The Battle of Tours (Poitiers) ended on October 10, 732.  This battle is considered a significant event in Western Civilization.  It halted the spread of Islam in Europe after twenty years of conquests there by the Muslims and triggered the downfall of the Umayyad Dynasty.

German historian Hans Delbruck said, “there was no more important battle in the history of the world.”  Belgian historian Godefroid Kurth wrote, “The Battle of Poitiers must ever remain one of the great events in the history of the world, as upon its issue depended whether Christian Civilization should continue or Islam prevail throughout Europe.”

The Muslims, commanded by Abdul Rahman Al Ghafigi in a mounted attack, outnumbered the mostly Frank and Burgundian forces by four to one (and possibly more).  The element of surprise mixed with patience allowed the poorly armed infantry army, headed by Charles Martel, a decisive victory which rebutted the advancement of Islam into Europe.

We don’t have to look far to see elements of this kind of victory throughout history.  Consider Joshua’s battle for Hazor (Joshua 11).  Joshua did all that the Lord commanded and victory was won because of this obedience.  (Joshua 11:15).

Also, our own Revolutionary War pitted a ragtag military force against the most elite military force of its day with victory being won by the lesser force.

The Battle of Agincourt fought on October 25, 1415 pitted English King Henry V, and his approximately 6,000 men, vs. French King Charles VI, and his conservative estimate of 20,000 men.  The impact of this was that the English believed that God favored them in the Hundred Years War, and the French were so disheartened that they even lacked the will to continue fighting causing the Treaty of Troyes in 1420 to heavily favor the English.

The Battle of Midway fought June 4-7, 1942 where American Admiral Chester Nimitz, who was outnumbered in carriers, battleships, aircraft and men, halted Japanese Fleet Admiral Isoroku Yamamoto’s expansion into the Pacific island rim and eventually led to the Allied victory in the Pacific theater for World War II.  (An interesting side-note is that Fleet Admiral Yamamoto was a graduate of the United States Naval War College as well as being a graduate of Harvard.  He found it difficult to go to war against America, but his Japanese nationalism was impressed upon to serve his country.  He died in battle on the Solomon Islands in 1943.)

There are some characteristics worth noting from these battles:  1. The element of surprise; 2. Victory is not assured to a better equipped and trained military force; and 3. God’s power is made perfect in weakness.  Also, each battle encapsulates a clear battle between warring worldviews.

We face our own worldview battle today.  Today’s heretic is secular humanism which has invaded our society at every level and has even encamped at some of our Christian churches.  And it’s present in 18-page decisions from Appellate Judges in California who tell us, “parents do not have a constitutional right to homeschool their children” and “A primary purpose of the educational system is to train school children in good citizenship, patriotism and loyalty to the state and the nation as a means of protecting the public welfare."  The problem with those statements is that it does not take into account what Scripture says about parents and children and God’s command to teach our children as we go about our daily lives.  (Deuteronomy 6:1-9)

However, let us take heart in the fact that the Lord has time and again showed His favor for those who love Him, who follow His commands (perhaps not perfectly, but are repentant when they don’t), and who as a remnant preach, teach and confess a fully human/fully God, crucified Jesus who rose again to save all mankind.

May we ever be vigilant to fight off the profane and to honor God no matter what the cost and how lopsided it may seem.

Mike and Paula

Acts 5:29

Copyright 2008 by Mike and Paula Anderson, all rights reserved