What makes a good soldier? Is it how well they are trained? Is it bravery? Is it the ability to carry out orders no matter what? Is it actions or what is on the inside of a solider that really counts? We idolize and set up soldiers as heroes in our society. Rambo and Captain America are some of our favorite fictional characters to shower our affections on. We love these two because they embody everything that we as people are not. We make movies and write books about some of the bravest soldiers that our country has produced in real life, putting them forth as someone to be emulated.
I have read and watched my fair share of these. One of my personal favorites is the movie and book 13 Hours that tells the story of the Benghazi debacle in the operators own words. Their story is incredible. You simply cannot watch the movie or read the book without being profoundly moved. They were real heroes, but in their own eyes they were simply doing their job, trying to stay alive and trying to protect those around them. They would tell you that they are not necessarily proud of all the things they have done. Their job was to kill or be killed, to protect at all costs, and to never surrender. They completed their job and saved many lives, but does that make them good?
There is also a dark side to the soldier. What about the soldier that is in the military because there was no other place for him or her? The troublemakers that cannot exist with the rest of society because they are too brutal for it? The killers who love to kill, the angry who love to give back the pain they received, the haters who love to hate, they also exist in the ranks of the soldier. They too are well trained and carry out their orders, they might even receive a medal for their efforts, but does that make them good?
I ponder this from the perspective of Christianity. As Christians we are all soldiers of the cross. We fight a battle between good and evil, light and dark. Long have I struggled with watching others who profess to be Christians commit horrific atrocities against believers and unbelievers alike. I cannot fathom what would ever make someone who loves Christ do and say such terrible things, yet I know within myself I struggle with the same sin issues.
I freely admit that I have a much easier time forgiving an unbeliever of slights and hurts against me than I do my fellow Christian. My conscience bellows, “They should know better!” which is true, they should know better. However, they are still dealing with their own sin nature as part of the renewing of their minds. None of us will be made perfect until we are in Heaven with our Father. To stand between us in the meantime is grace. Grace is the one thing that frustrates me to no end, yet at the same time I am grateful beyond measure for it because without grace I would be sentenced to eternal death.
Then there is God’s love. Something else that I do not understand! How can the Supreme Creator love something like me? Or anyone else for that matter! I am not a good soldier. I march forth into battle, but for all the wrong reasons, pride, anger, envy, revenge, religion, fear of others, my community standing, and simply my own stubbornness. How could God possibly use someone like me? And even more important why would He make even the slightest effort to reach out to me?
He does it because He loves me. I cannot fathom that, but it is nonetheless true! God sent His only Son to die and take my punishment for all my evil and foolishness. And then to top it off Jesus rose from the dead to give me hope and a chance at true life! Again, why? Because of love, love that never ends and does not fail.
To show us His never ending love, He sent to us part of Himself, the Holy Spirit which indwells in us. Jesus’ death and resurrection gave us complete access to the Father no matter what. The Holy Spirit then fills us with the love of the Father so that we can love others, even the most unlovable. It sounds so simple! We can just let the Holy Spirit do all the work right? Wrong! We are at war within ourselves. God gave us free will and our own will wants nothing to do with His Spirit.
Head knowledge must become heart knowledge. Mind, spirit, and soul must all surrender to the Holy Spirit. As Christian soldiers this happens through the process of sanctification, renewing of the mind the Bible calls it. As we allow the Spirit to work on us, we begin to understand God’s love more and more. We learn to understand the true meaning of, “hate the sin, but love the sinner,” as it applies to both saved and lost. When we let love, God’s love, change us then we finally become the good soldier.