Last week the world witnessed a great evil: terrorists attacking Paris, France. The men conducting these truly evil acts were heard shouting “Allah is Great!” just before opening fire or blowing themselves up in a crowd of people. What drives men to such deeds? Wickedness. And there are few philosophies on this earth that are more wicked than Islam.

Need proof? Compare the two verses below.

Philosophically its teachings are wicked indeed, and the behavior of its followers tracks right alongside. Last Friday Muslim terrorists killed a total of 129 civilians – not military personnel, civilians – in a coordinated attack in six locations. The sound of an explosive vest detonating near the Stade de France during a soccer match, and if that weren’t bad enough it was only the beginning of hours of terror wrought by the followers of Islam. Attacks began in a world-renown shopping center, a club, a concert venue and more. The desire was to bring about the highest death toll among the young and wealthy; the goal to bring about terror through tragedy.

“The Louvre and the Eifel Tower remained closed [the next day]. Flags flew at half-staff. Rock band U2 cancelled its Paris shows. The Disneyland Paris amusement park shut. Military patrolled the streets that were often cordoned off. Bloodstains could still be seen near the main sports stadium,” reports the Wall Street Journal.

Islam is more than an evil philosophy, it is an evil military force that nations must face and defeat. A difficult task when they have no country of their own and since their fervor is fueled by a wicked faith. There is much talk about how the nations of Europe and the US ought to respond to these attacks, France making its first volley by launching air strikes against ISIS strongholds in Syria. The United States has yet to come up with a plan. Thankfully we have officials, both elected and appointed, to weigh options and make those plans. But what of the church?

In Paris, churches held remembrance services last Sunday which end later today, services to remember the dead and to mourn their loss. At first blush it would seem the church has little to do in the wake of such evil besides holding services and burying the dead. Nothing could be further from the truth. While the apostle Paul makes clear that our conflict is not against flesh and blood, terrorism is about far more than the physical war.

It’s past time to use the pulpit to preach against the doctrines of Islam and its evils. We must make the case for Christianity in light of eastern world values. It is time for all Jesus-followers to be able to bring our values to the public stage and decry the evils of Islam. We need to elect leaders who are willing to use the might of the state against those who devote themselves to terror. We are to soften our hearts to the victims of Islam, including those Muslims that only hold to their faith because of fear. We need to put ourselves at risk reaching into Muslim communities with the truth of the Gospel. We should also not forsake the most important weapons at our disposal, prayer against God’s enemies, fasting to show our resolve, and the myriad of ways in which God has gifted us. Consider this your call to arms, and if you need inspiration read and meditate on Psalm 10.