According to Google, the definition of Commander in Chief is – “A head of state or officer in supreme command of a country’s armed forces.”
In the Bible, we are introduced to the Commander in Chief of Heaven’s armies!
Jesus Christ!
At this current moment right now a new Commander in Chief of our country has just been elected … while simultaneously, we all are rushing headlong into the Holidays!
Christmas.
A time when manger scenes decorate Christmas cards … and children reenact the Christmas story, with shepherds, wise men, and baby Jesus. We sing songs about little baby Jesus.
However … before Jesus entered into human history (to redeem us from sin) … he made a few “cameo” appearances on the earth!
One particular “cameo” appearance of Jesus was when he showed up to Joshua, on the eve of battle before the attack on the city of Jericho:
“Now when Joshua was near Jericho, he looked up and saw a man standing in front of him with a drawn sword in his hand. Joshua went up to him and asked, ‘Are you for us or for our enemies?’
“’Neither,’ he replied, ‘but as commander of the army of the LORD I have now come.’
“Then Joshua fell facedown to the ground in reverence, and asked him, ‘What message does my Lord have for his servant?’
“The commander of the LORD’s army replied, ‘Take off your sandals, for the place where you are standing is holy.’ And Joshua did so.”
– Joshua 5:13-15
Jesus Christ is our Commander in Chief!
Why do we need a Commander in Chief??
Because there is a dark, evil, unseen spirit enemy seeking to destroy us!
Because we are at war! – against unseen spirit forces of darkness!
Where did these dark, evil, unseen spirit forces come from??
Why are they trying to attack us??
Jesus Christ is the creator of all things: including the seen, visible, material world we live in; and the unseen, immaterial spirit realm which we don’t see.
“Jesus Christ is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn over all creation. For by him all things were created: things in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or powers or rulers or authorities; all things were created by him and for him. He is before all things, and in him all things hold together.” – Colossians 1:15-17
The unseen spirit realm intersects with our material world – in that, unseen spirit forces of evil have been cast out of Heaven! … and thrown down to the earth!
Invisible forces of darkness & evil now roam (unseen) throughout our visible material world.
“There was war in heaven. Michael and his angels fought against the dragon, and the dragon and his angels fought back. But he was not strong enough, and they lost their place in heaven. The great dragon was hurled down – that ancient serpent called the devil, or Satan, who leads the whole world astray. He was hurled to the earth, and his angels with him.” – Revelation 12:7-9
“One day the angels came to present themselves before the LORD, and Satan also came with them. The LORD said to Satan, ‘Where have you come from?’ Satan answered the LORD, ‘From roaming through the earth and going back and forth in it.’” – Job 1:6-7
“Be self-controlled and alert. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour. Resist him, standing firm in the faith.” – 1 Peter 5:8-9
“Be strong in the LORD and in his mighty power. Put on the full armor of God so that you can take your stand against the devil’s schemes. For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world, and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms.” – Ephesians 6:10-12
A really great way to illustrate the intersection of the unseen spirit realm with the seen material world in which we live … is via the following photos.
These photos were taken in November of 2020. Everything was dark and dreary and grey when my family boarded the airplane early that morning.
But shortly after takeoff, the plane popped up through the low-lying marine layer of clouds … and BAM! There was Mt. Rainier! In all it’s glory!
The unseen, invisible was just above the clouds. It was totally there! We just couldn’t see it.
Boarding the airplane, we could have thought the only thing which comprised “reality” was what we could see. Obviously, all the world was dark and dreary and grey!
But there was so much more than what we could see! The mountain was there … in the “unseen” realm! The sunrise was there … in the “unseen” realm.
So also, it is the same when it comes to the unseen, invisible spirit realm!
Jesus Christ is the Commander in Chief of Heaven’s armies!
Jesus is there … just out of our sight … in the unseen realm, leading war against the dark forces of evil.
Heaven’s armies of angels are there … just out of our sight … in the unseen realm, fighting against the dark forces of evil.
And likewise, we too fight!
We might not be able to see … but God has clearly told us what is there in the unseen realm.
So we trust, by faith.
We believe, by faith.
And we take our stand!
“The LORD is a warrior; the LORD is his name.” – Exodus 15:3
“Do not be afraid of them, the LORD your God himself will fight for you.” – Deuteronomy 3:22
“The LORD your God, who is going before you, will fight for you.” – Deuteronomy 1:30
“He will command his angels concerning you to guard you in all your ways.” – Psalm 91:11
“The weapons we fight with are not the weapons of the world. On the contrary, they have divine power to demolish strongholds.” – 2 Corinthians 10:4
“We demolish arguments and every pretension that sets itself up against the knowledge of God, and we take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ.” – 2 Corinthians 10:5
Thank you Jesus, for being our Commander in Chief!
Thank you for fighting for us!
Thank you for protecting and defending us!
