I read with interest in the Weekend Australian that the president of the United States, Mr. Donald Trump, has signed an executive order (on Friday, Sept. 5th) directing the Department of Defence to be now known as the Department of War. The move restores a name the agency last held in the 1940s and, according to the text of the order seen by a BBC correspondent, the aim is to "project strength and resolve".
I found that very interesting – “to project strength and resolve” to one’s potential enemies. Very interesting, indeed. With this rebranding the U.S. President has signalled a shift from a defensive, passive stance to a proactive, aggressive stance. The aim, I am sure, was to send a message to everyone in just a few words leaving would-be enemies of the United States in no doubt about how America would respond to any threat. Of course, there was an immediate and shrill torrent of criticism about the rebrand. But the fact is that it was George Washington, himself, who established the “War Department” back in 1789 – and it continued with that title through to 1947. But, I digress …
I pondered all this for a bit and then saw a parallel between the President’s signalling of America’s new stance to potential enemies, and our stance as Christians who are actually in a constant state of spiritual war today. It triggered a thought. What does our stance communicate to our enemies in the second heaven realm – those “spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms”, as the apostle Paul described them? When these non-flesh and blood entities look on Christians what do they see? What stance do we present to them? A defensive, passive stance, or a proactive, aggressive, war-footing stance? Criticise Trump all you want, but he has sent a very clear message. What message does the Church send? And, in case someone reading this may be somewhat perplexed at the idea of Christians and the Church becoming “aggressive” in spiritual warfare, we only need recall the words of Jesus, Himself …
Matthew 16:18 (ESV)
[Jesus] “And I tell you, you are Peter, and on this rock [i.e. the rock of Peter’s faith confession] I will build My church, and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it.”
Did you catch that? The gates of hell will not be able to stop the Church being the Church and doing what the Church has been called to do in the Name of Jesus. That’s a pretty proactive, aggressive stance for the Church, I’d say. It sure isn’t passive and purely defensive, is it?
Then there is the apostle John’s unequivocal statement:
1 John 3:8b (ESV) “The reason the Son of God appeared was to destroy the works of the devil.”
And, of course, Jesus’ ministry became our mission in the Great Commission call. To destroy the works of the devil is no passive, defensive thing. It is a calculated, strategic, ruthless thing with victory the aim. In the Cross of Christ the enemy was defeated – disarmed and humiliated!
Colossians 2:15 (NIV)
“And having disarmed the powers and authorities [in the spiritual realm], He [Christ] made a public spectacle of them, triumphing over them by the cross.”
The Cross might have looked like a passive thing to the mockers hurling abuse at our dying Saviour, but it was not. It was an aggressive, ruthless assault and absolute conquering of Satan and sin’s power. Ever since that day on Calvary the Cross has been a statement of God’s ruthless, aggressive stance against sin’s power, and His proactive plundering of Satan’s possessions – the unsaved souls of men and women. The Cross was an emphatic, decisive stance, a message to the principalities and powers that God is coming for them. And they know it! I am well aware that some theologians and pastors will have a great deal of trouble with my theology here, but the scriptures are unambiguous. Of course, this does not mean the Church goes crazy hunting demons and other such crazy stuff (and, yes, this has been done by some!). This is the kind of thing President Trump’s detractors have been saying, that he is being “childish” and wants to “tout” for war. Hmm, that’s a bit of a stretch. It’s about stance and intention: “If you mess with us, we’ll respond. If we find you resisting us as we go about our activities and responsibilities, if you interfere with us, you can expect an aggressive, no-holds barred response.” Likewise, the Church. Adopting such a stance sends the same message.
Jesus never went after demons – not once. But as He was ministering any demon that got in His way, or refused to yield ground, to them His stance and response was unhesitatingly aggressive and ruthless – souls were at stake. And that’s the bottom line. The new United States Secretary of War, Pete Hegseth said, “We're going to go on offence, not just on defence. Maximum lethality, not tepid legality. Violent effect, not politically correct. We're going to raise up warriors, not just defenders.”
The Church needs to raise up spiritual warriors. Intercessors and spiritually powerful men and women who know how to undo the devil’s work. By the Cross our Commander in Chief, Jesus Christ, has defeated and disarmed the enemy and now His warrior bride is mopping up the last pockets of resistance. The Church – all believers – constantly faces a variety of worldly challenges. But the apostle Paul reminds us that there are forces much, much larger than anything worldly at work. There is something larger, more powerful – and unseen – in motion, with intent. A spiritual battle is playing itself out in the visible, natural realm, but few see it. It’s all geopolitics, and human agenda and so on. It isn’t.
Ephesians 6:12 (NIV)
“For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms.”
Four times the word “against” is used here in one verse describing the Church’s stance. What we have just witnessed with the brutal murder of Christian activist Charlie Kirk was the outcome of a spiritual battle being conducted in the spiritual realm. With the influence for Christ and righteousness in this man rising in momentum across the United States unseen spiritual forces came against him – and we saw it in the natural. Yes, there are many theological questions about this that I cannot canvas here. But it was not mere flesh and blood who sought his murder and silencing.
A bride is being prepared for Christ in our day, I believe. This bride, the Church, will be a warrior bride who will overcome and destroy the works of the devil – or she is not fit to be a bride for Him. But I believe, as things are right now intensifying in the spiritual realm, and we are seeing the manifestations of that every day all around the world, Christ is calling His Church to rise up. To adopt an aggressive, ruthless, proactive, unintimidated stance against His enemies, and undo them all, as we go about our mission each day. A holy Church, a spotless bride, can be entrusted with such great authority and know how to use it.
Hebrews 10:12-13 (NIV)
“But when this priest [Christ] had offered for all time one sacrifice for sins, He sat down at the right hand of God, 13 and since that time He waits for His enemies to be made His footstool.”
Let’s not keep our Lord waiting!
Ps Milton
[Sources: Wikipedia; Whitehouse Media website; BBC News; The Australian 13/09/2025.]