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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.

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