Start with the Battlefield

In August 1990 the United States waged a campaign to free occupied Kuwait in what is commonly known as the Gulf War. We hadn’t fought a major military campaign since Vietnam, and many believed the US ill-equipped to win a large-scale fight in the desert. But this was a war unlike any other we had seen. Each day we were treated to military briefings from the Pentagon, watching video of stealth fighters dropped smart bombs down chimneys. It seemed like an unreal video game. We had the latest technology, the best training, satellite intelligence.

The coalition leader was General Norman Schwartzkopf, CENTCOM commander. During the war briefings Schwartzkopf gave a master class in explaining modern warfare. His battle strategy was simple to understand. To win, he computed for the given fight the amount of force needed for overwhelming victory—the number of men, tanks, planes, supplies, arms, medicine and support required. Then he directed his forces to ensure that those forces arrived at the right moment on the battlefield. If that was accomplished, then the battle was won the moment it began. For Schwartzkopf, the exercise was to plan carefully, and then arrive at the beginning of the battle with all that was necessary to win, and he worked backwards from that point.

In business, in life, this is a sound strategy. In fact, we see this taught in Scripture. When Joshua came up against the stronghold of Jericho, he didn’t rush in to fight a battle. Instead he asked God what to do. The account in Joshua 6 describes how he listened to God and obeyed all the steps to win the battle. He gathered and prepared all that was necessary to win according to God’s plan. Then he instructed the people to quietly walk around the city each day for seven days. When God told him a battle strategy, he obeyed to the letter.?

Whatever the challenge before you, begin with the end in mind. What is the result or goal you are aiming for? What is the win? Is it possible within your resources to assure a victory? Most importantly, what is God telling you to do? Consider that some battles are fought in business, in the family, in the community, in the pollical arena. But don’t forget to think of battles you may be facing from a spiritual perspective. What does God want to accomplish through you in the face of a stronghold or an enemy? Listen, then carefully marshal what is required to win, so that if possible you can arrive on the battlefield fully prepared.?