Divine Warfare

There is a reason for my lack of posts lately. The excuse, this time, is that I've had too much homework. But, after thinking about it for a few seconds I decided that my excuse isn't a very good one. This is me killing two birds with one stone, so to speak.

Here are some thoughts from my study on the theme of Divine Warfare in the Bible, focusing on its culmination in the New Testament. Instead of putting all the documentation in for the quotes--from what was originally in footnotes--I will just tell you that most of the quotes will be from "Warfare" by Tremper Longman on page 835 of the New Dictionary of Biblical Theology and from An Old Testament Theology by Bruce Waltke. If you would like to know exactly where any of these quotes are taken, please let me know. It shouldn't be too academic, I found it to be very edifying.

DIVINE WARFARE IN THE NEW TESTAMENT

Jesus is the ultimate divine warrior who, “won the greatest battle of all, not by killing but by dying.” What we find in the New Testament is a warfare that, as predicted by God’s prophets, moves its focus from political power and victory to warfare that is spiritual in nature and accomplishment. Jesus intensifies the divine battle, focusing his attention, “not on mere human evil, but on the spiritual powers and principalities.”

Jesus Christ as the Divine Warrior

The anticipation expressed in the Exilic and Postexilic prophets is picked up by Matthew quoting John the Baptist who speaks of the one he later recognizes to be Jesus saying:
"I baptize you with water for repentance, but he who is coming after me is mightier than I, whose sandals I am not worthy to carry. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire. His winnowing fork is in his hand, and he will clear his threshing floor and gather his wheat into the barn, but the chaff he will burn with unquenchable fire" (Matt. 3:11-12).
But, to John’s surprise, Jesus wages war with spiritual weapons; healing the sick, casting out demons, and preaching the Gospel. The divine warrior’s victory work was taking upon himself the violence of the cross, which Paul understands “in terms of warfare; he describes the death of Christ as disarming the powers and authorities (Col. 2:15), and the ascension of Christ as a victory parade with the prisoners of war in the victor’s train (Eph. 4:7-8, with a quotation from Ps. 68, a divine warrior hymn).” Again, in Waltke’s word’s, “Jesus does not aim to overthrow Rome but through his humiliation and death achieves a greater victory—he vanquishes sin and death.” Jesus’ work on the cross was an accomplishment in receiving the wrath of God in place of those who put their faith in Him. It was also an example for those he would gather into his Church, of what kind of warfare lay ahead of them, and how they should engage in it.

The Church in Present Spiritual Warfare

The advance of God’s kingdom through his church is not accomplished in the violent acts of its people. Instead, it progresses as it’s members, like Christ, “suffer for righteousness, and even though wronged, turn the other cheek to the oppressor’s blows (Matt. 5:3-10, 38-42).” This is demonstrated by the early persecuted church described by Luke in Acts. The war for the believer is also fought, “not with sword, spear and shield, but with spiritual weapons like faith, righteousness and the word of God (Eph. 6:10-18). indeed, the battle is not only outward; it is also in the heart, as indicated by a number of passages which describe believers’ struggles against evil remaining within (Rom. 7:7-25; 2 Cor. 10:1-6).”

Jesus as the Future Warrior

According to passages like Mark 13:26—which says, “And then they will see the Son of Man coming in the clouds with great power and glory”—there is still anticipation in this age for more divine warfare to come. Even Jesus was looking forward to a certain future day when he would come in power. As Longman points out, “A second coming of Christ is anticipated and is most fully described in the book of Revelation, in which divine warrior language abounds.” Though the anticipation for a messiah who would be “smitten by God, and afflicted” and wounded for the transgressions of his people (Isaiah 53:4-5) was realized in Christ’s life death and resurrection, there is still the expectation of the Christ who will come with the fire, a winnowing fork in his hand, clearing the threshing floor, gathering his wheat into the barn and burning up the chaff with unquenchable fire (Matt. 3:11-12). This moment of his return is described for us in Revelation 19:11-16, which, “describes the coming of Christ on a white horse with a sword coming from his mouth. He is followed by the armies of heaven as he ‘judges and makes war’ (v. 11).”