No Rambo!

    Although I was not allowed to watch the movies as a kid, Rambo was one of my childhood heroes.  Who else could annihilate a whole battalion of enemy soldiers with just a bow and arrow and a really cool knife?  (Ok, I may have watched a little while at a friend’s house…)   He was not only invincible, he was able to accomplish his goals all on his own.  He was, in every sense, an army of one.

    Much to my childhood-self’s chagrin, however, Rambo does not exist.  No modern warrior would dare to go out alone.  Our military is not in the practice of going against all odds.  Battlefield safety is truly found in numbers (and having a few F-22’s providing air support doesn’t hurt!)   

    Unfortunately, Christ followers all too often forget (or neglect) this most basic of military concepts.  Sometimes this occurs when we forget that we are indeed in a battle.  Other times it is due to a Rambo-like complex that convinces us that we can go out alone, protected only by a red bandana wrapped around our ‘80’s big hair. 

    Whether we realize it or not, a spiritual battle is constantly raging around us.  Paul reminds us that “our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers… the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms.”  We may not always see it, but attacks from the enemy are regularly trying to make us ineffective warriors. 

     We need, therefore, we need to always be prepared and protected – both by the armor of God (including the sword!), and by our fellow soldiers.   Corporate worship, fellowship, encouragement, and accountability are incredibly important in this war.  On our own, playing Rambo, we will quickly discover that his story was pure fiction.  But united in Christ, resting in God’s perfect strength, none of the enemy’s attacks will ever overcome us.