Behind Enemy Lines
I often times feel like I am a member of a special spiritual unit in the army of God much akin to a Special Operations unit in the U.S. military. Small bands of highly trained and motivated men and women who are flown in and dropped, often times behind enemy lines, to carry out very dangerous, but extremely necessary, missions.
Why do the military use special operations units? One reason is that conventional military forces are not able to achieve the desired mission objective. Also, special operation units are more mobile and able to be deployed quicker than conventional forces when a situation demands immediate action. Lastly, special operations forces are used when the assignment must remain a secret, either from the enemy or even from the public at large, due to its sensitive nature of their mission.
Special operations for God
God often has situations that demand spiritual special operations units. These missions are vitally necessary, but those of the conventional church are either not equipped to carry out His objectives or are unwilling to do so. Time and time again I have found myself in the middle of foreign spiritual war zones, seemingly behind enemy lines, carrying out the most outlandish missions for His Holy Spirit. These types of missions do not fit within the normal Christian church’s idea of what is proper and acceptable, but nevertheless these missions are vital to Gods kingdom.
Sometimes, God’s missions require the utmost discretion
It is exciting work, but at the same time, just like the real world special operations units, you are not at liberty to talk about your missions. You may ask, why the secrecy? To which God answers, “Because of the delicate nature of the mission and how it would be misunderstood if it became known”.
David is a good example of this type of spiritual secret mission. In 1 Samuel we read:
“But David thought to himself, “One of these days I will be destroyed by the hand of Saul. The best thing I can do is to escape to the land of the Philistines. Then Saul will give up searching for me anywhere in Israel, and I will slip out of his hand.”
And,
“David lived in Philistine territory a year and four months.”
1 Samuel 27:1,7
What was David thinking?
What was David thinking? Were not the Philistines the sworn enemies of God? Did they not serve idols? It seemed as though David was violating everything that the Israelites believed by going to be with the uncircumcised, but God had a plan.
Again, in 1 Samuel we read,
“Now David and his men went up and raided the Geshurites, the Girzites and the Amalekites. (From ancient times these peoples had lived in the land extending to Shur and Egypt.) Whenever David attacked an area, he did not leave a man or woman alive, but took sheep and cattle, donkeys and camels, and clothes. Then he returned to Achish.
When Achish asked, “Where did you go raiding today?” David would say, “Against the Negev of Judah” or “Against the Negev of Jerahmeel” or “Against the Negev of the Kenites.” He did not leave a man or woman alive to be brought to Gath, for he thought, “They might inform on us and say, ‘This is what David did.’ “And such was his practice as long as he lived in Philistine territory. Achish trusted David and said to himself, “He has become so odious to his people, the Israelites, that he will be my servant forever.”
Samuel 27:8-11
YHWH’s secret warriors
While behind enemy lines and with great deception David continued to fight the philistines’ right under their very noses. To all outward appearances David had become a traitor to Israel and was serving the enemy, but in reality David still served God and carried out His judgment upon His enemies.
Many times this how the spiritual special operations of God functions. You are doing His will according to His purposes, but to those of the conventional church you might appear to be fraternizing with the enemy. While your brothers and sisters may judge you as unrighteous it is only because they do not understand the nature of your mission and the vital necessity that you carry it out as He commands.
Improvise, overcome, adapt
Much of the church today is so mired in tradition and theological dogma that is it unresponsive or slow to move when God speaks. Therefore, if something must change quickly, only special opts can do what is necessary within the time frame it must take place. This is why He calls men and women of faith (experts in listening, hearing, and obeying His voice on time) to wage these unconventional spiritual campaigns.
Spiritual special agents are normally the first to be deployed in a new move of Gods Holy Spirit. They are literally sent in behind demonic enemy lines, right under their noses, to do the necessary preparation for the coming move of God. These men and women of faith will literally go anywhere and do anything to accomplish the missions they are assigned.
Paul says,
“And what shall I more say? for the time would fail me to tell of Gideon, and of Barrack, and of Samson, and of Jephthae; of David also, and Samuel, and of the prophets: Who through faith subdued kingdoms, wrought righteousness, obtained promises, stopped the mouths of lions. Quenched the violence of fire, escaped the edge of the sword, out of weakness were made strong, waxed valiant in fight, turned to flight the armies of the aliens.
Women received their dead raised to life again: and others were tortured, not accepting deliverance; that they might obtain a better resurrection: And others had trial of cruel mockings and scourgings, yea, moreover of bonds and imprisonment: They were stoned, they were sawn asunder, were tempted, were slain with the sword: they wandered about in sheepskins and goatskins; being destitute, afflicted, tormented; (Of whom the world was not worthy:) they wandered in deserts, and in mountains, and in dens and caves of the earth.”
Hebrew 11:32-38
Become a hero of our faith
These are the heroes of our faith; those who dared to believe God when all else in their natural minds and world said different. Men and woman of God did mighty exploits simply because they acted by faith and would not quit in the face of overwhelming odds and certain death.
Those heroes are still being formed today and are carrying out mighty exploits, but as the spiritual special opts of this generation you will hardly ever hear what they do, except in whispered stories that even if told, you could hardly believe.
The few, the chosen, the godly
Are you special operations for God material? Do you believe you have what it takes to do by faith that which is impossible? Are you willing to put your spiritual life on the line to make a difference in the kingdom of God? If you are willing to sell all and follow Him, God will find you, knock one day on the door of your heart and say, “Come join the few, the humble, the Godly.” Perhaps someday you to will take your place among the heroes of old who loved not their lives unto the death that some might be saved.
