My husband loves history and has a special interest in military history. This means we watch a lot of military/war movies! Some are bloody and vicious and I usually check out and let him enjoy the movie on his own. But many have very intricate plots and stories that capture my attention.
Recently we watched one that has really haunted me. Almost the entire movie takes place in a part of the deep system of trenches that were dug in WWI.
These young men realize that death is likely imminent and therefore distract their minds with frivolity and jest. Talking, joking, drinking and doing daily tasks. There is even an odd moment where higher-ranking military officers join the men for a media photo shoot—a moment to capture the men smiling, right before they are about to go into battle.
At the very end of the movie, they climb up the ladders out of the trench and walk directly into the oncoming gunfire of the enemy. One by one they fall dead to the ground.
Very disturbing. My first thought was “What kind of battle plan was that?”
No stealth, no subterfuge just come out of the hole and get shot. Why were they taking photos instead of planning strategy? Why were they giving men alcohol instead of teaching them how to fight?
As I watched the ending battle scene, I couldn’t help but draw a parallel between the scenes I saw on screen and the lives we live daily.
Onward Christian soldiers marching as if to war.
Scripture teaches over and over again that we are in a battle. We are surrounded by an external enemy but also inhabited by an enemy within. Spiritual warfare is real. There is evil all around us. We know it is there. But as those men in the trenches distracted their minds, we busy ourselves and entertain ourselves into an alternate reality. A reality where we are more comfortable and more placated. We dig our own “trenches” to hide away from the war going on around us.
We pray for healing and prosperity but our Bibles lay unopened and unread. Perhaps we pick up our Bibles to take along to church where we listen to a sermon and get a weekly feeding. Or thanks to the pandemic, we no longer even need to even physically appear at church. Now we have pajama church or no church at all.
How are we ever going to fight a battle without studying the battle plan or talking to the One in complete Authority? How will we know how to armor ourselves for battle or gird up our minds to fight?
In Ephesians 6:10-18, Paul tells us who our enemy is and how to fight the battle.
10 Finally, be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power. 11 Put on the full armor of God, so that you can take your stand against the devil’s schemes. 12 For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms. 13 Therefore put on the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand. 14 Stand firm then, with the belt of truth buckled around your waist, with the breastplate of righteousness in place, 15 and with your feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace. 16 In addition to all this, take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one. 17 Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God.
We are to clothe ourselves with salvation, truth, righteousness and peace. The only place to obtain these items is through the Gospel of Christ. Just like getting up and getting physically dressed daily, we must daily engage in the Word of God. It is the only way, as verse 13 says, that we can stand firm and face the battle. Hiding in the trenches and distracting ourselves with frivolity will not win the conflict.
When we accept Christ as our Lord and Savior, we enlist ourselves in a war. But unlike the movie, our Highest Ranking official has stepped onto the battlefield in our place. The war has already been won. He has supplied us not only with the battle plan but also a constant supply of wisdom and power to fight the battle. We have the Holy Spirit and we have His inspired Scriptures.