“War is hell.”

So said Gen. William Tecumseh Sherman. By the time Sherman retired from active duty, that saying had become virtually synonymous with his name. Sherman’s contempt for war was well-known throughout most of his career as a soldier. A month after the Civil War ended, when Sherman was at the height of his fame and the pinnacle of his success as a soldier, he wrote to a friend, “I am sick and tired of fighting.”

He was not yet finished fighting, however. He spent the next 14 years as commanding general of the United States Army. Those years saw some of the most difficult battles in the horrible Indian wars that marred the settling of the American West. As much as Sherman despised warfare, he couldn’t seem to get away from fighting. Sherman has been described as a brilliant strategist, an uncompromising combatant and a ruthless fighting man. His career was highly controversial. History’s judgment has been mixed regarding his personal character and the conduct of the armies he commanded. As a soldier, he was by no means an ideal model in every sense. Even though he despised warfare, few soldiers in all of history have been more determined or tenacious warriors.

Like Sherman, we ought to despise warfare with every fiber of our souls. War is one of the most calamitous consequences of evil. It is catastrophic. It is always ugly. It should never be glamorized. No sane person should ever desire the conflict or savor the strife of war. There are times, however, when evil makes warfare absolutely necessary. When we have a moral obligation to fight, we should never shirk that duty, compromise with the enemy or enter the battle halfheartedly.

As believers we must stand for the truth. God’s truth is revealed in the Bible. Satan always attacks God’s word. The latest attack on the truth is the Emergent Church. The Emergent Church attacks the clarity of the Bible. They claim the Bible is not clear. Brian McLaren, one of the emerging leaders, says he is not sure “what we should think about homosexuality.” He called for a five-year moratorium on making any pronouncements about whether homosexuality is a sin or not.

“In five years, if we have clarity, we’ll speak,” he said. “If not, we’ll set another five years for ongoing reflection.”

Thankfully, the Scriptures are very clear. Dr. Al Mohler said, “The postmodern age is the age of no truth, an age that has reached a point of deadly fatigue when it comes to facing the truth — a generation that no longer believes truth can be known.” As Christians, we know better. We must be armed with courage to confront this age with a bold defense of the truth.

Ever since that day in the garden when the serpent tempted Eve, he has relentlessly attacked the truth with lies. Satan uses the same strategies over and over to sow doubt and disbelief in the human mind. The Apostle Paul reminds us, “We are not ignorant of his devices” (2 Corinthians 2:11).

The form of his evil dialectic rarely changes. The devil’s methodology always involves three steps.

First, he questions the truth God has revealed. “Has God indeed said, ‘You shall not eat of every tree of the garden?’ (Genesis 3:1).

Second, he then contradicts what God has said. “You will not surely die” (verse 4).

Finally, he concocts an alternative version of truth. “God knows that in the day you eat of it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil” (verse 5).

The devil’s alternative credo often has a few carefully chosen elements of truth in the mix, but always diluted and thoroughly blended with falsehoods, contradictions, misrepresentations, distortions and every other imaginable perversion of reality. Add it all up and the bottom line is a big lie.

Even worse, in the promotion of his dishonesty, Satan uses every agent he can dupe into being a shill for him. This includes demons, unbelievers and (most effectively) people who are in some way actually associated with the truth, or (even worse) who merely pretend to be agents of the truth and angels of light. That is one of Satan’s favorite and time tested strategies (2 Corinthians 11:13-15).

Jude, the half-brother of Jesus, wrote concerning the pressing urgency and the absolute necessity of fighting for the truth. “I found it necessary to write to you exhorting you to contend earnestly for the faith” (Jude 3).

The expression “contend earnestly” is translated from a strong Greek verb epagonizomai literally meaning “agonize against.” The word describes an intensive, arduous, drawn-out fight. There is nothing passive, peaceful or easy about it. Jude urged and commanded them to wage a mighty battle on behalf of the true faith.

The gospel is good news. It is the best news. Even though we as sinners were born lost and separated from God, Jesus came to die for us. He is our substitute. He died on the cross. All of God’s wrath and fury against sin were poured out upon him. Forgiveness, pardon, reconciliation, new life, fulfillment and satisfaction are all found in Jesus. He rose again. His arms are open to you. This truth is worth fighting for and responding to.

Ethan Hansen is pastor at Faith Bible Fellowship in Big Lake. He can be reached at eh ansen@biglakefaithbible.org.