Axes of Evil

As I was reading a Stratfor analysis on Afghanistan, I was struck by how agents of evil so often collaborate despite seemingly divergent agendas. The Taliban are in bed with opium producers in Afghanistan using it to fund their operations. We have also seen how North Korea has been selling missile and nuclear technology to Iran. And we have seen Venezuela strong-man Hugo Chavez getting buddy-buddy with Cuba and Iran.

The reason we see such cooperation between the enemies of Western Civilization is that they are being pulled together by unseen spiritual agents with an agenda to undermine the will of God. Ephesians 6:12 says, "For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this age, against spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places" (NKJ).

Some would question that Western Civilization is on the side of God and I'd have to agree because all nations are are under the influence of Satan to some degree. But that is the key to understanding the dynamics here, it is a matter of degrees. The United States as the leader of Western Civilization has done the most in acting as a force for good in the world. In this sense the United States has acted as an agent of God... "Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and comes down from the Father of lights" (James 1:17).

Satan is not omnipotent since he is only a fallen angel but he has a lot of help. About a third of the angels will eventually chose to follow him per Revelation 12:4. And Satan's minions are organized parallel to our worldly governments. The prophet Daniel learned this when an angel of God told him why he was delayed in bringing him a message... "the prince of the kingdom of Persia withstood me twenty-one days; and behold, Michael, one of the chief princes, came to help me, for I had been left alone there with the kings of Persia." This is a revealing picture of the spiritual warfare that is raging in the spiritual realm. Michael is a powerful archangel, one of only three named angels in Scripture.

As we get closer to the Tribulation, we can expect to see more axises of evil forming leading up to the ultimate one... "The ten horns which you saw are ten kings who have received no kingdom as yet, but they receive authority for one hour as kings with the beast. These are of one mind, and they will give their power and authority to the beast" (Revelation 17:12-13).

This is not a time to risk becoming aligned with the forces of evil in the world. The best way to do that is to seek a closer relationship with Jesus.