Tactics #1

Goodness is neither easy nor automatic. We are born in sin, which means that sin is in our natures like some sort of an infection. When the fallen angels attempt to manipulate us, they find the poison in our natures acting like an ally, helping them in all they do. So what to do? How can I find the power to live a holy life?

There are a lot of theories out there. You may never have heard of the deeper life or the Keswick teaching or of the Wesleyan doctrine of perfect love because the church is not much interested in teaching holiness in these days. And that’s not a good thing.

I’m not going to bore you with a blow by blow analysis of all of the theologies of holiness out there. What I am going to insist on is something that seems very simple, and very clear to me. Any teaching that disregards or ignores the importance of good tactics in spiritual warfare is either unbalanced or incomplete.

In warfare strategy deals with the big picture. I’ll surround your nation with a sea blockade to keep you from receiving vital resources needed to fuel your war machine. I’ll put some of my nukes on submarines so that if you wipe out my land based forces in a surprise attack I can still rain destruction back on you. These are examples of strategy. Strategy is big picture stuff.

Tactics are how the little guy in the field learns to fight and survive. We’re in a four man rifle squad and we are under fire. Unfortunately, we have orders to advance even though we are under fire. How can we move ahead without all of us getting shot? Three of us will fire at the enemy, hopping to discourage or diminish their fire, as the four guy advances. We always have three firing as one advances. This greatly increases our chances of survival. That’s a tactic.

You have to enter a house in a town that may contain enemy combatants. You will kick in or blow open the door. This is followed by a grenade or two thrown into the first room of the house. Three or four guys rush in as soon as the grenades explode. You had better believe that each and every one of those guys know exactly which corner of the room his weapon is supposed to be pointed at as they go through the door. This is another example of tactics.

Troops doing house to house searches know what they are going to do when they go through a door. The devil knows what he’s going to do. Do you have any idea what you should do? (To be continued)