Commander in Chief?
Religion and politics are, by many people’s reckoning, taboo subjects. Most of us have been told at some point not to talk about them. The warnings often come before family gatherings, holiday meals, or special events: Don’t bring up religion. Don’t bring up politics. These two topics make people uncomfortable, stir strong emotions, and sometimes expose deep divisions.
Ironically, when I teach in churches or lead Bible studies, I often say that there are two topics absolutely on the table for discussion: religion and politics. I teach the Bible, and the entire Bible is, in one way or another, about religion and politics. Scripture is the story of God interacting with humanity through nations, rulers, laws, covenants, wars, alliances, obedience, rebellion, faithfulness, and idolatry. When we honestly look at the world through a biblical lens, we quickly discover that many of today’s headlines are not new. They are echoes of ancient conflicts with deep spiritual roots.
This is especially true when it comes to the Middle East. The conflict we are witnessing today is not merely a modern political dispute or a clash of competing national interests. It is an ancient struggle rooted in biblical history. Antisemitism has often been called “the oldest hatred” and for good reason. From a biblical perspective, Satan’s ultimate desire has always been to undermine God’s covenant promises to the nation of Israel and the Jewish people. The enemy of God uses individuals and national movements, in an attempt to accomplish his destructive purposes.
Throughout Scripture, ongoing conflict is woven into the story. These conflicts often involving religion, politics, empires, nations, and national leaders. Religion and politics are not side issues in the Bible; they are central to the narrative. Yet the true center of the biblical story is not human power or political dominance, but God Himself. Scripture reveals a sovereign God who is actively involved with His creation, using political leaders (good and evil), and political events, to accomplish His ultimate redemptive purposes.
Given the current religious and political climate in the world today, it seemed both necessary and timely to offer perspective. As a ministry focused on reaching the Jewish people and standing with the nation of Israel, we find ourselves in the middle of this conflict...spiritually, emotionally, and relationally. Our goal is not only to provide reliable, truthful, and biblically grounded information, but also to help believers stay focused on what is ultimately most important.
We are receiving more and more calls from Christians who are struggling to answer difficult questions posed by friends, coworkers, and family members. Pastors are reaching out because young people in their churches are confused by what they are seeing and hearing. Grandparents are unsure how to respond to their grandchildren’s heartfelt questions. Why do Christians support Israel? Whose land is it? Who are the Jewish people? What is antisemitism? Are we living in the end times? Is Israel committing genocide? These are serious questions, and they deserve thoughtful, biblical answers. Our ministry exists to help address them.
How Did the Battle Begin?
According to biblical history, the roots of today’s conflict stretch back roughly 4,500 years. Abraham, the man to whom God made covenant promises, had two sons...one through Hagar, Sarah’s maidservant, and one through Sarah herself. God promised that both sons, Ishmael and Isaac, would be blessed. Yet He also made clear that their descendants would live in ongoing tension and conflict.
In Genesis 16, the angel of the Lord speaks to Hagar and says:
“You are now pregnant and you will give birth to a son. You shall name him Ishmael, for the Lord has heard of your misery. He will be a wild donkey of a man; his hand will be against everyone and everyone’s hand against him, and he will live in hostility toward all his brothers.”
Later, God reaffirmed that the ultimate promise of redemption...the promise through which blessing would come to the entire world would pass through Isaac’s line:
“Do not be so distressed about the boy and your slave woman. Listen to whatever Sarah tells you, because it is through Isaac that your offspring will be reckoned. I will make the son of the slave into a nation also, because he is your offspring.” (Genesis 21:12–13)
These passages do not diminish God’s care for Ishmael or his descendants. Rather, they establish the framework for understanding why conflict has persisted for millennia. What we are witnessing today is not the beginning of the struggle; it is the continuation of a very old story.
With Whom Is Our Battle?
It is easy, and often tempting, to frame this conflict purely in terms of nations, leaders, armies, and ideologies. However Scripture calls us to see more deeply. Ultimately, the battle is not between flesh and blood. The apostle Paul reminds us of this truth in Ephesians 6:
“Finally, be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power. Put on the full armor of God, so that you can take your stand against the devil’s schemes. For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms.”
When Hamas launched its brutal attack on Israel on October 7, 2023, the violence was horrific and heartbreaking. Yet Scripture suggests that what was visible on earth was accompanied by an even greater, unseen conflict in the spiritual realm. One can only imagine the intensity of the battle raging in the heavenly realms at that moment...a battle that continues to this day.
This is why any leader who believes he or she can bring lasting, eternal peace to the Middle East through diplomacy alone is, quite frankly, mistaken...and biblically uninformed. Human efforts can achieve ceasefires, treaties, and temporary stability, but they cannot heal the deeper spiritual fracture at the heart of this conflict.
Who Is Our Commander in Chief?
This brings us to the most important question of all: Who is our Commander in Chief?
Our Commander in Chief is not a human being sitting behind a desk making geopolitical decisions. Our Commander in Chief is the Messiah Jesus. The Bible is clear that He will return to establish His kingdom. He is the King of kings and the Lord of lords. Scripture does not portray His return as symbolic or merely spiritual. In Zechariah 14, we are told that He will come as a warrior, engaging in battle, and that His feet will stand on the Mount of Olives, which will split in two.
No political leader, president, prime minister, parliament, congress, or governing body, can or will bring eternal peace to the Middle East. Only the Messiah can do that. The Prince of Peace entered the world humbly, born as a baby in a manger. Yet when He returns, He will come in power and glory. Biblical peace is not simply the absence of conflict; it is the presence and reign of the Lord.
As we close out 2025 and move into 2026, it is our heartfelt hope and prayer that the nation of Israel will one day recognize His glory, not only as a nation, but as individuals. We long to see Jewish people around the world come to recognize the kingship of Jesus, their Messiah. At the same time, we pray that Christians worldwide will better understand the unique and enduring place that Israel and the Jewish people hold in God’s heart and redemptive plan.
It is also our prayer that the Church, particularly in the United States but also around the world, will stand firmly against the evil of antisemitism and all forms of anti-Jewish sentiment. We pray that believers will seek truth from reliable sources, beginning with Scripture, and that they will carefully evaluate the information they hear and see, whether on the news or on social media.
As a ministry we are diligently working to proclaim the message of our Messiah to the Jewish community. They are in desperate need of hope, comfort, encouragement, but especially salvation. My people need Jesus. He truly is the only hope for the Jewish people, the nation of Israel, and humanity.
By Murray Tilles
Founder and Executive Director