Many people in the west don’t realize the degree of persecution that is happening to God’s people today. It has been estimated that one in every ten Christians in the world is suffering some degree of persecution because of his/her Christian faith. This can range all the way from discrimination against them in education and employment; to having property destroyed, stolen or confiscated; to being forced from their homes or villages; to imprisonment; to physical attack and death.

Particularly, we have been hearing a great deal in recent months about the persecution against Christians in India, and particularly in the state of Orissa. To read an account from one Indian brother who recently visited the churches in Orissa, go to http://glorytotheking.net/glorymagazine/christmas08/orissa.html

I have enormous admiration for the saints who stand through such things, holding firmly to their faith no matter what. They both encourage and challenge me, and I thank God for their faith and faithfulness.

However, I can’t help feeling that they are missing a very important part of the Gospel. Yes, Jesus made it very clear that those who follow Him would suffer persecution – it is the inevitable result of the clash between the kingdom of darkness and the Kingdom of God. And yes, the Word makes it clear that we are to love those who persecute us. Unlike those who follow the religions of the world, we cannot rise up in an earthly “holy war” against those who attack us.

At the same time, we do not have to lie down and allow the world, and the gods of the world, to trample all over us. Jesus defeated satan at the cross. He “disarmed principalities and powers” and “made public spectacle of them” (Colossians 2:15.) The demonic powers behind those who would attack us have already been defeated. That means that we have the right to rise up and demand that they accept their defeat, and cease their attack. We have the right to require their surrender.

Now I fully understand that the moment when someone has a knife at your child’s throat, or is in the process of pouring petrol over your house and everyone and everything in it, is probably not the best time to begin learning to do warfare at this level. That’s why the persecuted church needs us – the church in the free world, for whom “persecution” is nothing more than a nasty look or a snide remark – to warfare at this level on their behalf. It is not enough for us to pray for them God’s comfort and protection. We need to be declaring God’s victory on their behalf.

If we don’t learn this, the time may quickly come when we are ourselves in the position where they are now.

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