If I were an artist and was asked to draw a picture symbolizing America’s present situation, I’d probably begin with a boxing ring. I’d show the boxer depicting our Country staggering to his feet after a near-death blow from an opponent labeled “The Coronovirus,” only to be sent reeling by another boxer depicted as “Violent Protests.”
While that picture might come close to illustrating what’s happening in the natural, it’s far from the whole picture. Ephesians 6:12 says, We wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, powers, spiritual wickedness in high places and the rulers of the darkness of this world. Our true enemy, as it was in the case of the Coronavirus, is an invisible one only discernable to those whose spiritual eyes have been opened.
Archbishop Vigano’s powerful letter to President Trump on “Eternal struggle between good and evil playing out right now” is the best explanation I’ve found giving the true picture of the battle raging in our Country. (Here is the link if you’re interested in reading it for yourself. https://www.lifesitenews.com/mobile/opinion/archbishop-viganos-powerful-letter-to-president-trump-eternal-struggle-between-good-and-evil-playing-out-right-now?)
We will never win this battle using the weapons of the world. II Corinthians 10:4-5 says, (The weapons of our warfare are not carnal but mighty through the power of God to the pulling down of strongholds;) Casting down imaginations, and every high thing that exalts itself against the knowledge of God, and bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ. To win this conflict we will need every piece of armor listed in Ephesians 6:13-17 and the Sword of the Spirit, which is the Word of God.
In addition, we will need to discern the strongholds in our Country that are making us vulnerable to the attacks of the enemy. Every door we have opened to Satan needs to be closed through repentance. I find myself thinking often of Nehemiah who was told, The wall of Jerusalem is broken down and its gates have been burned with fire (Nehemiah 1:3). Scripture tells us when he heard those things, he sat down and wept for some days, then mourned and fasted and prayed before the God of heaven.
The prayer Nehemiah prayed in verses five through eleven of Nehemiah, chapter one, is very moving and a great model for those who are serious about fighting the spiritual battle for the soul of our Country. I’m especially moved by Nehemiah’s identificational repentance. Even though he was a righteous man, he said, I confess the sins we Israelites, including myself and my father’s house, have committed against you. We have acted very wickedly toward you. We have not obeyed the commands, decrees and laws you gave your servant Moses.
I believe we too need to repent before God for the sins we Americans, including ourselves and our families, have committed against God. To name just three, the decisions banning prayer in schools, legalizing abortion and legalizing gay marriage were handed down by the Supreme Court in my lifetime. I am repenting before God for these sins.
When we as a nation make decisions contrary to God’s laws, we can expect to reap the consequences of opening doors to attacks of the enemy and being removed from under God’s umbrella of protection. Cheryl K. Chumley in an analysis/opinion in The Washington Times says:
Sane people are surveying the landscape of America right now and wondering, what the heck has happened to this great country?
The wicked, meanwhile, are reveling in the madness.
And thus the battle lines have been drawn. Call this God’s winnowing of America—a time when He takes a look at His people, decides He doesn’t like what He sees and allows for a time of great testing to separate the good from evil, the worthwhile from worthless, the usable from unusable. ( www.washingtontimes.com/news/2020/jun/9/gods-winnowing-of-america/)
Without a doubt, America is going through a time of winnowing, a time of great testing, but until we “get the picture,” see clearly what is happening, we cannot be part of the solution, and may instead, be part of the problem.
Heavenly Father, we confess the sins we Americans, including ourselves and our father’s house, have committed against you. We have acted very wickedly toward you. We have not obeyed the commands, decrees and laws you gave our forefathers. We repent before you, God. Would you forgive our sins and heal our land? Amen.
