Chess
The analogy of this article concerns the subject of spiritual warfare. Analogies aren’t perfect, but what they can do is take certain aspects of a concept and make them clear. So when I say “Spiritual warfare is like…” I’m not saying “spiritual warfare IS…” Just so we’re clear there. I must also give credit to Chuck Swindoll, who spoke enough about this picture of spiritual warfare to get me thinking and elaborating on the idea.
Spiritual warfare is like a chess match. Have you ever played chess? I have. I’m not the best at it. I’m good enough that I can beat a real novice, but if anyone has any serious strategy I’m sunk. I prove this time and time again when I try to best the computer in Apple’s Chess program. If I set the computer to be remotely intelligent, I get beat badly.
But see, here’s the thing. If I set the difficulty level all the way up to max, or if I sit down next to Garry Kasparov (the greatest chess player of all time) or Big Blue (the computer that was able to beat Kasparov), I and everybody who would be watching would know that I would lose. The game is already decided, and there is NO way that I could win.
That’s a good way to look at spiritual warfare.
We have the book of Revelation. It’s at the end of the Bible, and it tells us that Jesus wins. Satan has lost the war! Before we approach a spiritual battle, before we fight something, we need to look at the scene, where Satan and Jesus sit down at the table and survey the pieces. We need to know that Jesus has won and make sure that we’re siding with Him! All we need to do is get on the pike and shield that a pawn would use or mount the horse and draw the sword that a knight would use and get in with His ranks, then we’re GOING to win!
But here’s the catch. When Satan sits down to play, he knows that he’s going to lose. I mean, if he fought Jesus with Scripture in the wilderness, I bet he’s taken the time to read Revelation. So what does this mean? Well, if I were forced to play Kasparov, I would try to go down swinging. “See how long I lasted! And look, I even captured your bishop and three of your pawns!” I know I can’t win, and I can’t just ditch the pride and resign, so I want to make his win as marginal as possible. Those who are bad at chess also know that when you’re not going to win, you don’t give up and roll over; you try to cause a stalemate, which means that nobody wins! If I’m Satan, I’d take that over losing, right?
Though the battle is already decided, that doesn’t mean that there won’t be a battle.
The analogy can go even deeper. When I play chess, it’s nice to take out a pawn, but man, if you score a bishop or a rook or a knight or even a queen, it is SO much more gratifying, because if you take out a writer of a fledgling web site (that’s me), you’d only affect a few people, but if you take out a big-time pastor with a congregation of multiple thousands, then you’re in business! When you capture a queen in chess, it’s a big deal, because the queen can move anywhere and do anything and it’s really dangerous. So Satan would rather take out the big guys.
They say that Satan attacks the strong more, and it makes sense. I mean, pawns are weak. All you need to do is block them, then they can’t move. Heck, you don’t even need to capture them - just let them be immobilized in the enemy’s ranks. The devil has certainly done this; I would liken it to those who sit in apathy. But a rook - now there’s a powerful piece. You can’t render this guy immobile very easily; you have to actively try to corner it or fork it or chase it around the board because it’s a stronger piece. When I play chess, I don’t try hard to take out the little guys because I don’t have to. But anyone who plays me knows that when it comes to a rook or a queen, I’ll do whatever it takes to get them out of there.
So what’s a Christian to do? Well, you might be a pawn, you might be a queen. But no matter what you are, if you don’t have support, then you’re done. When a chess player moves, he makes sure that all of his pieces are protected or out of the way of an attack. So call on God, and make sure that you’re protected! But more importantly, know that if you are in the ranks of Jesus, YOU ARE GOING TO WIN IF YOU STICK WITH HIM. Straight up. You may look to the left and to the right and you may see Christians get captured all around you. Goodness, I see that more than I should have to, people falling away or being lukewarm. But if you stick to Jesus and believe in His victory and make sure that you’re supported by him, you WILL NOT lose in your spiritual battles.
And trust me, this lesson is for me as much as it is for you, the reader. I’m trying my best to trust in God and claim his victory!
Grace and peace,
~ Brendan
