So that what has been said does not seem like a game of inference, let us turn to the Divine Word. God Himself spoke through the mouth of the prophet: Oh, that My people would listen to Me and Israel would walk in My ways! I would quickly humble their enemies (Ps. 80:14,15). We are talking here about easy and sure victory over enemies. God attributes such a victory to Himself, that is, to His blessing and His invisible or, when necessary, visible miraculous help sent down to the chosen people. Help is given not simply, not as an arbitrary distinction to the chosen people, but under a certain condition, moral and spiritual: ... if My people listened to Me and Israel walked in My ways. Israel could have warriors, weapons, leaders, an abundance of strength, art, very well, but that's not all. His enemies could have been more numerous, more skillful, cunning, daring, it didn’t matter. It is especially important that he listen to God, that he walk in the ways of the Lord.
Believe, Israel, in God, pray to Him, listen to His Word, act according to His commandments: justly, decently, lovingly; if you have sinned, do not hesitate to repent and correct yourself; trust not in yourself, but in God, and He is ready to quickly humble your enemies and grant you an easy and sure victory over them.
With what clear, what striking experiences did Israel learn the Divine destiny of battles!
Joshua fights the Amalekites, and Moses prays on the mountain. Moses prays more powerfully, Israel fights more powerfully and overcomes the Amalekites. Moses faints in prayer, the Israelites faint in battle, and victory leans on the side of the Amalekites: And when Moses lifted up his hands, Israel prevailed, and when he lowered his hands, Amalek prevailed. As a sign of the special power of public prayer, Aaron and Hur supported Moses' raised hands in prayer. And Joshua overthrew Amalek and his people (Ex. 17:13).
At another time, Joshua fights with five kings, and the sky allied with him throws a hail of stones at his enemies, and he, out of extraordinary hope in God, cried out to the Lord and, by his own command, stopped the sun in order to have time to complete his victory before dark (Joshua 10:12).
The times of the judges of Israel represent a whole series of incidents in which the same fate is revealed. And the children of Israel did what was evil in the sight of the Lord... and He delivered them into the hands of their enemies. Then the children of Israel cried out to the Lord, and the Lord raised up a savior for the children of Israel (Judges 3:7,9). Here you can see, among other things, how victory sometimes comes to those who do not honor God. It is not, in fact, given to them, but is taken away from those who have done evil before the Lord and deserved punishment and falls into the hands of the nations, serving as an instrument of punishment until it is again returned to those who have received punishment and correction.
Thus, the Israelites worship idols and are destroyed by the Midianites. But Gideon, prompted by the Angel, replaces the altar of Baal with the altar of the True God, and after that, with three hundred unarmed, with one night war cry: “The sword of the Lord and of Gideon!” creates confusion and civil strife in the camp of the Midianites, as a result of which there is no longer a need to fight, but only to pursue and destroy the enemy army (Judges ch. 6–7).
Who does not know David and his shepherd's sling, which against Goliath and the Philistines was more victorious than troops and weapons of war? The power was not in the sling and the stone, but in the name of the Lord of hosts, the God with whom David was armed (1 Samuel 17:45).
There was also a war in which the main battle, which decided its fate, was given in words, and in which the unjustly attacking enemy was returned the same way he came (2 Kings 19:33), without weapons or combat on the part of the one who suffered the attack. Sennacherib, king of Assyria, attacked Judah; took the fortress and, without encountering any obstacles for his army, even reached Jerusalem. The Jewish king Hezekiah had already admitted his powerlessness and appeased the winner with tribute. But Sennacherib sought the complete enslavement of the Jews and, in order to reduce their decline of spirit to the last degree, he decided to shake their hope in God and for this, verbally and in writing, he fired arrows of blasphemy at Jerusalem: Let not your God, in whom you trust, deceive you (2 Kings 19:10). Hezekiah realized that the war was being transferred from earth to Heaven, and in the church before God, unfolding the blasphemous handwriting, he prayed and said: Open, O Lord, Thy eyes and look, and hear the words of Sennacherib, who sent to revile (You), the Living God! (2 Kings 19:16). God answered through the prophet Isaiah that He Himself would guard Jerusalem.
And it happened that night: the Angel of the Lord went and smote one hundred and eighty-five thousand in the Assyrian camp (2 Kings 19:35).
IV. Loyalty and Subordination of a Warrior
...Be subject therefore to every human authority, for the Lord's sake: whether to the king, as the supreme authority, or to rulers, as those sent by him to punish criminals and to reward those who do good (1 Pet. 2:13-14).
Let no soldier bind himself with the affairs of this life in order to please the commander of the army (2 Tim. 2:4).
Question. What do these two sayings say?
Answer. The first speaks of subordination to superiors at any rank, and the second speaks of subordination to superiors especially in the military rank.
Question. What should be noted when talking about the importance of subordination?
Answer. The fact that the apostolic word commands to observe subordination, for the Lord's sake. Consequently, whoever violates subordination, and even more violates fidelity, not only violates the order of human society, but precisely violates the will of God and is a rebel against God.
Question. What should be noted when talking about subordination in a military rank?
Answer. The word apostolic represents the subordination of a soldier in greater severity than other members of society, for for a soldier, out of obedience to the military leader, some things that are permitted to other citizens are considered impermissible.
Question. Why should a warrior’s subordination be especially precise and strict?
Answer. Because a warrior’s disobedience can be especially harmful not only for the entire army, but also for the state.
To devote oneself to exploits for the Fatherland for life and death - what a wonderful, sublime calling!
If the feat at the will of the father is understandable, and the more pleasant it is, the more it gives exercises of filial devotion in overcoming difficulties, how joyful the feat at the will of the Father of millions of people should be! And isn’t he more joyful the more connected with self-sacrifice?
If it is pleasant to stay awake and work for the good and tranquility of the family, how desirable it should be to stand on guard and in heroic deeds for the tranquility and security of the Fatherland!
Earthly life is given to people for a time, and for many time takes it back for nothing. What is the advantage of turning your life into a talent for acquiring peace, victory, glory for your homeland, making your life a sacred sacrifice of loyalty and love for the Fatherland, approaching through self-sacrifice to the highest degree of holy love, according to the judgment of the Heavenly Judge Himself: Greater love has no one than this, that someone lay down his life for his friends (John 15:13).
If it is common for the soul to receive the strongest movement towards goodness, when the commanding voice of duty is joined by the affectionately persuasive voice of heartfelt feeling, then does not this voice rise up in you, especially now? Are not the noble movements of your hearts receiving new strength?
The more solemn the favor of the Fatherland appears to you, the more ardent should be your zeal to serve it and your readiness to sacrifice yourself for it. The more majestic the Motherland honors your rank, the more vigilantly you must preserve the honor of your rank everywhere: in battle, on a campaign, in a peaceful city, in military life and in moral life. The honor of a warrior lies not only in ardent courage, but also in strict obedience to his superiors, in unanimity with his comrades, in unshakable steadfastness, in vigilant caution against an attacker with a weapon and against one sneaking up with a deadly word, in meekness towards the unarmed, in respect for property, even that of the enemy, in moderation, being content, as John the Baptist taught, with one’s salary. The highest strength of a warrior is faith and trust in the Lord of Hosts.
V. Rule for the hike
When you go on a campaign against your enemies, beware of everything evil (Deut. 23:9).