Divided: Exploring Our Nation's Cultural Civil War

We are in the grip of an epidemic of deceit, murders, narcotics, sexual deviancy, and thefts. Who would have predicted this stunning combination?

I may be stating the obvious, but seeing our country’s sorry state of affairs is horrifying. What’s astonishing is that the feelings are as strong on both sides of the political spectrum. The left hates the history of the U.S., the right's denial of climate change, supposed complicity in white supremacy, and an unwillingness to be woke. At the same time, the right is appalled at the left’s lack of nationalism, its attack on the family, gender, and children, and its efforts to destroy and remake a nation that is loved and cherished. 

And where was everyone on the front lines of recognization? Was it necessary for the Covid pandemic and a catastrophic presidency to see this?

Some did identify, at least aspects of it, ahead of the curve.

In 1979, Bob Dylan composed “Gotta Serve Somebody,” released on his album “Slow Train Coming.” In it, he effectively addressed a division of the world stage.

A portion of his lyrics are below:

“You may be a state trooper, you might be a young Turk 

You may be the head of some big TV network 

You may be rich or poor, you may be blind or lame 

You may be living in another country under another name

But you’re gonna have to serve somebody, yes indeed You’re gonna have to serve somebody 

Well, it may be the devil or it may be the Lord But you’re gonna have to serve somebody”

Another visionary is Victor Davis Hanson, Ph.D. a historian and political commentator and currently the Martin and Illie Anderson Senior Fellow in Residence in Classics and Military History at the Hoover Institution, Stanford University, and a professor of Classics Emeritus at California State University, Fresno. 

In a National Review article from 2018, Hanson wrote about the factors that he believed are contributing to the cultural civil war in the United States. He argues that the division is produced by a combination of characteristics, including immigration, globalization, the decline of the middle class, and the rise of identity politics and political correctness. He also suggested that the media, academia, and Hollywood fuel the cultural divide by promoting a left-leaning agenda.

I will submit, however, that scripture had recognized this at least 2,000 years before anyone else. 

Let me explain.

Although we easily recognize issues on a physical plane; that which we can observe, the Bible recognizes them on a spiritual plane. And it is the spiritual plane that results in the physical. 

Let’s start with whom we serve. 

Contrary to its denial, the world is binary. There are males and females, saints and sinners, heaven and hell, and God and Satan. 

Here, Dylan was correct. Matthew 6:24 claims, “No one can serve two masters. Either you will hate the one and love the other, or you will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and money.”  You will, however, serve somebody.

And since, as 2 Corinthians 4:4 explains, “The god of this age has blinded the minds of unbelievers, so that they cannot see the light of the gospel that displays the glory of Christ, who is the image of God,”  it is clear that many serve the devil as a direct result of this blindness. Additionally, as discussed in another post, Romans 1:28 claims as a judgment, “God gave them over to a reprobate mind.” Literally, their minds no longer work.

And what about the cultural civil war to which Professor Hanson refers? The desired objective is clear: globalism.

But why is that? Because from a scriptural perspective, we are awaiting the first of the Four Horses of the Apocalypse, as detailed in Revelation 6:2 “I looked, and behold, a white horse, and he who sat on it had a bow; and a crown was given to him, and he went out conquering and to conquer.”

And who is this? This is the AntiChrist revealed at the beginning of the seven-year Tribulation that occurs right after the Rapture. The key to this passage is that the AntiChrist has a bow with no arrows and goes out conquering and to conquer. Prophetically, this political leader is able to persuade the world, particularly the hotspot of Jerusalem and the surrounding Arabs, that he offers a solution to all their tension and issues, and they embrace him as their leader without bloodshed.

Only globalism would allow this, and the conditions of despair must be just right. The world will seek a resolution, which only the satanically infused AntiChrist will offer. 

John 8:44 indicates the level of murder and lies that will be present; “You belong to your father, the devil, and you want to carry out your father’s desires. He was a murderer from the beginning, not holding to the truth, for there is no truth in him. When he lies, he speaks his native language, for he is a liar and the father of lies.”

But a noteworthy scriptural verse expands on the state of affairs both now and at the time of the AntiChrist. Revelation 9:21 records, “and they did not repent of their murders nor of their sorceries nor of their immorality nor of their thefts.”

If we reflect upon what is emerging daily in our news cycle, we see the constant occurrence of these specific evil activities: lies and deceptions, killings, sorceries (drugs), immorality (sexual deviancy), and thefts. And, there is no repentance. In fact, these very acts are now being demanded as rights or reparations.

You should note that the Greek word for “sorceries” is “φαρμακεία” (pharmakeia) and means “the use or the administering of drugs.” Also, the Greek term for “immoralities,” “πορνείας” (porneias) from which we get the word pornography, means “fornication” or “sexual immorality.”

Of course, we would expect murder and lying; as John 8:44 above confirms, Satan is the father of murder and lying, but drugs, sexual deviancy, and thefts; how interesting.

We now face a continual and rising flood of narcotics into our nation without a border, which has resulted in nearly 107,000 fatalities in 2021 alone. The pro-transgender inclusion policies are demanding recruits from as early as Pre-K. And the "defund the police" blunder has resulted in widespread thievery, to the point that big retail chains are scrambling to close locations to stem the financial bleeding.  Who would have predicted this specific combination; except the Bible?

One caution, however; we shouldn’t mistake conservatism for redemption. You can be conservative and yet miss the boat. The only genuine deliverance is repentance of your sins and faith in Christ Jesus. Also, as believers, you may loathe the actions of those on the left; realize, however, that they are the mission field, as are many on the right.

So the Bible precisely anticipated and elaborated on what other visionaries had only begun to perceive and what we are now tragically recognizing. What other scripture prophecies will come true?