Hello, March. Man, this year is already flying by at break neck speed. And you know how I roll…at two speeds…ludicrously fast…and stop. And while speed is often our friend…rushing into a battle zone unprepared and unknowledgeable about the enemy is…well…a suicide mission. Now, for you folks who love to analyze and dive deep…deep…deep into things, this month’s article will give you much to chew on if you sit and think on it. For those who like to run with what the page gives…at face value…you’ll enjoy it, too, and hopefully get some good intel that you can use. I’m here to serve.
We are continuing the Spiritual Warfare series…headquartered in Ephesians 6:10-18…and talking about the parallel between a Christian’s calling and the mission of a US Marine Corps Rifle Squad. For those who have missed the past few series installments, you can get up to speed very quickly by either grabbing the past couple of editions of Power Source Magazine or by visiting ServantWarriorRadio.com and listening to the podcast messages. You can’t lose either way!
Now, to make sure you have the intel you need to focus on the task at hand, let me remind you of the mission of the Marine Corps Rifle Squad. It is to: Locate, close with, and destroy the enemy by fire and maneuver, and repel enemy assault by fire and close combat. Place that mission side-by-side with Ephesians 6:10-18, and you’ll find we could spend a long time here…at least a few months…and we just may do that. Why? Because it’s that important, that’s why. We’re talking about life or death here.
Whether you’re a war historian or one not so enamored with what happened in the past…militarily…I am sure we can recall reading about or hearing about battles that went awry. Where armies…or individuals, for that matter…rushed in only to find out much too late that what they expected…as it relates to the enemy or the conditions…and what they found was completely different. That, my friends, is a situation that usually ends in horrible failure for one team. Ask General Custer. You’ve likely heard me say before that Proper Prior Planning Prevents Poor Performance. That is true in everything…especially war. So looking back to the horrible failure mentioned a few sentences ago, what caused the failure? Certainly a lack of proper prior planning would be a likely answer. But what if they…or the individual…did plan? What might they…he…have based their battle plans on?
The purpose of spies, reconnaissance, unmanned drone planes, satellite imagery, information gathering techniques (Give me a break, I’m not used to being PC), etc…is to gather as much relevant and accurate information as possible. We want to know about the environment. We want to know everything about the enemy…his capabilities, numbers, tendencies, tactical positions, etc…We want to ensure, based on the information or intelligence we are able to gather, that when we do go into battle or initiate other types of military operations, we are as prepared as possible for what we will face. What happens when the intelligence we receive or the sources used to prepare are not accurate or reliable? Yes…it does happen.
I don’t know about you, but if I am going into battle I want to ensure I have the BEST intelligence possible. May I remind you again, gentlemen…and ladies…that, like it or not, we are in the middle of an all out war…everyday. But, this is not a game that you can restart and do over. Now, given this piece of very important intelligence…that there is a war raging for our souls and the enemy field general is a seasoned war monger with a very long list of battle successes and confirmed kills who prowls around like a lion looking for someone to devour…shouldn’t you properly prepare? Ever heard the saying “taking a knife to a gun fight”? Satan is incredibly crafty and subtle. He uses the things of this world…to include us… as weapons to destroy us. And when we go, everything around us is soon to follow. Often, the enemy seems…well…unbeatable. For those that are unprepared for battle…he is. “Be prepared. You’re up against far more than you can handle alone.” (Eph 6:13 MSG)
But there is a source of intel that is 100% reliable…100% relevant…100% accurate…has 100% real-time availability…and, most importantly, it GUARANTEES victory. Give me some of that! “All scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, so that the man of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work.” (2 Timothy 3:16-17). God’s Word gives us all we need to know about the enemy and is the ultimate intelligence brief.
The Spiritual Warfare series will continue next month. Until then, keep it Real…Radical…Relentless…Relevant…and… Armor Up.
This article was published in the March 2013 edition of Power Source Magazine and can be viewed HERE.
Jeff Searcy 