The terror attacks in San Bernardino and Parris along with the brutal beheading and crucifixion of children by ISIS this summer are a stark reminder of part of the Christmas story we often forget: Then Herod, when he saw that he had been tricked by the wise men, became furious, and he sent and killed all the male children in Bethlehem and in all that region who were two years old or under, according to the time that he had ascertained from the wise men. (Matt 2:16)
Think for a moment of a child you know who is less than two years old. Imagine the horror of him or her being hacked to pieces. Imagine the crushing heartbreak of his parents and siblings—the wounds they would carry the rest of their lives. Could the face of pure evil be darker than slaughtering infants and toddlers?
Behind the horrific events of ancient Bethlehem, San Bernardino, and Iraq is the cosmic conflict between the kingdom of darkness and the kingdom of light, a conflict that harkens back to Genesis 3. There God says to Satan, "I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your offspring and her offspring; he shall bruise your head and you shall bruise his heel.”
Satan hates Christ, and biblical scholars believe that behind Herod’s slaughter of the children was Satan’s attempt to exterminate the promised messiah who was a threat to his evil kingdom and power. It should not surprise us that the current day ISIS attacks and San Bernardino slayings seemed especially targeted at Christians. Satan hates all human beings made in God’s image, but especially Christ-followers. We read from Revelation 12 Then the dragon became furious with the woman and went off to make war on the rest of her offspring, on those who keep the commandments of God and hold to the testimony of Jesus (vs 17)
Jesus, and his followers, are a threat to Satan because the mission of Jesus is NOT MERELY to purchase a ticket to heaven for Christians--but to overthrow Satan and every evil on this planet, establishing Christ’s kingdom of righteousness. For to us a child is born, to us a son is given….Of the increase of his government and of peace there will be no end, on the throne of David and over his kingdom, to establish it and to uphold it with justice and with righteousness from this time forth and forevermore. (Is 9:5-7)
The real Christmas story is the arrival of a king whose mission in coming to earth is to rescue Adam’s kingdom from the tyrants, Satan, sin, and death, who have usurped his throne. Christ, the second Adam, defeats Satan at the cross and has begun to establish his kingdom of righteousness over the planet. Though this kingdom will never be fully established until his return, Christ has poured out on us the firstfruits of his kingdom victory: the Holy Spirit is given to us to empower us for spiritual battle against sin.
Through the indwelling power of Christ in us, Christ-followers are called to battle and defeat sin first in our own heart attitudes and behavior as we “hunger and thirst for righteousness” (Matt.5:6). Then righteousness and wholeness are to move outward to our closest relationships--our marriages and families—then to our church lives, extended family, business practices, neighborhoods, and culture, as we seek to shape those spheres in a way that pleases Christ, the King of Righteousness.
The real story of Christmas reminds me that to follow the Christ-child is to be a warrior. The Christmas story is a call to fight. Fight the sin in my life. Fight the fears that prevent me from sharing my faith. Fight for my wife and kids’ spiritual battles by praying for them. Fight for courage to winsomely express biblical values in my workplace or extended family. Fight my own thoughts to bring every thought captive to Christ. Even fight ISIS by praying for its members. (But I say to you, “Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you” Matt 5:44).
As Edmund Burke reminds us, “The only thing necessary for the triumph of evil is for good men to do nothing.” Evil is real. Evil is brutal. Slaughtered children make that clear.
May this Christmas season inspire all of us men to lead the way IN BATTLE. Be strong in the Lord and in the strength of his might. Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the schemes of the devil. For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers over this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places (Eph 6:10-12).
