Four star general, Omar Bradley, once made a devastating comment about our involvement
in the Korean Conflict.
“It was the wrong war, fought at the wrong time, in the wrong place, with the wrong materials against the wrong enemy.”
If he was right, it’s hard to understand how American political and military leaders could have engaged us in such a misadventure. Especially since it cost us thousands of lives.
I wonder if the same could be said about many of us in our daily struggles?
We fight many enemies: old age, the possibility of bankruptcy, overweight and ill health, the loss of social position and the specter of being nobodies.
We fight hard to keep abreast of what's happening in the world and in our own worlds of endeavor.
We fight to secure and keep our places of power in the kingdoms where we live.
These battles have varying degrees of merit. But in all our fighting, I wonder, have we engaged the real enemy?
In the New Testament there is rather extensive reference to another Enemy.
Jesus met the devil in hand to hand combat in the temptations. Luke said Jesus came to defeat once and for all man-kind’s greatest Enemy.
“A strong man’s house is safe until a stronger man comes,” Jesus said.
Paul admonished the Ephesian Christians to put on the whole armor of God because they were engaged daily in a battle to the death.
“Your enemy, the devil, like a roaring lion is stalking about looking for someone to devour,” warned Peter.
How tragic if those who knew me best say when I die: “He fought the wrong war, at the wrong place, at the wrong time, with the wrong materials against the wrong enemy.”