A good soldier is always focused on the enemy. In 1962, President John F. Kennedy addressed the graduating students at West Point. They were about to become leaders in our nation’s army.

World War II was a distant memory, and the Korean War was almost ten years in the past. But Kennedy knew that our nation had serious enemies. He wanted to warn these new military leaders of a problem they faced, but of which they might not be aware. He discussed the difficulties of a military career and whether the cost was worth the price. The answer to that question might depend on contemporary circumstances. Kennedy reminded them:

When there is a visible enemy to fight in open combat, the answer is not so difficult…But when there is a long, slow struggle, with no immediate visible foe, your choice will seem hard indeed.

Among other things, the president was telling the young lieutenants that it would be easy to forget that the United States has enemies when those enemies appear to pose no threat. In times of peace, when our enemies are not visible, these leaders might not think of their work as being important. But Kennedy knew that during those times, our enemies are still working behind the scenes.

However, when those enemies stepped out and attacked our country, it would be much easier to see the importance of what those lieutenants had been trained to do. Their enemies were always at work, but sometimes it was easy to forget. Times of peace are like that. In some ways, direct opposition, such as an open attack or declaration of war, is a blessing. When an enemy steps out of the shadows, it is a reminder of the seriousness of the threat soldiers face.

The NT tells us that Christians are soldiers involved in warfare. We have a powerful enemy, Satan, who has powerful forces (Eph 6:12-13). But he can disguise himself (2 Cor 11:13-14). During those times, we can easily fail to see the seriousness of the threat he poses. We can even subconsciously live our lives as if he doesn’t exist.

In some ways, I think that has happened to those who live in the United States. Many of us grew up in a country where there was a church on every corner. The majority of people attended one of those churches. We spoke of Judeo-Christian values and proclaimed that our country was built on those principles. Even if people didn’t live by those standards, there was general agreement as to what was right and wrong. People who gained political power were expected to swear allegiance to some form of Christianity. We lived in a land of prosperity and freedom. There was no threat of religious persecution. When we thought about evil forces, it was easy to conclude that they did not have much sway in our culture.

For whatever reasons, things have changed. Fewer and fewer people claim that they are Christians. Biblical morality is not only rejected by the majority, but ridiculed. In many cases, a public confession of Christian beliefs can have a detrimental impact on one’s life. Many churches have closed their doors. While we realized that evil had always existed, it has now reared its ugly head in ways we could not have imagined in years gone by. Sexual perversions, for example, have become virtually omnipresent.

Older folks may bemoan what we are seeing. There is certainly much we can regret. However, there is also a blessing in what we are experiencing. Kennedy was telling the West Point graduates that a very visible enemy could wake them up from being lethargic. I think, spiritually speaking, that is part of what we are seeing in our times.

Satan and his evil forces have always been at work. Today, that work is more obvious. We could make an analogy between the way Satan operated in the past and guerilla warfare. He did much of his work in the shadows or in disguise. Now, he is involved in a direct attack. He has changed his strategy.

As Kennedy said when talking about ordinary warfare, this is a good thing. Soldiers need to understand the threat. In our case, Satan is the enemy of the Lord and His Church. If we have played down that threat, we need to be reminded. Satan has always promoted false doctrine, a false gospel, and the sins that bring the wrath of God. When he removes part of his disguise, we can more clearly see the destructive power he yields and take seriously the work (warfare) in which we are involved.