This month’s newsletter is being written in the heat of battle. Katyushas bombard our people in the north of Israel daily, and the soldiers of the IDF (Israeli Defense Force) fight against a fierce, determined, well-armed enemy. Our friends who live in Northern Israel tell us of deserted streets, hotels and businesses. Their days are spent cooped up in shelters and safe places, never knowing when the next explosion will rock their world. We have all seen on television the images of flattened buildings, bodies buried under rubble, armored tanks (almost certainly the one our last Mercy Mission groups stood on!), women weeping over lost loved ones, and fires out of control in both Israel and Lebanon. Images in the natural. Ravages of war. Horror.

By the time you receive this newsletter, the fighting may have stopped but be assured the war is not over. There is a "war behind the war" that will continue until the Messiah returns. The Lord wants us to look at the spiritual behind the natural. This is where the real battle is occurring. The war in Lebanon should not surprise us. Our Messiah told us that we would hear of "wars and rumors of wars" before the time of the end (Matthew 24:6).

The following scriptures from Joel chapter 2 are relevant concerning the war in Lebanon as well as those yet to come: "Blow the trumpet in Zion, and sound an alarm in My holy mountain! Let all the inhabitants of the land tremble; for the day of the Lord is coming, for it is at hand..."

"The Lord gives voice before His army, for His camp is very great; for strong is the One who executes His word. For the day of the Lord is great and very terrible; who can endure it?" As the trumpet sounds on Yom Teruah this year, it will not be "business as usual." It will be a battle cry, a call to war.

In Southern Lebanon, the Israelis are fighting Hezbollah, funded by Iran with Syrian compliance. But a spiritual enemy looms even larger: "For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this age, against spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places." (Ephesians 6:12)

The one behind the war between Israel and Lebanon is the same enemy that wars against the children of God: HaSatan (the Adversary). Yeshua said the following about him: "He was a murderer from the beginning, and does not stand in the truth, because there is no truth in him." (John 8:44) Satan is a murderer and a liar and he has the power to indwell people with spirits of hatred, murder and lying.

Unfortunately, it seems as if Israel’s destiny has always been to "wrestle." The word wrestle itself comes from "Israel" and the wrestling match between Jacob and the angel of the Lord at Peniel (Genesis 32). While Jacob’s wrestling match was with a good angel, today’s match is with evil ones – the devil’s angels, his legions assigned to destroy Israel.

Satan is the "prince of the power of the air" (Ephesians 2:2). He delights in filling the airwaves not only with Katyushas, but with blasphemies and lies about Israel and the "Zionist enemy." Please don’t believe everything you hear on television (or read in your daily newspaper). Much of today’s media has an anti-Israel bias. Remember: Satan is the "father of lies." John 10:10 also says that Satan is a thief. Remember how the war in Lebanon began: two Israeli soldiers were stolen (kidnapped). According to the Bible, Satan comes to steal, kill and destroy. He followed his usual tactics in Lebanon: steal two soldiers, kill Israeli civilians (with rockets, missiles, and human bombs), destroy Israel as a nation (and replace it with an Islamic Palestinian state).

The essence of Islam is the idea that it should rule the world. Any means that will achieve this end are justified, including terrorism. The Israelis are up against an enemy that is determined to fight to the death. In this culture, death as a result of fighting the infidels is glorified. Another theological difference between Islam and Judaism/Christianity is the value of the lives of women and children. Hezbollah and Hamas both use women and children to shield men in battle. Civilians are specifically placed in the line of enemy fire. This is demonic wisdom.

The Shi’ite Muslims are one of the most orthodox and militant of the Muslim sects. Many Shi’ites are found in Iran. In Lebanon, they are known as the Hezbollah (Party of God). In Israel, they are known as Hamas (which means violence in ancient Hebrew). The spirits behind these groups are the same spirits: violence, terror, anti-semitism, murder and death, among others. All of these spirits are fueled by the fundamentalist spirit of "Jihad" or "Holy War" which teaches that if one dies defending the name of Allah, he will go directly to Paradise. Jihad literally means "striving or struggle" and refers to the struggle for world domination. The word "Islam" itself means "submission" to the will of Allah. Anyone who does not submit to Allah is an infidel. This includes Jews, Christians, and everyone else who is not a Shi’ite Muslim. According to Islam, America is the "great Satan" and Israel is the "little Satan!" Can you see that the war being fought is really a "spiritual" war?

The Koran, the holy book of Islam, has the following to say about Christians: "They do blaspheme who say Allah is the Messiah or the Son of Mary... They are unbelievers (infidels) who say Allah is one of three. They will be sternly punished" (Sura [Chapter] 5). Concerning both Jews and Christians the Koran says, "Make war upon those who believe even if they be people of the Book (Christians and Jews) until they have willingly agreed to pay the Jizya (tax) in recognition of their submissive state" (Sura 29).

The Koran sees the world as divided into two – one part which has submitted to Islamic rule, and one part which is supposed to come under Islamic rule in the future. You either belong to "Dar al-Islam" (the house of Islam) or "Dar al-Harb" (the house of war). The Koran contains 120 verses commanding its followers to fight, kill and die for Allah. While there are 99 characteristics given to the god of Islam, two are notably missing: father and love.

Those of us who know what the Bible says, realize that God has given the Land of Israel to His Jewish people. His Land. He has chosen to give it to whom He chose. Israel’s title deed to the Land can be found in Genesis 17:19 (also Psalm 105:7-11 and hundreds of other verses). According to Islam, any territory that comes under Islamic rule cannot be de-Islamized. Therefore, since Arabs at one time occupied the Holy Land, they consider it rightfully theirs. The presence of Israel undermines the credibility of Islam. Thus, the declaration by the Muslims of an eternal holy war against Israel. Professor Moshe Sharon, an Israeli history professor and expert on Islam (source of much of our information on the subject) has said: "Islam was created to be the army of Allah. Every single Moslem is a soldier in this army. Every single Moslem that dies fighting for the spread of Islam is a "shaheed" (martyr) no matter how he dies, because – this is very important – this is an eternal war between the two civilizations. It’s not a war that stops. This war is there because it was created by Allah. Islam must be the ruler. This is a war that will not end."

"We are in the midst of a battle in which strong spiritual forces of good and evil are engaged." This quote by Dr. Jay Rawlings of Jerusalem Vistas/Israel Vision, one of our sources for this newsletter, sums up what we have been trying to say. Jay also mentioned that hundreds of years ago, it was written that the 21st century is the century of Islam for world domination. The good news is that good will triumph over evil. Satan himself will be destroyed (Revelation 20:10). The Messiah Yeshua will return to defeat the enemies of Israel (Revelation 19:17-21). However, there will be no real peace until the Sar Shalom, the Prince of Peace ushers it in! He is Israel’s hope and He is our hope. His coming may be much sooner than any of us expect.

The God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, who has kept every promise He has ever made, tells us in Jeremiah chapter 31 that Israel will continue to exist. Allah will not win the battle. The God of Israel will be glorified: "Thus says the Lord, who gives the sun for a light by day, the ordinances of the moon and the stars for a light by night, who disturbs the sea, and its waves roar (The Lord of hosts is His name): If those ordinances depart from before Me, says the Lord, then the seed of Israel shall also cease from being a nation before Me forever." (Jeremiah 31:35-36)

The Holy Spirit, the Spirit of the Living God, the exact opposite of the spirit of Islam, is calling us, the Bride of Messiah to put on our full armor daily and do battle in the heavenlies. (Ladies: We have combat boots on under our bridal gowns!) "For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal but mighty in God for pulling down strongholds, casting down arguments and every high thing that exalts itself against the knowledge of God..." (2 Corinthians 10:4-5)

We can pull down strongholds through prayer. God is great within us! "Blessed be the Lord my Rock, who trains my hands for war, and my fingers for battle." (Psalm 144:1)

We can proclaim the word of the Lord – His truth – His promises. "For the scepter of wickedness shall not rest on the land allotted to the righteous..." (Psalm 125:3)

We can learn about our enemy and his tactics so that we are not easily deceived. "Be wise as serpents and harmless as doves." (Matthew 10:16)

How should we pray? A few suggestions follow:

The Amalek spirit: Read Exodus 17:8-16. Israel is still contending with this spirit. Plead with God to arise and do battle with the Amalek spirit on Israel’s behalf.

The prince of the kingdom of Persia: This ruling spirit over Iran (ancient Persia) is still active today. Queen Esther was victorious over this spirit that sought to annihilate the Jewish people. We (the Bride of the King) are called to be modern-day Esthers! Pray also that this same prince of demons who was defeated by the Archangel Michael (see Daniel 10:13) will be defeated once more.

The spirit of fear: Pray against this spirit in the lives of the Israeli people, especially the children and the elderly (Luke 21:26). Pray that God strengthens their hearts, and casts out every fear with His perfect love (I John 4:18). Claim Psalm 91:5: "You shall not be afraid of the terror by night, nor of the arrow that flies by day."

Calling on "Adonai Tzvaot": Pray that the Israelis see their desperate need to call upon The Lord of Hosts, the Captain of the Lord’s Army, Yeshua, to be their commanding general. May they submit to His divine authority. May God be glorified in their midst. Pray over the entire IDF: "Do not be afraid nor dismayed because of this great multitude, for the battle is not yours, but God’s." (2 Chronicles 20:15)

Confusion of the enemy: "Let God arise, let His enemies be scattered; let those also who hate Him flee before Him."( Psalm 68:1) Pray for confusion and division to enter the ranks of the enemy.

Supernatural intervention: Pray for God to supernaturally intervene in the Middle East conflict – for angels to appear in battle, deflect weapons and shield soldiers and civilians, for the God of Israel to be glorified – for eyes to be opened to Yeshua (Philippians 2:10). Angels are on duty: A synagogue in Akko, Israel was wiped out only 10 minutes after its worshippers walked out. Pray that angels will also protect innocent civilians (both Israeli and Arab) caught in the battle.

May you experience Shalom in the midst of the battle, because Yeshua, our Sar Shalom, has already won the war!

Yom Teruah blessings in Him,