, water, sunlight, love, truth that life requires—or by removing toxins and other obstacles that interfere with God’s design for life. But the life, the health, the healing are outworkings of the presence and power of God.
It is harmony with God, harmony with His laws and principles, that brings health and happiness. We cannot have health while violating the laws of health (God’s laws)! But law-keeping will not restore us to God’s perfection and eternal life—that comes by grace through faith. Living in harmony with God’s design laws prevents us from adding more damage to our condition and puts us in harmony with God’s principles for the best possible outcome in this sinful world.
Everywhere in the world we see these two kingdoms warring against each other, the kingdom of life against the kingdom of death.
You see God’s kingdom in a comforting hug, an encouraging smile, a gentle and kind answer, and in every act of forgiveness.
You see Satan’s kingdom in every abuse, hateful slander, call for violence, and demand for vengeance.
You see God’s kingdom wherever people are respected and individual liberties are protected.
You see Satan’s kingdom wherever people are demeaned and consciences are coerced.
You see God’s kingdom wherever people pursue the truth (even when painful) as they seek to be good.
You see Satan’s kingdom wherever people avoid the truth (especially when painful) as they seek to feel good.
God’s kingdom is the kingdom of reality, fact, and what actually is.
Satan’s kingdom is the kingdom of fantasy, fiction, and self-soothing stories.
In God’s kingdom, there is clarity.
In Satan’s kingdom, there is only confusion.
Because of sin, this planet is consumed in a war between two antagonistic forces and every human being has been wounded, injured, broken in some way, meaning everyone is in need of God’s healing.
But once there is brokenness, there are no pain-free options. God’s plan is to lead people to trust Him and then follow Him through the healing process, the process of shining the light of truth deep into the soul, cutting away from the heart the attachments to this world, reorienting the mind away from fear and survival toward love for God and others. This process of accepting one’s own sinfulness, shortcomings, and defects and repenting before God and seeking real change of heart-longings is painful. In the Bible, it is described as dying to self, as going through the valley of the shadow of death. But Jesus is there with His rod and staff to comfort us and lead us down the path of righteousness to restore our soul and uplift His name so that we will live forever in His house (Psalm 23).
But Satan tricks people into accepting fantasy, self-soothing stories that deny reality, and validate lifestyles and actions of selfishness and corruption—while criticizing those who point them to Jesus as the only true Remedy.
Yet, we can never avoid the truth; we can only delay the day we deal with it. Deal with it now, under God’s grace, and have God’s law restored within you and experience redemption, recreation, restoration to righteousness, and genuine joy, peace, love, and eternal life. Or deny the truth, continue to live in the fantasy of this world’s philosophy—practicing the law of me-first, doing what feels good rather than what is good, solidifying the law of sin and death into your soul—and you will eventually experience the truth when God appears in glory and His infinite rays of truth burn deep into your soul. Your denial and self-soothing fantasies will no longer shield you from the reality of who you have chosen to become; the corruption, perversion, and evil that you have embraced will destroy you.
The one who sows to please his sinful nature, from that nature will reap destruction; the one who sows to please the Spirit, from the Spirit will reap eternal life (Galatians 6:8 NIV84).
Yes, we are in a war, a war for every heart and mind over the truth about God and His law of life versus the law of sin and death. The world is offering many enticements, many pleasing fables, myths, and self-soothing stories. But there is only one God, one truth, and one path of life—living in harmony with Jesus, the Creator God, and the laws He built reality to operate upon. The choice is yours:
Choose for yourselves this day whom you will serve. … As for me and my household, we will serve the Lord (Joshua 24:15 NIV84).
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