School Shootings and Spiritual Warfare
— Friday, December 14th, 2012 —
The nation is watching, with horror and disgust, news reports out of Connecticut of a horrific act of violence against an elementary school filled with defenseless children. While every act of murder ought to provoke outrage, there’s something especially condemnable about the murder of children. I think there’s a reason for that.
In the hours after the shooting, Jewish political and cultural commentator John Podhoretz called attention to a concept most Americans don’t like to think about at Christmastime, if ever: hell. Podhoretz noted the heightened iniquity of child sacrifice in the Hebrew Scriptures’ denunciation of the god Moloch. Moloch, of course, was a blood-thirsty deity who demanded his followers to pour out the lives of their children. The valley of this atrocity was called Gehenna. Jesus pointed to Gehenna when he told us about hell.
Throughout the history of the universe, evil has manifested a dark form of violence specifically toward children. Not only did the Canaanite nations demand the blood of babies, but the Bible shows where at points of redemptive crisis, the powers of evil have lashed out at children. Pharaoh saw God’s blessing of Israelite children as a curse and demanded they be snuffed out by the power of his armed thugs. And, of course, the Christmas narrative we read together this time of year is overshadowed by an act of horrific mass murder of children. King Herod, seeing his throne threatened, demands the slaughter of innocent children.
Jesus was not born into a gauzy, sentimental winter wonderland of sweetly-singing angels and cute reindeer nuzzling one another at the side of his manger. He was born into a war-zone. And at the very rumor of his coming, Herod vowed to see him dead, right along with thousands of his brothers. History in Bethlehem, as before and as now, is riddled with the bodies of murdered children.
Why?
There are more factors at work here than just impersonal psychology and sociology. “The course of this world,” we’re told, is driven along by “the prince of the power of the air” (Eph. 2:2). And behind all of that is a bloody skirmish. Satan is, Jesus tells us, a “murderer from the beginning” because he hates life itself. And he hates the life of children, particularly, because they picture something true about Jesus of Nazareth.
Jesus showed his disciple John that behind the particulars of history there’s another, darker, story going on. Jesus showed the picture of a woman giving birth to a child, with a dragon crouching before her to devour the baby (Rev. 12:4). When the woman and her child escaped, the dragon “became furious with the woman and went out to make war on the rest of her offspring” (Rev. 12:17), and has done so ever since.
Satan hates children because he hates Jesus. When evil destroys “the least of these” (Matt. 25:40, 45), the most vulnerable among us, it destroys a picture of Jesus himself, of the child delivered by the woman who crushes the head of our reptilian overlord (Gen. 3:15). The demonic powers know that the human race is saved, and they’re vanquished, by a child born of woman (Gal. 4:4; 1 Tim. 2:15). And so they hate the children who bear his nature.
Violence against children is also peculiarly satanic because it destroys the very picture of newness of life and dependent trust that characterizes life in the kingdom of God (Matt. 18:4). Children are a blessing, and that enrages the horrifying nature of those who seek only to kill and to destroy (Jn. 10:10).
The satanic powers want the kingdoms of the universe, and a child uproots their reign.
Let’s not offer pat, easy answers to the grieving parents and communities in Connecticut. We don’t fully understand the mystery of iniquity. We don’t know why God didn’t stop this from happening. But we do know what this act is: it’s satanic, and we should say so.
Let’s grieve for the innocent. Let’s demand justice for the guilty. And let’s rage against the Reptile behind it all.
As we do so, let’s remember that Bethlehem was an act of war. Let’s remember that the One born there is a prince of peace who will crush the skull of the ancient murderer of Eden. Let’s pray for the Second Coming of Mary’s son. And, as we sing our Christmas carols, let’s look into the slitted eyes of Satan as we promise him the threat of his coming crushed skull.
The mystery of evil is a declaration of war on the peace of God’s creation. The war goes on, but not for long. And sometimes the most warlike thing we can say, in an inhuman murderous age like this one, is “It’s beginning to look a lot like Christmas.”
129 Responses to “School Shootings and Spiritual Warfare”
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Very well said, Dr. Moore. At the end of the post, it gives me a great hope and eagerness to pray that Jesus would come and satan would be defeated for good!
You so precisely defined exactly what is going on in America (and the world) today. Thank you. If you don’t mind, I plan on quoting certain parts of this post to my congregation on Sunday, orally only. Thank you for sharing.
Thanks for putting this on. It helps me to cope with such tragedy.
Our prayers are with you. Know that many tears are being shed all across the globe…what a dark day.
But while we wait for the Son of God to return, America could do something about its gun laws. Love to see you US evangelicals address what is arguably a flawed aspect of your otherwise wonderful constitution. An opportunity for a modern day Wilberforce, I would think.
@Martin Kemp,
So, the person who already was planning murder (against the law), trespass (against the law), and bringing a firearm on school grounds (against the law), will now be deterred by additional gun regulations? Aren’t schools already gun-free zones? I realize this isn’t theology, I’m only using logic, but hey….
@Martin Kemp,
The idea that stricter gun laws would deter such tragedies seems logical … but people who are on a murderous rampage are not logical, and clearly have no respect for the law. As Catoyounger said, this person already broke numerous laws … I doubt a gun law would have prevented this.
A man in China attacked 22 school children with a knife this same day …
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-china-20723910
Laws only do so much to deter evil, unfortunately.
@Martin Kemp,
I contend that lives would have been saved had teachers been allowed to have guns responsibly within reach on campus. Gun free zones are easy targets. Studies show that countries with lower gun control have a lower crime rate.
MandyR,
so you believe teachers should have had guns? Teachers are perdominately women at that level. They can be overpowered and have the gun taken from them. The gun they had would be no match for what the shooter carried and then need training to properly use the weapon. That would jsut create untold amount of issues by having guns located on campus.
@Martin Kemp, A gun is as good or bad as the man using it. Countless killings and crimes have been averted by ordinary citizens who had the power to do something about it because they were armed. I hang out with some of these folks on a regular basis and they’re the salt of the earth. They’re honest, upright people and I feel safer having them around. Stricter gun laws will only make it easier for criminals to wreak havoc. So cut the snark and do your homework. Thank you.
@Martin Kemp,
I am a woman and I can tell you, were I a teacher in my state, I would procure the necessary license to carry a weapon in my purse, and I would learn how to use it, proficiently. I also advocate women, especially teachers, take some lessons in martial arts in order to keep from being over-powered in these kinds of situations.
Were there only 1 teacher with a weapon in that school in CT, then maybe things would have ended differently. Gun control would not have stopped that young man from doing what he did, and had I been in that situation, I would have been the first to empty my clip into him in order to save the rest of the kids.
It’s sad that he had problems and the only way to stop him was to kill him, and my heart goes out to his family who undoubtedly don’t understand his motives any more than anyone else. But when he picked up a gun with the intent to kill, then it is every citizen’s right to defend themselves and others with another gun if necessary.
@Martin Kemp, “Gun control?” That slaughter took place in the state in the USA which has the tightest gun control of any state here. How did that gun control effectuate itself? Please validate your statements with facts. All you’ve done is give your opinion, which is perfectly fine. Evidence and facts will be required when talking about gun control though. Mankind is not capable of legislating morality. However, there is a King who can bring about a change in the heart of mankind to deliver him from his father, who is a murderer. Please look at this:
http://www.guncite.com/gun_control_gcgvinco.html
@Catoyounger, BethD, MandyR
MandyR is wrong. Countries with stricter gun laws do have lower gun violence rates. Even within the United States, those states that have harsher gun control laws, have lower crime rates.
You can say all you want about how criminals do not respect the law, but the statistically speaking places with stricter gun laws have fewer incidents of gun violence. Gun ownership has been declining since the 70s. During this time the number of gun homicides has also decreased at a corresponding rate.
Australia passed gun control laws after the Port Arthur massacre in 1996 and gun homicides have decreased since that time. At the very least we should ban assault weapons and put severe restrictions on semi-automatic weapons.
We are called to be peacemakers, and working to make gun control more stringent I think is one way we can do this.
@Martin Kemp,
Regarding the knivings in Henan province China last week: There were 22 children injured, but NO deaths. In most of the Chinese school attacks over the last 10 years, there were very few, if any deaths, compared to the very high rate of deaths by such attackers using guns in the USA. There are mentally ill people everywhere. Gun control laws would definitely decrease the incidence of death if they made guns less available to the mentally ill, and their options were limited to less deadly weapons, such as knives. Let’s improve care and control of the mentally ill, AND improve gun control. Thank you for listening.
@Martin Kemp,
Those of you defending our current gun laws let’s please put a stop to the fantasy world you have created. The killer had military grade weapons with 30 round magazines and ALL the children had multiple gun shot wounds. In fact the evidence implies that it was only the arrival of law enforcement that stopped him from further slaughter. Please expalin how things could not have been different if he had only beeen able to obtain a six shot revolver or single shot hunting firearm. I’m waiting…….thought so.
Second, as a Christian, please explain to me the need for these military style weapons unless you are on the front lines in Afghanistan. Might it be your “hobby” has led you to accept an evil influence - just what enjoyment are you receiving firing at targets on the gun range with these weapons? Has God called you to defend his honor in some way that would require you to have these types of weapons?
I know this sounds harsh, but it is high time we stop giving Satan a hand in these despicable acts and a lot of Christians need to take a hard look in the spiritual mirror.
@Martin Kemp, There are legitimate arguments on both sides of the gun issue. The real issue is the wide open door to a spirit of death and disregard for human life in general that has become pervasive in this country through the legalization of abortion. 1,000s of innocent lives are taken daily in a violent manner and because it’s done under the guise of “medicine” we may safely ignore it. What good to take guns away from law abiding citizens; allow those who would to purchase them black market as they do drugs, etc. and yet, the silent torture of unborn children continue with the protection of authority?
We are no better than ancient societies who through their babies in the fire to satisfy the god, moloch.
@Martin Kemp,
I believe there so many laws now for gun control. What is lacking is the “removal” from society this kind of evil!! The perpetuator is the problem… we should have stronger Capital Punishment for this kind of evil and the same with terrorist acts!!! Americans have generally became so soft to criminality and quick to offer excuses for the crimes of this kind…
Bible teaching from Hosea, and continuing with our sermons from Revelation, this Sunday I will be bringing the message from Revelation 12:13-17 (War on Earth). Spiritual warfare that was, and is and shall be nevermore in Christ’s Kingdom. “Therefore, rejoice, O heavens and you who dwell in them! But woe to you, O earth and sea, for the devil has come down to you in great wrath, because he knows that his time is short!”
Through my tears, this brought me a measure of comfort and hope, or at least helped me make sense of this a little. After today’s tragedy and this: “And, as we sing our Christmas carols, let’s look into the slitted eyes of Satan as we promise him the threat of his coming crushed skull,” I do not think I will sing Christmas carols in the same way ever again.
This is one of the most excellent posts you have written. Well done. I am so thankful for your wise words. I was hoping all day that I would see a response from you, and I am thankful I have this post to share with my family and friends.
“Look into the slitted eyes of Satan”?! Better to follow the example of Esther who, rather than look upon Haman who wishes to murder her people, fixes her attention solely on the King, who has the power to deliver her people.
Yes, there will be times when we will find evil glaring into our eyes (sometimes glaring through and just behind human eyes, as some described the murderers in Rwanada). There may be taunts, blasphemies, and insults hurled at us as well but realize that their purpose is to get us to step out of the protection of our Lord and use our wits and strength to retaliate and/or treat them with the same contempt they have for us. Doing so is a sin of pride, which is what made the demons fall from heaven, thinking they could challenge the authority of God. The evil one and his minions love to engage us in conversation and twist the truth to their own ends (e.g. Eve by the tree of the forbidden fruit).
Our best weapon is to invoke the authority of the name of Jesus and/or the words “The Lord rebuke you!”, for then it is His strength and power that acts, and not our own. Also quote Jesus’ words “I saw Satan fall like lightning.” Sometimes asking God to damn something evil and abominable is an appropriate response provided the request does not come out of our anger, envy, or frustration but rather when our hearts agree with God’s Spirit and God’s Word in scripture. But pray “set a guard over my lips, O God” and wait for the Spirit’s confirmation and discernment before making such a request!
@Frederick W. Harrison, Amen.
Brilliantly said. This is the sharper edge of this monstrous event–an unchecked evil safe-harbored.
I find this event disturbing not just for the sorrow inflicted upon the families and children involved but because I am forced to ask: what horrors am I capable of? Most of us will never engage in such a heinous act, but I must wonder if this was mental illness or the culmination of very small, very incremental decisions to turn away from all things good until choosing good was no longer possible.
Everything written applies equally to abortion.
@Chris, Amen! I just told my husband that I could be really radical and write how this same thing happens to the unborn, but because it’s behind closed doors and people don’t see it, they aren’t concerned about it. But, it is the same difference. A life is being taken by force.
@Chris, I thought the exact same thing.
excellent article
Thanks for this. I borrowed some of your words: http://www.philippianjailer.com/2012/12/the-children-of-newtown-ct-offerings-to.html
A very well-written piece. Now I wish that you could turn that righteous fury against our President, who sanctions daily murder of children. I’ve never seen you utter the word “satanic” in a context where you are discussing him. Instead, I’ve seen you try to make excuses and tell us he’s not really an evil man. You’re right to be angry. Follow your instincts all the way.
You seem to be genuinely unaware that if the Bible is true, Yahweh is the most prolific child/baby murderer of all time.
Isaiah 14:21, Hosea 9:11-16, Ezekiel 9:5-7, Exodus 12:29-30, Leviticus 26:21-22, Isaiah 13:15-18
Those are only references to where Yahweh slaughters children, the full list would be too long to post.
@Ben,
There are many things hard to accept in scripture and many more hard to understand with out proper study.
I would encourage you to find a solid Bible teacher and ask to study what you have offered as offence at God.
There are many reasons God allows death.. judgement , calamity and yes required executions in times of war and cleansing of the land. But he is not crewl or pointless in His dealings with man.
You would do well to study this and find out Why a Righteous God would do it or command it be done. Without that study , you have failed to protect yourself from evil and allowed The Accuser to offend you concerning Gods judgements. God is not easy or ‘nice’ as some would think here in America. He is however kind , very just and right in what he does.
RJ Duprey
@Ben, All your references are Old Testament. Christ ushered in an era of Grace. Quite literally Christ changed everything… for the better.
And to think we are saved by our God allowing the sacrifice of His own Son. Thank you Father for the mercy provided and grace (Jesus) given for our redemption.
@Michael DiNenna, Agreed.If not for that sacrifice, there would be no hope for mankind,period.Thank You, Father, for giving Jesus to solve sins atonement—with grace & mercy. Amen & Amen.
Not sure why it was allowed to happen but at least those 20 beautiful babies are in the loving and safe arms of JESUS where no one can ever hurt them again. As for the parents my heart grieves with them and prays for love, healing and peace. I don’t know how anyone could possibly recover from this. Please JESUS carry those hurting parents in your arms, wrap yourself around them so tightly that they can’t escape you and anoint them with your healing power of love and peace. And lastly please give the parents and their surviving children dreams and visions of their loved ones safe and happy with you anxiously waiting for them to join them one day.
I think everyone will agree this ranks up as one of the most horrific acts of violence we’ve seen in recent years. Reminds me of the movie The Quarrel. Why the children?
It seems to me this misses the point. Blaming the mass shooting on some evil reptilian satanic force removes the responsibility from all of us to heal our society and care for those who are unwell, unbalanced, or mentally ill. We are all responsible.
@Clair Ion, Amen!
What you say may be true, but I believe in this moment right now this is the wrong thing to say. I believe God wishes for us to love and support these families. Whether that be through weeping with the families or just praying for them that is what is currently needed. I promise you if a woman in a church has a newborn that dies she does not want to hear about how satan and the demonic forces killed her child. The same goes for these families. What you say should be addressed yes I 100% agree, but now is not the best time. Let us just stop and love.
Violence against children = satanic is not necessarily true. I find it very presumptuous to leap to that conclusion. The Lord Himself struck down masses of children in the Flood. I find a lot of the connections you are making in this article lacking, not what I usually get here.
Dear Dr. Moore,
Thank you for your excellent post. While I was reading it I kept thinking, “Yes…yes…yes!” because it is so rare to ever hear these words on any blog in a way that is helpful today (i.e. hell, Moloch, Gehenna, murdering of children, etc.).
Yet, when I came to the end I was disappointed that you didn’t mention anything about abortion, which IS the murder of thousands of children per day. Maybe you think you did, but why not make it explicit to your readers that this atrocity too is the sacrifice to Moloch?
God seems to be judging our nation through the murdering of unborn children and the fruitlessness of the womb. I think your readers (including myself) would do well to hear you make this connection.
Anyway, thank you for your post and I hope it will bear fruit!
@Philip Moyer, This was a very thoughtful and spiritual article and Michael Card is my favorite musician (he has also written 23 books). And abortion is doing the same thing, all day long. If my daughter needs an aspirin at public school, my permission is required. If she wants an abortion - or someone at the school wants an abortion for her, she can be taken off campus in many places, have the abortion and I will never know. We know that Margret Sanger was a racist, prejudiced against minorities. We know that many, if not most Planned Parenthood clinics are in areas where minorities live. We know this is NOT a coincidence, even as Planned Parenthood receives so much political and social support from so many politicians - especially female politicians and our current president. For me, abortion is not “pro-choice,” because they do not want women to have the choice to know about all the damages abortion does to the baby and to the mother. They only want the woman to have once choice…to kill the unborn baby so they can make money while they also achieve the racist goals. So for me, abortion is not pro-choice, it is “murder minority babies in the womb to make money” choice - if we are going to be honest. But if they were honest about that, Planned Parenthood and all those supporting planned parenthood would lose the support of the very people/races they act as if they are wanting to help. In Leviticus 18:20-25, we find that God drove people out of the land because they offered children to the fires of Molech…and God warns His people that the land will be defiled and the land will “vomit” them out of the land as well if they do the same. I fear we are spitting in the face of God with the 50 million+ abortions, supporting abortion, violence, vampires, demons and perversions in all our movies, tv shows, video games and online games, while we are shocked that violence, perversions and murders take place in our world. There are many reasons and many pieces to the puzzle when someone kills someone else and/or a mass murder. And we know for sure that rejecting God, turning away from our God-given identities as His sons and daughters, made in His image, is a guaranteed way to also turn away from His protections and blessings. Israel learned this the hard way, time and again. And we seem committed, as a nation to learn our lessons the same way, even as we may be choose to learn too little, too late to stop the consequences from coming upon. Which also includes the screams of those innocent babies being aborted, with their tissue and body parts being sold by those with seered consciences, focused only on greed and racism. I also wish the Christian church was also known for loving one another, being for adoption, not just against abortion. There are many who serve quietly in their communities, for which I praise God. And it seems we are often known for what we are against, instead of what we are for…I’ve supported pregnancy choice ministries, who are working on the front lines to save lives and support girls and women in the midst of their difficult decision making process….We need to be supporting and promoting how we offer life, just as we opposed those who offer only one choice…the choice of death followed by pain in the woman’s soul. As a licensed Marriage and Family therapist, I can tell you that many women go through depression, self-rejection, self-regret, self-hatred etc. after an abortion, whether they are Christians or not…. With prayers that we will turn to God for His grace, mercy and truth.
When a culture and society has no respect or awe for the life that God creates, and there are people that feel justified to threaten the lives of lawmakers or others who vote or think differently than they do, and there is an entire political party that glorifies the availability and “rights” of those who seek to kill their unborn babies (as well as those who have no problems with providing such heinous “services”), and people have the right to kill themselves if their health deteriorates beyond some arbitrary point, and an entire music genre promotes killing or rape, then is it really a surprise that murders like this happen? For all those people talking about “gun control”, maybe we need to think longer and harder about “soul control”. Who is it that has control of your soul - are you a follower of Christ, or a follower of satan.
Very edifying and encouraging post! Similarly, Doug Wilson has noted that there should be several of Herod’s soldiers in every nativity scene…
I find the comment to “not offer pat answers” in the midst of a well intended and heart felt effort to offer pat answers a tad ironic. I do not comment to create argumentation but to add to the thoughts and discussion. Satan, spiritual warfare, and all such lines of unverifiable and trite spirituality seem so far beyond the realm of anything important along with so much the church offers and teaches about God. Here is my simplistic take on it… who cares? Why should any of us care about these ridiculous and unfounded theories? Satan is irrelevant. We blame too much on him when so little of the bible is dedicated to dealing with him and so much to us dealing with our own flesh. We blame far too much on Satan and spiritual “warfare.” Guess what, even if it is out there going on the weak link and the final cause of the evil that happens is broken, foolish, angry, evil people. The church preaches a bunch of condemnation and exclusion, and when it is taking a break from that it teaches only sin management and convoluted theology that is based on over thinking what could otherwise be simple. Teach love. Teach how to love. Teach kindness and acceptance. Because if you look around you can see a church that seeks to take over government, schools, and every facet of society it can. It is focused on sin-management and spiritual control, teaching a morality based on what its leadership is personally comfortable and is structured around their own woundings. God created free will and the evil that happens is a consequence of that gift. Yet he did not revoke it. For the scriptures speak of GOD’S FAITHFULNESS repeatedly. The faith of God is IN MAN. It is a faith in man’s ability to overcome flesh and walk in the mantle of righteousness that was meant for him. Faith in his ability to choose rightly. Christ did not take over the government. He did not come to wrench control over man and institute mandatory controls. Yet we fail to have faith in man because of our continued woundings. Because he fails us again and again. Yet in God’s eyes these failures we experience pale in comparison to his experiences with us. Yet his faith endures. We are wounded, and we give up our faith in God due to the pain we feel with our brothers and sisters. And we lash out. We give up. In doing so we hurt others who in turn continue this cycle as we begin to rage at one another for our differences and our competing beliefs and views politically, economically, spiritually… the opposing person always playing the fool or the idiot to our intellectually self-proclaimed Messiah complex.
Perhaps it is time to simply teach love and acceptance. To get out of the churches and into the streets and just be normal everyday good people with a God-relationship, acting when we can to meet needs, do good work, and make a difference where our feet tread everyday.
@Dave Trueb, And amen!
@Dave Trueb,
Your reply contradicts scripture.
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. Ephesian 6:12
And lastly, it is not works and deeds that we need to focus on…
For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God— not by works, so that no one can boast. Ephesians 2:8-9
There is something seriously wrong when Christians think that guns are the solution to the troubles in society.
Jesus came to bring peace, not the sword. For the first three centuries the church was powerless, using love and compassion and acts to display the gospel to people.
It is simply crazy to connect Christianity and guns. It demeans the Lord and it denatures the gospel.
Twenty kindergartners are dead today and were alive yesterday, with visions of sugarplums dancing in their heads.
They were shot dead by a kid who stole his mother’s guns.
Had he stolen his mother’s knife or numchuck collection, maybe he could have still caused damage, but nothing like the horrific murder of 26 people.
A gun is for one thing, and one thing only: killing. If we were in a war zone under military command, then weapons are part of that fight.
But we are not in a war. We are in a civil society with the rule of law, and guns are overwhelming our society.
As Christians called to peace we should be doing everything in our power to dethrone guns from the place of worship. We of all people who follow the Prince of Peace should be known for our revulsion towards guns.
I do not know why people who call upon the name of the Lord for salvation and hope think guns are their protection. It seems to me to be a betrayal of faith.
@stephen matlock,
I think you are confused, Mr. Matlock. Jesus indeed said he came to bring not peace, but a sword (Matthew 10:34). Does God not call up armies time and again in the Bible to defeat the enemy? Will this also not occur at the end of times?
I think the issue of guns is a completely separate issue than that of being Christian and trusting in the Lord. You might as well say, “Because I trust in God to save me, I will not go to the hospital for this bleeding wound.” No sir. God provided medical knowledge and hospitals for us to utilize. Has he not also provided us with the ability to create weapons with which we can obtain food and protect our family? Just as medicine can be used for evil and has been (Auschwitz), weapons can be used for evil as well. That does not make them a “betrayal of faith”.
@stephen matlock, I can’t believe you’re serious about your view. Jesus preached LOVE. Please go and study.
@stephen matlock, I agree with Dara.
@stephen matlock, AMEN AND AWESOME!
As always Dr. Moore, you spoke the words we needed to hear. I love this and I am blessed that you were able to put into words what the essence of this issue is. I will never think of Christmas the same way again. Also, on a funnier note, your description of Satan as a reptile, made me think of the creatures from the TV Movie “V”. This actually explains, maybe, why that particular villain creeps us out so much!!
Thanks for this amazing article. I can fool myself into believing that I live in an all-inclusive resort - instead of right outside the gates of hell.
There is no explanation, yet God always wins. Yes, turn to scripture, but more as Jesus would do, if he was standing right next to you, materially present. There is a huge welcome for these children and adults in heaven, our finally place. This man was NOT evil. He did an evil act. THIS, in turn, could raise awareness for autism and Aspergers. Statistically, many of our children/adults don’t act on their anger or act on violent acts, YET, this man sounds as though empathy and emotion were difficult, or absent, and the parents not knowing how to reach him. So, in turn…reach out to families of children with autism/Asperger’s or others with mental illness. It is our responsibilty as Christians to do and act as Jesus would do. Surely pray for our families that deal with autism day in and day out, and PRAY for them too. God Bless you all for this GREAT dialouge.
Thank you so much, Dr. Moore for publishing this piece. I believe you’ve explained what is occurring, physically and spiritually, quite well. It is indeed beginning to look a lot like Christmas.
I’m not sure how it is possible to write an entire blog on the murder of innocent children and not mention the great evil of abortion. We weep for the 20 children slain in Connecticut, but not for the tens of millions of unborn who have been routinely exterminated since Roe v. Wade. A culture that perpetrates wholesale slaughter of the unborn cannot be shocked or suprised by the mass murder of children who happen to be six or seven years older. We are so deadened and desensitized to all of this - it is the “banality of evil,” as someone said. You speak of Herod and the massacre of the innocents, but we make Herod look like an amateur. We have perfected infanticide on a scale he never dreamed of. Heaven help us - we need to repent as a nation. Otherwise, the downward spiral into darkness will only continue.
@peter larson, I agree with you fully Peter.
MAAFA21.com - please watch this documentary, any and all.
@peter larson, your view seems detached from real life. any woman, very often young girl, deciding for abortion is in a crisis if not worse. just provide social security, money and respect, to woman and child and you’d be surprised about the permanently reduced abortion rates. But this needs an entire cultural change. (No more “Sex And The City”.) We can’t afford? Well don’t blame Roe v Wade.
“The mystery of evil is a declaration of war on the peace of God’s creation.”
What does “mystery of evil” mean?
Spot on, Dr. Moore! Behind the veil of this unthinkable carnage, there is dark power at work. Unfortunately, this dark power is mostly either denied by or all together unknown to the modern western mind. Yet, the Bible says a whole lot about spiritual warfare and about Satan himself, as you have pointed out here so clearly. In fact, the Bible is a spiritual warfare book. It is the “sword of the Spirit” according to Ephesians 6: 17. So thank you for pointing out very wisely and clearly the reality of spiritual warfare behind this horrible massacre of children.
As a European atheist, I find the use of this religious rhetoric
quite disturbing.
I suppose the use of detailed scriptural references by the Southern Baptist Theological Seminary is not surprising, but I do tend to see this sort of bothering as - forgive me for saying so - a sort of American weirdness.
Likewise I see weirdness in people wanting or cherishing a
constitutional right to “bear arms”, or in a democratic government conceding such a right.
Who do they want to “bear arms” against? In this case clearly
defenceless children. It is clear however that the US is a very violent society whether in it’s own cultural life, what it does to children or what it does in the wider world.
You ask us not to offer pat, easy answers.
But “evil” is a pat, easy answer.
Evil is something we take for granted. It’s not something we can prosecute or legislate away until it doesn’t exist anymore.
As a result, when we attribute something to “evil”, it keeps us from the difficult work of changing our nation’s laws that allow this sort of thing to keep happening over and over and over.
Instituting gun control won’t be easy. Repealing the Second Amendment won’t be easy. But if we’re going to solve this problem, rather than sighing about “evil”, those hard things are the kinds of things we’ve got to do.
@Kyralessa, Thomas No, that is not anything we have got to do, need to do, or should do. I don’t mean this in a mean way, but that line of thought is naive. The problem is not firearms, it is the culture of the country. People inclined to violence have only to look up a bomb recipe on the internet in order to commit mayhem. One way to change culture is to pray. Another is to refuse to buy the products, watch the movies, view the television shows, etc., etc. etc. of those who promote a no-rules, no God, do-what-you-want-to culture. If the “bad boys” (and girls) can’t make a living or reveive adulation tearing down our society, they will have to go into another line of work.
Your article was forwarded to me by a member of my bible study. It was quite good, thanks for your insight.
I have only one small thing to point out:
At the end of the article , you say, “lets look into the slitted eyes of satan….”
I understand that you are trying to make the writing descriptive…. but there are human beings whose ethnicity means that they have slitted eyes, as in Asian type eyes. As christians, and human beings, we need to be cautious of these sort of subtle racial slurs. All beings with slitted eyes do not deserve to be thought of as having features of satan. We need to stop talking in physical racial terms, when we want to emphasize a point. This furthers the idea that all black dialects indicate the person is shiftless and lazy; or that people with over projected front teeth are stupid; that jewish surnames indicate stinginess, just to name a few. I am sure that this was an oversight, and not intentional. We will look into satan’s eyes,would be more appropriate.
By the way, I am not Asian.
Thanks for your article,
Linda Rodgers
@Linda Rodgers. . . the “slitted eyes of Satan” comment was to paint a picture of Satan as a serpent, as he is depicted many times in Scripture. It was not a racial slur.
..Demons (Legion) don’t give a crap about legislation!
It seems to me that evil is certainly stalking this country, in a bolder way than I have seen before (I am 64). There are only 2 spiritual forces in the universe, and we have been pushing the good One and His Son out of our society and lives for decades now. The evil one is rushing in to fill that vacuum. What began as a decent, if secular, concern for the rights and/or feelings of unbelievers has morphed into a funhouse-mirror image of the society we used to have, where it seems that the primary belief system is unbelief, and the primary moral code is whatever one’s own happens to be. God disciplined Israel several times for turning away from him. Perhaps it is our turn.
@Frederick W. Harrison,
Na so!
Even so come Lord Jesus.
Forces of evil are deliberately used to manipulate ignorant people only to discard them afterwards.
Satan is getting bolder under certain social names. When people in such groups are in charge, they organize provocative rituals dismissible as social vices.
Grieve and concern illuminate this whole drama in the whole place.
Open our eyes to wisdom Lord Jesus!
This is so true. Evil is evil. See in China and around the world. This is a powerful writing. Take comfort watching this powerful video http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8kfxxJgJW0M
While the events at Sandy Hook are terrible, those kids are better off today than they ever were on earth. Jesus came to earth to defeat evil.
Dr. Moore –
You are right about the unmentioned spiritual warfare against children. Is it a mere coincidence that Suzanne Collins, the author of The Hunger Games and the Underland Chronicles, lives in Newtown, not just in that town, but in the affluent village of Sandy Hook where this tragedy took place? What spiritual forces of darkness and evil have been unleashed on that community through these books that focus on death, murder, brutality, genocide, suicide, and violence?
This read is very somber and eye opening. What happened was evil and this explains the evil that were seeing more n more of. Beautiful Children….. I am sickened. For the loss ..for the poor grieving familes my prayers won’t stop . Thank you for an
Explanation that tho horrible, Made sense Satan is alive and well here on earth.
Oh that our people would return to God. I could’nt agree more with this article. God Bless.
Murder is evil and defiles because the murderer defies his Creator. Jesus made it perfectly clear that it’s not what is external to man that defiles him but what comes from within, namely, from the heart of man, the center of his being (Mat 15:11). Banning guns will not eliminate evil or its consequences but will always be a Band-Aid. What about banning knives and box cutters? How about banning evil? No, God will deal with that in due time. For now, what is needed for anyone is a changed heart and hope that our culture can Band-Aid the negative consequences of evil so we can survive to receive that changed heart.