OK, some people have noticed my avatar as General Patton. Yes, I am a Patton fan. I have read most of his biographies, and have read his Patton Papers. At West Point, all of his personal books and papers were available to peruse and it was really cool to see how he thought. There were margin notes in his books, and it was like talking to the man himself. But I think we all need to realize that we are engaged in spiritual warfare everyday with the powers of our enemy. Many times I think that Christians are more like Teletubbies than warriors. As a soldier, I surely cared for my soldiers under my command, not by being soft and loving and in touch with my feelings, but through hard training, practice, and discipline. In combat, that training paid off. Under stress when the bullets were flying, we were able to steadfastly execute our mission with no loss of life (except for the enemy, of course!). Talk about authentic relationships. When your life depends on each other, you take each other very seriously. Trust is a key factor. I think we have a lot to learn as Christians from the bond of soldiers, that band of brothers.
3 For though we walk in the flesh, we are not waging war according to the flesh. 4 For the weapons of our warfare are not of the flesh but have divine power to destroy strongholds. 5 We destroy arguments and every lofty opinion raised against the knowledge of God, and take every thought captive to obey Christ, 6 being ready to punish every disobedience, when your obedience is complete. 2 Corinthians 10:3 – 6
