NewsWatch

Will the Lines of War Ever Be Erased?

In Europe, as yet another peace deal between Russia and Ukraine is weighed, details suggest that the most recent proposal “paves the way for the legal framework under which British, French, and partner forces could operate on Ukrainian soil, securing Ukraine’s skies and seas, and regenerating Ukraine’s armed forces for the future” (BBC.com). Some even suggest that such protocols will make it possible for direct American military intervention to defend Kiev in the future, coming close to a NATO-style Article 5 agreement without requiring Ukraine to actually join NATO (Axios.com). But would this technicality really matter to Russia’s current leaders, who have relentlessly proclaimed that they will not allow Ukraine to become a perceived threat to their territories?

Meanwhile, current tensions between China and Taiwan have intensified, and a U.S. think tank recently released a report detailing the potential costliness of a Chinese attack on Taiwanese territory (Taipei Times). The report speculated that any such conflict would very likely end in a massive loss of Chinese troops and an embarrassing stalemate, forcing China to withdraw unsatisfied. However, it emphasized that “deterrence rests on perceptions, rather than reality.” In other words, all the practical realities in the world will not prevent conflict if aggressors perceive their losses as minor compared to what they hope to gain. And what will this lead to? In the years ahead, the major world powers will set aside any realities about potential losses and will conclude that offensive action is their best option—eventually resulting in a military exchange so destructive that a third of mankind will be destroyed, as foretold by Bible prophecy, before Christ returns to set up His Kingdom here on Earth!

The Biggest Threat to the West

A sobering essay was published in the Telegraph on December 18, 2025, titled “The single biggest threat to our national security is not Russia, China or Iran.” In the article, former British politician Liam Fox observed how nations of the West are spending more each year on the interest on their national debts than they are spending on defense—in a world full of growing threats and a continually aggressive antagonist on Europe’s border. As Mr. Fox observed, “The toxic combination of short-term political obsession, failure of vision and lack of courage among Western political leaders is currently leaving us dangerously exposed to increasingly emboldened enemies.”

According to the article, the United Kingdom spent 60 percent more on paying its debt than it spent on defense in 2024. The United States has the world’s largest defense budget at almost $900 billion and spends roughly the same amount on its debt interest. And G7 nations—with the exception of Germany—“have government debt to GDP ratios approaching or greater than 100 per cent.” Mr. Fox concluded that “balancing budgets to keep us safe must become the clear battlefield in our politics if we are to remain secure and free peoples.”

God inspired Moses to prophesy about the many nations descended from ancient Israel at the end of the age, including many Western nations. In this warning, God observed that as these Israelite-descended nations increasingly reject Him, they will become debtor nations that will lose control to others (Deuteronomy 28:43–44). Ultimately, this debt will contribute to their destruction (v. 45). God also warned that covetousness and greed—uncontrolled desire for excess—leads to conflict (James 4:1–3). The modern nations that descended from Israel have been richly blessed in recent centuries, but sadly these blessings are rapidly coming to an end.

Is Social Media Making Us More Violent?

Violence permeates television shows and movies, and viewers are often able to “disconnect” themselves to some degree from the acts they see, knowing that the violence they watch is not real. However, with video captured easily on mobile devices, people can now watch actual violence, even as it is happening. Does this affect one’s mind differently than the simulated violence of cinema and television? New research suggests that it does.

According to a Youth Endowment Fund (YEF) survey of teens in England and Wales, “Most teenagers have seen real-world acts of violence on social media in the past year—70 percent of 13 to 17-year-olds reported seeing such content.” TikTok and X users reported the greatest viewing of actual violence, and Facebook, Snapchat, and Instagram “also have significant numbers of teenage users exposed to violent content.” While an average person in most developed nations does not every day experience real-life violence firsthand, it is possible to be exposed to scenes of real violence every single day if one spends enough time on social media. Thanks to the way algorithms personalize media content, someone who has watched such violent footage can be lured into watching more—and for hours on end. According to the YEF, “16 percent of children aged between 13 and 17 years old reported perpetrating a violent incident in the past 12 months. Of these, nearly two-thirds (64 percent) said that social media played a role, including online arguments leading to in-person violence.”

God pays special attention to the person “who stops his ears from hearing of bloodshed, and shuts his eyes from seeing evil” (Isaiah 33:15). And when His Kingdom on Earth is established, “Violence shall no longer be heard in your land” (Isaiah 60:18). In a world where it is increasingly difficult to avoid scenes of violence and bloodshed, one must put forth effort to seek that which is good and right (Philippians 4:8). And when we do seek what is good and avoid exposure to evil and violent things, our minds and lives have much more peace.

The Crisis of the Will to Work

Mike Rowe, CEO of the mikeroweWORKS Foundation, is sounding an alarm that a fundamental shift has occurred in America’s relationship with work (MSN). According to Rowe, part of the crisis facing the United States is about the will to work, and data seems to back up his conclusion. In a recent report, 10.5 percent of American men ages 25–54—roughly 6.8 million individuals—“were neither working nor looking for employment” (CNBC). This withdrawal from the workforce represents an increasingly common decision to simply opt out of productive labor.

The figures are dismal. From 1948–2024, men’s labor force participation dropped from 86.6 percent to just 68 percent. For men in their prime working years (ages 25 to 54), participation has dropped from 98 percent in 1954 to 89 percent. More than a quarter of these men report voluntarily not working—all while the U.S. lacks skilled laborers.

What does a nation lose when its able-bodied men abandon work? Work provides more than economic productivity—it provides purpose, dignity, and structure to human life. The Bible speaks clearly of the value of work. The Apostle Paul wrote, “If anyone will not work, neither shall he eat” (2 Thessalonians 3:10). Before sin entered the world, Adam was given the garden of Eden “to tend and keep”—to work in it (Genesis 2:15). Today’s generations face a choice: Will we value honest work or continue on a path where constant idleness is normal? When the will to work disappears, we risk a crisis not just of economics but of character and purpose.

U.S. Pushes Germany to Take Over NATO

Germany recently hosted the 24th Berlin Security Conference. This conference included attendees from nations inside and outside of Europe, including many NATO nations. During the conference, Matthew Whitaker, the United States’ ambassador to NATO, spoke on behalf of President Donald Trump and mused, “I look forward to the day when Germany comes to the United States and says that we’re ready to take over the Supreme Allied Commander position. I think we’re a long way away from that, but I look forward to those discussions” (Telegraph). In additional comments Mr. Whitaker shared his wish that Germany’s military capabilities would one day be equal to those of the U.S.

Ever since NATO’s inception in 1949, the Supreme Allied Commander Europe role has been filled by an American general. Dwight D. Eisenhower was the first to hold the post, and he later became a U.S. president. In the last two years, Germany’s military growth has been a top priority in Berlin, and Germany is far outpacing the rest of Europe in its rearmament efforts.

While many nations are not yet ready for the United States to relinquish the leading role in NATO, could Germany take on this role in the future? Many students of history and of Bible prophecy are keenly aware that Germany is prophesied to take a global role in the years ahead, both politically and militarily. And Germany’s future impact on the U.S. and other nations descended from ancient Israel will not be as kind as one might think—Ambassador Whitaker and the U.S. should be careful what they ask for.