Since the civil war began in Syria, about 400,000 people have died. Also, it is estimated that the number of refugees has risen past 4.5 million and approximately 70% of the country’s population lives below the poverty line. The destruction in Syria has affected cities such as Aleppo, Qusayr, Homs and Damascus, which is the capital.

This war began in 2011 when a group of young boys expressed their opposition to the government of President Bashar Al-Assad. They were arrested and tortured, but this did not solve the problem; on the contrary, protests took hold of several cities and expanded even more. In response to the peaceful movements, which called for the president’s resignation, government security forces fought protesters with repression, causing deaths and intensifying the violence.

Conflicts increased as civilians began to take arms and fight against government forces with the intention of taking control of cities and assuming power. What we see today is a war within another war, influenced by several internal and external factors.

When confronted with such tragedy and crimes against humanity, it is impossible not to associate what is happening in Syria, especially in the capital, Damascus, with the prophecy written in the book of Isaiah:

Behold, Damascus will cease from being a city, and it will be a ruinous heap. Isaiah 17.1

Several Syrian cities are devastated, including part of Damascus. However, there is no way of knowing whether the biblical prophecy refers to the present or another time, when the Assyrians conquered Damascus in 732 BC. Nevertheless, the astonishment this war causes is undeniable, especially when we see the aerial images of the destruction in the city of Homs, for example. In them, we see a post-apocalyptic scenario where it is very difficult to imagine that houses, streets and buildings once existed.

In the same way, it is very difficult to imagine that people who once were so useful in the hands of the Spirit of God are now like these ruins. They stood firm in the presence of the Most High, knew of His secrets, thoughts and desires, but today, like a bombed city, they are trying to rebuild their life because the spiritual wars have overcome them.

The ruin begins when a person’s faith becomes cold, and then breaches appear, such as bad eyes, conflicts and bad feelings, which lead to complete spiritual division and a life of injustice. However, it is possible to rise from the ruins. For this to happen, the first step is to recognize that nobody can gather and rebuild their own shards. The second step is to be humble and turn to God, believing that, despite a ruined life, the Lord gives opportunities for new beginnings. This is, He enables the fallen to rise so that through faith, He can transform the injustice that destroyed him into righteousness to honor God.