Everybody has a plan till they get punched in the mouth.
—Mike Tyson, former heavyweight boxing champion
“In the world you will have tribulation. But be of good cheer. I have overcome the world.”
—John 16:33 MEV
FALL 2005, NIGHTTIME, somewhere over Iraq. I am strapped into a Sikorsky UH-60 Black Hawk flying fifty feet above the ground. I hitch rides whenever and wherever I can so I can be with our troops. Tonight we have a full complement of soldiers (eleven) in the helicopter with combat gear. This is the longest ride, and lowest to the ground, that I have been on up to this point in the war.
We are flying from southern Iraq to the northern part of the country. During this ride in the darkness, I am reminded that I could be down there on the ground in a convoy going through obstacles and obstructions. I have done that, so I am grateful to be flying. Flying has its own set of problems, but one thing we do not have to deal with is roadside obstacles, obstructions and improvised explosive devices (IEDs).
Then I remember that just a few weeks prior, I was in Afghanistan in a convoy to deliver much-needed clothes and items to the Pashtun tribes. Along the road were warning signs featuring skulls and crossbones, telling us not to get off the road due to minefields. I am glad I am not there tonight.
In Afghanistan, the U.N. Mine Action Service estimates that more than eighteen million “explosive remnants of war,” or ERWs, including 737,000 Anti-personnel (AP) mines, have been “cleared” since 1989.1 Tragically, 1,426 Afghan civilians were killed or injured by mines and ERWs in 2018 alone.
Just as landmines pose a grave danger to soldiers and civilians in Afghanistan and other war-torn regions, Christians also face obstacles and obstructions as we approach the end times. One of the biggest problems that plagues us today: We go to church on Sunday, get spiritually pumped up, go home, and then go back to work on Monday and lead lives disconnected from the Word of God until the following Sunday. Armed with only the spiritual training we receive on Sunday, we are left to face the obstacles and obstructions that life, work and the devil throw at us all week long.
This may work during times of prosperity and peace, but what about when times get harder and the second Great Depression hits or the Antichrist rises to power? How will the meager spiritual discipleship that most Christians get on Sundays—those of us who even go to church—help deal with those scenarios?
Evangelist John Ramirez describes one part of the scenario:
Secret societies are controlling the world, controlling the systems of the world, controlling systems in the demonic world. These secret societies are establishing the groundwork of the enemy through music, media, politics, movies. It’s all part of the devil’s playbook. It’s all coming together—a one-world order and one-world religion. It’s being played out in the media, in the hate and division, cultures against cultures, generations against generations. The secret societies are regrouping, and after they come out of the locker room, so to speak, they’re going to bring the game to the world. The deception is going to be so great that Jesus said that, in the last days, even the elect could be fooled. So they’re setting up the stage for the Antichrist.2
Dr. Mawire, founder of the WRNO Worldwide shortwave radio network, believes that the “Antichrist is alive and well today.” He also believes, based on his interpretation of the timeline in Daniel 12 and Revelation 11, that a “major, major event will reveal the Antichrist to the world.”3
Meanwhile, plans are being made to the build the third Temple in Israel. “I met with the head of the Sanhedrin,” says Mawire, “and he’s ready now. Religious courts are being set up. I’ve been in one of them. Everything they need for that building has already begun. They’ve been given the right to Jerusalem and they now have the opportunity to build their third Temple.”
More than one hundred Scriptures predict the rise of the Antichrist, including 2 Thessalonians 2:4, which says that the ruler of a coming world government will “[set] himself up in God’s temple, proclaiming himself to be God.”4 Will we be prepared for such an event?
In chapter 8 we saw that soldiers in basic training get a dose of what real combat is like. By experiencing realistic training, troops are prepared for future wars. In other words, obstacles are good for soldiers and may, in fact, help save their lives in combat.
In the early 1990s, I was stationed at the Joint Multinational Readiness Center in Hohenfels, Germany. My tank unit, the 37th Armor Regiment, was in the middle of intense combat training, using the multiple integrated laser engagement system (MILES). It is a very sophisticated system that uses laser transmitters to simulate combat conditions. Think laser tag on steroids. Every soldier and vehicle was fitted with transmitters, so that each “hit” with a simulated round was indicated by a flashing light.
The “observer controllers” (OCs) had “god guns” that they could use to “kill” you or “disable” an armored vehicle. These OCs had the power to point their god guns at you and kill you and your vehicle so that you were no longer part of the battle. If they pointed their weapon at you, it would trip a yellow flashing light on your MILES-equipped vehicle, and you were dead in the water.
My chaplain assistant and I were in our Humvee when I received a call from the commander telling me to get to the site of a real-world accident immediately. Two Bradley Fighting Vehicles (an armored infantry transport vehicle with a high-powered cannon) had rolled over, and the accident involved injuries. They needed prayer and help. So I said to my assistant, “Step on it. We’ve got to get to that accident site right now.”
“Sir,” he protested, “we can’t possibly get through all the roadside obstacles and obstructions, let alone that there are OCs, soldiers and vehicles in the middle of training right now.”
But the need might be pressing.
“I don’t care what you have to do,” I replied. “Get there.”
What happened next is the stuff of movies.
I said a quick prayer, my assistant floored that Humvee, and we took off like a bat out of the abyss. We plowed right through the middle of a crossroad full of simulated landmines, barbed wire, tanks, Bradleys and a bunch of OCs shooting their god guns at us and yelling at us to stop.
I really wish I had a video of that scene. My assistant did some brilliant driving around the obstacles, obstructions and everything preventing us from getting to our intended destination. That battlefield had all kinds of obstacles, obstructions, simulated minefields, armored vehicles and—worst of all—those OCs with their “god guns.”
But we arrived in record time, albeit a little stressed from our harried adventure, charging through the middle of simulated combat. Once we got to the accident scene, we found an overturned Bradley with some shaken soldiers, and went right to work ensuring that the soldiers were okay, praying with them, and informing the commander that there were no serious casualties.
The bottom line: No matter what the obstacle or obstruction, press on unless otherwise directed by the Lord. Those can be placed in our way to test us to see if we really mean business.
Obstacle or Obstruction?
Obstacles and obstructions can be turned into opportunities. Occasions like the BFV mission I just described allow us to grow and trust in God. He can even use roadblocks to steer us in another direction that normally we would not take.
Often God allows hard obstacles to be placed in our way so we might be trained to look to Him in all things. God wants us to be strong in the face of adversity.
Military special operations forces such as Navy Seals, Army Rangers, Green Berets and Marine Special Operations are trained to face the most demanding circumstances in combat. To that end their training is the most rigorous of all military forces. The failure rate is high. Leaders are looking for those who will not give up or give in. They purposely place obstacles and obstructions in the way to separate the best from the rest—because when the going gets really tough, the military call in special forces.
To complete Army Ranger School, a soldier must overcome seemingly insurmountable challenges under simulated battle conditions. The extreme physical intensity of this program, combined with the lack of sleep and the consumption of minimal calories, causes many students to lose twenty to thirty pounds or more. Completing this training is a true testament to a soldier’s drive and determination. When this outstanding accomplishment is achieved, a graduate can proudly wear and display the well-deserved Ranger Tab.
I have not personally been through this type of training, but I have supported special operations forces (SOF) throughout my career in various capacities. And I have many close friends who have gone through the training. One of them told me that he prayed God would break his leg on an airborne jump so he would not have to complete Army Ranger School. It is that tough. Another friend found an old can of Spam filled with maggots on a beach in the swamp phase of Army Ranger School training. He calmly removed the maggots and consumed the contents. He was that hungry.
Today we do not prepare people for the spiritual warfare they are often fighting during the week. Many worshipers come to church on Sunday weary and sometimes discouraged. They hear the Word of God, fellowship with each other, get energized and leave church feeling great. But during the week they face the obstacles and obstructions alone in their daily lives. The lack of spiritual training is a sure recipe for defeat and disaster as end-times events begin unfolding at a quickening rate.
Christians in the West tend to think everything is going to continue hunky-dory and wonderful; when adversity hits, we are not ready for it. This will be especially true as we face the most difficult days in the history of mankind. This is why we need to view the obstacles and obstructions we face in life as opportunities for spiritual growth and training.
Jesus stated that “we know that we are children of God, and that the whole world is under the control of the evil one” (1 John 5:19). And we forget that “we aren’t fighting against human enemies but against rulers, authorities, forces of cosmic darkness, and spiritual powers of evil in the heavens” (Ephesians 6:12 CEB).
Is there a difference between obstacles and obstructions?
An obstacle is something that blocks one’s way or prevents or hinders progress. It is something in the way that can be avoided—for example, a pile of bricks in the middle of a road. Some synonyms for the word obstacle include barrier, hurdle, stumbling block, hindrance, complication, difficulty, problem and disadvantage. Do these terms mean something to you? Have you experienced them?
The definition of obstruction is slightly different. An obstruction is something blocking a passage—usually completely. An obstruction needs to be removed or expelled for the passage to be unblocked.
I have discovered that obstacles can be blessings in disguise. But many times I have gone down a path only to find an obstruction in the way. During those times I look to God for answers. It may be that He does not want me to go any farther down that road. It may be that I need to wait until the way is cleared.
Either way, obstacle or obstruction, it is important for us to develop such a relationship with God that we hear Him speaking to us about what to do next.
According to a Department of Defense publication, there are many principles you can employ to mitigate obstacles and obstructions that are in your way. The primary phrase found throughout this document is assured mobility.5 This means being able to prepare, detect, manage, predict and maneuver around or through obstacles. At the end of this chapter are military and Christian “assured mobility” principles.
Now let’s explore the life of one of the greatest spiritual warriors in the Bible and how he dealt with opposition, obstacles and obstructions.
The Mighty Warrior Elijah
The prophet Elijah knew all about “assured mobility,” even though he did not call it that in his day. Here is a mighty man of God who brought down kings and queens, stopped rain from falling on Israel for more than three years, and performed some of the greatest miracles in the Bible. Many scholars suspect he will come back in the end times as one of the two witnesses from the book of Revelation.
Revelation 11:3–6 (CEB) talks about these enigmatic figures:
“I will allow my two witnesses to prophesy for one thousand two hundred sixty days, wearing mourning clothes. These are the two olive trees and the two lampstands that stand before the Lord of the earth. If anyone wants to hurt them, fire comes out of their mouth and burns up their enemies. So if anyone wants to hurt them, they have to be killed in this way. They have the power to close up the sky so that no rain will fall for as long as they prophesy. They also have power over the waters, to turn them into blood, and to strike the earth with any plague, as often as they wish.”
Notice that the two witnesses perform miracles like those that Elijah performed on earth. Through God’s power, the prophet not only stopped the rain, but brought down fire from heaven that killed more than one hundred soldiers (see 2 Kings 1:1–15). Also note that Elijah never died; he was taken up to heaven alive on a chariot of fire drawn by fiery horses (see 2 Kings 2:11–12).
Elijah faced some of the greatest opposition, obstacles and obstructions in the history of Israel. Israel, as a nation, had turned from God to worship the idols Baal and Asherah. Jezebel, the queen of Israel and wife of the notoriously evil king Ahab, routinely killed the prophets of God. Both Ahab and Jezebel wanted Elijah dead, but God supernaturally protected him for more than three years.
Then one of the greatest showdowns in Israel’s history occurred. Many in Israel, plus 450 prophets of Baal, showed up on Mount Carmel to see what Elijah would do in the face of opposition. Elijah challenged the prophets to a showdown as to whose God would send down fire from heaven on the sacrifices they had prepared. “How long will you not decide between two choices?” he demanded. “If the LORD is the true God, follow him, but if Baal is the true God, follow him!” (1 Kings 18:21 NCV).
What happened next was unbelievable. The prophets of Baal prayed all day long, shouted and cut themselves, and nothing happened. No fire came from heaven to burn up their sacrifice.
Then Elijah prepared his sacrifice. To make the contest even harder, he soaked the sacrifice and wood with four jars of water three times, “so the water ran off the altar and filled the ditch” (verse 35). Then he approached the altar.
“LORD, you are the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Israel,” he prayed. “Prove that you are the God of Israel and that I am your servant. Show these people that you commanded me to do all these things. LORD, answer my prayer so these people will know that you, LORD, are God and that you will change their minds.” Then fire from the LORD came down and burned the sacrifice, the wood, the stones, and the ground around the altar. It also dried up the water in the ditch. When all the people saw this, they fell down to the ground, crying, “The LORD is God! The LORD is God!”
Verses 36–39
Elijah was not afraid of the obstacles and obstructions in his path—a wicked king and queen and the power of Baal worship in Israel—but took advantage of that opportunity to show off the power of God.
In these end times we need to go to the next level and take advantage of the obstacles in our way to show the world that God really exists and that He can overcome all things with the power of His Word.
End-Times Challenges
Here are some of the end-times obstacles and obstructions we will face:
The New Testament writers foresaw these developments thousands of years ago:
MILITARY MOBILITY PRINCIPLES
Some military imperatives for “assured mobility” are:
BELIEVER’S MOBILITY PRINCIPLES
STRATEGIC SPIRITUAL EXERCISES
Here are some practical takeaways to overcoming obstacles in your life: