That’s a strong title, but I’ll back it up.
There are so many points that will be made on social media and news outlets over the coming days and weeks. I’m certain that almost all of them will be made by people who are much smarter than I am in the arena of geopolitical realities.
But none of the things that you and I will hear from mainstream media (or “side-stream media” for that matter) will be the most important lesson that we must learn from the invasion launched by Vladimir Putin last night on the Ukrainian people. What is it, you ask?
Our enemy never went away.
Be alert and of sober mind. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour. (1 Peter 5:8)
The discussions people will have about Russia will reveal rather quickly what the generations think about the country. Many who only know Russia in her current state will struggle to understand why the older generations only think of Ivan Drago and the former Soviet Union when they hear about Russia.
Only one of those groups is surprised today about Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.
Many followers of Jesus view Satan the same way our current culture has viewed Russia: he’s around us, but probably isn’t as bad as others have tried to make him look. The devil is seen as this kind of misunderstood figure who likely had something bad happen to him that made him the way he is today. This is what happens when a generation consumes origin stories like candy. But the origin story for Satan is a quick one: he wanted to be God, he tried to take over from God, and now he’s fighting against God.
He may be defeated, but it doesn’t mean he isn’t dangerous. He is seeking to devour, and when we think of him in any other way than that, we let down our guards and become his target.
Our enemy may be defeated, but that doesn’t mean he isn’t dangerous. Click To TweetRussia has prowled around the border of Ukraine for decades, and the world has been lulled to sleep. Satan has used the same tactic, and the church has stopped believing he’ll ever do anything more than just prowl around.
But prowling isn’t Satan’s endgame, any more than just being near Ukraine was Russia’s. He wants a complete take-over, and the easiest way for our enemy to invade us is to convince us that he never will.
The easiest way for our enemy to invade us is to convince us that he never will. Click To TweetBut he is patient, and he will wait as long as it takes.
The truth that our enemy never went away isn’t supposed to fill us with fear. Instead, it must fill us with vigilance. The verse doesn’t say to “be afraid” because he prowls around, but rather to “be alert” because of it.
It’s time to wake up, Church. It’s time to admit that we have played with fire and been burned. We’ve gone swimming with sharks and called “foul” because they attacked, without realizing the inevitable outcome of swimming with creatures that attack.
We’ve allowed the enemy to roam around our borders too long, and we’ve forgotten that he only prowls until he finds something to devour. Both personally and corporately, it’s time for followers of Jesus to inspect the conditions of their walls (see Nehemiah 2:15), and begin rebuilding the low places that our very real enemy wants to access.
Watch the news. Listen to the talking heads. But in all of it, please learn the ONE thing that matters most: our enemy is still looking for a way to devour, and we are the standard that God wants to raise up against him.
