Fighting an Unseen Enemy: Are You Vaccinated?
By Col. Tim Moore
What lessons can be learned from the coronavirus crisis? By the time this period of global disruption has passed, many lessons will have been offered. There will be medical, economic, political and social lessons — and hopefully, the wisdom to learn from them.
Undoubtedly, new public health practices will be put into place to mitigate future pandemic outbreaks. Stimulus packages and fiscal policies will be implemented to restart various economic engines. The political fates of individuals and whole parties will shift based on perceived performance during this episode. And, people will probably adjust their own interactivity with others — in both positive and negative ways.
But there is another lesson to be learned, for those with eyes to see and ears to hear. The fact that life as all of us knew it in early 2020 was upended by a microscopic viral threat should warn us of another threat lurking unseen all around us. But before we consider that danger, let’s take a look at the nature and impact of viruses.
Viral Dangers
COVID-19 is far too small to be seen with the naked eye — or even a regular microscope. 500 times smaller in diameter than a human hair, it can only be observed with a scanning electron microscope. Viruses are basically tiny blobs of genetic material (DNA or RNA) housed in a protein shell. Coronaviruses are called that because they are spherical and look like the sun. The word “corona” in Spanish means crown or halo. Ironically, though strains like COVID-19 can be deadly, their appearance is misleadingly beautiful.
When a particular virus infects a living organism, its protein shell attaches to specific host cells. It then releases its genetic material into that cell and uses the cell’s own enzymes to produce new virus particles. Eventually, those particles are ejected from the host cell — vastly increasing the quantity of the virus. This process often results in the death of infected cells. An infected person often feels sick because their own immune system responds to the alien invasion. This raging internal war can even kill.
Viruses Common since the Fall
Mankind has been dealing with virus attacks since the Fall in the Garden of Eden. We are quite familiar with cold and flu viruses — forms of virus that mutate slightly every year. COVID-19 is such a threat because it is novel (previously unknown to humanity or our individual immune systems), highly contagious, and deadly.
We’ve witnessed the devastating effects of an unchecked spread of this contagion in places like Wuhan, China, and Northern Italy. Hotspots are popping up all over the United States as well. Sadly, before this pandemic is over many more people will undoubtedly fall ill to this virus and some will die.
The Bible addresses the societal threat of unchecked contagion. In Leviticus, God instructed Moses on how to discern particular forms of disease that could be devastating if not contained. Chapters 13 and 14 address tests for a disease that has been translated “leprosy,” but can refer to any infectious skin disease. It is demanded that those with these diseases be quarantined. And while the measures prescribed for preventing the spread of the dread contagion seem draconian, the Lord also provided hope for a cure and restoration.
A More Deadly Threat
As great a threat as the coronavirus labeled COVID-19 is proving to be, there is another unseen menace threatening all of mankind. The Bible tells us that Satan “prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour” (1 Peter 5:8). He is typically unseen, but we are told that he can also appear as an angel of light. He longs to be worshipped and will eventually indwell the Antichrist in an attempt to usurp the glory of God’s own Son — essentially stealing Jesus’ deserved crown.
Like a deadly virus, even now Satan injects his own spirit of rebellion against God into men and women — perpetuating and magnifying the wicked effects of sin. As with natural contagions, we are all susceptible to his attack because we are born with our own inherent sin nature. Speaking to the religious leaders of His day, Jesus went so far as to call them children of the devil (John 8:44). Why? Because they embraced Satan’s lies and followed after his desires.
As we observe the signs of the times, we see far too many people eager to embrace Satan’s lies today. Many clearly do not follow after God. We can say this categorically because more and more people reject Jesus as the Messiah (1 John 2:22). In their fallen state, they lack eyes to see or ears to hear — meaning that they cannot even hear Jesus (John 8:43,47).
Those of us who do hear Jesus cannot grow complacent in this life. We must recognize that Peter’s warning was for us. He calls the devil our adversary, and urges us to be sober and on the alert, resisting him as we stand firm in the faith (1 Peter 5:8-9). Otherwise, our foe that is invisible to human eyes can infect our thinking, contaminate our ministry, sicken our fellowship, and poison our witness.
The Ultimate Vaccination
Thankfully, Jesus Christ has already proven His power over Satan and defeated death itself. He stands willing to inoculate anyone who puts their trust in Him — offering immunity from Satan’s power and victory over death.
If you’ve come to understand the peril of an unseen virus that has threatened national economies and destroyed thousands of lives, open your spiritual eyes as well. Paul admonished the people in Ephesus that our greater struggle is “against the powers, against the world forces of this darkness, against the spiritual forces of wickedness in the heavenly places” (Ephesians 6:12). The solution: “Be strong in the Lord and in the strength of His might. Put on the full armor of God, so that you will be able to stand firm against the schemes of the devil” (Ephesians 6:10-11).
Jesus said, “Heaven and earth will pass away, but My words will not pass away” (Matthew 24:35). Bible prophecy tells that someday soon God will make all things new — eliminating deadly viruses and casting Satan and death and everyone who rejects Jesus as Savior and Lord into an everlasting lake of fire (Revelation 20:10-15, 21:5).
Do not wait another day! Invite Jesus into your life. Allow Him to Protect you from our unseen foe and vaccinate you against eternal death.