BIZARRE MILITARY TACTICS

What would you think if the news reported that U.S. soldiers in Afghanistan were firing at other American soldiers; not by accident, but purposefully? Can you imagine soldiers justifying their actions by pointing out that the men they shot at went to different military schools, or read from a different translation of the battlefield manual or they had a different interpretation of a few of the lines of the manual? Perhaps they had made mistakes on earlier occasions and therefore they reasoned it was better to shoot them than to allow them to engage the enemy. Surely you would think they were insane for such reasoning. Should such a twisted tale ever happen in a situation of carnal warfare it would guarantee defeat. Yet it happens in the army of Christ on a regular basis!  (Of course, for children playing games of war, such rules do not hold true)!

The church is Christ's army. Every Christian is a soldier in that army (Eph. 6:10-18). Satan and his wicked host are the enemy we face. The church and every child of God is under attack by this evil army.  There is no neutral ground, there can be no peace or compromise. One side or the other will be destroyed ere the battle is done. In our day, the forces of evil march under various flags. Some wave the colors of the American Civil Liberties Union, others the flag of Islam. Others, wear the uniform of hedonism, humanism and secularism.  All hold in common an intense hatred for Jehovah and Jesus; all despise Christians and want to see them driven from the field. All seethe with enmity for the church of Christ. Their armies number in the billions, those of the Lord are but a handful. Paul calls them  a remnant (Rom 9:27).
Here in America we can count just over one million members.  Abroad, a million and a half can be counted.  The resources of the Devil's brigades are enormous. Already they control the high places of earthly power and influence (Matt. 4:8; I John 5:19). The citadels of education and the news and entertainment media are in their camp.  Like David, we stand before this Goliath with our sling and stones. We know that God can give us the victory.
We know that evil cannot prevail against Him.  We know that God's Word can overcome any teaching it confronts. The question is, could David have brought Goliath down had his own people been hurling stones at him?

In the battle now raging, it is not uncommon to see preachers, especially those who write, wasting precious time and ammunition shooting at fellow preachers they judge to be unworthy of the combat. The ones they would bring down believe in Christ as they do. They have been baptized into Christ for the remission of their sins. They believe the word of God to be the inspired and absolute authority for the faith and practice of the church.  They love the church and serve her as best they can.  They are fighting valiantly in their corner of the battlefield.  With one hand they engage the enemy, with the other they try to block the arrows which their own brothers rain down on them.  (In earthly combat, the walking wounded are welcomed to join their fellow soldiers in the battle). Surely a gospel preachers can find something more productive to do in this mortal war with Satan than to attack their fellow preachers. Are there not lost souls about them  that they could teach?  Surely there are evil forces and events before them that they could  address.  What will they have to present the Master, if at the end of the day they have only succeeded in crippling the fighting strength of some of their fellow soldiers or driving them from the field, while the enemy was allowed to carry the day?  If you have ever been tempted to take aim at one of your brothers in the army of Christ, think on these things.