Based on Hebrews 4:12,13; 9:14

Have you seen the shoulder sleeve insignia of the U.S. Special Operations Command? It’s a dagger pointing upward, which represents the unconventional nature of special forces operations. The insignia also contains three lightning bolts. They represent the ability of special forces to strike rapidly by air, land, or sea.

What about the shoulder sleeve insignia of the 65th Medical Brigade? If you’ve seen it, you know that the sword is pointing downward. This indicates a military unit with a non-combatant posture because the Medical Brigade’s mission is to heal and preserve life at all costs.

I want you to think about those insignias as you read the words from the author to the Hebrews in chapter 4. As you do, ask yourself which one of these shoulder insignias represents the sword of God.

The author to the Hebrews writes, “For the word of God is alive and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart. Nothing in all creation is hidden from God’s sight. Everything is uncovered and laid bare before the eyes of him to whom we must give account” (Hebrews 4:12,13).

Well, that’s a frightening picture the author paints! The Word of God, or the sword of God, pierces to the very depths of our soul, doesn’t it? And it’s not just any sword—it’s a double-edged sword, which means that as you drive it into the cavity of another human being, it penetrates down to the deepest part of their insides.

This is the sword of God. It penetrates deep inside our souls, and it opens up our insides and reveals all things. And there are some pretty dark places in there, aren’t there? I know, because I have those too. Those dark places that you wouldn’t want anybody to know about—the thoughts and desires of your heart. The things that you don’t talk to anybody else about, the stuff that nobody knows about, those impure desires that you might have for somebody else, especially of the opposite sex.

Maybe those thoughts and desires that you have are against other people. Maybe they are selfish desires and selfish thoughts. And God’s Word is clear. He demands pure thoughts and desires from us all the time, toward everybody and about all things.

So then we read about the same sword of God, this Word of God, in the same letter to the Hebrews. The author says in chapter 9, “How much more, then, will the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered himself unblemished to God, cleanse our consciences from acts that lead to death, so that we may serve the living God!” (verse 14).

What the author says here is that Christ offered himself unblemished to God. And that means is if you were to take the sword of God and penetrate Christ and open him up for all to see and peer into the very depths of his soul, you would find purity and blamelessness and righteousness in all his thoughts toward everyone and in all his desires, even to those of the opposite sex. You would find purity even in his thoughts toward his enemies, even in his thoughts toward his family and friends who disappointed him so many times.

And by those pure thoughts and righteous desires, he cleanses our consciences. Your impure thoughts and desires are completely purified and washed and made righteous down to the very depths of your conscience. Now, that sounds like that non-combatant sword of the medical brigade, doesn’t it? A sword that heals and makes whole and gives life.

So we go back to that original question: Which shoulder insignia is represented in our Hebrews passages? The answer is yes—both of them. Because the sword of God functions in both ways and for good reason. It cuts us to our very core and cuts us to the heart, so we repent and then turn and feel the healing touch of that good news about Christ for us. So we then, as the writer says, may go and serve the living God with renewed desires and renewed thoughts and renewed hearts all because of the sword of God.

Prayer:
O Holy Spirit, draw your sword and pierce our hearts so that our sins might be revealed and that we might repent. Draw your sword and pierce our hearts so that we might be healed by the cleansing blood of Jesus.

This week on October 13th, our U.S. Navy celebrates its 249th birthday. Since 1775, the United States Navy has protected America at sea, and so we pray, Lord, that you keep our sailors safe and faithful in their vocation as they defend freedom, preserve economic prosperity, and keep the seas open and free. We ask this in Jesus’ name. Amen.

Written and recorded by Rev. Paul Horn, WELS National Civilian Chaplain to the Military, San Diego, California.

All Scripture quotations, unless otherwise indicated, are taken from the Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV®. Copyright ©1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.™ Used by permission of Zondervan. All rights reserved worldwide. Note: Scripture reading footnotes are clickable only in the web version.

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Based on Ephesians 5:21–6:4

Duty. Honor. Loyalty. Sacrifice. Discipline.

For those of you who serve or have served in our nation’s armed forces, you know the importance of these values because they encapsulate who you are and why you serve, and they give purpose and motivation to carry out your vocation.

These same values align closely with what God calls us to in our relationships. Husbands are called to love their wives just as Christ loved the church, with the same selflessness and sacrifice Christ showed when he laid down his life for his bride, the church.

Wives are called to submit to their husbands and to respect him—not in a way that is demeaning to them or that diminishes their value as women—but in a selfless, willing attitude where she recognizes her God-given role as helper and companion to her husband. And her model for this self-sacrifice or submission is the way that the church willingly submits to Christ.

For those who are single, they are called to willingly remain faithful to God’s will for sex and marriage and to faithfully serve others as Christ served us. Now for you who serve in our nation, there’s a challenge to remain faithful to these callings. The culture of our military just does not often offer a safe and supportive place for people who are single to remain faithful to God’s will.

Then there’s that challenge to balance duty to country with duty to family and spouse. Then add to that the unique strain and stress of deployments and training that put that strain and stress on your vocations.

The good news, my friends, is that Christ still stands as the head of the church, his bride, which is you. He laid down his life for you. He washed you with water and Word to present you to himself without stain or wrinkle or any other blemish, but holy and blameless. And yes, you heard that correctly. For all the times that you have stained the wedding dress of your vocation with faithlessness to those vocations, Christ has taken you and he has washed you in the waters of your baptism. He is duty bound to you; he is loyal to you; he sacrificed himself for you.

So whether you are deployed or at home, on shore duty or sea duty, Christ calls us to duty, to honor, to loyalty, to discipline, to sacrifice, to love in our vocations. To lead in our families so that they might see Christ, to lead in our marriages so that our spouse may see Christ, to lead our friends so that they might see Christ. To sacrifice for the good of our neighbors, to reflect the love of Christ in our words, in our actions, and in our attitudes.

And that, my friends, is loving as Christ loved the church.

Prayer:
Lord Jesus, as we contemplate the vocations you have called us to, I ask that you keep all single people in our armed forces strong to resist temptation, to bless them with an attitude of contentment in their calling as single people, and to bless them with faithful friends and family when they are lonely. I ask that you keep all husbands and wives faithful to each other and to you, especially during deployment cycles and training, when spouses are apart from each other. I ask that you bless all parents with patience and love as they raise their children in the training and instruction of the Lord. May your Word flourish in our homes.

Lord Jesus, for many of our veterans, October 6 is a pivotal date in their history because this is the day Operation Enduring Freedom began in Afghanistan in 2001. This event changed the lives of so many people in our military communities. For those who still struggle with grief and guilt, with trauma and heartache, I pray that you offer them hope and comfort that can only come from your promise. Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for you are with me. Your rod and your staff, they comfort me. Lord Jesus, be their Good Shepherd. In your name I pray. Amen.

Written and recorded by Rev. Paul Horn, WELS National Civilian Chaplain to the Military, San Diego, California.

All Scripture quotations, unless otherwise indicated, are taken from the Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV®. Copyright ©1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.™ Used by permission of Zondervan. All rights reserved worldwide. Note: Scripture reading footnotes are clickable only in the web version.

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Based on Revelation 12:7-12

I had a college classmate who dropped out of college to join the Navy SEALs. He served as a Tier 1 operator on the teams. One day I got the news that he had died, and it wasn’t in combat—he died stateside.

A pastor friend of mine happened to be serving his spiritual needs and providing spiritual care for him, and he was asked to conduct the funeral service. That pastor friend shared with me that he had never felt more safe than at that funeral service because this dead man’s brothers-in-arms, other Navy SEAL operators, lined the inside perimeter of that church. As I watched the livestream of the service I couldn’t see them, but you knew that they were there.

This is a picture of our special operations teams. They work in the shadows. They go behind enemy lines. We don’t always know where they are or what they’re doing, but we know that they are there, protecting us and our allies from real threats and dangers.

As Christians, we face an enemy who operates in the shadows. In Revelation 12:7-12 we witness this celestial battle between the forces of good and the forces of evil. The apostle John describes this cosmic battle where Michael, the archangel, the general of the armies of angels—the special forces of heaven—battle with Satan, the dragon, and his army of demons.

This picture that John paints for us in Revelation 12, this spiritual warfare, is not just a picture of what happened in the past. It’s also a picture of what is happening every single day.

The devil works in the shadows to afflict pain in your body so that you despair and no longer trust in God.

The devil works in the shadows to afflict pain in your mind so that you despair and no longer trust in your God.

The devil works in the shadows to afflict pain in your soul by accusing you of all the things that you have failed to do as a single person, as a husband or a wife, as a parent, as a service member in our nation’s military. And the devil does a really good job working in these shadows because he knows exactly how to target our weaknesses and point out our failures and attack our doubts and our fears, but we are not alone in this fight.

The special forces of heaven—even though we cannot see them—are operating on our behalf, and their job is to protect us and fight for us so we know we are not alone in the fight.

Not only do you have the special forces operating in the shadows, but you know the victory has already been won. In Revelation the apostle John saw the victory: “They triumphed over him by the blood of the Lamb” (12:11). The blood of your commander-in-chief, Jesus Christ, was shed on the cross, and that’s what caused Satan’s defeat. He may try to accuse you just like a prosecutor in court, but his accusations against you fall to the floor of that courtroom. They are stricken from the court record because the blood of Christ covers over all your faults, all your failures, all your weaknesses. You have already triumphed over Satan through the blood of Christ Jesus.

And as this battle between good and evil continues to rage on, go into combat confident knowing that the victory is already yours in Christ Jesus. You are more than conquerors in Christ. And know that you are not alone in this fight. The special forces team of Michael and his angels continues to fight in the shadows to protect you. And in the end, they will act as spiritual pallbearers and escort our souls home to heaven to be with Jesus, where there will be no more battle, no more war—only peace.

So go in confidence and conviction today. For God’s mighty angel armies go with you. They fight for you, and they fight with you.

Prayer:
Everlasting God, you have ordained and constituted in a wonderful order the ministries of both angels and mortals. Mercifully grant that as your holy angels always serve and worship you in heaven, so by your direction they may help and defend us here on earth. We pray this through your Son, Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever. Amen.

Written and recorded by Rev. Paul Horn, WELS National Civilian Chaplain to the Military, San Diego, California.

All Scripture quotations, unless otherwise indicated, are taken from the Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV®. Copyright ©1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.™ Used by permission of Zondervan. All rights reserved worldwide. Note: Scripture reading footnotes are clickable only in the web version.

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Based on Mark 9:30-37

If you’re in a position of leadership, one of the required readings for you may be Leaders Eat Last by Simon Sinek.

I’ll just share a couple of things from the book. The author says that great leaders create a circle of safety in the workplace. They inspire trust. They inspire cooperation and peak performance among their team. Great leaders who put the team first or the needs of the team first can create a culture of success. And I’m sure that you’ve experienced that in your vocation as a warfighter.

And on the other hand, Simon Sinek says that bad leadership dehumanizes other people. Bad leadership sees others as a tool to fulfill some kind of specific purpose. Bad leadership promotes selfishness, and when bad leadership puts self first, others get hurt and the team suffers. And I’m sure that you’ve also experienced bad leadership in your vocation as a warfighter.

Today in our reading, Jesus’ disciples give him a great opportunity to teach them and us a lesson about pride and humility. In Mark chapter 9, Jesus had just finished telling his disciples that he was on his way to Jerusalem, where he would be betrayed, arrested, and crucified, and there he would die and be buried.

And as they’re walking along the road, what are the disciples talking about? Which among them was the greatest. This is what pride does: It exalts itself above even God. Pride doesn’t think of others first; it thinks only of self. Pride tries to conform others to my will.

Have you fallen to the sin of pride, as a leader of your squad or team or company or platoon? as a leader in your church or your community or even your home? You’re not alone. I have too.

And that’s why Jesus gathers us in a huddle with his friends, and he brings a little child in among us and says to us, “Anyone who wants to be first must be the very last, and the servant of all” (Mark 9:35).

Humility means that I see others as those whom I can serve rather than use. Humility means that I see others as people—that when I serve them, I do not expect anything in return, even to the point of serving a little child and their needs without expecting anything in return, because I know that that little child can’t repay me for the things that I am doing to help meet their needs.

And the motivation to serve with humility, to put our pride to death, to be leaders who eat last—is Christ. Christ who was willing to go to Jerusalem to be arrested, to be crucified, and to die, and to die a death to our pride, to become our pride, actually, and to become our arrogance, to become our sin, so that we might become his humility and his service.

Humility, then, seeks forgiveness for the sin of pride. Humility looks to Christ for that forgiveness. And then, having been forgiven, humility seeks to put others first. Humility seeks to exalt God above self, actually, exalt God at the expense of self.

And that, Jesus says, is the mark of a great leader: one who serves. My friends, he will bless your servant leadership. He promises it.

Prayer:
Mercifully grant, O God, that your Holy Spirit may in all things direct and rule our hearts. For without your help, we are unable to please you. Help us to be Christ in the way we view others as those whom God has called us to serve. Today I ask for your blessing on those in leadership positions, especially those at the top, our admirals and generals. Grant them wisdom and knowledge, a heart for the troops under their command, so that they may carry out their duties as servant leaders, and so inspire many others to be faithful servants. In your name I pray. Amen.

Written and recorded by Rev. Paul Horn, WELS National Civilian Chaplain to the Military, San Diego, California.

All Scripture quotations, unless otherwise indicated, are taken from the Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV®. Copyright ©1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.™ Used by permission of Zondervan. All rights reserved worldwide. Note: Scripture reading footnotes are clickable only in the web version.

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Based on Ephesians 6:10-18

If you are in a leadership position, one of the required readings for you may be The Art of War by Sun Tzu. One of the principles that this ancient Chinese military strategist suggests is this: “If you know your enemy and you know yourself, you need not fear the result of a hundred battles. If you know yourself but not your enemy, for every victory gained you will also suffer a defeat. If you know neither the enemy nor yourself, you will succumb in every battle.”

Even though Sun Tzu wrote in the 5th century B.C., these principles still apply today. Know your enemy. Know how your enemy plans. How he thinks. How he operates. And if you do, you are more likely to succeed as you plan and implement your missions against your enemy.

But Sun Tzu isn’t the only one who said this. God talked about knowing your enemy.

Sadly, for many Americans, the enemy often takes the form of a government that is “over there.” Or maybe it even takes the form of our government or the other political party or the moral degradation of our society.

But God is clear about identifying our true enemy. In Ephesians chapter 6, the apostle Paul writes this: “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” (verse 12). The devil, that fallen evil angel, has combined forces with the powers of sin and death and the sinful world. These are your enemy combatants. And as they plan their missions, they have you and me in mind. And what they want to do is to shake our trust in Jesus, so we do not trust him anymore and are separated from our God forever.

Know your enemy. But also know yourself. Any attempt to fight in this battle by relying on anyone or anything other than Christ—you will succumb in every battle. So know yourself. Know that you need Jesus and know that you need his power. And know and trust that he supplies it.

Paul uses military language here and uses the picture of an ancient Roman infantryman in his armor as a picture of the armor that Jesus supplies for you. Here is what Paul wrote: “Therefore put on the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand. Stand firm then, with the belt of truth buckled around your waist, with the breastplate of righteousness in place, and with your feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace. In addition to all this, take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one. Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God” (verses 13-17).

Paul shows us that not only is it necessary to know our enemy and to know ourselves, but first and foremost, to know the truth. That belt of truth that’s buckled around your waist? Those are the truths of God’s Word for you. When we know that truth, we will stand against the devil’s lies.

When he accuses you of sin and guilt, know that you have the breastplate of righteousness covering you, that Kevlar body armor, which is Christ’s righteousness. That protects us against all sin and all guilt. It reminds us of the truth that we are righteous in God’s sight, for Christ’s righteousness covers us in our baptism.

And that shield of faith that Paul talks about? Faith’s object is always Christ, and that always stops the arrows of the enemy.

And finally, our head is guarded by the knowledge that we are saved by Christ and Christ alone.

Know your enemy, know yourself, know your God, and know that he will prepare you for war. For in him and through him, we win.

Prayer:
Almighty God, you see that we have no power to defend ourselves. Guard and keep us both outwardly and inwardly from all adversities that may happen to the body and all evil that may assault and hurt the soul.

This week on September 18th, the Air Force and the Air National Guard celebrate their birthdays. Lord, I thank you for the men and women whose mission it is to fly, fight, and win. For those who take to the skies and those who support them, I ask you to guide them. Grant them wisdom and knowledge as they plan and carry out their missions and training. Send your holy angels to be with those who dare the eagle’s flight. In your name I pray. Amen.

Written and recorded by Rev. Paul Horn, WELS National Civilian Chaplain to the Military, San Diego, California.

All Scripture quotations, unless otherwise indicated, are taken from the Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV®. Copyright ©1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.™ Used by permission of Zondervan. All rights reserved worldwide. Note: Scripture reading footnotes are clickable only in the web version.

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