Gtcotr/ws120722
81 years ago today, December 7, 1941, early on a Sunday morning, the Imperial Japanese Navy attacked the United States at Pearl Harbor Hawaii’s US naval base. 2,403 Americans were killed, and 1,178 others were wounded. This unprovoked attack awakened America to realize conflict was unavoidable and that war was an unfortunate necessity.
The following day, December 8, 1941, the United States of America declared war on Japan. Three days later, Germany and Italy officially declared war on the US and the rest is history. The unavoidable conflicts of WWII in Europe did not end until May 8, 1945. Japan however didn’t surrender until September the 2nd of that year. All in all, America fought just 6 days short of 3 years and 9 months.
Although the United States and its allies officially won the war, everyone knows that nobody really wins in war. It is estimated between 70 and 85 million people died as a direct result of WWII, totaling approximately 3% of the world’s population at that time. Far more than half of those killed in WWII were civilians. Unengaged, non-combatant, ordinary, everyday, simple families, going about their own business just wanting to make a living, raise a family, and enjoy their lives.
War is hell … and unfortunately, as history proves, you don’t always have a choice. Some of the conflicts of life are unavoidable.
When God leads me to a topic, a subject, or a theme for the message I am going to preach, I follow the inspiration of the Holy Spirit to gather and the information He wants me to include. When I feel I have a good handle on the truth the Holy Spirit wants me to share, I put it all up against the Word of God and test it with scripture after scripture.
It is not enough that we hear good messages or highly developed arguments based on strong opinions or even mountains of evidence. We must have the truth of God’s Word. Only the truth will set you free.
When I threw the subject of unavoidable conflicts up against the Word of God and looked for examples from the lives of Bible characters to prove or disprove my considerations, I realized this was a clear and well supported message of the Bible, especially in these last days. The Bible character I want to use to prove this point is none other than Jesus Himself. Turn with me to the New Testament book of Jude. It only has one chapter and is placed immediately in front of the book of Revelation.
Jude 1
14 Now Enoch, the seventh
from Adam, prophesied about these men also, saying, “Behold, the Lord comes
with ten thousands of His saints,
15 “to execute judgment on all, to convict all who are ungodly among them of all their ungodly deeds which they have committed in an ungodly way, and of all the harsh things which ungodly sinners have spoken against Him.”
There is an unavoidable conflict in God’s future. Of course God would rather this not have to take place however, He actually has no choice. The evil that permeates this world and the prince of this world, satan himself, has made this future conflict necessary.
The devil is the one who has caused all of the trouble and atrocities mankind has ever known. From the killing of the innocent to the cruel torture of untold millions on a daily basis. The aggravations, irritations, and frustrations of life are ultimately laid at the devil’s feet, even though he uses people to carry out his will. So many of us wonder how the horrific things happening all around us can continue any longer. The unfairness and the injustice we see on a daily basis, pains our souls.
Just this week there were things in the news and also situations I have been made aware of personally that seem so unimaginable and unnecessary. Nobody wins when someone else decides to work with the devil, be selfish, act greedy, commit murder, be cruel, unforgiving, or vengeful. Yet each day we hear of people evidently controlled by demons going out of their way to disrupt lives and destroy families.
My prayer is that you would never be faced with an unavoidable conflict or that it become necessary for you to fight in order to save your life, your sanity, or save the precious lives of others the devil is trying to destroy. With these thoughts in mind, let me give you three things you need to consider when faced with what you believe is an unavoidable conflict.
1.
Fight only as a last resort
·
Romans 12:18 If it is possible, as much as depends on you,
live peaceably with all men.
o When all else has
failed …
o Not when you’re mad,
but when you’re sad …
o Fight only so long as you must.
2.
Fight honorably
o Because Japan attacked
the US at Pearl Harbor unprovoked and without notice, it was considered a war
crime.
o More than 1,000
Japanese leaders and generals were executed for war crimes including horrific
atrocities committed against the civilian populations of its captured and
conquered enemies.
§ More than 30 million
Chinese civilians murdered …
§ 200,000 women forced
into prostitution, called “comfort women”, mostly from Korea.
§ Looting, raping,
murder, torture, and horrendous experiments performed on prisoners and civilians
o While in the European
theater, 6 million Jews were starved, tortured, and murdered in a premeditated
misguided and demonically motivated attempt to make the world a better place.
Romans 12:20 Therefore “If your enemy is hungry, feed him; If he is thirsty, give him a drink; For in so doing you will heap coals of fire on his head.”
3.
Fight to win
o Realize … there will
be casualties.
o There are no
acceptable losses … Every loss is regrettable.
·
But
we if we fight, fight to win.
·
Just
like Jesus will when He faces His next unavoidable conflict.
1 Corinthians 9:26 Therefore
I run thus: not with uncertainty. Thus I fight: not as one who beats the
air.
