The Real Enemy
I don't know if the Hollywood version of the battle is true, but the story makes for an interesting spiritual parallel. Tobruk, Libya's north-eastern port city, saw many prolonged and bloody battles during World War II. German troops and their Italian allies recognized the value of its strategic location. So did the British.
During the height of the war, Allied commandos set out across 800 miles of Libyan desert to destroy the German fuel-depot at Tobruk. Several nights into their mission they spotted a dust plume on the horizon. It belonged to an Italian convoy wending its way toward them. Fortunately for the Allies, a large sand-dune hid them from the enemy column. Without safe alternatives, they settled down to wait for the Italians to pass. However,when the convoy reached the other side of the dune, the Italian army stopped their tanks and set up camp for the night. The commandos could do nothing but wait for day-break when the Italians would continue on their way.
The night wore on without incident until commando scouts spotted another string of armored vehicles moving toward them from the opposite direction. This one belonged to Germans.
Caught in the middle, it was only a matter of time before one group or the other discovered them. In desperation, the commandos executed a daring plan. They fired mortars toward the Germans, while at the same time, fired across the sand dune at the Italians. The commandos hoped each army would think the other fired on them. The plan worked. Within moments the Germans and Italians, their identities hidden by the dark, rained destruction on each other. In the conflagration, the commandos escaped into the night. A few days later, the fuel farm at Tobruk exploded in flames. The small band of warriors successfully completed their mission.
Scripture repeatedly makes the point, probably so we won't miss it: humankind is engaged in a bloody spiritual warfare waged by an enemy whose mission is to destroy us. The only force able to thwart Satan from completing his objective is Jesus Christ's Church -- His Body (Matthew 16:18; Ephesians 6:10-18).
Knowing the Church is an overwhelmingly superior force, Satan has, for millennia, executed a nearly flawless strategy against it. Rather than a direct frontal attack, he hides in darkness, firing volleys of bigotry, pride, arrogance and greed at groups within Christ's Body. Catholics, Baptists, Orthodox, Pentecostals, Methodists, Episcopalians, Lutherans, Nazarenes . . . . Group A, thinking the attack comes from Group B, diverts its energies from the Great Commission and wages battle against their allies. Meanwhile, group B does likewise and groups C through Z soon enter the fray. Before long the Church is embroiled in a seething cauldron, devouring each other -- and freeing Satan to move on toward his ultimate objective.
When the Germans and Italians surrounded them, no one among the small group of commandos cared about the race, political philosophy or denominational label of the person in the next foxhole. Only one thing mattered: work as a team to win the objective.
The Lord of the Church has called us to win our neighbors, friends and co-workers for Himself -- a critical objective if there ever was one. Our mission requires the undivided efforts of everyone on Christ's "team." May God help us to turn our weapons away from each other and take aim against the true adversary.
rich
rmaffeo@comcast.net
During the height of the war, Allied commandos set out across 800 miles of Libyan desert to destroy the German fuel-depot at Tobruk. Several nights into their mission they spotted a dust plume on the horizon. It belonged to an Italian convoy wending its way toward them. Fortunately for the Allies, a large sand-dune hid them from the enemy column. Without safe alternatives, they settled down to wait for the Italians to pass. However,when the convoy reached the other side of the dune, the Italian army stopped their tanks and set up camp for the night. The commandos could do nothing but wait for day-break when the Italians would continue on their way.
The night wore on without incident until commando scouts spotted another string of armored vehicles moving toward them from the opposite direction. This one belonged to Germans.
Caught in the middle, it was only a matter of time before one group or the other discovered them. In desperation, the commandos executed a daring plan. They fired mortars toward the Germans, while at the same time, fired across the sand dune at the Italians. The commandos hoped each army would think the other fired on them. The plan worked. Within moments the Germans and Italians, their identities hidden by the dark, rained destruction on each other. In the conflagration, the commandos escaped into the night. A few days later, the fuel farm at Tobruk exploded in flames. The small band of warriors successfully completed their mission.
Scripture repeatedly makes the point, probably so we won't miss it: humankind is engaged in a bloody spiritual warfare waged by an enemy whose mission is to destroy us. The only force able to thwart Satan from completing his objective is Jesus Christ's Church -- His Body (Matthew 16:18; Ephesians 6:10-18).
Knowing the Church is an overwhelmingly superior force, Satan has, for millennia, executed a nearly flawless strategy against it. Rather than a direct frontal attack, he hides in darkness, firing volleys of bigotry, pride, arrogance and greed at groups within Christ's Body. Catholics, Baptists, Orthodox, Pentecostals, Methodists, Episcopalians, Lutherans, Nazarenes . . . . Group A, thinking the attack comes from Group B, diverts its energies from the Great Commission and wages battle against their allies. Meanwhile, group B does likewise and groups C through Z soon enter the fray. Before long the Church is embroiled in a seething cauldron, devouring each other -- and freeing Satan to move on toward his ultimate objective.
When the Germans and Italians surrounded them, no one among the small group of commandos cared about the race, political philosophy or denominational label of the person in the next foxhole. Only one thing mattered: work as a team to win the objective.
The Lord of the Church has called us to win our neighbors, friends and co-workers for Himself -- a critical objective if there ever was one. Our mission requires the undivided efforts of everyone on Christ's "team." May God help us to turn our weapons away from each other and take aim against the true adversary.
rich
rmaffeo@comcast.net
posted by rich at
11:42 AM
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