Christian Family Services Ministry

8-25-2018 – A Word to the Wise: What is the proper manner for the conduct of war?

For sixteen hundred years following creation, Satan stirred up in the hearts of men rebellion against God leading to the vilest of behaviors. Finally, when the evil population numbered in excess of seven billion and the Godly population numbered eight, God acted.

Reconnaissance on earth revealed, “God saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth, and that every imagination of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually. God was sorry that he had made man on the earth, and it grieved him in his heart” (Genesis 6:5-6). So the Lord God declared war.

The Lord’s war on mankind was a surprise for the demons. Perhaps they expected a rehash of the heavenly battle so many years before when a third of the angels defecting with Satan were beaten in battle and hurled down from heaven. The demons expected an earthly battlefield—but not the whole earth. (Revelation 12:7-9).

Regardless, the battle began with reconnaissance. The Lord determined the extent and nature of man’s rebellion. But one last deed to do. God wanted to warn mankind, and he used Noah to preach warnings to his generation for a hundred years. However, God’s long-suffering came to an end. The ark completed, the Lord ordered his eight souls to take cover along with a protected portion of His creation (Genesis 7:13ff). The door to the ark was sealed shut.

The demons roared with laughter. Seven days later, the attack began. Laugher turned to screams of terror. God used nature to create havoc. Earthquakes, volcanoes, and rain continued for forty days and forty nights. The whole earth groaned under the weight of combat. Every person died except the eight souls in the ark.

Do not be deceived, God conducts unconditional warfare.

The Flood reveals important patterns in divine warfare. The goal of warfare is to strike terror in the hearts of man and demon. God fulfilled His goal.

Terror was so intense among the survivors that knowledge of the flood passed down to every generation. Historically, every major ancient civilization, 133 in fact, have flood narrative transmitted to successive generations.

God does not take prisoners. He does not make treaties. The lesson for modern military commanders is this: conduct unrestricted warfare.

The ability to strike terror in the enemy is the chief trait God looked for in Moses, Joshua, Gideon, Saul, David, and others. The ability to strike terror in an enemy is a rare quality.

Recent history would see the generals Sherman and Patton with this profile. The South to this day hates the name of Sherman for his burnt-earth policy during the Civil War. The Germans were deathly afraid that Patton would be leading the invasion of Europe.

Peter struck terror in the whole church when Ananias and Sapphira lied to the Holy Spirit—and the Lord struck them dead. The passage concludes with this observation: “Great fear seized the whole church and all who heard about these events” (Acts 5:11).

God’s people crave a leader who instills fear in the enemy. By chance, do you possess this quality?