Which side you on?

I urge, then, first of all, that petitions, prayers, intercession and thanksgiving be made for all people— for kings and all those in authority, that we may live peaceful and quiet lives in all godliness and holiness. This is good, and pleases God our Savior, who wants all people to be saved and to come to a knowledge of the truth. –1 Timothy 2:1-4 (NIV)

As I enter into what may be a turbulent week, I must remember that I belong to the Kingdom of Heaven. I love the United States of America. I thank God for the privilege of living here. That said, if I confuse my true citizenship with my nationality or my political ideology, I devalue the gospel and harm my witness as a disciple of Christ.

After crossing the Jordan River, the children of Israel were on the verge of taking the mighty city of Jericho. The LORD was about to communicate the battle plan to the Israelite leader, Joshua. Before that happened, Joshua encountered a holy stranger.

Now when Joshua was near Jericho, he looked up and saw a man standing in front of him with a drawn sword in his hand. Joshua went up to him and asked, “Are you for us or for our enemies?”
“Neither,” he replied, “but as commander of the army of the Lord I have now come.” –Joshua 5:13-14a (NIV)

Joshua was thinking about the logistics of the task at hand: “You're a big ol' boy! Which side you on?” The stranger was locked in on another level. There was more at stake than Jericho. The angel of God was there to see the glory of the LORD on display in a much bigger battle. He told Joshua the ground he stood on was holy.

For though we live in the world, we do not wage war as the world does. The weapons we fight with are not the weapons of the world. On the contrary, they have divine power to demolish strongholds. We demolish arguments and every pretension that sets itself up against the knowledge of God, and we take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ. –2 Corinthians 10:3-5 (NIV)

Paul reminds us in Ephesians 6 that our struggle is not against flesh and blood. Then, after poetically describing the armor needed for the battle, he tells us how to fight.

And PRAY in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of PRAYers and requests. With this in mind, be alert and always keep on PRAYing for all the Lord’s people. –Ephesians 6:18 (NIV)

As citizen soldiers In God's Kingdom, prayer is our most effective weapon. When most of what we can see is beyond our control, it's one of the few things within our control. It is consistently suggested, encouraged, modeled, and commanded within the pages of scripture. And to what end?

All this is from God, who reconciled us to himself through Christ and gave us the ministry of reconciliation: that God was reconciling the world to himself in Christ, not counting people’s sins against them. And he has committed to us the message of reconciliation. We are therefore Christ’s ambassadors, as though God were making his appeal through us. –2 Corinthians 5:18-20a (NIV)

Thy Kingdom come. Thy will be done on earth as it is in Heaven.