We are engaged in a spiritual and ideological war. The world is fighting every day against the authority and Lordship of Jesus Christ, and we are soldiers on the front line. We contend against governments and organizations, as Ephesians 6:12 reminds us, “For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers over this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places.”
Here are just some of the areas that we Christians have pledged our very lives to fight:
Human Trafficking: The global commercial sex trade exploits one million children annually. At least 100,000 and perhaps as many as 300,000 children in America are victims of sex trafficking each year.
Abortion: In 2012, 699,202 legal induced abortions were reported to CDC from 49 reporting areas. The abortion rate for 2012 was 13.2 abortions per 1,000 women aged 15–44 years, and the abortion ratio was 210 abortions per 1,000 live births.
Pornography: After an analysis of 400 million web searches, researchers concluded that 1 in 8 of all searches online are for erotic content. In a survey of hundreds of college students, 93% of boys and 62% of girls said they were exposed to pornography before they turned 18.
The Degradation of the Family: Married men and women tend to have better financial health, increased savings, and greater social mobility than unmarried individuals. Children raised in families headed by a married couple have a greater chance of experiencing economic stability, high academic performance, and emotional maturity. Teens from intact married families are less likely to be sexually active and also less likely to abuse drugs and/or alcohol, exhibit poor social behaviors, or participate in violent crimes. Consistent parental involvement, especially from fathers, is also related to decreased likelihood of teen pregnancy.
Violence and Murder:: In 2014, the estimated number of murders in the nation was 14,249. There were 4.5 murders per 100,000 people. Of the estimated number of murders in the United States, 46% were reported in the South, 20.5% were reported in the Midwest, 20.5% were reported in the West, and 13.1% were reported in the Northeast.
Homelessness: In January 2015, 564,708 people were homeless on a given night in the United States. Of that number, 206,286 were people in families, and 358,422 were individuals. About 15% of the homeless population - 83,170 - are considered "chronically homeless” individuals. About 2% - 13,105 - are considered "chronically homeless” people in families. About 8% of homeless people- 47,725 - are veterans.
Substance Abuse: Illicit drug use in the United States has been increasing. In 2013, an estimated 24.6 million Americans aged 12 or older—9.4% of the population—had used an illicit drug in the past month. This number is up from 8.3% in 2002.
These are just some of the areas that we fight, but most importantly we fight the battle for souls against an enemy who is ruthless, cunning, and was once our very own master.
We have one weapon at our disposal, and indeed it is the only weapon effective against any one of these problems that not only America, but the whole world faces, and that is the gospel of Jesus Christ.
Without the gospel, image bearers of God will continue to be trafficked.
Without the gospel, babies will continue to be murdered in the womb.
Without the gospel, men and women will turn to pornography to satisfy their lustful desires.
Without the gospel, marriages will crumble.
Without the gospel, men and women will continue to murder and be murdered.
Without the gospel, there will always be people living out on the street.
Without the gospel, people will still use addictive substances.
We will put on the full armor of God, as described in Ephesians 6, and boldly proclaim the gospel of Jesus Christ to all nations and all peoples, as we recognize it is the only thing capable of producing real change in a person’s life. We do this because there is one other area we will fight:
Until every person on the planet hears the gospel and saving grace of Jesus Christ: There are 7,291,524,000 people on planet Earth. Of that number, 3,064,914,000 are unreached with the gospel, accounting for 42% of the world’s population.
Jeremy Wiggins is the producer for Engage Podcast and also host his own program In the Trenches. You can listen to both programs on American Family Radio. He is a graduate of Liberty University with a B.A. of Religion and a Minor in Biblical Studies. A veteran of the United States Air Force, he and his wife were stationed at Nellis AFB in Las Vegas, NV, where Jeremy was an F15 Avionics Technician. He has written for the AFA Journal, One Million Dads, and has also had his work quoted in World Net Daily and Christianity Today. He has served as a guest host of AFR Talk’s Financial Issues, Nothing But Truth, Exploring the Word, and AFA Today. Since 2009, Jeremy has served at the American Family Association to help restore America’s Biblical and moral foundations.
