Why We Fight

"Every single soldier must know, before he goes into battle, how the little battle he is to fight fits into the larger picture, and how the success of his fighting will influence the battle as a whole" (Field Marshall Bernard Montgomery).  As a general in World War II, Bernard Montgomery probably knew a thing or two about fighting.  He recognized that battles are won by the combined effort of each and every soldier.  

One of the key battles of World War II was the invasion of Normandy, called Operation Overlord.  Precision timing was required from multiple elements of the armed forces, including amphibious landings, paratroopers and glider borne troops, as well as full naval and air support.  One of the crucial tasks of the battle was given to the airborne troops.  In addition to repelling German counterattacks, the paratroopers were directed to capture the causeways leading inland from the beaches as well as capturing strategic villages and towns inland at important crossroads.  This would prevent the Germans from bringing reinforcements in to attach the beachheads that would hopefully be established during D-Day.  

On the flight over the English Channel, the planes hit a bank of clouds about 5 miles from the Normandy coastline.  Veering apart to avoid in-air collisions, the giant formations were hopelessly scattered when they emerged from the clouds a short time later.  The pilots hit the green light telling the paratroopers to jump much earlier than they should have or in the wrong location.  Troopers came down all over the place, except generally nowhere near their objectives.  

However, in the planning stages, each soldier had learned not only his own mission, but all the other missions and objectives for the other airborne troops.  Thus, what could have been a disaster actually turned into a benefit for the Allied invaders.  Soldiers would locate themselves, and then go about fulfilling whatever mission was nearby and thus the overall battle plan was still mostly in place.  If each soldier had been lazy and decided to not bother with learning the details of the plan, Operation Overlord would have become a huge failure, but instead the paratroopers were committed to the mission and improvised to insure one of the greatest victories of all time.  

As Christians, we need to remember that we are in a war.  "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" (Ephesians 6:12, NIV).  God desires that we follow Him with all our hearts.  "Fight the good fight of the faith. Take hold of the eternal life to which you were called when you made your confession in the presence of many witnesses" (1 Timothy 6:12, NIV).  God calls us to be His witnesses to the "ends of the earth" (Acts 1:8, NIV).  Our part in this great war is to demonstrate that God is just and that created beings can and will choose to follow Him fully.  

God has given each of us specific gifts with which to spread the Good News of Salvation.  Use those gifts to tell others of His love and grace.  Live your life so that you can say with Paul, "I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept faith. Now there is in store for me the crown of righteousness which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will award to me on that day -- and not only to me, but also to all who have longed for his appearing" (II Timothy 4:7, 8, NIV).