A Warrior

When I served as a chaplain assigned to the 53^rd Infantry Brigade and the Company C 1-244^th Assault Helicopter Battalion, I learned very quickly the Army values system (me being an Air Force guy) along with “The Warriors Ethos or Creed”. As a matter of fact I still carry with me the dog tag that I was given with that creed.  It goes like this:

I will always place the mission first

I will never accept defeat

I will never quit

I will never leave a fallen comrade

In the military everything centers on the mission. It is the essence of why everything is done from training to maintenance. Whatever the mission is, it will be carried out to its fullest. Not to do so is failure or defeat.

This got me thinking “What is our mission as Christians?” Very simply put: “To make disciples for Jesus here on earth?” Everything that we do centers on this simple mission. We are here to fulfill the Great “CO” MISSION of Christ.

There are three other statements in the ETHOS that relate back to the mission. “I will never accept defeat; I will never quit and I will never leave a fallen comrade.” We as Christians must remember that we are engaged in a Spiritual Battle. Satan wants us to admit defeat and quit. He wants us to focus on survival!

It is so easy to focus on our little corner of the mission field or our little corner of the church field that we forget to work together or support one another. This is Satan’s greatest deception and trick. Just like the military, if we do not partner together by helping and supporting one another then we will soon be over run by the enemy. In the last few weeks I have already seen some very good friends who have fallen under attack and have even fallen because of Satan’s attack.

As I served with the military I learned that all who served considered each other’s Brothers and Sisters in arms. If one was in trouble, we all were. It should be the same as we serve in Christ mission. We should help one another, pray for one another, encourage one another and most of all love one another. In essence, we are all Brothers and Sisters on a mission and in a battle until Christ returns. To shrink from that mission and from working with others is to be a coward.

Here is a Christian version of that ethos that I developed.

 

Christian Warrior

I will always place Christ Great Commission first and foremost

I will never accept defeat or an attitude of defeat for in Christ I have the victory

I will never quit for through Christ I can do all things for Him

 

I will never leave a fallen comrade to be destroyed by Satan, I will support my fellow Christians and churches always!