Thursday, October 4, 2007
‘Friendly Fire’
It happened in the basement of the military training barracks. I and a few other
soldiers were sorting brass after the company had been on the firing range. Unnoticed
by the group, one soldier took some live rounds found among the spent ones and
loaded them into a weapon and pulled the trigger. Needless to say we were scared
and shocked, but luckily no one was hit by the bullets. This episode brought to mind
how tragic it is when someone is injured or killed by a comrade’s carelessness
(friendly fire).
We are in engaged in spiritual warfare against evil and the evil one. We need to
wield the sword of the spirit which is the Word, but we must be careful how we wield
the sword. It must not be used in such a way as to injure our comrades in the faith.
[Jesus said,] “Whoever causes one of these little ones who believe to stumble, it
would be better for him if, with a heavy millstone hung around his neck, he had
been cast into the sea.”
Mark 9:42
Avoiding Friendly-Fire Casualties
“For you were called to freedom, brethren; only do not turn your freedom into an
opportunity for the flesh, but through love serve one another. For the whole Law is
fulfilled in one word, in the statement, ‘you shall love your neighbor as yourself.’
But if you bite and devour one another, take care that
you are not consumed by one another.”
Galatians 5:13-15
Love One Another!
A sure way to avoid friendly-fire casualties in the church.
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