Take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the fiery darts of the evil one.

~ Ephesians 6:16 ~

I understand war. Not just as a headline or political talking point, but as someone who spent over twenty years in active duty military service and now lives with a 70% service-connected disability as a Vet. During those years, wars came and went — Desert Storm, Afghanistan, Iraq, and countless endless conflicts that most Americans eventually stopped paying attention to. But when you serve long enough, you realize something: war is never just about nations. It’s about human hearts. And today, the world again witnesses rising tensions between Israel, Iran, and the United States. Missiles are flying. Alliances are forming. Leaders are posturing. News cycles overflow with speculation. And many ask the same question: “Who’s right?” But as a person of faith—and as someone who has lived close to war—I’ve learned a deeper question matters more. What is truly driving this war?

To answer this question, we first need to consider a common “False Belief” of our time to reach a true answer. The false belief is simple: “If we defeat the enemy, the problem will be solved.” No! Let’s adjust this, shall we?

Yes, military victory can suppress evil, but it cannot heal the deeper illness because the real battleground is not just geographic. It is spiritual! Paul calls them “fiery darts.” These darts ignite wars long before the first missile is launched.

The fiery darts come in three forms: False Beliefs – distorted ideas about truth, justice, and power. Corrupt Character – pride, hatred, vengeance, and fear. Destructive Actions – violence that increases suffering. These three realities reflect humanity's broken image. False beliefs attack the mind. Corrupt character poisons the heart. And destructive actions harm the world around us. War simply reveals what has been burning in human souls since the beginning of the fall, and will last until it is redeemed to its rightful place – God’s Whole Garden or Kingdom where His Wisdom Reigns.

Here, the Bible introduces something profound. Scripture talks about two kinds of wisdom. James 3 explains this clearly—first, human wisdom. Meaning earthly wisdom, which is not connected to the Divine, is driven by ambition, rivalry, power, domination, and so on. When this kind of wisdom guides nations, conflict becomes unavoidable. God’s wisdom looks radically different. James 3:17 describes it as: pure, peace-loving, gentle, reasonable, and full of mercy. In other words, Divine wisdom does not ignore evil, but it refuses to become evil while confronting it—something every professing Christian needs to meditate and pray over.

Another way to understand the fiery darts is through the distortion of the very structure God built into life. The enemy twists the reflection of the triune God. The Father – Truth: When truth collapses, false beliefs spread. Propaganda replaces wisdom. Narratives replace reality. Entire nations begin believing lies about themselves and their enemies. The Son – Character: Christ came to demonstrate perfect character. But in war, character is often replaced by pride, control, hatred, revenge, and dehumanization. Once people become “targets” instead of human beings, violence becomes easier. The Spirit – Action: The Spirit leads toward life. But corrupted action produces destruction—missiles, bombs, terror, retaliation. The cycle repeats.

The fundamental problem of war is not just geopolitical. It is humanity's failure to align with the true faith. When people, in their limited wisdom, refuse to connect with God's wisdom, truth breaks down, character crumbles, actions are ruined, and the fiery darts of war spread across the earth—persisting until humanity learns that the only way, truth, and life are found through God's Grace and truth in true relationship with Him.

This is why Paul tells believers to raise the shield of faith. Faith is not blind optimism; it is trust in God's wisdom above human understanding or limited wisdom. It safeguards the heart from being consumed by the very hatred we oppose. Because once hatred takes over, we become part of the conflict instead of being part of the solution and healing.

Having spent much of my life in the military, I understand the importance of defense. Sometimes, force must be used to contain evil. But I have also learned something sobering: you can win a war and still lose the soul of a nation. Recent history is full of such examples. That is why the teachings of Jesus remain revolutionary even today. He understood that the deepest battlefield was never just the physical world; it was the human heart, both individually and collectively.

Our Commander, Jesus Christ, said it best, “Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called children of God.” Notice that Jesus did not say peace-lovers. He said peacemakers. Peacemaking requires courage, wisdom, and spiritual maturity. It involves confronting evil without surrendering love—yes, even true love for your enemy. Therefore, let me offer a battle prayer: 

Lord,

In a world filled with conflict, protect our minds from false beliefs. guard our hearts from hatred. guard our actions from becoming instruments of destruction.

Give wisdom to leaders. shield the innocent. And remind us that the ultimate victory belongs not to armies, but to Your Kingdom that exists here and now. I pray that those at the point of prayer (at hand) will choose to step into it today, as we strive to expand it into the complete and perfect eternal reality.

Teach us to fight the real war—the war for truth, character, and life.

In Jesus’ Name, Amen.

Understand that while the Iranian War and its fiery darts may influence history, true redemption for all humanity comes only through the Art of War—Jesus style. Until our Commander returns, the most important battlefield remains within every human heart—both personally and collectively—fought through God's love, character, and actions. 

And, as always, remember, God is here. God is able. God is good.

Pastor DrakeI’ll be continuing this conversation later this week on the Just Sayin’ podcast, where we’ll take a deeper look at the  Special Edition: The Iranian War - The Fiery Darts of War