Its a Spiritual Battle

The Bible tells us, “We are not wrestling against flesh and blood but against  For our struggle is not against flesh and blood [contending only with physical opponents], but against the rulers, against the powers, against the world forces of this [present] darkness, against the spiritual forces of wickedness in the heavenly (supernatural) places.” (Ephesians 6:12 AMP)

History teaches us that when any government generates a racial war between different color groups, or a class war between the rich, middle-class, and the poor, it finds it easier to take emergency action measures to secure national peace. Believers in Jesus Christ of all races and nationalities are the only group of people standing between the rising tide of hate and destruction in the West.

If we think this is too far-fetched of a message, just consider that Hitler would not have become führer of Germany without the cooperation of Germany’s evangelical churches. Out of almost 13,000 pastors and churches, only 750–800 had the courage to oppose him. Why? He divided most of them.

It has been noted that while white America elected the first black president, it also brought out the worst in some black Americans, preachers, and other Christians who acted out of their emotions instead of using their God-given faculties to discern the times we live in. Hitler is quoted to have said: “How fortunate it is for the governments that the people they administer don’t think.”

As I mentioned in my previous post, the only people who truly benefit from the race division are those who claim to be fighting for justice. White racism exists, but it is not the cause of our problems.  Blacks are also racist and so is every race. Racism is about power and economics. No one is born to be racist but most of the racial seeds that have been planted in people’s hearts were planted by their parents when they were young.

Some white people find themselves uncomfortable or uneasy when they are with black people; likewise, some black people feel inferior and unwanted when they are with white people. The tendency to react in this way might have been planted within them by the enemy of our souls when they were little children.

Dr. Claud Anderson in his Vision Beyond the Dream Speech, said the same thing when he said the underlying reason for racism is not about the color of our skin, but about the power for the economic benefit of other people:

Racism is a power relationship or struggle between groups of people who are competing for resources and political power. It is one group’s use of wealth and power and resources to deprive, hurt, injure, and exploit another group to benefit itself.

That’s why most black people have been programmed to think of themeselves as inferior, different, and even dangerous; and even the media and some learning institutions have done a good job of portraying them as such. But racism is not necessarily the issue here; it is not about color, but about economics. It is how we respond to media distortions and the programmed self-hatred prevalent in our culture.

The battle is a spiritual battle not physical one, so we have to fight it on our knees in the spirit and stop blaming white people for all our problems. We all like to blame others since the fall our first parents, but giving in to this temptation renders us incapable to accept responsibility for our choices and actions.

God did not create one race to be inferior to another; there are tens of thousands of intelligent, productive black people. Many have arisen from humble beginnings to lead successful lives. Black people are exactly like white people in the area of natural intelligence—some very bright, some of ordinary good intelligence, and some slightly or seriously below average.

Instead of criticizing our fellow blacks who respect learning for “acting white” and being “traitors” we should be making a conscious effort to encourage them intead of being envious of them.

Another crucial point is that, we should avoid like a plague the politician’s game of “divide and rule,” using the old race card. We are all human beings created in the image of God, and we should all strive to love one another as brothers and sisters, regardless of the color of our skin, serve, and glorify Christ and enjoy Him forever and lastly be productive and useful citizens. For the Bible says,

We also were once thoughtless and senseless, obstinate and disobedient, deluded and misled; [we too were once] slaves to all sorts of cravings and pleasures, wasting our days in malice and jealousy and envy, hateful (hated, detestable) and hating one another. But when the goodness and loving-kindness of God our Savior to man [as man] appeared, He saved us, not because of any works of righteousness that we had done, but because of His own pity and mercy, by [the] cleansing [bath] of the new birth (regeneration) and renewing of the Holy Spirit, which He poured out [so] richly upon us through Jesus Christ our Savior. [And He did it in order] that we might be justified by His grace (by His favor, wholly undeserved), [that we might be acknowledged and counted as conformed to the divine will in purpose, thought, and action], and that we might become heirs of eternal life according to [our] hope.

This message is most trustworthy, and concerning these things I want you to insist steadfastly, so that those who have believed in (trusted in, relied on) God may be careful to apply themselves to honorable occupations and to doing good, for such things are [not only] excellent and right [in themselves], but [they are] good and profitable for the people….And let our own [people really] learn to apply themselves to good deeds (to honest labor and honorable employment), so that they may be able to meet necessary demands whenever the occasion may require and not be living idle and uncultivated and unfruitful lives. (Titus 3:3-8;14 AMP)

Lastly, black churches that are still preaching the liberation theology social gospel should repent and preach the true gospel of Jesus Christ. The overall emphasis of black liberation theology is the black struggle for liberation from various forms of “white racism” and oppression. Yet this social gospel of good deeds rejects the biblical concept of repentance, regeneration and sanctification.

Source of image: Heavens Call