The Military Option
The pressing news on the international stage currently is Russia’s invasion and annexation of Crimea, the peninsula formerly belonging to Ukraine. Russia is making incursions into eastern Ukraine. Everyone is wondering where Comrade Putin will stop. What’s next? Belarus? Lithuania? Latvia? Estonia? Moldova? Romania? Only Putin, his close advisors, and God know.
ABC News is reporting that President Obama is skeptical that his own sanctions will do anything to deter or stop the invasions. ABC News quotes two experts from the International Institute for Economics to the effect that sanctions without the threat of military force have never worked throughout history.
Obama took military possibilities off the table relative to Ukraine a long time ago. In fact, his own “red line” with Syria turned out to be more of a yellow line. The author of the ABC News piece writes that there is little precedent to guide the Obama administration. That may be, but from Putin’s perspective, September 1, 1939 is a great guide from history.
I am no expert on international politics so I’ll refrain from offering President Obama advice. Yet, there is an old adage that says, “Tough times call for tough measures.” It seems to me, though, that if a nation loses its sovereignty to an invading neighbor, tough measures are called for. God told the Israelites: “If the thief is caught while breaking in and is struck so that he dies, there will be no bloodguiltiness on his account” (Exodus 22:2).
On the spiritual battle front, our war with Satan calls for more than “economic sanctions.” We often think, “I’ll stop sinning a little bit until I conquer my weakness.” How long does that last? We think, “I’ll stop my sinful habit tomorrow (or the first of the week/month/year).” How long does that last?
We are in a spiritual battle with Satan (1 Peter 2:11). The consequences of a loss are catastrophic, even eternal. If we lose our war with Satan, we will suffer “eternal destruction, away from the presence of the Lord and the glory of His power” (2 Thess. 1:9).
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The “military” option in our spiritual battle is cutting off our hand or foot. Jesus said, “If your right eye makes you stumble, tear it out and throw it from you; for it is better for you to lose one of the parts of your body, than for your whole body to be thrown into hell. If your right hand makes you stumble, cut it off and throw it from you; for it is better for you to lose one of the parts of your body, than for your whole body to go into hell” (Matt. 5:29-30).
I am sure we all understand that Jesus is speaking in hyperbole. Sin does not originate in the eye, hand, or foot. It originates in the heart (Mark 7:21). What Jesus means is that in our fight against temptation, in our fight against Satan, if we keep giving in to sin, we need to take the military option. We need to take tough measures to keep ourselves from temptations.
That may mean changing jobs or moving. It may mean changing friends. It may mean keeping money out of our wallets and out of our access. It may mean getting rid of the internet. Whatever it takes, that is what it takes.
If a country loses its sovereignty, political parties and their disagreements no longer matter. You have lost everything. If you lose control of yourself to Satan (Matt. 6:24), you’ve lost your sovereignty and you’ve lost everything.
If you have to, take the military option. Heaven will surely be worth it all.
–Paul Holland
