Battle Buddy

"There is no discharge from war, nor will wickedness deliver those who are given to it" -Eccl. 7:8

I was deployed to Afghanistan from 2010 to 2011. Almost every day for 10 months, I got to experience unwanted hostile fireworks, people either hurt or killed and the most nerve-racking car rides, ever. It truly was an experience and I probably wouldn't volunteer for it again on my own free will; the Navy is going to make that determination for me anyway. During that time, I grew close to many of the Soldiers and Sailors within my unit. All we had was each other; besides my weapon (Cheryl), yeah I named my baby. My buddy, Vic, was the closest person and was able to understand that difficult season; he was my roommate and battle buddy.

A battle buddy is more than a friend, He is your brother. But what about Proverbs 18:24, “A man of many companions may come to ruin, but there is a friend who sticks closer than a brother”, absolutely, my battle buddy was a friend but much closer than my actual biological brother. Anyone that fought in a foreign war, past or present, will tell you, it was the brotherhood they had, that got them through some difficult times. It was fighting together, trusting each other, that they could put themselves in harm's way to accomplish the mission. Only in a war-zone is a bond that strong. Anyone that tried to isolate themselves in a war-zone often ended up with severe mental issues or worse, suicidal. There was no way, if someone told me, outside the military, “Hey, carry this suitcase full of money and take it to this base through the most dangerous valley in Afghanistan, all by yourself.” Nope, I don’t think so (I was the money man. I was a best friend to Soldiers and a good target for the enemy). But being deployed in the military, I had to, I had no choice but there was always a team with me. I remember spending a full Thanksgiving day traveling, in a convoy, to 13 different Combat outpost through one of the most active parts in Kandahar; it was nuts. But knowing I had someone that I trusted with my life going through that same valley with me, made it, well..okay. My time in Afghanistan was not easy; unless you’re in the Air Force...just kidding, just kidding. And it wasn’t an easy journey when I came back home to the states either. Here’s what I’ve learned about having a Battle Buddy during that spiritual warfare while in a war zone. I look forward to your insight as well.

No Liam Neeson

Not only in a war zone, but in our spiritual lives a battle buddy is required. Someone to go to war with and fight against the schemes of the enemy. Throughout the Bible, God constantly reminds us, he is walking with us in those difficult times, as in Isaiah 41:10 and Psalm 23:4 for example. As Christians, I pray that we know and lean on those truths. But not only do we need the One that gives us strength and life, but we also need help and encouragement from each other. There’s no such thing as a “Lone Ranger” Christian, Jesus called 12 disciples to do ministry with and if Jesus had a band of brothers, we should too. If we trying to live a life that is Christ-like, we need help from our community God placed us in. Sure Jesus could’ve traveled and did ministry alone but that’s not what God wanted to illustrate. It was through loving one another and living in community we're going to make it until Christ's return. Mankind has failed many times before relying on their own strength, their own pride and boasting. In 1 Corinthians 10:12, Paul warns us against the “Lone Wolf” mentality, “Therefore let anyone who thinks that he stands take heed lest he fall”. This ain’t a Hollywood action movie where the star takes on 200 armed men, confined in one single train cart with C-4 waiting for its firework display, heading towards a gaped bridge, eventually plummeting into the rough waters below. We won't survive something like that there is no way!

Straight Talk

Confession of sin is easier said than done. Most people, including myself, tend to hold back the truth from other believers to “save face”. But what is “save face” ( I think this is just a made term) it’s a MASK! Ephesians 4:25 says, “Therefore, having put away falsehood, let each one of you speak the truth with his neighbor, for we are members one of another.” Let’s be real with one another. James says, “Confess your sins to one another and pray for one another, that you may be healed…” (James 5:16) Even though James talks about confessing our sins to one another, it doesn’t have to mean, tell every man in the congregation. Find a brother you can trust to be honest with; this may take some time, but a must. I have a buddy I told, “look, if there is anything you notice, heard, feel, sense, tell me. You have my full permission to ask or tell me anything, wrong or right, hurtful, I don’t care. Go for it, no anger or judgment”. And that’s exactly what he did. He was honest about things, even though at times it may have been off, but it helped to think about the different areas I may have not given attention to. But I trusted him enough to talk about my issues. Be real with your battle buddy, he is there to fight with you not against you.

Weed Wacking:

It’s one thing to hang out with friends, have a game night at the crib, maybe get dinner, but if the conversations are trivial, then it stays just that, a hang out. A battle buddy is person I share life with. They know almost everything about me; sometimes they can sense something is wrong and probably already know something is wrong by the little things I do when I’m mad (I tend to nibble at my upper lip when I’m upset). I think once you find your battle buddy, it’s hard to go back to superficial conversations. I appreciate the people that draw out deep conversations; although difficult at times. This is how we grow as individuals and in our relationship with God. Don’t beat around the bush, sift through the conversations that are preventing deep sin sourced issues.

“Let brotherly love continue” - Hebrews 13:1