The Rules of Engagement

Two

Your Military Headquarters and the Commander in Chief

True Victory Starts With Knowing Whose You Are

T he soldier has the army. The marine has the Marine Corps, the sailor has the navy, the pilot has the air force, search and rescue has the coast guard, and the believer has the church. We are the defense system in the kingdom. These are, of course, speaking in the most general terms. These five military branches perform many more duties than their names suggest. However, they each must report to the main body of the United States Department of Defense, which then reports to the commander in chief, the president. As we examine the earthly organization of the United States military, we can begin to see some similarities in the spirit realm. As 1 Corinthians 15:46 says, “The spiritual did not come first, but the natural, and after that the spiritual” (niv). In the spiritual, we see the church is arranged and divided by the five fold ministry: apostles, prophets, evangelists, pastors, and teachers (Eph. 4:11). Ideally, each branch of ministry has a head, someone to whom others with the same gifts can be accountable. While all of us reign in heavenly places with God, and we no longer need an intermediary to go to God for us, we can still see that those in authority are given a greater measure of responsibility and must report to our Commander in Chief—Jehovah-Gibbor, the mighty Man of war. All churches are not so clearly defined, but it is important that we recog nize and submit to spiritual leadership and authority within the church. Any effective military operation functions at its peak only when each officer is in line, knows his position, and submits to his senior officer’s commands. We need to understand that we are not battling in this war individually. The actions we take, the way we follow an order from God, and how we stay in communication with headquarters can and will affect those around us. We

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