I used to watch old men on television marching proudly, placing wreaths of poppies at the cenotaph in Whitehall, London. Many of them had fought in World War I but many more had fought in World War II as well as in later wars as these veterans were younger. Sadly, many of these brave men and women are dead although three men who fought in the first world war are still alive in Britain. As this war ended in 1918 we do not have to be terribly good at math to estimate their ages. So many of their fallen comrades missed out on so much and this is true of all of those brave men and women who have fought for freedom and justice, losing their lives or painfully suffering the loss of friends. Let’s take time to remember them today.

My parents were children in Britain during World War II and growing up we heard many of their stories about bombing, rationing and their Mickey Mouse gas masks. Mustard gas was an awful weapon used with lethal results by the Germans in the first world war. Many were blinded and the British took seriously the threat of Germany invading Britain during the second world war, bringing with them, the nightmarish gas. Thankfully, the Germans lost the Battle of Britain in the air and they failed to invade Britain, but we were ready. The Mickey Mouse gas masks were designed for the children. They were made to look fun so that the kids would be prepared to put them on. They had practices so that the school children were ready if gas became a threat. My mother’s family lived near London and the bombing during the Blitz forced them to initially hide in their cupboard, under the stairs and later to go in the air raid shelter that they had built in their garden. Living like this became a routine. It was a way of life.

I know that men and women who have fought in battle understand the necessity of being prepared, knowing exactly what to do when attacked. As a Christian I believe that we need to be aware that there is a fierce battle going on right now, in our midst. If you are not a Christian you may not be aware of this. Jesus came to earth two thousand years ago to rescue us from the power of darkness. In Colossians 1: 13 Paul writes that God “has rescued us from the kingdom of darkness”. Unless we reach out to Jesus and receive His salvation we are in darkness, under the power of the evil one, the devil. Paul continues that God “transferred us into the Kingdom of his dear Son (Jesus), who purchased our freedom and forgave our sins.”

How did Jesus purchase our freedom? He died for us, He bled for us. He bought us with His blood. Imagine a Jew in Germany trying to escape. He might purchase his freedom by bribing a guard or paying for a ticket to get on a ship to leave the darkness that was engulfing him in Germany. Jesus purchased our freedom. We belong to Satan’s kingdom of darkness but we cannot enter God’s kingdom of light unless Jesus pays the ransom. We actually deserve to die. Paul writes “You were His enemies, separated from Him by your evil thoughts and actions. Yet now He has reconciled you to Himself through the death of Christ in His physical body, As a result, He has bought you into His own presence, and you are holy and blameless as you stand before Him without a single fault.” (Colossians 1:21,22)

We need to realize that, unless we come before Jesus thankfully and humbly to receive the forgiveness that He secured for us by bleeding to death on the wooden cross, we will remain in the darkness. The devil wants to keep us there. It would be like sunbathing when the German bomber planes were attacking your neighborhood, but worse. If you are not a Christian please read the Bible, talk to a Christian who takes his faith seriously and wake up to the spiritual battle that is raging. Jesus has already defeated the devil but unless you have put yourself on Jesus’ side, becoming part of His Kingdom, you are in danger. If you are a Christian, are you pointing your friends to Jesus the Savior? Are you helping them understand the nature of the battle and are you seeking the protection that we need from Jesus as we deal with the backlash from Satan that we will receive?

As we remember those who died for their country let’s also remember Jesus who died for our eternal freedom. Unlike all the other war heroes who died, Jesus rose from the dead and He continues to battle on our behalf. He protects us and rescues those who believe from the Kingdom of darkness.

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