War and Violence and Power

When I see traumatic events on the television news, I try to look behind the event to identify the spiritual powers are at work. I am not just interested in the spirits that are harassing the people involved, but try to understand how they are manipulated by the government-spirits that control the city or nation where the events are occurring.

When I watched the clip of the police officers inflicting death of George Floyd, I was struck that there was no anger or fear, just a calm use of brute force and power. I saw the spirit of violence and power at work.

The riots in Minneapolis show the same spirits at work. This is more than just racism, and its consequences. People who dominated and aggrieved at their treatment have been stirred up by the spirit of war and power and violence to wreak destruction against those they feel are holding them down.

This is not surprising, because the United States has been dominated by spirits of war and violence and power from its inception, partly because it was birthed out of war. Whereas other British colonies, like Canada, Australia and New Zealand, easily negotiated their independence from Britain, the Americans could not wait, and went to war with Britain to gain independence. This gave the spirit of war and violence and power a place to stand in the new nation.

This is what always happens in America when people have a problem that makes them uncertain and afraid. The spirit of war and violence and power ensure that the first response to get out the guns and go to war. There are numerous examples.

Most western countries abolished slavery using legal methods, but in the United States, it had to be done by war at a cost of half a million lives.

When planes hit the Twin Towers in New York, the nation’s first response was to go to war. The spirit of war and violence and power led President George W Bush into a “forever war” with Afghanistan and a destructive war in Iraq, despite the lack of connection with the event that shocked the nation.

The spirit of war and violence and power manipulated President Obama in the same way. When problems arose in Libya, he rolled out his cruise missiles and wrecked a nation that was previously prosperous.

The emergence of China as an economic superpower has led to calls for a war against China. This is a natural response for a nation controlled by a spirit of war, violence and power.

Even when dealing with a virus like Covid19, the best way to unite the people into action has been to declare that it is a war against the heart of the nation.

When President Trump made his response to the Minneapolis riots, by tweeting “when the looting starts, the shooting starts”, this is what you would expect in a country controlled by a spirit of war and violence and power.

On Memorial Day, facebook showed displayed pictures of massive cemeteries with thousands of white crosses in neat rows. I see them and think about the lives wasted on pointless wars. I think about the young Christian men whose inheritance and legacy was cut off. I think about God’s purposes for their descendants that cannot be fulfilled.

In contrast, Americans look at these pictures and declare it to be something good and noble. They talk about the experiences of their parents and grandparents to makes themselves part of the story. Unfortunately, this gives a place to the spirit of war and violence and power.
A nation that honours the spirit of war and violence and war on Monday should not be surprised that the same spirit breaks out in looting and violence and destruction on Thursday.

I fear for the future of America. Its economic dominance of the world economy is waning, but its military power is as strong as ever. History shows that empires are at their most dangerous when their power is declining. Throw in a spirit of war and violence and power, and a strong military, and you have a recipe for disaster.