“Ishrat no more. My friend Ishrat was brutally tortured and killed by terrorists in a Dhaka restaurant yesterday… Most of the Muslim Bangladeshis were spared after they identified themselves and recited limes from the Koran. Ishrat, who was not wearing a Hijab and neither wanted to prove herself, was hacked to death with a machete. Twenty other foreign hostages were also hacked to death with sharp weapons by Islamist terrorists during a dramatic siege at an upmarket Dhaka restaurant that ended in a bloodbath… The majority of the victims were from Italy and Japan.” – Aloke Kumar, July 2, 2016

Islam has provided the world with a terrible force of evil, one which does not respect the image of God in all people or adhere to the Word of God in regard to treatment of one’s enemies. Instead, they follow a false prophet and his teachings of hate, turning them into enemies of the Cross of Christ and all followers of the Messiah. How is one to defend themselves from such evil? Specifically, how are Christians to battle evil when it takes on the properties of flesh and blood in light of Ephesians 6.12:

For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the powers, against the world rulers of this darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavens.

There are two courses of action against a formidable foe. While not granted to man, God has granted nations the power of the sword (Romans 13.4) to defend against enemies of the state. Many nations, including the US, Israel and most of Europe have used their God-given right to war against Islamic terrorism. Battlefields are found throughout the Middle East and its effectiveness has been limited. The endeavor promises a long and expensive war. Even so, it is an appropriate response given the nature of the attacks.

The other course of action is not just on option but a command from Jesus. As we noted last time Matthew 5.44 records Jesus’ teaching regarding our enemies:

“… love your enemy and pray for those who persecute you.”

What we did not discuss is the motive for such behavior. In verses 45 and following Jesus tells us the goal is to make us more like God who provides a measure of blessing on all humanity, not only the righteous. So there is a benefit to us for loving and praying for our enemies, but there is a potential benefit for them as well, in that when they see our righteousness they may be drawn to God. This additional benefit is clearly in view as Jesus has covered this ground a little earlier in the chapter, in verse 16:

“In the same way, let your light shine before people, so that they can see your good deeds and give honor to your Father in heaven.”

The problem of Islamic terror is one that can only be resolved by fighting on two fronts: physically, as empowered by the state with military force, and prayerfully, as empowered by Jesus-followers around the globe. Both teams must be willing to surrender their life, if necessary. The goal is the destruction of a philosophy (Islam) that has raised itself up against the knowledge of God and to restore that knowledge to the oppressors and their victims, saving as many as possible.

For a much more detailed examination of the Christian’s role in overcoming Islamic terror, please download the free e-book Praying Against Terror, linked below. We have obtained permission to re-distribute this enlightening text written by Dr. Ramesh Richard of Dallas Theological Seminary.

https://1drv.ms/b/s!AnclqNH1-d4xlot8yCU_kF90348IJw