I will never forget being at church one Sunday playing "king of the hill" with my buddies, before church started. But our play stopped when a car pulled up to the sidewalk and, with help, out came a soldier, who had returned from Vietnam a few weeks earlier. But he came on crutches and he returned to back to the church he grew up in on that Sunday with only one leg.
I have never forgotten that image. It has always served as a striking reminder to me of the cost of war. Battles require you to give your all and often sacrifice your all. The cost for any military campaign is great.
Jesus said: “Greater love has no one than this, that he lay down his life for his friends…If the world hates you, keep in mind that it hated me first” John 15:13 and 18.
The cost is great when we go up against the devil every day. He wants to destroy us. He wants to rob us of every ounce of faith. He wants to remove every bit of hope. He wants to deceive us into thinking that love for Christ is a waste of time.
Many have fallen away from their commitment to Christ. Their wounds were too great. Many have been attacked by the evil one and have suffered the consequences. Some have suffered innocently when someone nearby has decided to spend time with the enemy.
A military unit is caught in a fire-fight and they find themselves trapped. What do they do? They call for help and they know that there are soldiers who are willing to come to the battle to help out. They have signed up for the fight and when the fight comes, they are there to take on the enemy.
We have a responsibility to each other as soldier of the cross. There are wounded Christians all around us. Have we abandoned them? There are Christian soldiers fighting some tough battles every day. Do we just sit back and watch?
Jesus said: "Great love has no one than this....that he lay down his life for his friends." That's our command. Yes, serving as a soldier of the cross is costly - but it's worth every price!