Today, there was a story out of New York City involving the Greater New York chapter of Black Lives Matter. Hawk Newsome, the leader of the chapter, threatened violence if the newly elected mayor of Gotham restablished the city’s anti-crime unit. According to Newsweek, Newsome said to reporters outside of Brooklyn Borough Hall after the meeting: “If they think they are going back to the old ways of policing then we’re going to take to the streets again, There will be riots. There will be fire, and there will be bloodshed.”

This statement is unacceptable, of course. While events may get out of control whenever impassioned people gather for an event, the goals and expectations of a demonstration in a democracy should always be peaceful. New York City has just over eight million residents, and crime is currently spiraling out of control there. The residents pay taxes and expect to live and commute in safety. I have no doubt that Mr. Newsome has some valid grievances, but he and other activists need to dial down the rhetoric, especially if he aspires to be a true leader.

The same goes for leaders on the right (including and especially talk show hosts.) These people are sponsored and empowered by various groups in society, including the religious right, and of all people, Christians should know that the end never justifies the means.

There are a lot of Christians that are being indoctrinated in the notion that the devil is bent on destroying this country and is doing so using different factions, including Black Lives Matter, Antifa, Socialists, and the Democratic Party. However, my friends in Christ are so focused on the mote in their brother’s eye that they overlook the beam in their own (Matthew 7:5.) Before we go out an buy an AK for ourselves this Christmas, let’s look at a passage in II Corinthians:

By the humility and gentleness of Christ, I appeal to you—

I, Paul, who am “timid” when face to face with you, but “bold” toward you when away!

I beg you that when I come I may not have to be as bold as I expect to be toward some people

who think that we live by the standards of this world.

For though we live in the world, we do not wage war as the world does.

The weapons we fight with are not the weapons of the world.

On the contrary, they have divine power to demolish strongholds.

We demolish arguments and every pretension that sets itself up against the knowledge of God,

and we take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ.

And we will be ready to punish every act of disobedience, once your obedience is complete.

– II Corinthians 10:1-6

No doubt Satan would love to destroy the U.S. Also, China, Japan, India, Paraguay, New Zealand, Nigeria, Cuba, and every other country on the planet. But if the teachings of Jesus Christ cannot prove superior to the teachings of Karl Marx, and the nonviolence of the Gospels cannot disarm the threats of harm from BLM or the Oath Keepers, then there is a problem. Democracy has been called a “marketplace of ideas” and in this marketplace, the public opinion polls say that we Christians are going out of business in America. We should ask ourselves “Why is that and what can we do about it?”

In this passage, Paul tells us that “the weapons we fight with are not the weapons of the world.” No need for assault weapons, knives or bear spray. That’s because “we do not wage war as the world does.” So, we need to ditch the incendiary rhetoric as well.

Christians have tremendous spiritual resources available to them. Potentially, the weakest Christian is more formidable than the most powerful demon in Satan’s army.

I do believe that there are spiritual strongholds or fortresses in the U.S. and around the world that are in league with Satan but they are empowered by ordinary people and their sins. Some of these strongholds exist because of unbelief, or sexual immorality, or false religion, superstition, materialism, and so on. There are movies, even documentaries set in some small, isolated town with some terrible secret in its past, whether a lynching, a murder, incest involving a prominent townsman, what have you. This secret becomes a curse which will affect future generations in some way unless a citizen or outsider takes a stand and ends the charade that nothing is wrong. These strongholds keep people enshrouded in darkness and away from the light of the Gospel. You have to “hammer away” at these walls in prayer if you hope to penetrate them, so that the captives behind the walls may be set free. But, if we “live by the standards of the world” and hope to destroy these edifices with our puny weapons in order to bring the body politik into submission by force, then we’re merely tilting at windmills and no better (or effective) than Don Quixote.

This passage in II Corinthians is actually a very powerful passage in and of itself. I remember when I was only 21 or 22 and I was wittnessing to a couple about my age. It was evening in an empty church–everyone else had left. I was presenting them with the Gospel and they were posing thoughtful questions. I then invited them to ask Jesus into their life, and they asked if I would excuse them so that they could speak privately, one with the other. As they went into another room, I prayed silently and in my mind, saw the image of a fortress wall with the beginning of a significant crack in it. I understood that to mean that they were very close to making a commitment, and that the wall of unbelief in their life was close to collapsing. They came back presently, and before they could say anything, I apologized to them for pressing the issue. I told them that life is unpredictable, and we may never have the opportunity to meet again, that today is the day of salvation for anyone (II Corinthians 6:2.) They looked at each other, and said “We want to ask Jesus to come into our lives.” Afterwards, they mentioned that it was what I said when they returned that made the difference in surrendering their lives on the spot and putting the decision off for another occasion.

“The weapons we fight with are not the weapons of the world.”

II Corinthians 10:4

Surrendering their lives. These two new converts (creatures) intuitively understood surrender to God was important. Before we think of ourselves as powerful or self-sufficient, we need to revisit the verse in II Corinthians 12:9 where the Lord told Paul “My power is perfected in weakness.” That means Paul’s weakness. That means our weakness. An unsaved person who picks up a weapon may feel a rush, a sense of power and awe. But it’s an illusion. Instead of praying “Lord, make me strong, that I might prevail,” maybe a better prayer might be “Lord, make me weak that You might prevail?” We don’t want to get in the way of the Holy Spirit.

Martin Luther’s awesome hymn “A Mighty Fortress” was the battle cry of the Reformation. It informs us that God has fortresses, too. Indeed, He is our fortress and His name is our strong tower (Proverbs 18:10.) The lyrics are worth repeating (and meditating over):

“A mighty fortress is our God,
A bulwark never failing:
Our helper He, amid the flood
Of mortal ills prevailing.
For still our ancient foe 
Doth seek to work his woe;
His craft and power are great,
And armed with cruel hate,
On earth is not his equal.

“Did we in our own strength confide,
Our striving would be losing;
Were not the right Man on our side,
The Man of God’s own choosing.
Dost ask who that may be?
Christ Jesus, it is he;
Lord Sabaoth is his name,
From age to age the same,
And He must win the battle.

“And though this world, with devils filled,
Should threaten to undo us,
We will not fear, for God hath willed
His truth to triumph through us.
The Prince of Darkness grim,—
We tremble not for him;
His rage we can endure,
For lo! His doom is sure,—
One little word shall fell him.

“That word above all earthly powers—
No thanks to them—abideth;
The Spirit and the gifts are ours
Through him who with us sideth.
Let goods and kindred go,
This mortal life also:
The body they may kill:
God’s truth abideth still,
His kingdom is for ever.”

Luther says that “One little word shall fell him.” But what is that one little word? This is a timeless mystery, and people through the ages have wondered and weighed in. Here, I’d refer you to author Bryce Young, who is not Lutheran, but Baptist. Yet, this hymn is not for any one denomination, but to the Church at large (including our Catholic brethren.) Young believes the little word Luther speaks of is “liar.” That the devil is the father of lies (John 8:24.) Today, thanks to “alternative facts,” lies are bandied about as if they were truths, and we need to carefully discern what the truth is, holding liars accountable when they violate their sacred oaths and trust.

Populists and Progressives are ripping the fabric of the country asunder, and only the message of the Gospel, of reconciliation can heal us as a nation and a People and make us whole. But we cannot play our part if we are part of the problem. Rather than take sides, we need to stand in the middle and say “This is where the Kingsom of God is.”

And the only weapon we need in this battle is the Word of God. And the only preparation for battle that we need is prayer and a broken spirit.