I’m reading Marcus Luttrell’s Lone Survivor, “The eyewitness account of Operation Redwing and the Lost heroes of SEAL Team 10.
I got it for research related to Cam’s past in The Enclave, and have already read parts of the end, which were awesome in themeselves. Now I’m starting from the beginning and I’m struck by how much some of what he says applies to the Christian Life.
For one thing, the fact that as Christians we’re enlisted in a spiritual army (“Suffer hardship with me, as a good soldier of Christ Jesus. No soldier in active service entangles himself in the affairs of everyday life, so that he may please the one who enlisted him as a soldier. ” 2Ti 2:3,4). And as such, we’re involved in a perpetual war that can’t be seen by the eye. Because it’s invisible, it’s easy to forget that, easy to let down your guard, easy to become entangled “in the affairs of everyday life.”
Here’s a passage where Marcus is describing what it was like when he was stationed in Bagdad in 2003:
“Fired on from the rooftops, watching for car bombs, we learned to fight like terrorists, night after night, moving like wild animals through the streets and villages. There is no other way to beat a terrorist. You must fight like him, or he will surely kill you. That’s why we went in so hard, taking houses and buildings by storm, blowing doors in, charging forward, operating strictly by the SEAL team’s tried-and-trusted methods, ingrained in us by years of training.
Because in the end, your enemy must ultimately fear you, understand your supremacy. That’s what we were taught, out there in the absolute front line of U.S. military might. And that’s probably why we never lost one Navy SEAL in all my long months in Iraq. Because we played it by the book.”
Played it by the book…
Recently we’ve had messages about the importance of having confidence in our position in Christ, in relying on the training we’ve had in His word. Why shouldn’t we be just as vigilant and just as aggressive as any well-trained SEAL? Why shouldn’t our enemies should fear us: God is for us and has already won the victory! As long as we’re in the battle and not distracted by those earthly things we can be as scary to them as the SEALs were/are to their enemies.
Our battles may not involve material things, but we can certainly take houses and buildings of evil thought by storm. We can blow in the doors, charge forward with doctrine and operate by our God’s tried and trusted methods…
“For though we walk in the flesh, we do not war according to the flesh, for the weapons of our warfare are not of the flesh, but divinely powerful for the destruction of fortresses. We are destroying speculations and every lofty thing raised up against the knowledge of God, and we are taking every thought captive to the obedience of Christ…” 2 Co 10:3-5
Writing from the Edge 2 
Karen, I appreciate your thoughts on Marcus’ comments and how the SEAL training is not unlike the doctrinal training we must have to go forward in our spiritual lives. These men train until mussel memory, their discipline, their combat skills, their stealth and their team work prove them capable of going forth into the toughest of missions. They do not understand the word quit. They do not understand or accept failure. Reckon you could say they are motivated. When we think of what they do in the line of duty to protect our freedoms, we should all be grateful. When we think of what our Lord Jesus Christ did for our salvation we should have no greater desire than to follow in His victory. Be motivated to run the race, to plod and to press on seeking the things of His heavenly kingdom. That is the only way I will ever be a SEAL! This book is one of my all time favorites…
Thanks for recommending it, Gayle. I’m REALLY enjoying it!