I watched an essay by Ismatu Gwendolyn entitled “The War Is Not a Metaphor.” I took away this pervasive thought: money is a tool to enslave people. Carl von Clausewitz, in On War, defines war as “an act of violence intended to compel our opponent to fulfill our will.” However, Sun Tzu in The Art of War claims that the best victory is won without fighting. If fighting or violence isn’t a necessary component of war, then what remains is intent: one person compelling another to fulfill their will. If I believe money is valuable and necessary for my survival, then I will do whatever the person or entity that controls money requires. Promoting the belief that money—specifically the U.S. dollar—is essential for survival is, then, an act of war by those who control it. This is a point Ismatu Gwendolyn makes in her essay.
The apostle Paul makes a similar point in Ephesians 6:12: “For we do not wrestle (contend, war) 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.” The world is actually at war over what is necessary for survival. Two beliefs stand opposed: If I have power and control, I will ensure my own survival. Or: If we love one another, we will all survive.
After watching Ismatu’s essay, I listened to a sermon by Conrad Vine in which he used the term beat to quarters. In the British Navy, this drum signal called the crew to prepare for battle—clearing the decks, readying weapons, manning positions, and preparing to care for the wounded. In moments, a peaceful vessel became a fighting machine.
In his sermon, Vine used the term to challenge the Seventh-day Adventist Church to clear away harmful policies hindering readiness for the final conflict over religious liberty. But the war Paul—and all of Scripture—describes is far broader than church policy. It is the war for the soul of humanity itself.
The phrase quarters in Scripture points us toward this deeper meaning. In Exodus 13:7, God instructs Israel to keep the Passover: “No leaven shall be seen among you in all your quarters.” Jesus later uses leaven as a symbol of false doctrine (Matthew 16:12). At Passover, Israel was to cleanse their homes of every trace of leaven; at the final judgment—the ultimate Passover—God’s people must cleanse their hearts of every false belief about His character.
This is where Revelation takes up the theme. Revelation 14:6–7 depicts an angel proclaiming with a loud voice: “Give God glory, for the hour of His judgment has come.” Why give Him glory? Because of the everlasting gospel, which reveals the true character of God. The life, death, and resurrection of Jesus declare once and for all that God is love.
The hour for power and control to be judged as ineffective and wrong is coming, and only the love of God will prevail. That first angel is beating the drum of warning and hope: beat to quarters. Clear your soul of leaven—every false doctrine, every misconception about God’s character, every impulse to grasp for power instead of surrender to love. Throw it out. Remove it from your heart and let love be the only weapon, the only position, the only care at the ready.
The opposite of war is peace. When nations are looking to end a war, they begin peace talks. If the world is truly at war over two competing beliefs, how can there be peace? Isaiah 26:3–4 promises: “You will keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on You, because he trusts in You. Trust in the Lord forever, for in Yahweh, the Lord, is everlasting strength.” True peace comes from trusting God, relinquishing control, and surrendering the need for power. As Matthew 16:25 says: “Whoever desires to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for My sake will find it.”
Jesus came as the Prince of Peace. He did not come to condemn the world but to save it. Save it from what? From the deception that power and control are necessary, and that love is a myth. But getting what you want at the expense of others cannot sustain humanity. Pursued long enough, it leads to our extinction. The belief that survival depends on power and control will destroy us.
So, what can we do? Choose peace. Whenever peace depends on you, live peaceably with all. Whenever you are tempted to reach for power and control, don’t. Choose love instead.
I know this is easier said than done. When real people you work with or live with or worship with claim that you are incompetent, selfish, or wrong the last thing you want to do is choose love. When you feel betrayed and wronged it’s easy to feel justified in demanding an apology and threatening exposure if they don’t. Self-defense is a natural human instinct that God asks us to lay down so that He can be our protector. We humble ourselves to choose peace and allow God to correct His children.
But isn’t force at some point necessary? We live in an evil world and there has to be some point when it is necessary to fight back. Not according to Christ. When He came to earth He humbled Himself to death on a cross to save us. He didn’t bear arms or fight back, He surrendered. When all of humanity’s survival was on the line, He chose to let God handle it and was obedient to the Father’s will even when it meant His death. In that surrender, He won for our sakes.
Our survival was won at Calvary. We cannot save ourselves—the war is already won. Jesus’s victory is ours today. We can do all things in Christ, including and especially living in love. Love, not power and control, rules the universe. Jesus is coming to take with Him those who choose love over power now.
War is not a metaphor. It rages in every human heart—the battle between power and love. Power seeks control; love seeks freedom. The enemy’s greatest weapon is not force but influence: shaping what we believe until we fight for the very things that enslave us.
The drum is rolling: beat to quarters. Clear your soul of pride, fear, and false beliefs. Power will fall. Money will fail. Every kingdom built on control will be brought low. Only love will remain.
At Calvary, the war’s outcome was decided. Love won. The only question is whose side you will be on when the smoke clears. Choose now. Trust in God’s strength, not your own control. Lay down the weapons of self-preservation. Take up the banner of love. Whenever it depends on you, live peaceably with everyone. This is the only victory that will last forever.