Why We Fight
“Sojourn in this land and I will be with you and bless you, for to you and to your descendants I will give all these lands, and I will establish the oath which I swore to your father Abraham.” Genesis 26:3
I love America very much, but my love for her is comprised of two different types of love. One is natural; the other spiritual. First, I have a natural love for the USA, which I believe every person should possess for their homeland. Where this type of love is concerned, America will always be number one for me. Yes, I am a flag-waving patriot, with nationalistic pride and love for the USA.
The word patriot comes from the Greek word pater, which means “father.”(1) A patriot is one who honors and embraces the heritage, visions, and ideals of their father/s. The God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob honors this principle; so should we. True patriotism connects us to our roots: past ideals, creeds, purposes, covenants made with God and other aspects. This connection makes history relevant, giving us benchmarks and boundaries from which to measure our present and future. In a literal sense, for one to say he or she is a “patriotic” American and not embrace the principles of our Founders, which includes allegiance to and partnership with God, is a contradiction in terms.
I have another type of love for America, a spiritually rooted love, placed in me by God. In the year 2000, I experienced an encounter with Him during which He imparted to me His heart for America. God loves America. Having said that, I am under no delusion that He loves America more than other nations. He does not. Americans are not more important to Him than Nigerians, the British, the French, or any other people group. God loves us all the same. “For God so loved the world...” (see John 3:16).
This deep love Yahweh gave me for America, never results in a self-centered love. It causes anything but a national arrogance or egocentric mindset. On the contrary, it is a love linked to God’s heart for other nations, as well. Our purpose as a nation was and is to take the gospel of the Kingdom to all nations of the earth. A large part of my patriotism and love for America is rooted in this holy purpose. It is certainly the primary reason I am so passionate about seeing her restored. My love, therefore, for our nation is a Kingdom love, which supersedes the natural love I have for her.
There are those on the left who do not want biblical principles, morals, and ideals to guide America. They reject our Christian roots, disagree with the standards and principles of Scripture, and would find laughable my contention that God raised up America for His purpose. They are determined to remove His influence in our nation.
I do not limit my criticism only to those on the left, however. Many on the right - Republicans and conservatives - are unwilling to fight for this spiritual destiny. Having no understanding of God’s purpose for America, their governance - though not necessarily opposing the Almighty - often ignores Him and His ways. Since they are not aligned with the God-given vision of our Founding Fathers, they do not meet the true definition of a patriot. Many are merely self-serving politicians who dishonor the efforts and memory of the true patriots God used to establish America. Having traded patriotism for privilege and Christ’s cause for a career, they are unwilling to make a stand for our spiritual roots.
When Lewis Morris was faced with the monumental decision of whether or not to sign the Declaration of Independence, his brother warned him vehemently against it. The cost - life, fortune, perhaps family - would simply be too great. Morris’ response was one for the ages: “Damn the consequences, give me the pen.”(2) Would that today’s government leaders had such unselfish, patriotic hearts. Some do, of course, but far too few. Perhaps others will one day discover the true American soul. For many, it is too late; they sold out to selfish ambition long ago.
Pray with me:
Lord, we thank You for the true patriots who fought for the freedoms and blessings we enjoy today. We know that the battles we face are not actually about a political party, but a fight against You and Your plans for our land.
Open the eyes of our elected officials - give them encounters from You in which they are confronted with the truth of the Gospel. We ask You to convict members of Congress, Judges, State Legislators, Governors, Secretaries of State, and other leaders who do not know You. Remind us to pray for those leading our country, Holy Spirit, and lead us as we do so. Give us true patriots once again to lead our nation. Men and women with hearts like Lewis Morris, Patrick Henry, and others. Give us leaders who love America, yet also understand her calling to the nations.
Raise up leaders with true integrity and who are honorable, Father. Give us leaders who know You and Your ways, righteous women and men of prayer. We thank You for those who already meet these standards, but we ask You for many more. Remove those who don’t honor You and do not walk in integrity. Expose and remove them. We ask all of these things in the name of Jesus. Amen.
Our decree:
We decree that the purposes of God will be accomplished in America.
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“Strong's Greek: 3962. πατήρ (patér) -- a father.” Bible Hub, https://biblehub.com/greek/3962.htm. Accessed 31 December 2020.
Branch, Mark Alden. ““Damn the consequences. Give me the pen.” | This just in.” Yale Alumni Magazine, 3 July 2014, https://yalealumnimagazine.org/blog_posts/1831-damn-the-consequences-give-me-the-pen. Accessed 2 January 2021.
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