As we recall the terrifying scenes of the 9/11 attacks on New York’s Twin Towers 20 years ago tomorrow, I suggest we are witnessing the beginning of the end of Western civilisation.
Masterminded by Al-Qaeda’s Osama bin Laden, whose suicide pilots reduced the 110-storey office blocks to rubble as thousands were catapulted to a horrific death, the attacks left the whole world in shock. And when George W Bush launched his ‘War on Terror’ in response, America and her allies decided to concentrate their efforts on Afghanistan, considered the training ground for much of the worldwide terrorist network still trying to strangle a fearful world into submission to Islam.
But after 20 years of attempting to impose democracy in the region while training and equipping an army with the best and most expensive weapons available, all we have succeeded in doing is to replace the Taliban… with a better equipped Taliban! For we have been forced into a humiliating retreat that quite possibly spells the end of Western influence after a campaign lasting two decades in which we have invested billions of taxpayers’ money and thousands of precious lives.
A spiritual conflict
Our fundamental failure was in not recognising the true nature of the terrorist-strewn battleground in the Middle East. It is not merely a battle for minds in which we should have been engaged but, much more importantly, for hearts. It is, and always has been, a spiritual conflict rather than a fight against flesh and blood.
The irony is that, in spite of the relentless intimidation of the Taliban and other Muslim extremists, we are hearing reports of a spiritual awakening in Afghanistan.
Bearing in mind that 9/11 was ultimately about hatred of Israel, traditionally supported by America, the spiritual forces behind radical Islam are wreaking havoc in the region. But we dare not go up against it in our own strength, relying on human ingenuity and technological prowess. Did our leaders – Bush, Blair and others – ever consult the Lord before sending soldiers to Afghanistan, and later to Iraq? He would have told them that our battle is not against flesh and blood, but against the spiritual forces of darkness, principalities and powers in the heavenly places (Eph 6:10-20).
We would have done far better to send gospel preachers to the region. The irony is that, in spite of the relentless intimidation of the Taliban and other Muslim extremists, and although we know the Church in Afghanistan is small in numbers, we are hearing reports that it is growing fast and there may even be signs of a spiritual awakening stirring, though it is too early to say.
Mark Ellis, of God Reports, writes: “Incredibly, many believe the country of Afghanistan has the second-fastest growing church in the world, next to Iran” (where more than a million people have converted to Christianity in recent years while risking their lives for so-called apostasy). He quotes Joel Richardson, a teacher and author affiliated with Global Catalytic Ministries, who had received reports of Afghan Christians risking their lives by choosing to stay and share the gospel – in one case even studying the Bible with the Taliban. He said: “Christians are aware of what’s coming. Some are saying they will stand firm. Some are still sharing the gospel – it’s amazing.”
The fearless nature of these believers reminds Richardson of the character of the believers in the Book of Revelation. “They overcame him by the blood of the Lamb and the word of their testimony. They did not love their lives unto death. We are seeing that in real time. Our brothers and sisters are demonstrating the character that will be required to navigate the days ahead, as we approach the last days. Jesus made it clear: the gates of hell will not prevail against the kingdom of God!”1
The West has turned its back on God
Tragically, the nations who have previously taken the gospel to these and other parts of the developing world have turned their backs on the God who has brought them great blessing and prosperity. They have forsaken his laws and his ways and have become corrupt and sexually immoral, worshipping the idols of money, power and pleasure instead of the true and glorious God who has ultimately revealed himself in the person of Jesus. We have spurned our awesome heritage for a pot of stew – a momentary indulgence to satisfy a self-seeking appetite (see Gen 25:19-34).
Western nations like Britain have come under God’s judgment for their stubborn waywardness and rebellion, of which 9/11 was a warning. So now, on top of the difficulties created by the Covid pandemic, we are in greater danger than ever of being invaded by terrorists seeking to destroy what little is left of our Judeo-Christian heritage. Indeed, we have already been invaded by a deadly virus that keeps mutating.
We have spurned our awesome heritage for a pot of stew – a momentary indulgence to satisfy a self-seeking appetite.
The psalmist, in warning Israel against serving foreign gods, laments at how they refused to listen and submit to the Lord. As a result, he “gave them over to their stubborn hearts to follow their own devices. If my people would but listen to me, if Israel would follow my ways, how quickly would I subdue their enemies.” (Ps 81:11-14) The prophet Jeremiah was also among those who kept warning of the judgment that would follow the forsaking of God’s ways. The Lord’s protective cover would be withdrawn and they would “fall by the sword, plague and famine” (Jer 34:17). Jerusalem and Judah were subsequently destroyed and her people sent into exile in Babylon. Perhaps we (and especially Christians) will be sent into exile of a sort in the near future, of which the pandemic has been a foretaste, to allow God to cleanse and refine us as he did for those in Babylon.
Building our lives on the Rock
The good news is that the exiles eventually returned, renewed and restored in their faith, in accordance with God’s promises. As Clifford Hill wrote in his new book, The Post-Pandemic Church (Wilberforce Publications), “Nebuchadnezzar (the Babylonian emperor) was not the real enemy of Jerusalem; he was only an instrument in God’s hand.” In the same way, the Taliban is not our real enemy – they too are but an instrument in God’s hand. If we should mend our ways and return to the God who miraculously rescued us from Nazi enslavement just a couple of generations ago, there is yet hope for us, and we need not fear the jackboot of Islamic fundamentalism – or Chinese, Russian or North Korean communism for that matter.
We need to build our lives, and our nation, on the only Rock that is secure (see Matt 7:24-27).
But as it is, we are in mortal danger of being taken into ‘exile’ – certainly out of our comfort zone with the combination of Covid-19 and Cultural Marxism already in our midst, along with the threat of brutal modern-day ‘Babylonians’ laying siege to our society in a bid to uproot our Christian foundations and tear down our churches.
We have failed to listen to constant warnings of the consequences of sin, instead buying into a woke world whose values have been turned upside down. As Israel of old wanted to be like the other nations, so the Western church now wants to ape the world rather than being salt and light to our secular leaders. Jesus said that ignoring his teaching would amount to building on sand, which would lead to disaster when the storms struck. We need to build our lives, and our nation, on the only Rock that is secure (see Matt 7:24-27).
To be continued next week.
1Bold Afghan Christians sharing the Gospel with Taliban, God Reports, August 20th 2021