Christmas brings to the Christian mind the thought of peace—the Prince of Peace is with us.

So, this isn’t intended to damper that message in any way. The redemption offered by that miraculous conception and birth is indeed the good news of all the ages.

I’m composing this commentary on that very birthday. But it will be posted beyond this most profound day of celebration. So, we look toward the new year—2021.

Although there have been years of tumult during my many decades of life, with World War II, Korea, Vietnam, and a hundred lesser conflicts, the war we’ve been engaged in the farther into the twenty-first century we travel is more intense than any of those bloody, physical eras of warfare.

So, while the Prince of Peace hasn’t yet assumed His earthly throne as He one day will, we face an epic struggle—as laid out precisely by Paul, the great apostle and prophet.

Put on the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil. For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places. Wherefore take unto you the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand. Stand therefore, having your loins girt about with truth, and having on the breastplate of righteousness; And your feet shod with the preparation of the gospel of peace; Above all, taking the shield of faith, where with ye shall be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked. And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God. (Ephesians 6:11–17)

Before 2016, my observation was that this warfare was largely of the unseen realm; I believed it was veiled by the enemy so that it was hidden from view except on rare occasions when it flared and burst through that surface layer of obscurity. For example, the times when genocide reared its ugly head around the world, and when our national leaders decided it was okay to murder children still in the womb.

But those horrors quickly emulsified and were absorbed into the hellish spiritual warfare described by Paul in the passage quoted above. Even Christians became numbed to such atrocity, and things again appeared more or less tranquil as daily life continues toward the new year.

Life is no longer so tranquil, as we can testify from the issues and events of the last half decade. The surface that formerly obscured the boiling evil just beneath it now erupts almost hourly with issues and events that seem to indicate the lateness of the prophetic hour. The battlefield being prepared for the most horrific war on humanity ever to be waged.

We’ve entered that “evil day” prophesied by the Apostle Paul. A quick look at his list of the characteristics of end-times man listed in 2 Timothy chapter 3 makes that clear when considering our minute-by-minute news stories.

People are “lovers of self” and “without natural affection” (consider the matters of homosexuality and of mothers giving up their babies to the abortionists). People are “traitorous” (consider the lying, deception, and treachery of the so-called Deep State over the past few years). People are “unthankful,” “unholy,” and “deny the power of God.” (Consider that at least half of the people in our country don’t object or protest when political leadership declares we can be any gender we want to be. They give it little pushback when man marrying a man and woman marrying a woman is legally approved to be not only equal to the way God prescribed for marriage, but is declared preferable to the way the Creator has given.)

Without meaning to frighten or spread panic, the world as configured presently doesn’t have its best days just ahead, as often declared by optimistic politicians. That “evil day” instead lurks somewhere in the murky future. As Shakespeare’s witch would put it, “Something wicked this way comes.”

The year 2021 indeed looks to be fraught with, particularly, war of a spiritual nature. Paul, again, has told about the kind of war we face, and he’s outlined precisely how to successfully prepare for it and engage those wicked enemies in high places.

The good news, now!

This same Jesus, whose coming to earth in the form of a baby, as God in flesh, we just celebrated, is now full grown and sitting at the right hand of God the Father. He is omnipotent (all-powerful) and omniscient (all-knowing). He promised that He will return to put an end to all wickedness. He has promised to bring all who believe in Him to live with Him forever in heavenly dwellings that He, Himself, has prepared for us (John 14:1–3).

The reality that He will soon call His people—the Church—to Himself in the Rapture is something we should trust. We’re instructed to be looking up and listening for His shout, ”Come up here!” (read Luke 21: 28 and Revelation 4: 1).

Meantime, while we’re awaiting that spectacular moment, each of us should be a spiritual warrior in God’s royal ambassador service. The Prince of Peace is on His way! Battlefield 2021 is one that might well see the most glorious victory ever to put an end to warfare on planet earth!

While we make the journey from 2020 to 2021, I’m getting incoming (verbal mortar rounds) that bombards my temperament, which, according to my late friend Tim LaHaye, must be “Spirit-controlled.” That was the book he wrote –The Spirit Controlled Temperament—that, Dr. LaHaye once told me over lunch, really set his influence in ministry on the pathway the Lord wanted for him.

It’s a real test, and I depend on the Lord completely to keep my temperament at a level it’s supposed to be. Otherwise, I would lose it while I’m confronted with things attributed to our God from self-authoritative voices and word processors that grate on my spiritual senses.

Now, I must say that much of the grating comes from my own, admittedly, sometimes intransigence—i.e., I’ve been told by some closest to me that I’m hard-headed once my thoughts are set. It is with full admission of that human frailty that I approach this commentary.

A number of emailers have in recent days sent messages that, to me, come just short of saying God is wrong in His dealings with the election, America, and, in effect, with His people.

Others, whose articles I’ve read, proclaim, as if the writers were personally briefed by the Lord, that God has determined to judge America and dismantle the nation. And, one such writer says, 2 Chronicles 7:14 is for Israel only, not for Christians of today. God has only made covenant with one people, and that is the nation Israel, not with America or any other people.

I agree that the Lord has made a covenant only with one nation, but I disagree vehemently that He has made covenant with only one people.

—Well, maybe I shouldn’t say “vehemently,” as that doesn’t sound “Spirit-controlled.” But I do disagree strongly. The Lord of Heaven has most certainly made a covenant with Christians, and we are people called by His Name. The prayer of 2 Chronicles 7: 14 is for people called by His name. I am one of those, and He hears and acts upon those prayers.

His answers aren’t always what I think is best. As a matter of fact, His answers are, more often than not, different than those my hard-headed ways would have it. But His answers are ALWAYS the very best.

And this brings me to perhaps the central point of the commentary.

Emailers, as I’ve mentioned, have sent numerous messages saying similar things. They express—usually skirting coming right out and saying God is wrong—that they wonder why the Lord has now decided to abandon America and us (His Christian people) by allowing the election to go in a different direction than the emailers believe to be right.

These aren’t rebellious children of God, I realize, once my temperament is controlled. They’re genuinely worried and want to vent their frustration. We all feel that way about the events of the last months and years, regarding the American governmental, societal, and cultural turbulence.

So, I will use a Christian brother’s email to illustrate how it bothers me when people imply that they know God’s intentions and disagree with those intentions.

Why did the Father allow this combination of human and demonic wickedness to steal this election?  He has not allowed it before in my understanding of our history.  He has allowed man to exercise his free will in our elections, and man has made the wrong choice most of the time in recent decades.

He allowed it to go beyond just man exercising his free will this time.  Why did He do so?

He intervened miraculously in 2016 to put Donald Trump in power.  I thought He would do so again this time if necessary.  But He chose not to.  I don’t understand why He would not give Donald and Mike another four years, barring the Rapture event, to continue being His positive instrument for righteousness and good, and for our very supportive relations with Israel.

I believe the country has been on a stay of execution from the Father since the 1960s.  So He has been patient with our wickedness for a long time.  I don’t understand why another brief four years of patience was not possible.

Again, this brother, I believe, is simply expressing his frustration, and I mean no severe criticism by using this excerpt as illustration of my own frustration with people who seem to think they know God’s intention. Those who do that bother me considerably. We, as His creatures—His creation—should, as people indwelt by the Holy Spirit, seek to, as Tim LaHaye wrote, have our temperaments controlled by Heaven’s governance. This includes seeking not only to refrain from anger without just cause, but to be dedicated to realizing that God is in complete control at all times.

We can’t fully know His intention. We can understand what the ultimate outcome will be, because He has told us through His prophets in His Word. But the steps He will take to arrive at the destiny He has determined is within the purview of His omniscience exclusively.

For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, saith the LORD. For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways, and my thoughts than your thoughts. (Isaiah 55:8–9)

Let us trust Him in these troubling yet exciting times. I say “exciting,” because He must even now be preparing our heavenly dwelling places He has promised to take us home to in the Rapture.