Seeing the Battlefield
Seated around the table were leaders of the Army’s 10th Mountain Division. We traveled from our headquarters in upstate NY to Fort Leavenworth, KS, to participate in a wargame.
During a seminar, a retired General, regarded as an expert in warfighting, asked a question: What is the most important attribute of a combat leader?
Over half of the those seated around the extended table said competence was the most important attribute. The seasoned General -respectfully referred to as a greybeard– reflected upon the various responses and then gave his answer: cunning.
Here are two definitions for cunning from Merriam-Webster’s online dictionary:
- Crafty in the use of special resources (such as skill or knowledge) or in attaining an end.
- Characterized by wiliness and trickery
I was seated in a classroom as an undergraduate student. I recognized the teacher, but he seemed out of place. It was time to take the test. Responding to the questions wasn’t difficult, but I felt like I was missing something.
A teacher’s assistant (TA) graded the tests and announced to the class that I and another student failed the exam. How embarrassing. Why did he tell everybody? The TA handed out the papers, and there marked in red was my score of 50.
Inner-voices of discouragement went into high gear: You aren’t going to graduate. You aren’t smart enough. Forget about your ministry dreams. You don’t have what it takes, etc.
Then upon closer examination of my test results, I saw my error. Every question I missed on this multiple-choice exam required more than one answer. I misunderstood the requirements and only selected the best answer—what a relief.
Still, this class was strange. I was the only black student among white students in a class at my alma mater, Howard University, a historically Black college or university (HBCU). I love diversity, but this was unusual.
Then, how could John Anderson be my undergraduate instructor? I was nearly 60 years-old when I met him. Then I awoke from sleeping. THANK God it was all a dream! Let me tie this all together.
The Apostle Paul provided a clear explanation as to why we are to be strong in the Lord: that you may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil. (Ephesians 6:10-11)
The devil is cunning and crafty in attaining his goals and he relies upon wiliness and trickery.
The devil is the master of deception and an expert at concealing his true intentions. He even disguises himself as an angel of light. (2 Cor 11:14)
The purpose of deception is to conceal what is real and display what is false. In warfighting, you NEVER reveal your true intentions to your opponent.
In the dream, the devil craftily orchestrated people and circumstances to make me feel inadequate to accomplish my ministry goals, but God exposed his trickery.
In real life, I frequently deal with this kind of discouragement in various shapes and forms. The devil is the father of lies. (John 8:44)
Did you notice satan’s efforts to publicly embarrass me-the only black student failing in a class of white students? The devil routinely plays upon racial, gender, generational and demographic stereotypes to bias and disorient us.
In real life, John Anderson is the sports psychologist who encouraged me to pursue my ambitious international ministry goals. In the dream, he was a dispassionate administrator of a tricky test employing a TA intent on embarrassing me.
I am not just telling my story. I am telling your story as well because we face the same adversary; therefore, I encourage you to routinely ask these questions to better see the battlefield on which you are fighting:
- What is the current challenge I am facing?
- What am I not seeing in this situation? (Look beyond the surface.)
- What is the enemy REALLY trying to rob, steal or destroy in this situation?
Pray for wisdom after asking these questions. (James 1:5-7) The Lord delights in unraveling the devil’s schemes. He will help you see the battlefield.
Whatever is of MOST value to you, the devil wants to rob, kill and destroy. He considers no areas off-limits. Spiritual warfare is a REAL thing; therefore, be strong in the Lord!
Behold, I send you forth as sheep in the midst of wolves: be ye therefore wise as serpents, and harmless as doves. (Matthew 10:16) God Bless! Press On!! Kevin
“If you know the enemy and know yourself, you need not fear the result of a hundred battles. If you know yourself but not the enemy, for every victory gained you will also suffer a defeat. If you know neither the enemy nor yourself, you will succumb in every battle.” -Sun Tzu
