War: Ordinary and spiritual

The current war between Russia and Ukraine reminded me that one of my uncles was an officer aboard a U.S. Navy aircraft carrier during the Korean War.

As the ship cruised off the coast of Korea, some of the aircraft regularly flew over Korea taking aerial photographs. My uncle’s job was to analyze the photos to see what could be learned about movement of North Korea’s military personnel and equipment. This was his assignment until the shooting war ended in 1953.

Obviously, it helps to know what the enemy is doing behind the scenes during a war. The apostle Paul, writing to the church in Corinth and defending his authority as an apostle which was being attacked by men Paul later called false-apostles, wrote: “For though we walk in the flesh, we are not waging war according to the flesh. For the weapons of our warfare are not of the flesh but have divine power to destroy strongholds.” (2 Corinthians 10:3-4) Earlier in the same letter Paul wrote about not being “outwitted by Satan, for we are not ignorant of his designs.” (2 Corinthians 2:11) Paul saw clearly that there was more than an ordinary war going on.

I suspect that nearly all ordinary war, which itself is horrible beyond description, is in some way related to spiritual war. This is implied by Paul in Ephesians 6:11-12 which says “Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the schemes of the devil. For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places.”

The Russian invasion of Ukraine reminds us that the world is an increasingly dangerous place. Jesus said “In the world you will have tribulation. But take heart, I have overcome the world.” (John 16:33) We need Jesus.

(All scripture quotations are from the English Standard Version.)

Pastor Dan York ministers at Dover Community Church.