Lessons from World War II

It was the 1930s. Japan was already trying to take over Asia, and Germany had just invaded Poland. It was the beginning of World War II.

Immediately upon the Polish invasion, France and the UK declared war on Germany. They stood up and said, “We’re not standing for this anymore.” They chose to fight the evil that was trying to take over the world.

But standing up for what is right does not guarantee an easy fight. France was soon invaded by both Germany and Italy, attacked on both sides. Meanwhile, London was being bombed nonstop. There was constantly resistance going against these countries. Yet, they were determined to help those in need.

This cause was worth the fight. They were willing to risk their lives to stop the enemy. Giving up would only aid in loss.

The ‘Ignorance is Bliss’ Approach

Meanwhile, the US sat on the side with the “not my problem” mentality. The war was oceans away. It wasn’t their country. Why should they get involved? Sure, they sent munitions over to help, but sometimes that is not enough. You can only indirectly help someone for so long. Sometimes, you have to take action.

You cannot avoid or ignore the evil around you. And the US quickly learned this when the war came to them with the bombing of Pearl Harbor. It wasn’t until then, two years into the war, that they decided to actively fight. They realized that if they continued to stand by, eventually there would be no more allies. It would just be them against a massive German-run Europe.

There is power in unity.

Keep in mind, the US debated for a long time on what to do about the war. It wasn’t simply that they got bombed, and everyone was on board to defend themselves. This wasn’t a decision made by a country. This was a decision that had to be made by individual people on whether they were willing to bring their country into war. Each person had a part to play.

You are individually responsible on whether or not you choose to fight in the war around you. You cannot wait for a church body to step up when you know that you have a part to play.

Now, on the bright side, the US ended up supplying roughly two-thirds of the munitions used for the war. They clearly had a part to play.

The ‘All and None’ Approach

The Soviet Union, on the other hand, couldn’t choose a side at all. Throughout the span of the war, they went from allies with Germany to refusing to help either side to enemies with Germany. They tried to side with evil. Then they tried to say, “I want nothing to do with you, and I want nothing to do with you.”

But in the end, evil comes for all. And just like the US, they couldn’t escape it. Hitler had years prior in his book “Mein Kampf” stated that he planned to invade the Soviet Union. He needed more land, more “living space”, for the new German world he imagined.

The enemy is looking everywhere, to each and every person, for a place to live.

But the Soviet Union rode the fence. The Bible warns us that if we remain lukewarm, neither hot nor cold, God will vomit us out of His mouth. And this is exactly what happened with the Soviet Union. Out of the millions of deaths that happened from WWII, the Soviet Union lost more people than any other country. It is estimated that 60-85 million people died during WWII. The Soviet Union made up approximately 27 million, anywhere from almost half to a third of the deaths.

Everyone Plays a Part

In fact, throughout the war and all countries, more civilians died than military personal. Again, this shows us that evil comes for all. It pays no attention to title or name. And if evil comes for all, then it can only mean that all must fight back.

World War II had two sides, the axis power and the allied power. It was not just Hitler against one Jew. Millions of people were involved. Full nations. All branches of military.

The Germans couldn’t stand a chance in the aerial and naval battles that took place. But imagine if there had been no fighter planes, from the builders in the factory to the pilots who flew them. Imagine if there had not been a whole fleet of ships or even gun-makers for that matter. There were so many parts to this war, so many parts the people had to play. How much differently would this war have ended had people not chosen to play their part.

There were people on the front lines. There were spies in the midst of the enemy camps. There were every day citizens hiding whoever they could, sharing their rations, sewing the uniforms, and bandaging the wounded.

There were even Jews working in the labor camps with the one job of making munitions for the enemy. Even with their small, seemingly insignificant part, they prayed for the opportunity to interfere with the enemy’s mission. If they could only slightly manipulate the gun cartridge to where the enemy’s weapons would misfire, then maybe that was one more life saved for the cause. Still, they knew that even this small part could end in their death.

Everyone is Affected

In WWII, everyone had a part to play. Whether they chose to fight from the beginning or were left no choice, they had a part. Over 100,000 million people were directly involved in this war. Countries were throwing everything they had at this war, from their economy to their scientific discoveries to their industrial creations. They went all in and gave it their all. It was to the point that you honestly couldn’t even tell if it was a civilian aiding the war effort or military personnel. All were fighters.

Does the enemy look at you and see a fighter? Can they recognize the competition that dwells within you?

In this world war, everyone was affected. But there were multiple battles composing the war, individually fought battles. Each country, each branch, each person played their part. You simply could not ignore the war around you and expect your country to handle it. You were the one composing your country. You were the one who had to fight. Ignoring the evil taking place would only allow it to swallow up the earth. You had to act. You had to discover what your part was.

War is Inevitable

War is a terrible thing. It is nothing but hate and greed that invades the hearts of man. And though every war has its reason, it will never change the fact that as long as there is sin in this world, there will always be war. There will always be a spiritual battle taking place of good and evil until the day God restores His Kingdom.

And as long as there is a spiritual battle taking place, you have an obligation to fight – not for evil but for God’s will and peace. Do not wait two years to enter a war that has long been going on around you. Ask yourself today, which part do you play? And are you playing that part?

It is today that the war is taking place, the battle of good and evil. You cannot ignore it. You cannot escape it. The enemy wants to invade your life and the world that you know. You must choose to play your part and fight.

Jesus has declared, “Behold, I send you out as sheep in the midst of wolves. Therefore be wise as serpents and harmless as doves.” (Matthew 10:16) He has sent us out to save the lost from the enemy. This is the war we are called to fight.

But are you willing? Willing to fight against the enemy that surrounds you, willing to risk all you have for the cause? Are you willing to step out and save the oppressed from destruction? Or will you just sit by till the world is over-run by the enemy?

War is always a matter of life in death. But in a spiritual war, you are fighting for eternal life. And in fighting for the cause of Christ, death is merely gain.