‘BLUE ON BLUE’ IS THE ENEMY OF ‘HEARTS AND MINDS’*
[* This tract should be read in
conjunction with "Weeds".]
Two
conflicting expressions, used frequently in the war in
Let
us examine each of these expressions in turn, and endeavour to draw a number of
very important lessons in relation to the Christian warfare against "the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual
forces of evil in the heavenly realms" (Eph. 6: 12).
1. ‘Blue on Blue’.
This
is a military expression used to describe tragic
situations of mistaken identity, when friendly forces are actively engaged and
determined to kill or cripple other friendly forces fighting on the same side,
and for the same cause. The colour Blue, represents themselves and their
colleagues-in-arms; and red is the colour which identifys an enemy: ‘Blue
on Red’ therefore, is the expression used
to describe the desired and correct
engagement against an enemy.
Numerous
good examples of dreaded ‘Blue on Blue’ occurrences have already been reported
during the past conflict in Iraq.* For
example, aircraft returning to base, after having successfully engaged the
enemy, have been mistakenly shot down and completely destroyed; tanks have been
hit by ‘friendly fire’ resulting in the tragic
deaths of occupants; infantry soldiers on the battlefield also have fallen
victim, resulting in many being killed or seriously injured. There is no doubt in my mind, as long as war
continues, we may well see and hear of more tragic and unfortunate deaths and
injuries due to similar circumstances of
mistaken identity.**
[*At the time this tract was written, Tim
Shipman in Qatar, wrote: "One man died and
two others were last night fighting for their lives after an American A-10
‘Warthog’ tankbuster strafed their armoured vehicles
in broad daylight near Basra." ... “The
accident, which brings the British death toll from the war to 23, was
chillingly similar to the incident in 1991 when the A-10 blasted two Warrior
armoured vehicles, killing nine members of the Royal Fusiliers.”
"...
Despite that disaster," Shipman said,
"British armoured vehicles are still not
routinely fitted with the electronic Identification Friend or Foe system
that is used in American machines."
Warplanes like the A-10 in yesterday’s encounter have to rely on visual
markings to avoid so called ‘blue on blue’
disasters. Just four British servicemen
have died in combat since the war began, the other 19 victims having been
killed in a catalogue.
**
The most recent ‘blue on blue’ incident was
reported when another soldier was killed, and an injured colleague described
the A-10 American pilot as "ignorant":
"a trigger happy cowboy just gone out on a
jolly."]
Several
major factors, are unquestionably responsible.
(1)
In the ‘fog of war’, wrong decisions are being made and inaccurate
instructions are issued by officers who are confused and sometimes panicked by unforeseen, shocking,
and fearful circumstances. (2)
Another contributing factor is a breakdown in accurate and up to date intelligence
information relative to the positions of friendly forces.
We
know of similar circumstances in the Christian warfare. Some regenerate believers, who have been
force fed over the years on a diet of Reformed Theology; and are not at all
happy with some popular teachings by Liberal theologians within the Church: but
they themselves know, there are certain teachings which they believe which
should not be surrendered, which are entangled with other teachings, which they
know should be recognized as responsibility truths needed to be taught
to regenerate believers.
For
example:-
(a)
Distinctions are not being made between the free gift of God
(eternal life), and God’s
rewards for faithfulness.
(b)
Over the past number of years there has been a noticeable shift away from faith
in a
(C)
Justification by faith is seldom - (if ever) - distinguished from
justification by works; and the practical
righteousness necessary to attain the latter, as a necessary qualification for
the ‘First’ or ‘Better’
Resurrection and entrance into that ‘kingdom
of God, is being ignored, disbelieved or undisclosed by
those who know!
(d)
The time of a believer’s death has now (supposedly) replaced that of
resurrection; and the former is assumed by the vast majority of regenerate
believers to be the only prerequisite necessary for a saved soul’s
entrance into the presence of God in heaven.
When
all of these mistaken teachings are proved erroneous from plain statements in
the Word of God, panic and confusion immediately sets in, and wrong decisions
are taken.* Inaccurate instructions are
issued, and these inevitably result in actions which can accurately be
described as a ‘blue on blue’ scenario - fierce resistance from a 'brother
in Christ’ fighting against another 'brother in Christ, supporting and upholding unpopular scriptural
truths.
[*
Unscriptural excommunication of believers who teach kingdom truths is a common
mistake: "We excommunicate you from the Church
militant upon earth," cried the priestly executioners of Savonarola.
"But not from the Church triumphant in heaven!"
answered the lonely hero. Mistaken leaders, inside the
Mr.
George Muller once said to Dr. A. T. Pierson: "the Lord has given you much light on Scripture, and will
hold you correspondingly responsible for its use: obey Him, and walk in
the light, and you will have more; fail to do so, and He will withdraw
the light you have." Matt. 13:
12.
Numerous
statements, made by mistaken leaders in the Church, are being issued with an
intention to encourage hostile reactions. No doubt these are given with the best of
intentions to protect (as they suppose) other believers from examining their
own doctrinal beliefs, and teachings held by their particular Christian denominational
group.
A
major contributing factor responsible for wrong decisions against friendly
forces working within the Church, is a lack of
scriptural knowledge and understanding. Erroneous
behaviour is often attributed to those who hold popular but unscriptural
doctrines: and when a child of God falls into some sin, he/she is looked upon
as never being regenerate in the first place!
Ask
the average believer, who has been fed on a diet of Calvinism, of the
importance and consequences attributable to good works in the life of a
Christian, and he will automatically link them to his eternal salvation,
and conclude that without the good works, there can be no eternal salvation. Follow the former question with one concerning
the position of a backslider or an apostate, and ask what the outcome of such
un-forsaken behaviour will ultimately lead into, and they conclude that such
persons were never regenerate in the first place! Is this what the Scriptures teach? No. It
is not!
Some
time ago, a local Anti-millennial Baptist pastor was described to me as a man
who had ‘his feet firmly planted under the table’.
The expression,
was meant to indicate to me that he was very good at his job, feeding
Christians with nothing but the truth. But, the fact of the matter is, it takes more
than just a ‘nice’ man, who says only what his
congregation wants to hear (or likes to hear), to qualify as a good servant of
Christ. And there are multitudes of ‘nice’ people in the ministry, living in the lap of
luxury, who might well be accurately described as: "trigger happy cowboys on a jolly." That is, unable to distinguish whe the enemy is!
Multitudes
of regenerate people automatically believe and accept everything they are being
taught without any private examination of what the Word has to say. God’s challenge is to leave behind ‘old beaten
paths,’ which may have served multitudes of believers in their day, but are now
wholly inadequate for our present day circumstances, or for entering into a
larger vision of HIS WORLD-EMBRACING PROGRAMME FOR WORLD PEACE AND WORLD RIGHTEOUSNESS.*
[*At
the time of the Reformation, the truth that eternal salvation without
works was established; and good works, as a result of faith in Christ
was the accompanying result. But very
important issues like: the future salvation of believers, the
prospect of a believer failing to attain unto the out-resurrection,
or being ‘accounted worthy’ of the ‘age to come’, were all left
virtually untouched at that time. As far as the majority of Reformers were
concerned, their theology taught that bare faith in Christ alone would qualify every
believer for all things. Consequently, the effects of evil works,
backsliding and apostasy, on the future position of one who is already
justified by faith, and therefore in possession of eternal salvation,
were not at that time considered.]
This
challenge becomes all the more urgent when it is viewed against the background of
the Church’s failure to evangelize the world by the gospel and establish a
lasting world peace. Sadder still is the
overwhelming evidence that the crimes committed at home, within the Church, and
in Christian lands - (by regenerate believers themselves) - are doing more
to nullify Christian testimony than all the opposition of non-Christian lands
combined.
Is
it not plain to see and understand, that we must begin such a work AT HOME
and abroad, as has never before been known, to help and prepare the Lord’s
people for His return and rule of righteousness?
We
are now living in days of MASS production, mass distribution, mass consumption. Why
then do we not have the mass production, mass distribution, and mass
consumption of neglected truths and conditional promises of God? Today we have mass production of crime.
Why do we not have the mass production
of truths which will help bring about its most effectual Antidote? The hour has come for regenerate believers
to wake up from their slumber; for His return and "our salvation* is nearer now
than it was when we first believed" (Rom. 13: 11).
[*
The word "salvation" in this context,
does not refer to initial or eternal salvation which is received
through faith in Jesus Christ as Saviour. The words here were (and are presently) addressed
to believers who were (and are presently) in possession of that!
See also Phil.
2: 12; Heb. 1: 4; 2: 3; 2 Thess. 2: 13, 14 etc.,
for other good examples, where the context, (as in every instance), will
determine the correct interpretation and meaning of the word.
When
we say, ‘death came as a salvation’ for one
suffering, we do not imply that the person was eternally saved, but that he was
released from his suffering which he endured during the time he was alive.]
In
the story of His REDEMPTION - in the cross, the tomb, the risen and
ascended Lord - we desperately need to hear and proclaim also THE COMING
EARTHLY GLORY OF OUR KING. We should
not neglect this most important truth, which has been throughout the centuries
a great source of encouragement in times of severe persecution of the saints of
God.
2. "WINNING HEARTS AND MINDS."
These
words were frequently used by allied forces to describe the genuine desire of
all who are committed to overthrow the past regime in
In
the Christian realm, can we expect anything other than a like result, when many
of the Church’s leaders are unable to recognize a ‘blue
on blue’ when they are actively engaged
in one; and when they believe some politician (like Gordon Brown) will ‘save the world’?
The
fact is that the people of God have entered a zone of great spiritual danger. "It is
impossible to be too true to the truth; but it is possible to defend the truth
as to sin deeply. Extreme lucidity in
the statement of facts and truths is no enemy of love, so long as mercy
rejoices against judgment. Love cements
all differences and watchfulness without love is merely the stopping of a
razor: love without watchfulness ends in the betrayal of the Lord."
Stern
facts have to be told, and when there is a silence and doubts about a
A
ministry of Defense spokesman said: "We can confirm that we are investigating an incident of
possible friendly fire as a matter of urgency", (29th
March, 2003.)
It
is now high time for leaders inside the
Finally,
another very good reason and explanation why the "winning
hearts and minds" policy is not the success it was once imagined it
would be, is because more Iraqi citizens appear to be content living under their
present regime. If their attitude
persists, and the allied forces remain resolute in changing the present
government in
We
see an identical situation in the battle for ‘the faith’.
Multitudes of Christian leaders,
accustomed to a comfortable lifestyle under present world government by Satan,
are not prepared to exchange it for a position of honour with Christ in
'the age to come': and more than a bare faith in Christ as Saviour will be required for
participation in that:-
"You are those who have stood by me in my trials.
And I confer on you a kingdom just as by
Father conferred one on me, so that you may eat and drink at my table in MY
KINGDOM and sit on thrones, judging" (Luke 22: 28-30; Rev. 11: 15; 20: 4-6; 1 Cor. 15: 25).
Christian
friend, make no mistake about it, this present world government under Satan, will
soon be replaced by one of righteousness and peace under Christ:-
"I have installed my King on
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