war

Ultimately, there’s little you or I can do to prevent the kinds of global conflicts that appear to be on the horizon. But there is an important lesson we can learn from them that makes a profound difference in our ability to navigate the trials and temptations that threaten to draw us away from God. So much of the world’s attention is currently focused on the war between Russia and Ukraine that other — potentially more dangerous — threats are allowed to persist relatively unchecked. We make the same mistake in our own lives when we become so fixated on where we expect Satan to hit us that we blind ourselves to the other areas where we are vulnerable.

Our Enemy tends not to care where he attacks so long as the attack proves effective. As such, it is often the parts of our lives to which we give little thought that prove to be the most fertile ground for temptation to take root. So take a few minutes right now to ask the Lord to show you any areas of your life where Satan may be at work in the shadows. Ask him to show you where you are most vulnerable and keep an open mind about where those areas might be.

As we join hands and hearts toward this goal, let’s learn three principles from the Ukrainians.

Russian President Vladimir Putin has announced that Moscow would step back from its last remaining major nuclear-arms-control treaty with the US. He also vowed to continue his military campaign in Ukraine.

The war in Ukraine has resulted in the largest refugee crisis since World War II. The UN Refugee Agency reports that more than seven million Ukrainians have been displaced within their country and an additional seven million displaced across borders. The coming winter will only increase the already vast humanitarian needs, as well.

North Korea reportedly fired a short-range ballistic missile toward its eastern waters on Friday and flew warplanes near the South Korean border.

Myanmar’s military junta occupied a Catholic Church in the Shan state, laying land mines around it, according to reports.

Ukrainian Baptist Theological Seminary President Yaroslav Pyzh says that about 400 Baptist churches have vanished during the Russian-Ukrainian conflict.

In this time of widespread deception and the rise of authoritarianism, it’s difficult to know where to turn for the truth or security. But please don't imagine that Russian tanks are a greater force than the Spirit of God. I assure you they are not. The threats of dictators—no matter the nation—do not intimidate our Lord, but they do create instability in our world. But in those struggles, there are opportunities. That is the story of Scripture.

This week, Russia’s foreign minister warned that a nuclear conflict “should not be underestimated,” adding that the violence could spiral into World War III.

Where did the idea come from that some ways of fighting wars crossed some sort of civilized line? And who decided where that line should be drawn?