STRATEGIC PLACEMENT IN THE ARMY OF GOD

Greetings -

NOTE: This is NOT to describe any class of people as inferior or superior.  It uses rank placement relative to positions NOT people.

From the Holy Bible - King James Version:
Deuteronomy 1:15
So I took the chief of your tribes, wise men, and known, and made them heads over you, captains over thousands, and captains over hundreds, and captains over fifties, and captains over tens, and officers among your tribes. 

Presented here below is a list of ranks in the natural army organization. Source: A Civilian’s Guide To The U.S. Military, by Barbara Schading, PH.D

Commissioned Officers from top to bottom rank as follows: general of the Army (five-star, wartime use only), general (four-star), lieutenant general (three-star), major general (two-star), brigadier general (one-star), colonel, lieutenant colonel, major, captain, first lieutenant, and second lieutenant

Warrant Officers rank, from top to bottom: chief warrant officer 5, chief warrant officer 4, chief warrant officer 3, chief warrant officer 2, and warrant officer

The enlisted personnel rank, from top to bottom: sergeant major of the Army, command sergeant major, sergeant major, first sergeant, master sergeant, sergeant first class, staff sergeant, sergeant, corporal, specialist, private first class, and private

Here is what the Lord shared with me. His army of people also consists of ranks and levels of expertise, and deepness in Him. Also, He reminded me that JESUS had twelve disciples but three of them, Peter, James and John were in His inner circle. Matthew 17:1, “And after six days Jesus taketh Peter, James, and John his brother, and bringeth them up into an high mountain.” Matthew 17:9, “And as they came down from the mountain, Jesus charged them, saying, Tell the vision to no man, until the Son of man be risen again from the dead.” Mark 14:33, “And he taketh with him Peter and James and John,…” Luke 8:51, “And when he came into the house, he suffered no man to go in, save Peter, and James, and John,…” Also, Peter and John were featured prominently in the book of The Acts such as in The Acts 3:1, 3:3, and 4:19. The Acts 12:2 states that James was killed. Peter wrote epistles. John wrote epistles and the book of Revelation. My belief is that John and Peter were spiritual generals. I believe the same about some others mentioned in GOD’s Word such as Moses, Elijah, Elisha, Jeremiah, Ezekiel, and Isaiah.

Generals cannot win wars without privates and privates cannot win wars without generals. Every rank is necessary and vital for military actions to be successfully executed. That is true for the natural military as well as it is true for the supernatural military. All ranks work together with boundaries and limitations designated for each. Typically, commissioned officers do not frequently socialize with enlisted personnel. They work together but are not often likely to fraternize. I believe that there could be a practice of unequal yoking if generals…frequently socialized with privates…, etc.

That brings me to the question as to whether Christians can be unequally yoked between and/or among other Christians. My conclusion is yes. Please read my post and the subsequent comments under topic, "UNEQUALLY YOKED?"  Here's the link http://lioneaglesoar.blogspot.com/2010/09/unequally-yoked.html

Again here, I use a military illustration. Privates have necessary war knowledge training at required levels. But we do not expect them to be in the "Situation Rooms" with generals and those of high commissioned ranks. The presence of privates would likely be
counter-productive to the goals and objectives in such meetings.

There are commonalities to said logic relative to Christians. There are commissioned Christians, as well as enlisted Christians. We have five-star general status Christians all the way down to the rank of private level status Christians. Can Christian generals…be unequally yoked with Christian privates…? I believe so.
As in the natural army, there are, in the Christian army, common objectives for the overall good of the operations. The core ideal is to be on one accord for the established principles and goals of the institution. But the institution breaks down into specializations that are critical for purpose fulfillment in the army organization.

The natural army has Special Forces such as Rangers and Green Berets. They engage in specialized unconventional warfare. In the supernatural army, there are Special Forces, as well. Privates do not understand the work of those in Special Forces. They do not know the unique intricate, complex, strategic, and dangerous exploits that comprise what Special Forces personnel are assigned to execute.

There are Christians who do bare minimum – who attend church but do not know the Holy Bible and subsequently do not do it – who do not spend regular quality time in private devotions with GOD – and who do not engage in regular praise, worship and prayer. They are to be loved but would you want such with you in intense spiritual battlefield combat zones? Supernatural warfare is for the steadfastly fully armored. Are dim lit Christians considered privates? Are they commissioned officers or enlisted personnel?

Then there are Christians who are consistently hungry for more of GOD – who know the Holy Bible and who consistently do what it says – who regularly love/obey GOD and pray, praise and worship Him privately, as well as along with others in the body of Christ. Such have souls that follow hard after GOD (Psalm 63:8). Are these commissioned officers - generals, colonels, majors, and captains…for GOD? Are such of Special Forces caliber?

GOD commands us to love everybody but I do not believe that He expects us to spend unnecessary time with Christians who refuse to grow in the Lord. (Note: That does not include spouses because GOD has unique mandates for matrimonial unions whatever the spiritual status of the spouses. Also, the biological family dynamic often requires more engagement.) And baby Christians need more from those who are more spiritually mature. But carnal Christians can often be counter-productive to holy Christ-centered journeys. They can prove more damaging than
bona fide sinners because bona fide sinners frequently do not know…but carnal Christians frequently do know…yet make decisions not to do what they know. Also, what carnal Christians know is limited because they refuse to obey GOD by renewing their minds with the Holy Scriptures, and by spending quality time with Him. I am confident that all of the carnal Christians will not remain unspiritual because some of them will become fervent for the Lord. In the meantime, my advice is to beware of them because again, they can be more damaging…than bona fide sinners. Typically, we expect evil from sinners while we usually don’t expect evil from professed Christians but the reality is that that is precisely what we get from unspiritual Christians. Carnal Christians are often wolves in sheep clothing. They profess Christianity but can be toting evil and catch people unaware and unprepared for what they are “packing.” Often before carnal Christians are discovered for the unspiritual people that they are, many wounded victims have become “bloodied” from their damaging and vile practices.

We are at war, people, and whosoever mocks GOD risks becoming casualties of war. GOD is no respecter of persons. Colossians 3:25 states, “But he that doeth wrong shall receive for the wrong which he hath done: and there is no respect of persons.”

Do some commissioned/enlisted Christians “die” in battle? Yes, but hallelujah – Glory be to GOD, Romans 14:8 says, “For whether we live, we live unto the Lord: and whether we die, we die unto the Lord, whether we live therefore, or die, we are the Lord’s.”

Who will be instrumental in turning the world upside down? The Acts 17:6, “…These that have turned the world upside down are come hither also;”

Matthew 28:9

…Jesus met them, saying, All hail...

Copyright 2010

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Note: - This piece, "Strategic Placement in the Army of God" is available in my $4.99 e-book titled, Warfare Solutions Loaded with the Lion of Judah. 

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