Common Sense Commentary:
There is a continuing conflict and "battle royal" of which wise King Solomon said, "There is no discharge in that war". Ecc.8:8. There are very few causes worth fighting over. Of those, even fewer are worth sacrificing one's entire life for, and fewer still worth dying for. Every true Christian is faced with the most urgent of those causes ... The Cause of Christ. One may not comprehend the eternal importance of his faithful obedience and service to Christ ... or, he may not be willing to pay the price of such commitment, but he has the opportunity and he has the decision to make. When compared to all other important "causes" in life, this is the only one which stands alone, as supreme, on God's list , and at the pinnacle of human priority.
The cause of Christ is a "Spiritual Warfare" of Good against Evil, God against the Devil. "There is no discharge in that war". This war is THE BATTLE OF THE AGES. It has raged across this world since the Garden of Eden and will continue to the end of time on earth. It is the primary negative effect upon this world and upon the human race. God has more power that Satan, but we are flesh, and have a free will to do good or evil. It was this war, of which George Duffield wrote, "Stand up, stand up for Jesus ye soldiers of the cross; lift high his royal banner; it must not suffer loss". It was of this war Apostle Paul warned the Ephesian Christians, and us today, as well, "We wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places".Eph.6:10-18.
One of my all time favorite stories is of a non-Christian, Japanese soldier who was truly and totally committed to his Emperor and an illegitimate cause. I read the true account of this example of unwavering fidelity, in the 8-17-1975 issue of Grit Magazine.
In the spring of 1974, Lt. Hiroo Onoda, of the Japanese army, made world headlines when he emerged from the Philippine jungle after a 30-year ordeal of war, a lost cause, obedience, and survival. Hunted in turn by American troops, the Philippine army and police, hostile islanders, and successive Japanese search parties, Onoda had skillfully out maneuvered all his pursuers. He did not know the war was over in 1945, with Japan the loser. He had his orders and would not deviate from them.
Year after year Onoda continued his efforts to evade capture and stay alive, convinced that the Second World War was still being fought and waiting for the day when his fellow soldiers would return victorious to the Philippines. Courage and conviction enabled him and his few comrades to fight on until, after 30 years, he alone was left to return to civilization, a hero to his people, a soldier who fought and survived the longest, loneliest battle, by one man, in history.
The island of Lubang, not far from the main Philippine island of Luzon, is only six by eighteen miles in size. Lt. Onoda was detached there with 198 other Japanese soldiers and sailors during WWII. One day they spotted an immense American naval armada composed of two battle ships, four aircraft carriers, four heavy cruisers, twenty-eight light cruisers, destroyers, and 150 troop transports. The sea was literally peppered with landing craft ... "more than I count count", he said, They faced an awesome, overpowering enemy and they all began to "talk big about committing suicide and giving up their lives for the emperor", except Lt. Onoda. Onoda was determined to continue to fight a guerrilla warfare, not commit suicide.
The Americans blasted the island unmercifully, stormed ashore and killed or captured practically everyone ... except Lt. Onoda and a few friends, who took to the high ground in the center of the island, and began their long epic battle. They fought until there were only three of them left. The Americans dropped leaflets which said, "The war ended on August 15. Come down from the mountains ..." They didn't believe it and besides, it was contrary to their orders. Lt. Onoda's Division Commander, General Yokoyama, had commanded, "So long as you have one soldier, you are to continue to lead him. You may have to live on coconuts! Under no circumstances are you to give up ..." Onoda would testify later, "I told Shimada and Kozuka about my orders from Gen. Yokoyama. Kozuka immediately said, "Lieutenant, I'll stay with you to the end, even if it takes ten years". Shimada spoke even more enthusiastically. "The three of us ought to secure this whole island before our troops land again." This they attempted to do for the next many years. Shimada was killed in 1954 and Kozuka in 1972, but Onoda, believing the war was still being fought, continued to fulfill his soldierly responsibilities. He made regular "trips around our circuit of campsites, which we regarded as inspection tours of the area under our occupation". He also continued, alone, to "carry out our beacon raids" (efforts to signal to friendly troops who might be in the vicinity). Thus he faithfully carried out his duty for thirty long years against unimaginable obstacles and difficulties.
Finally, a brave young Japanese reporter figured out where Onoda might show up to gather fruit at a certain time and pitched a tent there and waited. Sure enough, Onoda came that way and the reporter became the first to talk to Onoda in years. The young man said, "Onodasan, the Emperor and the people of Japan are worried about you". "Did you bring any orders for me?" "No." "In that case, they'll just have to keep on worrying", said Onoda. He testified later, "It was my intention to hold out on this island, if necessary, for twenty more years. I was confident that I could".
After much pleading and reasoning, Norio Suzuki asked Onoda, "What could I do to persuade you to come out of the Jungle?" The old soldier answered simply that he would never surrender nor quit until he received direct, oral orders from his immediate superior. Then, he would know the war was over and he would be relieved of any further responsibility to carry out his original orders.
If we Christians would hold the great commission, given us by our Great Commander, with such self-sacrificing commitment, the world would never be the same.
The Apostle Paul, speaking of the many obstacles and attacks upon those who serve our God, said, "Bonds and afflictions abide me ... but none of these things move me, neither count I my life dear unto myself, so that I might finish my course ..." Acts20:24. Then, after years of total commitment and faithful service to our Lord, Paul wrote some of his last words, "I have finished my course, I have kept the faith ..." 2Tim.4:7
Where are we in our service to God ? Have we obeyed His orders: have we done what He commanded and assigned us ? The war is not over until the trumpet sounds, or we are dead.
Pass It On. RB
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