As I get older, I find what I used to see as remote history now seems very recent.  The year 1898 may sound ancient, but it was only little more than 50 years before I was born, about 2/3 of my lifetime — a very short time!

In June of that year, Captain Pedro Andurra was head of the Spanish marine corps on the island of Guam in the Western Pacific, when an American cruiser with three transport ships sailed into the harbour, and fired a few rounds, which was the polite custom at that time to salute a foreign authority, as radio wasn’t available until several years later.  The world has changed so quickly.

Captain Andurra was embarrassed, as Spain had neglected to supply the island.  He had no gunpowder to return the salute, and no news from Spain for over two months.  So, he and some other officials went out to apologise to the American captain.
On board he learnt that Spain and the US were at war.
Those rounds fired by the cruiser had been real, but the fort was so run down, and the fort so distant, the damage was not noticed.  He and the other officials had made themselves prisoners of war, and he was only allowed a temporary return to the island to arrange its surrender.

I imagine he thought he was the unluckiest man alive.

But then and now, we are also in the midst of warfare of far greater magnitude, of spiritual warfare.
Ephesians 6:12 says our struggle is, “against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms”,
And in Romans 7:23 Paul says, “I see another law at work in the members of my body, waging war against the law of my mind and making me a prisoner of the law of sin.”

But unlike Captain Andurra, we are most fortunate.

Firstly, we are informed of this conflict in the bible.
But some people may neglect to read it, and allow themselves to be captured unawares, like Captain Andurra.

Secondly, God will readily supply all our needs.
But if we neglect to ask, our lives may become run down like the fort at Guam, and we may not even notice the damaging effects of this conflict.

And third and most importantly, is what we now celebrate in this meal – that victory in this war is already secured, as Jesus has won the decisive battle for us, on the cross.
There he defeated the power of sin and death over us, and made us righteous before God.
Heb 2:14 reads, “he too shared in their humanity so that by his death he might destroy him who holds the power of death — that is, the devil.”

There are no bonds that can hold us prisoner like Captain Andurra, we have been set truly free by Jesus.
James 4:7 says, “Submit yourselves, then, to God.  Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.  Humble yourselves before the Lord, and he will lift you up.”

Only by faith in Jesus, can we be truly free.