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Men, to start off with I want to congratulate you on your choice to follow the Lord as a Soldier in His Army. Brother
Peters can share with you a sermon I wrote once on the divinity of being a Soldier and I meant every word of it. The bottom line is that this country needs Soldiers to protect our rights guaranteed
by the Constitution. The Lord needs even more Soldiers to fight for the cause of saving souls from the Adversary. This particular battle will be more intense and more costly than any of the
wars ever waged since the times of Adam and Eve.
You have accepted the responsibility to fight to save the souls of the world, a noble and grand ambition. Like all battles for which
we properly prepare many of you will survive and be glorified but unfortunately some may not. In order to minimize that loss it is the goal of the Church and your Young Men's leadership to prepare
you for a spiritual battle of a lifetime, to provide you the strength necessary to fight with all your might and to equip you with the Spiritual Armor of the Lord.
I am proud to be asked to provide some of this instruction to you and I hope that you will take to heart the lessons you are learning on
this life altering adventure that your Young Men’s Presidency has planned for you.
As a basis for my teachings I won't rely on my own ideas but rather the time honored and battle proven guidance of masters of war from
centuries ago. As part of your education I highly recommend you obtain and commit to memory two specific books in addition to the scriptures and the lessons you are being given. These two
books have been the foundation for crushing armies, conquering countries and building some of the greatest and most profitable businesses in the world. They contain lessons applicable to life and
not just war.
First is Sun Tzu's Art of War which was written 500 years before Christ. It is the oldest known treatise on battle recorded by man. Simple and to the point the book has been translated into nearly every known language, much like your scriptures, and has guided military men and business men the world over for over a millennia. The second book is Miyamato Musashi's Book
of Five Rings which was written around 1650 A.D.. A Kendo master from childhood Musashi became a well known Soldier after his first combat in which he killed his opponent; he was only 13 years old at the time. The book was written by Musashi as an old man in his 70s and lays out the foundations for attitude and practice of war fighting skills.
These two volumes, when combined with the lessons of the scriptures, help put you in the proper mindset for the battle you are volunteering
to undertake.
There are two very important lessons you must first learn when you begin this study and they are used to validate the need to listen to the
masters of the sword and the Master himself whose tongue is like a sword.
The first lesson is of Sun Tzu Wu, or Sun Tzu who was a native of the Ch`i State in China. His Art of War brought him to the notice of Ho Lu, King of Wu. Ho Lu said to him: "I have carefully perused your 13 chapters. May I submit your theory of managing soldiers to a slight test?" Sun Tzu replied: "You may." Ho Lu asked: "May the test be applied to women?" The answer was again in the affirmative, so arrangements were made to bring 180 ladies out of the Palace.
Sun Tzu divided them into two companies, and placed one of the King's favorite concubines at the head of each. He then bade them all take
spears in their hands, and addressed them thus: "I presume you know the difference between front and back, right hand and left hand?" The girls replied: Yes.
Sun Tzu went on: "When I say "Eyes front," you must look straight ahead. When I say "Left turn," you must face
towards your left hand. When I say "Right turn," you must face towards your right hand. When I say "About turn," you must face right round towards your back." Again the girls
assented. The words of command having been thus explained, he set up the halberds and battle-axes in order to begin the drill. Then, to the sound of drums, he gave the order "Right turn." But
the girls only burst out laughing. Sun Tzu said: "If words of command are not clear and distinct, if orders are not thoroughly understood, then the general is to blame."
So he started drilling them again, and this time gave the order "Left turn," whereupon the girls once more burst into fits of
laughter. Sun Tzu: "If words of command are not clear and distinct, if orders are not thoroughly understood, the general is to blame. But if his orders ARE clear, and the soldiers nevertheless
disobey, then it is the fault of their officers."
So saying, he ordered the leaders of the two companies to be beheaded. Now the king of Wu was watching the scene from the top of a raised
pavilion; and when he saw that his favorite concubines were about to be executed, he was greatly alarmed and hurriedly sent down the following message: "We are now quite satisfied as to our
general's ability to handle troops. If we are bereft of these two concubines, our meat and drink will lose their savor. It is our wish that they shall not be beheaded."
Sun Tzu replied: "Having once received His Majesty's commission to be the general of his forces, there are certain commands of His
Majesty which, acting in that capacity, I am unable to accept." Accordingly, he had the two leaders beheaded, and straightway installed the pair next in order as leaders in their place. When this
had been done, the drum was sounded for the drill once more; and the girls went through all the evolution, turning to the right or to the left, marching ahead or wheeling back, kneeling or standing, with
perfect accuracy and precision, not venturing to utter a sound.
Then Sun Tzu sent a messenger to the King saying: "Your soldiers, Sire, are now properly drilled and disciplined, and ready for your
majesty's inspection. They can be put to any use that their sovereign may desire; bid them go through fire and water, and they will not disobey."
We are blessed that the Lord has already done the hard and painful work of gaining the follower ship of the army at His hand. We have
a host of stories from the scriptures that testify of the Lord’s already establishing the ranks of the military and the necessity for following His commands. The most profound message came from
the very battle in Heaven that eventually cast Satan, the Morning Star or Lucifer, and a third of the host of angels from the heavens. What a profound message to send to the world; follow or be
cast out!
The second lesson is of Musashi, a warrior by trade who spent his life in battles both against armies and one on one. He wondered
throughout Japan both as a Samurai and as Ronan (mercenary for hire with no allegiance to the government). His life is one of intrigue mixed with myth. One of the greatest myths is that he
never bathed. Musashi's view was that he should never be caught off guard and unable to defend himself from an attack so the myth is that he chose not to ever get completely undressed and he always
had at least one of his swords by his side so he was always prepared for a potential attack.
Musashi feared men as enemies where we must fear the Adversary. Satan and his followers lost everything and as Sun Tzu teaches when
your enemy has no way out they will fight to the death. Satan will attack you whenever and however possible and that is the most important reason for the training you are receiving.
These two stories serve a purpose to set the stage for this lesson. First is that your General is the Lord God Almighty, the maker of
the Heavens and the Earth and He is capable of directing you to meet his needs. You must follow him, no matter his orders, and you must trust and not question his directives otherwise your soul
itself stands to be lost. The second story teaches that you must always be prepared.
We are all blessed however, the Lord has prepared us for battle and he has shown us the way. Just as the 91st Psalm (the Soldier's
Psalm) tells us that the Lord is our refuge and fortress you can know before the battle wages that it will be won as testified to by the scriptures.
This leads us to the most regularly quoted comment of Sun Tzu that “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. “
We know the enemy. He is a spineless coward that hides in the dark hearts of lost souls and attacks by every stratagem
imaginable. He deceives and kills and destroys would just as soon tear apart your families and your homes if it would weaken your faith in your Everlasting Father.
The challenge is to know yourself and to be prepared for battle. The effort to accomplish this is two fold, training and
equipping. I mention training because being a Soldier most of your life is spent training. You train to fight, you train like you will fight, you train harder than you believe is to be
expected in actual battle so that when you do take up arms in battle it becomes easy. You equip yourself to ensure you have all you need to survive the battle.
TRAINING
In order to be a good Soldier you must first be trained otherwise you will be like the slaughtered boys of the failed strategies of the
past like the crusades or Germany’s last stand when they thrust weapons into the hands of children and placed them on the front lines.
Musashi was a master of the sword; he taught that a master would practice a particular cut (with the sword) 1,000 times a day for years
before he perfected it. It could be said that Tiger Woods is a modern day Samauri, it is reported that his father made him begin each day with 400 strokes on the driving range but look where it got
him. There have been schools throughout time where young men were taught from young ages to be soldiers. You too have been taught through your classes and activities. You too have been
trained though you may not have recognized it as such.
In the modern Army we take anyone who qualifies to serve and train them first to be Soldiers and then train them specialties. The idea
is that everyone may have to defend themselves or go on the offensive so we all have a basic set of skills which we refine and improve upon as time passes. Basic training is just that, the
basics. From there we advance with our weapons proficiency, physical fitness, hand to hand combat skills and everything else. In our specialized schooling we likewise learn the basics but we
continue our education throughout our career so we are always advancing.
How thoughtless would it be to take an unprepared young man or woman and place them on the front lines of battle without having them
prepared. I recall mentoring and counseling Soldiers at the Ft. Knox, KY Servicemen’s Group where I instructed for three years. Young men would come to me so upset because their Drill
Sergeants were so hard on them making them repeat skills and repeat skills hundreds of times. I reminded them that those skills may save their lives in the next six months when they found
themselves on the streets of Baghdad or the mountains of Afghanistan. The light came on in their eyes when they realized that they may be in a fight for their very lives in the near future.
What a crushing blow it would be to a Drill Sergeant who learned of one of his former student’s falling in battle because he failed to teach that student some fundamental and essential skill which
could have saved their lives. This is how we view you young men.
Daily the Lord chooses whom he will place in the line of fire knowing that some may not return and yet that is how war is fought. Some
will fall and many others will live. But the responsibility is not ours alone to teach you.
Everyday you must strengthen yourself, you gird yourself with the teachings of the Lord and with that knowledge you have strength beyond
that of physical force. Search your scriptures and learn of the strongest of men and how humble they were. Consider Christ himself when he was tempted by Satan. He was offered the world
but refused; he was threatened with death but didn’t submit, he rose above the Evil One not by his own whit or skills but by simply using the word of the LORD! Words alone defeated Satan and
protected our Savior!
Your training involves your education in the scriptures, it involves your attending your classes and developing bonds with your brothers in
arms because there will be times when you will be weak and they will help carry your burdens. This is the reason missionaries travel in twos by the way, there is wisdom in that!
Your attitude is also something that must be refined. This is not something that you develop overnight, it takes time. Musashi
taught that your battle stance should become your everyday stance; otherwise you must always be ready. He taught that you should stand balanced with your feet a shoulder width apart, head slightly
raised and your brow relaxed. When facing adversity your only visible emotion should be to slightly close your eyes and to flare your nostrils. Now that sounds weird but look at yourself in
the mirror and try that and you will see it is not what you are doing but the attitude that develops while you are doing it.
A modern Soldier develops and attitude of not only being unique but also a part of a unique team of professionals. We have an
attitude that carries us in all we do and that is important when you consider that in this day and age we often have to deal with some not so pleasant events.
This is the reason your attitude about your lives and mission is so important. You will carry on as the Lord’s Soldiers, a step
above those who idly sit by waiting for life, you are a director of life and an instrument of the Almighty. Act like it, act like it at all times.
ARMOR
Armor has changed a great deal over time. We have all seen the old movies with Zulu warriors who ran into battle in loincloths with
spears and trusted their safety to thin light shields. We have seen the knights of the Crusades and middle ages in heated battle with giant swords, maces etc.. Then, thanks to the long bow,
knights in shining armor became a thing of the past and mobility became key in battle so everyone went “light” again. Instead Soldiers armed themselves against other things like using
protective masks against mustard gas and other such weapons of earlier world wars. In Vietnam you saw the flak jacket used but it was so cumbersome and hot most Soldiers refused to wear it.
Through advancing technological arenas we are seeing a change in trends towards protecting our Soldiers once again. Kevlar was
developed which led not just to helmets but to other protective pieces of equipment like bullet proof vests and side plates. After that we began to develop even better plates of bullet-proof
material which we now stick into large pockets on the vests etc. to keep even bigger or higher velocity bullets from harming us. The good news is they work!
The average Soldier wears the new Kevlar helmet to protect his head. His Outer Tactical Vest (OTV) is likewise bullet proof Kevlar
with steel composite plates in front, back and on the sides. On top of that there are thinner sheets of Kevlar that protect the throat, arms from shoulder to elbow, underarms and groin area.
I am a big guy and my vest weighs about 50 lbs. that may not seem like that much but you should try wearing that over long sleeve Army Combat Uniform in 115degree temps. By the way, in Baghdad I
will see temperatures in excess of 130 degrees before summer is done.
The Lord recognized the need for armor as he began to send his disciples out into the world where they would be persecuted. He
recognized the need for an analogy to assure them they were being watched over and body armor was the perfect fit.
To gird up your torso, to have a breastplate and shield, leg coverings, helmet and sword all of which should help protect you in battle is
what any rational person would want. Are you invincible? Heavens NO but you are definitely on the right track to keeping yourself somewhat in one piece.
No Soldier, guest or media representative leaves our Forward Operating Bases (FOB) without all their “battle rattle” on and for good
reason, they need to protect themselves from any possible attack. When we first got here five years ago our Humvees had no doors and Soldiers rode with their rifles pointing outside the vehicle but
now the humvees have armored doors and thick glass windows, under armor protects from improvised explosive devices and gun turrets to protect the occupants by offering firepower against the
enemy. Why do we have all of this? Because the enemy adjusted his tactics so we must adjust ours.
It all goes back to Sun Tzu and his guidance in knowing terrain, weather, strengths and weaknesses of the enemy. You have to know and
understand all the variables that may impact a battle if you are to plan to use them in your favor or circumvent their potential negative impacts on your operation.
Satan will always adjust his methods of attack but the armor the Lord has designed for you is full-proof. Imagine the shocked look on
medieval knights in battle when the first of the arrows fired from long bows came falling into their ranks and pierced right through the breast plates of their buddies fighting beside them. To
suddenly realize their armor is no good must be horrific but you won’t ever experience this if you train properly and put on that everlasting armor that the Lord has described for you. The
Lord’s armor is invincible, this is something you could never achieve on your own but through the Lord all things are possible.
Incidentally, did you notice something in your studies about the armor itself? There is no back protection. That’s right, the
Lord didn’t think that is was necessary for you to have armor on your back; do you know why? You need to look way back in the Old Testament for the answer. During the Exodus from Egypt, the
Israelites were being pursued by Pharaoh’s army. In the daytime they followed a pillar of smoke and lightening but at night that pillar moved to their rear where it appeared as an impenetrable
wall of flame to Pharaoh’s army and a dark cool cloud to the Israelites. That’s right; Christ was their rear guard that kept the enemy away! The Lord wants you moving forward, on the
offensive at all times and if you trust in Him he will protect your rear for you. That should bring solace to any fears any of you should ever have.
This is kind of like when we leave the FOB; we are never alone. We always have a whole bunch of our closest friends all around us; we
watch each other’s backs to make sure we all make it home.
Men, the road ahead will be hard, you will be called upon to step out of your comfort areas. You will be physically, mentally,
emotionally and spiritually challenged to do the things you need to do to be honored in the courts of the Lord. Some of you may not make it and I am not saying that to be cliché. To be
recognized as a noble and valiant Soldier you may be called upon to stand and fight when no one else is willing. I want you to know one thing; you are never alone. The Lord has called you to
this high and important calling and He has deployed a battalion of Angels to fight at your right and left, to support you in times of need and to carry you in times of weakness.
In the immortal words of Winston Churchill: “Never, Never, Never quit.” Remember always that the final chapter has been
written, the Lord wins and if you do as you are instructed, if you study hard and complete your basic training, if you continue your education and you fight like you are alone but know that you are not
then you will be there at the second coming, an exalted and raised up warrior for the Lord; there is no more noble calling.
These things, as always are said in the name of our Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ. Amen
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