“Woe to thee that spoilest, and thou wast not spoiled; and dealest treacherously, and they dealt not treacherously with thee! when thou shalt cease to spoil, thou shalt be spoiled; and when thou shalt make an end to deal treacherously, they shall deal treacherously with thee.” (Isa 33:1 AV)
This word of truth is a general one meant to be applied to all of Israel’s prosecutors. Assyria, Babylon, and Persia would all grow in strength and then decline by the hand of a greater enemy than their former one. Assyria invaded Israel and took away the ten northern tribes. Babylon came next. After invading Assyria, they too invaded Israel and took away Judah and Benjamin. Then the Persians invaded Babylon and took away all, including those Jews residing in Babylon. The point is, a persecutor will not sustain his persecution. The persecutor will eventually become the persecuted. Eventually, the enemy will be depleted of strength and resources, usually by complacency and ease, until another takes its place. This is a good thing to remember when we are overwhelmed by adversity greater than ourselves. Eventually, be it Sprite or Scourge, will run out of gas.
Nazi Germany comes to mind. The way in which they advanced over Western Europe was impressive. It doesn’t take much to find a documentary on the battles of WWII. A cursory scan of cable channels will reveal all sorts of historical references or even highlights of this famous war. Even those dedicated to weaponry will have a program or two highlighting the different armaments used during this great war. Germany used a doctrine referred to as the Blitzkrieg. In German, the term means lightning war. The philosophy of Hitler was to overwhelm his enemies with vastly superior forces very quickly. There was little tactical planning because sheer numbers would bring victory. They would rapidly take advantage of every access point into the desired territory or city and send everything they had. They overwhelmed much of Western Europe in months instead of years. The allied powers used this to their advantage. What eventually led to the downfall of the Axis powers in Europe was a thinning of their resources and ranks. The Allied forces would retreat in a spread-out fashion to entice the Axis powers to follow quickly and disperse too thinly. Coming in from behind their forces, the Allied were eventually able to surround and constrict the Axis forces. What led to their downfall was they advanced too rapidly and could not give their supply lines time to catch up. They literally ran out of gas.
What is true in temporal warfare is also true in spiritual warfare. Our adversary is limited in what he can do. The trials of life are only temporary. Eventually, they will run out of gas. Even with health issues, the body will eventually fail. But we will have a new one. An incorruptible one. One that cannot suffer pain, discomfort, or death. Whatever we face, be it Sprite or Scourge, is limited. It will eventually pass. This is the hope and the patience of the saint. The world does not understand how we can face adversity with the peace that passes all understanding. This is one of the reasons why. The world despises us for it. They hate us. They attack us because even though we will suffer like fates as they do, no one can steal our joy. We are not hopeless. We are not helpless. By God’s grace, we will make it through. There is no adversity we will face that is bigger than God. None. No enemy, no trial, no suffering, no challenge. God is always bigger. He always will be. And, unlike all we face, God has no limits. He cannot run out of gas. He has eternal power, wisdom, and presence. We face a defeated enemy and he knows it. Let us run the race set before us as though we will win and not lose. Because that is the reality of our lives as children of the Most High.
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