Falling Skies... Raging War
Recently, I have become somewhat addicted to a program airing on TNT called "Falling Skies." The basic plot of this show is that a group of survivors, the Second Massachusetts, are battling for life, much less a "normal" life, to be restored to humans who have survived the alien invasion and occupation. Following this group has led to all kinds of edge-of-your-seat thrills and dangers. The group is led by Captain Weaver and Tom Mason, Tom being the show's center stage star. As I have watched this show, however, I have been brought to mind of the parallels between the Second Mass and my own group of soldiers and citizens- the church of Jesus Christ. I'd like to point out a few of the parallels- a few truths about the Christian life while living in this age all the while using Falling Skies as a backdrop to illustrate those truths.
1. This is war- always be prepared.
Very early in the show we are introduced to the cruel reality of warfare. The members of the second mass battle strategically against Skitters and Mechs though an encounter with very many of these can be life threatening for the entire group. One key to surviving the battle with their alien foes is to be prepared. No soldier of the Second Mass should expect a victory in battle by running out unarmed and without any protection. For the Christian this truth is of utmost importance. In Ephesians 6:11, Paul gives sound warning to the believers to be prepared- to take the armor of God: Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the schemes of the devil. (Ephesians 6:11 ESV) But it isn't enough to be protected from the darts of the enemy- it is necessary to attack the enemy- to put him to death. Paul, in breaking down this imagery of warfare, urges believers to be sure to take the sword of the Spirit as well that they may fight against the enemy of sin. There are other elements which the Christian must not leave out to the battlefield without- take notice of the following text: Therefore take up the whole armor of God, that you may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand firm. Stand therefore, having fastened on the belt of truth, and having put on the breastplate of righteousness, and, as shoes for your feet, having put on the readiness given by the gospel of peace. In all circumstances take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming darts of the evil one; and take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God, praying at all times in the Spirit, with all prayer and supplication. To that end keep alert with all perseverance, making supplication for all the saints, and also for me, that words may be given to me in opening my mouth boldly to proclaim the mystery of the gospel, for which I am an ambassador in chains, that I may declare it boldly, as I ought to speak. (Ephesians 6:13-20 ESV) Reading this text, I am reminded that going into battle without one of these items is very foolish- like walking into battle without a gun or without a strategy. Preparation before the battle may very well be the most important part of the battle. As I have been reminded by John Piper, Scripture is not alone as our weapon in warfare- there is another weapon holding awesome power- the weapon of prayer. Piper calls this weapon our wartime walkie-talkie. We use prayer to access the power of God in warfare- if that is not a powerful weapon against the enemy then I don't know what is! Paul makes the necessity of prayer known in the passage I have just included- he places prayer here in the midst of warfare for a reason. Without reporting to our Supreme Commander, our King, we are asking for defeat for without His help- without His Spirit as the text so clearly points out- we are powerless. The need for preparation- for locking and loading so to speak- has often been ignored because the sad reality is for many believers today they have no wartime mindset. They are embracing the illusion of comfort and the idol of wealth while their eyes are closed to the battle that is going on all around them. This is war! Prepare for battle! Gear up and be prepared to attack, prepared to move!
2. This is war- do battle with fellow soldiers.
On every episode of Falling Skies this truth is painstakingly clear. The reason this truth is so obvious on the show is because it is so obvious that a single soldier alone is clearly no match for the Skitters and Mechs that attack. There are times perhaps when Recon missions are assigned, but the soldier never goes out to battle alone- to act as an island means sure defeat. This truth has been grasped onto by many churches that I hear of and praise God for. Small groups, community groups, multi-night meetings of fellow church members, and so on all provide a means of doing battle together. Furthermore, daily interactions with other believers- daily discussion together of the gospel- is a real necessity. The Bible reveals that God did not intend the Christian to be an island- He formed us as parts of a whole. Notice the words of Paul to the Corinthians: For just as the body is one and has many members, and all the members of the body, though many, are one body, so it is with Christ. For in one Spirit we were all baptized into one body— Jews or Greeks, slaves or free—and all were made to drink of one Spirit. For the body does not consist of one member but of many. (1 Corinthians 12:12-14 ESV) In this war, we all wear the same uniform, we fight the enemy of sin not alone but together. This is how God has designed it- just like a master strategist, God has placed believers together to battle knowing full well that battling sin together is far more effective than battling alone. Just as the members of Second Mass battle together strategically in order to protect one another and more effectively kill the enemy, every believer battles together to protect one another and to more effectively put sin to death.
3. This is war- we have an Ally.
This comparison is certainly not a perfect one but it does make a good connection. As the second season of Falling Skies closes we are briefly introduced to a powerful new creature. Cochise is the name of the representative of the Volm, the species who come as a powerful ally to the resistance at Columbia. The Volm essentially prove to be the strong hand fueling the human fight against the alien overlords- with their powerful weaponry the humans have not only held off attacks but successfully damaged their alien opponents. Now their are clear flaws, some quite major, with this illustration but the essential truth remains in tact that we as soldiers fighting the battle against sin have a powerful Ally- in our case an all-powerful Ally- namely, the Holy Spirit. I love the language Paul uses to describe the relationship of this Ally to our enemy- the sinful flesh. But I say, walk by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the flesh. For the desires of the flesh are against the Spirit, and the desires of the Spirit are against the flesh, for these are opposed to each other, to keep you from doing the things you want to do. (Galatians 5:16, 17 ESV) The amazing news in this passage is that you are not alone in fighting the battle! And get a grasp on this- the Spirit of God does not fight the flesh just on your account- He isn't just doing you a favor. The Spirit of God hates the enemy more than you do so He is fighting His foe in you. All the power of the Spirit of God has been invested into you in order to wage war daily against the common foe- sin. But there is another aspect given in this passage- the walking by the Spirit. Even in the fight against aliens in the world of Falling Skies, the humans realize that there is a type of conduct that must be held to if they are to evidence their desire for the Volm's assistance. In the battle we face against sin Paul understands that if we are going to experience the power of the Spirit against the sin we battle we cannot join forces with the enemy- we must walk in the Spirit displaying our need for Him and our longing for His presence within us to battle sin. It is a truth that unites God's sovereign working and men's responsibility hand in hand. As we have received the Spirit in Christ we are called to cultivate. When we stumble and choose the fleeting pleasures of sin more than the pleasures of God we quench the Spirit. That's not to say the Spirit never comes to aid us again but there must be repentance and a renewed heart that loves holiness more than sin and loves God more than self. There is a conduct that is required- pursuing God through the means of grace and trusting His Spirit to produce His fruit within us- if the Spirit is to be cultivated and not quenched by the desires of the flesh. Not only does the Spirit fight you see, the flesh fights back also trying to take your desires from God and place it on sin. Cultivate the relationship we have with this Ally! As we will see in this next point, part of cultivating the presence and power of the Spirit comes as we cultivate a military mindset.
4. This is war- keep a military mindset!
One of the themes of the show is the radical difference in lifestyle between before the invasion and after the invasion. In one episode Hal leads the kids of Second Mass after being captured by a traitor to the rebellion. As they journeyed back to the camp, Hal and the kids stop in an abandoned house to recover from the escape from their captors. As they once more experience a little piece of living in a normal house, Lourdes poses the question to Hal "Do you think we will ever experience this again?" The prospect of normal living is almost impossible to imagine for the Second Mass after over a year of hectic warfare. The members of Second Mass understood that they couldn't afford to live like they did before- this is war and living like there is no enemy just invites the enemy to take over. The members of Second Mass understand that a radical lifestyle is necessary in order to battle against their opponents. Comfort is an illusion when war is the reality. The picture Paul gives of the Christian life is not one of ease and comfort- war is the reality of the Christian life therefore radical lifestyle is a necessity. Notice the radical words of Christ in Matthew 10: "Do not think that I have come to bring peace to the earth. I have not come to bring peace, but a sword. For I have come to set a man against his father, and a daughter against her mother, and a daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law. And a person's enemies will be those of his own household. Whoever loves father or mother more than me is not worthy of me, and whoever loves son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me. And whoever does not take his cross and follow me is not worthy of me. Whoever finds his life will lose it, and whoever loses his life for my sake will find it. (Matthew 10:34-39 ESV) The cost of following Christ is a daily dying to self- a lifestyle characterized by suffering and war rather than self-comfort and ease. But there is a promise of experiencing again the comfort and joy of the presence of God that will never end. We have a hope- we have the promise of victory because the death of Christ has forever guaranteed the victory!God did not design the Christian life to be easy-Christ came to bring a sword- He brings war against sin and all worldliness therefore we live for this present moment in the radical lifestyle of a soldier.
5. This is war- know your enemy.
I close now with a final point on the nature of our enemy. The members of the resistance face a number of enemies including skitters, mechs, mega-mechs, and more. Perhaps the most dangerous enemy- the most disastrous- is the smallest agent in the host of the enemy- the eye worm. The enemy most often faced by believers is not like the Skitter or the Mega Mech- the enemy we face is most comparable to the eye worm. In the final episode of the second season, members of the Second Mass are captured by the local alien overlord after an attempt to take him out. Fortunately, the rebel Skitters come to their rescue and they are able to complete their mission. Hal, however, after the overlord's helper tortured him, awoke to discover that this little creature had been implanted on him and it crawled quickly into his brain. This would play out dramatically in season 3 after the real Hal lost control of himself and the small eye worm made him into an evil version of himself. With the eye worm infecting his brain, Hal kidnapped his own father and held him hostage until he was captured and the worm was successfully removed. The point is that the greatest enemy we face on a daily basis comes from within us not without- we are our own worst enemy. Notice the words of Paul in Romans 7 as he makes this very point: For I know that nothing good dwells in me, that is, in my flesh. For I have the desire to do what is right, but not the ability to carry it out. For I do not do the good I want, but the evil I do not want is what I keep on doing. Now if I do what I do not want, it is no longer I who do it, but sin that dwells within me. (Romans 7:18-20 ESV) Our flesh still bears the nature of worldliness- though that sin nature no longer reigns over us, it is still present within us seeking to take control over our bodies. So what do we do? Paul gives us the answer just a chapter previous to the chapter mentioned above: Do you not know that if you present yourselves to anyone as obedient slaves, you are slaves of the one whom you obey, either of sin, which leads to death, or of obedience, which leads to righteousness? But thanks be to God, that you who were once slaves of sin have become obedient from the heart to the standard of teaching to which you were committed, and, having been set free from sin, have become slaves of righteousness. (Romans 6:16-18 ESV) Paul doesn't advocate laying down in defeat- he doesn't say "Well guys, as you all know, we are fighting an enemy within. Since that is the case, I urge you to just stop trying to win because it'll never happen." Paul makes the point that there are two ways to go here: you can yield to the enemy- the sinful nature in your flesh, or you can yield to the sanctifying influences of the Spirit. But this is not a walk through the park- it is war. As we noted before from Galatians, the Spirit and the flesh are battling for control- they do not take turns or give up. So how do we come to the point of daily defeating the enemy within us? The answer is found all throughout Scripture- from Christ's words to Paul's letters: the mortification of the flesh. If you are going to have victory over sinful flesh in the daily battles that you face, you will not win through diplomacy or politics. It will not be because you talked things over with your sinful desires and came to a resolution. The only way you can have victory is to kill sin in yourself daily and pursue Christlikeness with all your heart. Notice the way Paul puts it in Colossians 3: Put to death therefore what is earthly in you: sexual immorality, impurity, passion, evil desire, and covetousness, which is idolatry. In these you too once walked, when you were living in them. But now you must put them all away: anger, wrath, malice, slander, and obscene talk from your mouth. Do not lie to one another, seeing that you have put off the old self with its practices and have put on the new self, which is being renewed in knowledge after the image of its creator. (Colossians 3:5, 7-10 ESV) The truth is, if you are going to do battle against the enemy that is within you, you must come to grips with who you really are in Christ. Embracing the identity you've been given in Christ is essential to killing the old man- that which is no longer your identity. With that in mind, it is paramount that we daily refresh ourselves in the gospel and meditate on the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus Christ. Put yourself daily in mind of Him because the gospel is not only what saved you- it is what daily sanctifies you. God's work in Christ is still in progress awaiting its completion at the end of time- so fight! Make war! Know that your enemy, though extremely subtle, has been defeated in Christ and through Christ it can be daily put to death!
Are you ready to make war?
