The fog of war ∙

Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path. – Psalms 119:105

Psalms 119:130 The teaching of your word gives light, so even the simple can understand.

Psalms 18:28 For You light my lamp; The LORD my God illumines my darkness.

1 John 1:5-10

 5 God is Light, and in Him there is no darkness at all.

 6 If we say that we have fellowship with Him and yet walk in the darkness, we lie and do not practice the truth;

 7 but if we walk in the Light as He Himself is in the Light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus His Son cleanses us from all sin.

 8 If we say that we have no sin, we are deceiving ourselves, and the truth is not in us.

 9 If we confess our sins, He is faithful and righteous to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.

 10 If we say that we have not sinned, we make Him a liar, and His word is not in us.

The fog of war has been observed, studied, and documented in modern military combat. The fog of war is the uncertainty experienced by participants in military operations. It is a metaphor for war’s ambiguities. The fog of war is the personal uncertainty one suffers during an engagement, operation, or campaign. Once a battle begins, information can become confusing and even distorted.

During stressful combat, every aspect of cognitive function is severely degraded. Relatively simple cognitive functions such as reaction time and vigilance are significantly impaired, as are more complex functions, including memory and logical reasoning. As cognitive functions diminish and slow, uncertainty and indecision increase, and combatants react almost solely from instinct and preparation.

Navy SEAL training intentionally induces the fog of war during Hell Week. These training scenarios were intended to simulate combat-like conditions by combining multiple stressors. Common elements of the exercises include sleep deprivation, high levels of continuous physical activity, substantial physiological, environmental, and psychological stress, and the inclusion of simulated, combat-like activities.

Those who pass become eligible for further training to become a Navy SEAL, the most elite military force on the planet.

The world we live in is a dark place. We live under conditions that produce a spiritual fog of war. The enemy and his minions are constantly probing and seeking advantage. Like it or not, we are at war. Picture yourself as a soldier dropped behind enemy lines. The enemy is all around and out to find and destroy you. As a child of the King, you are far from your true home in heaven.

How do we counter this and become successful in the spiritual battle we face?

REFLECT & PRAY

We have a choice, clarity of vision and focus, or confusion and indecision.

Father I know what it is like to walk in the darkness. And thanks to You, I also know what it is like to walk in the light. Help me to pursue and maintain fellowship with You as I walk with You in the light of Your life.

INSIGHT

If you grew up in urban areas, you know there is always some light somewhere. Unless you went into a cave or alone in the deep woods on a cloudy night, you have not experienced dark nights away from city lights. Total darkness is darkness, indeed.

Psalms 119:105 Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path.

The ancient world did not have electric lights like the modern world. People carried little clay dishes containing oil that burned. The light illuminated the path only one step ahead. They had little oil “night lights” that they would strap to their feet. A lamp to my feet can be translated as “a light that lights up the path I walk on,” “a light to shine on my path,” or “a light to shine in the place where I walk” (USB).

People could only see a few steps ahead. The rest of their route would be cloaked in darkness.

Life is a path. The Word of God brings light, insight, and direction. It helps us to see and choose the right path.

We are to walk by faith in the light of God’s Word. We walk by faith when we follow the Word. Each act of obedience shows us the next step, and eventually, we arrive at the appointed destination. God’s Word is our guide. Obedience to the Word keeps us walking in the light (Wiersbe).

To make it through this dark world, it is necessary to rely upon the Word of God personally, practically, and habitually.

The Father sent the light, the Lord Jesus Christ, into the darkness. He was life and light. In Him was life, and the life was the Light of men. The Light shines in the darkness, and the darkness did not comprehend it (John 1:4-5).

The Lord Jesus Christ elaborated.

John 8:12 Jesus again spoke to them, saying, “I am the Light of the world; he who follows Me will not walk in the darkness, but will have the Light of life.”

In order to navigate our way through the darkness of this present evil age, we follow the Light of the world. “Jesus professed to be not only the inexhaustible source of spiritual nourishment, but he also was the genuine light by which truth and falsehood could be distinguished and by which direction could be established” (EBC).

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© Dr. H 2023