American Defeat In Mideast, 9/12/14

My fellow Americans, now that the President has spoken out, declaring what he says our actions will be to deal with the ISIS problem, we need to know the truth from the word of God on this matter. In a nutshell: it will be disastrous for America.

First let me say I support the soldiers who fight because it is not their fault that our nation is so sinful and our leadership is so poor. The selflessness of the average American soldier is admirable and praiseworthy. The soldiers deserve our love and support and prayers, which they need desperately, especially prayer for their salvations because many are about to die and go into eternity where eternal unspeakable torment in hell is a reality if they have not yielded to the Lordship of Jesus Christ.

Let me lay the scriptural foundation for what we are going to see. There is a fundamental principle at work here having to do with how God deals with his children. God is holy and requires that his children be holy as well and when we stray he has to discipline us for our rebellion. One of the results of rejecting God for a nation that has a covenant with him is that he gives them over to be routed by their enemies in battle:

Deuteronomy 28:25

“The Lord will cause you to be defeated before your enemies; you shall go out one way against them and flee seven ways before them; and you shall become troublesome to all the kingdoms of the earth.

When God is dealing with his children this way he withdraws the angelic protection that is normally there in times of obedience to God. Israel experienced this and it is recorded in the Psalms:

Psalm 44:9

But You have cast us off and put us to shame, And You do not go out with our armies.

Probably the best scriptural account of this is found in the book of Joshua when the Israelites who had made quick work of the mighty city of Jericho were routed by a weak foe because of sin amongst them:

Joshua 7:1-5New King James Version (NKJV)

Defeat at Ai

7 But the children of Israel committed a trespass[sin] regarding the accursed things, for Achan the son of Carmi, the son of Zabdi,[a] the son of Zerah, of the tribe of Judah, took of the accursed things; so the anger of the Lord burned against the children of Israel. 2 Now Joshua sent men from Jericho to Ai, which is beside Beth Aven, on the east side of Bethel, and spoke to them, saying, “Go up and spy out the country.” So the men went up and spied out Ai. 3 And they returned to Joshua and said to him, “Do not let all the people go up, but let about two or three thousand men go up and attack Ai. Do not weary all the people there, for the people of Ai are few.” 4 So about three thousand men went up there from the people, but they fled before the men of Ai. 5 And the men of Ai struck down about thirty-six men, for they chased them from before the gate as far as Shebarim, and struck them down on the descent; therefore the hearts of the people melted and became like water.

So what was the cause of the defeat? SIN! The violation of God's instructions not touch any of the booty from the victory at Jericho made them weak when normally they would have been invincible because they had God with them. So we see how God withdraws if there is too much sin. This is the problem we now have. America is steeped in sin and totally unrepentant for it so God cannot back us up in battle. That is why we have accomplished nothing in recent wars and in this one will not only accomplish nothing but actually we will be badly embarrassed and suffer heavy casualties.

Our 'superior firepower' does not mean anything when we have no angels going out with our troops. We are in serious trouble and will get the pants whipped off us when we go up against ISIS. No amount to prayer for victory will avail anything without the adequate national repentance that is necessary for God to return to backing us up with supernatural power, especially angelic protection for our military. I believe individuals can receive help from prayer, such as a faithful set of parents praying for their boy in the war. But as for the big picture, the military as a whole, it will not work. Only repentance will bring victory.

The good news is that God is eager to return to protecting us if we will repent as a nation. When we do he will return to us and protect us again and give us victory once again if we repent adequately:

Deuteronomy 30:1-7New King James Version (NKJV)

The Blessing of Returning to God

30 “Now it shall come to pass, when all these things come upon you, the blessing and the curse which I have set before you, and you call them to mind among all the nations where the Lord your God drives you, 2 and you return to the Lord your God and obey His voice, according to all that I command you today, you and your children, with all your heart and with all your soul, 3 that the Lord your God will bring you back from captivity, and have compassion on you, and gather you again from all the nations where the Lord your God has scattered you. 4 If any of you are driven out to the farthest parts under heaven, from there the Lord your God will gather you, and from there He will bring you. 5 Then the Lord your God will bring you to the land which your fathers possessed, and you shall possess it. He will prosper you and multiply you more than your fathers. 6 And the Lord your God will circumcise your heart and the heart of your descendants, to love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul, that you may live. 7 “Also the Lord your God will put all these curses on your enemies and on those who hate you, who persecuted you.

Prolonged, deep, sincere and permanent national repentance is the only way to get back under God's protection and until it happens we will be defeated in military conflict. So pray for the spirit of repentance to fall on the whole nation. May God bless you as as you pray for the spirit of repentance to fall over the whole nation.

(prayer) Heavenly Father I pray you do a mighty work of your spirit among our soldiers and bring all who are willing to salvation before they go out to fight so that all who die will come to be with you in eternity. Raise up evangelists in their midst to tell them of Jesus and eternal life. In Jesus name. Amen.

Steve Pursell, 9/12/14