The War Is Over; the Battles Are Not | D-Day Plus 1 and the Christian Life

1. D-Day: The Day That Decided World War II

On June 6, 1944, Allied forces stormed the beaches of Normandy in the largest amphibious invasion in history. The cost was immense, the fighting brutal, and thousands died before nightfall. Although D-Day did not end World War II, historians agree that it decided it. As the saying goes, the war was over, but the battles were not. Once the beaches were secured, a permanent foothold—a beachhead—was established in enemy territory, and from that moment on Nazi Germany was fighting from a position of defeat. The war would continue for months, but the outcome was no longer in doubt. D-Day was a victory that didn’t end the war immediately—but it settled it forever.

2. Christ’s Life: The Real D-Day

D-Day helps us understand the life of Christ. The Incarnation is the beginning of the invasion—the real D-Day, the Divine Day—when the Son of God took flesh in the womb of the Virgin Mary and entered enemy territory. Bethlehem is like Normandy, the landing zone: quiet, hidden, seemingly insignificant, yet from that moment on history changed. From there, Christ advances steadily, and in His words and works—healing the sick, forgiving sins, casting out demons—He establishes the Kingdom of God and reclaims what sin had stolen. Through His Passion, Death, and Resurrection, the decisive battle is fought and the war is settled forever.

3. D-Day Plus One: The Time We Are Living In

Now imagine standing on the beaches of Normandy on D-Day Plus One. The war is over—but our battles are not. The enemy still resists, sacrifice is still required, and hard fighting remains. That is exactly where we live now. Christ has won the decisive victory, but the final surrender of evil has not yet come. The devil is defeated—but still dangerous. This is the “in-between” time of history. We fight from victory, knowing the enemy has already been beaten—but we must never think our struggles are meaningless. Your battles carry eternal weight. What you choose, resist, endure, and offer today truly matters forever.