The art of retrenchment ... shall serve the defender NOT to defend himself more securely behind a rampart, but to attack the enemy more successfully.
-Clausewitz
Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord, and in the power of his might. Put on the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil. For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places.
The Apostle Paul Ephesians 6:10-12
Security may be divided into three parts:
- Intelligence of (knowledge about) the enemy.
- Continual protection against the enemy.
- Final stand against the enemy.
Before we can be secure from attacks by an enemy we must know there is an enemy. The nation that has no enemy is very secure. The nation that has an enemy but does not think so is very insecure. That nation could be surprised, completely unprotected.
Intelligence of an enemy insures knowing who he is, his intentions, and his methods of operating. This prevents deception and surprise. In physical warfare this intelligence is gained by listening to everything the enemy says and reading everything he writes. Since the enemy does not want his opponent listening in on everything he says, he establishes safeguards: fences, guards, soundproof rooms, security checks to expose spies or traitors, and encryption of his radio and telephone communications. In order to gain this intelligence, the opponent sends in spies, breaks down fences, steals safes, bribes or kills guards, taps telephone wires, and practices cryptanalysis.
Thus, to be secure from the enemy, one must gain access to his communications while safeguarding all of one's own communications.
In the early months after Pearl Harbor, our carriers were operating in the Southwest Pacific, our battleships were out of action, and the Japanese were moving a three-pronged strike and invasion fleet toward Midway Islands and the Aleutian Chain. There would have been no stopping this force if it had not been for our intelligence of the enemy. Through cryptanalysis, the U.S. Navy cracked the Japanese code and moved more planes and submarines and carriers to Midway. The Japanese lost four carriers to air action while we lost one carrier and one destroyer. This, the turning point of the war in the Pacific, illustrates the absolute necessity of intelligence of the enemy to insure security.
So it is in spiritual war. Our enemy is Satan. We must know who he is, what he does, his intentions and methods. We can read his history in the Bible and observe his victories and his defeats in his action with men. We can also read of his contact with the Son of God, his failure in the Temptation in the Wilderness, and his defeat at Calvary.
At present there seems to be among Christians an inordinate, almost insatiable desire to be informed about the cults, the occult, and new age movements. Although we are not to be ignorant of Satan or his devices, we are not to fill up our heads and hearts with foul, evil untruths.
I would have you wise as to what is good and guileless as to what is evil; then the God of peace will soon crush Satan under your feet (Romans 16:19-20, RSV ).
We find that Satan is neither omnipotent nor omniscient and that he has very definite limitations. Apparently through ignorance of God's "plan of attack," Satan perpetrated the crucifixion of the Lord Jesus Christ by blinding the religious and political leaders of 2,000 years ago. The Bible says: ". . . none of the princes of this world knew [the wisdom of God]: for had they known it, they would not have crucified the Lord of glory" (1 Corinthians 2:7-8). This failure of Satan to discern God's plan was a factor in his defeat, for through the cross God wrests men from Satan's grasp and enlists them into God's eternal kingdom.
Neither are we omnipotent and omniscient, but we have access to power and knowledge of which Satan knows nothing. Christ has revealed to us the wisdom of God, though it is "hidden" from the world. He also endows us with his power. Christ said to the apostles: "All power is given unto me. Therefore go" (Matthew 28:18-19).
There are many things Satan does not know and cannot do. Let us find out his strength and weakness factors, "Lest," as Paul says in 2 Corinthians 2:11, "Satan should get an advantage of us: for we are not ignorant of his devices." Let us discover the information that is the key to our spiritual security.
Our intelligence of Satan permits us to set up defenses. Ephesians 6:10-17 describes this defense, with the reasons for each part of our "armor." Before we put on the armor we must be strong in the Lord's strength and power (v. 10). Verses 11-13 put the emphasis upon the whole of the armor, and 14-18 speak of the separate parts of the armor and their uses.
Our combatants are not flesh and blood but "principalities," "powers," "rulers of the darkness of this world," "spiritual wickedness in high places" (v. 12), and they are masterminded by the devil himself (v. 11). Like any wise general, Satan will not attack a strong point if weak points are available for a breakthrough. He is a good strategist. We need not fear his strength so much as his "wiles" (v. 11). The Scripture tells us twice to put on the whole armor of God so there will be no weak points.
A wall around a city may be strictly defensive, but armor by definition is not. Webster's Collegiate Dictionary says of armor: "that conceived of as an offensive or defensive weapon." A soldier does not cover himself with armor because he intends to read a good book in front of his fireplace. He is going off to battle. He has every intention of going into harm's way. He is looking for and expecting a fight.
Sun Tzu said:
The good fighters of old first put themselves beyond the possibility of defeat and then waited for an opportunity of defeating the enemy.
The Christian warrior who obeys Ephesians 6 has done just this. This soldier employs the various parts of the armor to put himself beyond the possibility of defeat. He surrounds himself with truth, he puts on the breastplate of righteousness, he takes the shield of faith and dons his helmet of salvation. Then with the power of the Lord, the preparation of the gospel of peace, and the sword of the Spirit, he defeats the enemy.
The Coalition forces were very well protected in the war with Iraq. Each soldier had a gas mask and effective protective clothing.
We Christians have been issued protective clothing, but we do not put it on. We are hurt and harmed by weapons that should bounce off or be quenched by our defensive clothing. Not only are we walking wounded, we think that this is normal and wonder about Christians who are under attack and not wounded. But it is not normal to go into battle half naked. It is not normal to be wounded all of the time.
If the great objective assigned to us by Jesus Christ is to "preach the gospel to every creature," then the smallest whole number of that objective is one single person. Each individual, like the rest of his fellows, is an enemy of God in his mind by wicked works (Colossians 1:21). We are surrounded by these enemies. We read their literature, hear their conversation, and participate in their community. In effect, the prince of this world and his servants are taking the offensive against the saints continually. One way to keep from being attacked would be to keep no company with the wicked. But 1 Corinthians 5:10 tells us that "then must ye needs go out of the world." Jesus prayed to the Father, "not that thou shouldest take them out of the world, but that thou shouldest keep them from the evil" (John 17:15). It is his will that we be exposed to attack but not defeated. Our divinely ordered armor provides effective security.
Lt. General William K. Harrison, Jr., in a message given in Yokosuka, Japan, drew attention to Romans 13:12-14, which says, "let us put on the armor of light," and "put ye on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make not provision for the flesh, to fulfill the lusts thereof." This indicates, General Harrison said, that putting on the armor of Ephesians 6 we are putting on Jesus Christ. He is the truth (John 14:6). He is our righteousness (1 Corinthians 1:30). He is the author and finisher of our faith (Hebrews 12:2). He is the gospel (Mark 1:1). He is our salvation (Exodus 15:2), and he is the Word (John 1:1).
In physical war, if a nation were continually under attack and on the defensive we could prophesy ultimate defeat, surrender, or destruction. To prevent this there must be a final stand. The initiative and the offensive must change hands before victory could come to the defenders. This stand is called the defensive-offensive.
In World War II there were four main turning points that gave the offensive to the Allies. All of these were great defensive-offensive battles where the defenders won and afterward took the initiative. Two of them have already been described in brief. The first battle of Alamein at the Alam Halfa ridge turned the tide in North Africa. It is briefly described in Chapter Three, "Concentration." The Battle of Midway mentioned earlier was the defensive-offensive battle that reversed the positions in the Central Pacific. In Europe the crown for defensive-offensive strategy goes to the Russians in the Battle of Stalingrad. When it became clear that the city would not fall, the Germans should have called a retreat. This was not done, and the German Sixth Army was annihilated. The fourth example is the defense of Port Moresby in New Guinea that resulted in the annihilation of the Japanese Detachment at Buna.
If there is no turning point, the defender will be defeated. There will be no turning unless a stand is made in a defensive-offensive battle. Yet, seemingly, in the minds of many Christians, a defensive position in the spiritual life is considered a virtue and an offensive position a sin. Defense is associated with the innocent party, as though we expect only the wicked to take up the offense. For this reason the virtuous pride themselves on being defenders, instead of taking up the offensive for truth, justice, holiness, and a powerful personal witness. This sometimes results in the pathetic situation of the virtuous enjoying defeat. Let us never forget that without an eventual offensive, defense only anticipates ultimate defeat.
The defensive-offensive applies to both individuals and groups of believers. Have you been only a defender against sin and sinners? Perhaps it is time for a stand, a defensive-offensive.
"Therefore stand," and thus make your security sure.
Questions:
- Study Ephesians 6:10-20.
- Do you have the power of God?
- Do you have the complete armor?
- Are you willing to make a stand at work on moral and ethical issues?
- Are you willing to make a stand for Jesus Christ at work?