At War Again, or Rather, At War Still

Once again, the world finds itself staring into the familiar glare of war.  This time it is a war with Iran.

Over the last month, the United States has launched a series of air and missile strikes against Iran.  The strikes have targeted Iran’s missile sites, naval and air bases, drone facilities, and command‑and‑control centers. But so far U.S. ground forces have not set foot on Iranian soil.

For many Americans, this may feel like the beginning of a new war.  For many Iranians, it probably feels like the continuation of an old one.

For Catholics observing the turmoil, it is another reminder that earthly conflict is never far.  Scripture warns that “nation will rise against nation” (Matthew 24:7).  This is obvious when looking back into history. The present demonstrates that for some members of the human race the appetite for aggression has not diminished.

Perhaps the most sobering truth is this is not a new war, but rather the continuation of war that has been raging since the fall of man.  The battlefield has simply shifted, and the weapons have changed.  But the stakes are the same – the very souls of those on earth.

When did the Current War Actually Start?

To understand the present conflict, one must look backward.  Iran has repeatedly called for “death to America” for 47 years.  This chant can certainly be taken as a declaration of war

This is not hyperbole.  It is the official position of the Islamic Republic.  When the Shah of Iran fled the country in 1979, Iran did not simply undergo a political transition.  It experienced a revolution. Initially it began with communist agitation, student uprisings, and secular intellectuals demanding reform. But the far more organized and determined Twelver Shia clerics quickly took control of the country.

The Ayatollah Khomeini and his followers seized control of Iran, establishing a theocratic regime that viewed the United States as the “Great Satan.”  From that moment forward, Iran considered itself in a state of ideological, political, and spiritual war with Christendom, with America as its primary target.

For decades, Iran has funded proxy militias and armed insurgents, and supported terrorist organizations across the Middle East.  Its leaders have openly declared their intent to undermine American influence.  They have acted accordingly.

The United States, however, has treated these actions as isolated incidents rather than coordinated acts of war.  Be that as it may, the war began when a revolution replaced one flawed regime with another.

War for More Than a Century

The modern world likes to pretend that war is an exception rather than the rule. Yet history tells a very different story.  After World War II, the guns mostly fell silent, but the world did not find peace.  There were still smaller, more localized wars, but overall the battlefield changed.  Propaganda replaced artillery.  Infiltration of social institutions replaced infantry.  Ideological subversion replaced armored divisions. And the Cold War replaced heated wars.

The Cold War was not merely a geopolitical standoff.  It was a global conflict fought with different weapons. And it lasted for decades, shaping nations, cultures, and generations.  Fortunately it did avoid a catastrophic, bloody conflict.

When the Berlin Wall fell in 1989, many celebrated.  The dissolution of the Soviet Union in 1991 finally bought the Cold War to a close.

For the Polish people, the moment carried deeper meaning. First the Nazis occupied Poland, in 1939, and then the Soviet Union, following the end of the war. For the Poles, World War II did not truly end until the last vestiges of soviet control dissolved.

For the Polish people, the moment carried deeper meaning.  Poland first suffered under Nazi occupation during World War II.  Then, at the end of the war, the Soviet Union took control of Poland.  So for the Poles, World War II did not truly end until the last vestiges of soviet control dissolved.

But even after the Soviet Union collapsed, Moscow did not abandon its imperial ambitions.  Russia rebooted itself over several years and still wages war (sometimes openly, sometimes covertly) against its neighbors.

The sad truth is that civilizations have always been at war, whether through armies, ideologies, or culturally.  Humanity has lived in conflict for millennia.  Even during the 500 years in which the Roman Empire controlled the known world, peace was a rarity.  The Roman senate closed the doors to the Temple of Janus in Rome only when there was peace in the empire.  And those doors were almost always open.

The weapons changed over the centuries and strategies evolves, but the struggle remains.

War is Not Just Between Men

Earthly wars are only one layer of a much deeper conflict.  Scripture reveals that war began not on earth, but in heaven.  “Michael and his angels fought against the dragon.  The dragon and its angels fought back” (Revelation 12:7).

Michael’s angels defeated Satan’s army and God cast Satan and his demons down to earth.  The passage continues.  “But woe to you, earth and sea, for the Devil has come down to you in great fury, for he knows he has but a short time.”

This divine revelation reminds us that the earth became the battleground for a war that began in heaven.  Humanity lives in the midst of this conflict, whether we acknowledge it or not.

Catholics long to live in peace, to build families, communities, and parishes that mirror Christ’s Kingdom.  Be that as it may, the earth is occupied territory and to believe otherwise is naive.

Christ called Satan “the ruler of this world” (John 12:31).  That does not mean Satan has ultimate authority, but it does mean he wields his power in the world against the faithful through temptation, deception, and corruption.

Accepting the Existence of Spiritual War

Accepting the existence of spiritual warfare does not mean one condones war.  It simply means one accepts reality.

A soldier who denies the existence of battle is not peaceful; he is unprepared.  With this understanding, the faithful must be prepared for spiritual battle.

God calls us all to live with charity, forgiveness, and humility. He commands us to love our enemies and pray for those who persecute us.

However, Catholics must also recognize that the demons in this world will use every means of warfare against the faithful.  Their attacks will be overt and covert.  They will be violent but also disguised as peaceful.  They will be physical and spiritual.

Sun Tzu, in The Art of War, taught that the easiest victory is the one achieved before the battle begins.  He wrote that a general should “subdue the enemy without fighting,” by breaking his will, corrupting his alliances, and infiltrating his ranks.

Demons follow the same strategy.  They seek to erode our understanding of Christ’s teachings, to normalize sin, and to convince us that holiness is unnecessary.  Many would argue that demons have also infiltrated our ranks, trying to destroy us from within Christ’s Church.

While living in this world, one must guard against mental and ideological attacks.  These assaults do not arrive with trumpets or banners.  They arrive quietly through entertainment, social pressure, political rhetoric, and cultural drift.  They whisper that sin is normal, that virtue is outdated, and that faith is optional.

The battle is real and here whether we want it or not. We can ignore the battle, but it will not ignore us.

History shows that wars rarely begin when the people notice.  And the biggest war of all will end only when truth prevails.