This War Is Not a Game
July 18, 2008
By Greg Ebie
I remember as a boy playing “war.” We didn’t even use toy
guns from the store; we just picked up sticks and instantly they became machine
guns. We would choose sides and then run in and out of the trees and other
hiding spots. Then with a shout we would make machine gun sounds and say,
“You’re dead!” We would fall to the ground, count to 100 and then come back to
life to hunt for other enemy soldiers.
Sometimes one or two kids either didn’t understand how the
game worked or they just wanted to be their own army. We would sneak up on
these unsuspecting targets, take aim and kill them; only they refused to die.
“We’re safe here,” they would say. Others might argue, “You can’t kill me, I’m
on your side.” They were obviously confused!
“This is war, and there is no neutral ground. If you’re not
on my side, you’re the enemy; if you’re not helping, you’re making things
worse” (Luke 11:23, The Message).
Jesus wants us to understand that life is not just a game of
war. We are engaged in a lifelong battle between good and evil. There is no
middle ground, no safe place. The battle lines are drawn. We either stand with
Jesus, or we are against Him. There is no demilitarized zone.
Like my friends who refused to die when we played war, there
are some people who want to ignore the spiritual conflict raging around them.
While they may not reject Jesus altogether, they are not living in obedience to
God’s Word; they continue to live life as they want. They may appear to have
relatively few problems; life goes on from day to day just the way they want it
to go.
Unfortunately they are spiritual POWs. They are held captive
by the lies of an enemy that some refuse to acknowledge even exists. We who
have decided to live for Christ understand that we are in a war; our eyes have
been opened so we can see what’s really going on. It’s up to us to rescue those
who are perishing before it is too late.
— D. Greg Ebie is senior pastor of Praise Assembly of
God in Garrettsville, Ohio, and an author of Daily Bread devotionals.
