Camouflaged Christian: A Warrior for Christ: The Armor of God Ephesians 6:10-20

By Richard A. Smith CW4 USA Ret.

Whether you are a career serviceman or woman, or serving for a term, you and your family face many hardships that meet you head-on. Your mental, spiritual, and physical state will be challenged, and you will incur many difficulties that you must overcome. Some of the challenges also come from the communities and countries you serve in.

While serving, your faith in God may be questioned and your attitude toward your faith could be compromised by a myriad of difficult situations. This is when you must draw strength from God to let his light shine and emanate from you. Others' lives may depend on you and by letting your faith shine, you have an opportunity to bring others into the family of God.

Your service is not a time to camouflage your faith; in fact, it is a great opportunity to use this worldwide platform to show that your Christian faith does not need to be camouflaged and concealed. No, it is a time to let God have control and lead you in your successful career and show others, through your Christ-centered life, Jesus is the way, the truth, and the life.

Richard takes you on a journey through the Armor of God in Ephesians 6 and utilizes the scriptures to help you understand the armor and weapons you must wear and take up to defend your faith and Jesus Christ.

Richard shares much of what he experienced throughout his military career. He also shares his personal life and how he drew strength from the scriptures, prayer, and fellow Christians throughout his career. His prayer is that you utilize this book to be encouraged and to be proud of your faith. May you encourage others to come to know Christ through your walk.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Christian Faith Publishing, Inc.
• Release date: Nov 10, 2022
• ISBN: 9798886166972

Book preview

cover.jpg

Camouflaged Christian

A Warrior for Christ: The Armor of God Ephesians 6:10-20

Richard A. Smith CW4, USA Ret.

ISBN 979-8-88616-696-5 (paperback)

ISBN 979-8-88616-697-2 (digital)

Copyright © 2022 by Richard A. Smith, CW4, USA Ret.

All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, distributed, or transmitted in any form or by any means, including photocopying, recording, or other electronic or mechanical methods without the prior written permission of the publisher. For permission requests, solicit the publisher via the address below.

Christian Faith Publishing

832 Park Avenue

Meadville, PA 16335

www.christianfaithpublishing.com

Printed in the United States of America

Table of Contents

Acknowledgments

Foreword

Teri Smith: A Thought from a Christian Military Spouse

Foreword: Teri Smith: A Thought from a Christian Military Spouse

Introduction

In This World

The Need for the Armor of God

Military Strong vs. God Strong

Put It On: Stand in the Gap!

The Powers of Darkness: Knowledge of the Opposition

Stand Tall, Armor On: The Resources You Need

In Truth, Stand Firm: Operations Plan for How to Use Them

Always Ready, Always Fit: Boots on the Ground

Always Faithful, Always Victorious

Head Space and Timing: Salvation

The Sword of the Spirit: God's Word

Stay Alert in the Spirit

Prayer: A Powerful Weapon

Find Joy in Every Situation, Speak Boldly, and Declare His Name

Final Thoughts: Victory through Jesus!

About the Author

Acknowledgments

This book has been an idea of mine for several years. I truly felt the Holy Spirit's calling to write it, and I thank God for inspiring me to write it.

My wife Teri has been a great coach and has continually encouraged as well as motivated me to stay on course. She has been a rock for our family throughout my twenty-four-year military career as well as my ministry. The love of my life and the mother of our children, Teri is a solid Christian woman who gives unconditionally while thinking of others over self.

I'd like to thank my children, Lindsey, Brian, and Dustin who moved from place to place and gave it their best without complaining. They have made so many friends wherever they went and have come to know and accept people from all walks of life.

Thank you to the many officers and enlisted men and women that I have had the pleasure to work for and with. I am truly proud of all our military services who give 100 percent and accomplish monumental tasks every day. Although we have our competitiveness between the services, it takes all of us working together to accomplish the mission.

I'd also like to thank Dave Linn, superintendent of the Northeast District of the C&MA, Upstate New York, who told me to write every day even if it's for a short time.

Thank you to Benda Cronizer Brockway for early editing the manuscript and giving thoughtful ideas.

Thank you to Cindy Kopsick, project leader and coach for project leaders for short-term mission trips with Adventures in Missions, Bible study leader, and community volunteer fair event coordinator. Cindy read my transcript and made valuable notes throughout, giving me some great ideas and pointers. She is a woman of God and an inspiring leader.

I grateful to The Salvation Army College for Officer Training and the Christian and Missionary Alliance for a great education in ministry. Both have given me the platform to learn and preach and proclaim the gospel of Jesus Christ

Foreword

Teri Smith: A Thought from a Christian Military Spouse

Foreword: Teri Smith: A Thought from a Christian Military Spouse

I am a military spouse. My active duty took place over a twenty-three-year time span. It was a challenge! A beautiful, sometimes difficult, rewarding challenge! My family faced many life tests along the way. Moving, recreating our house to look like home, adjusting to new schools, leaving friends and family, and handling the emotional up and downs that come with it! The most difficult challenge of all, seeing my husband, their dad, off on many deployments, training exercises, and military schools.

Imagine this. I boarded a plane with three very young children (one, three, and five) on our way to Germany via England on a crowded aircraft without my husband! Wow, kids can sure get very tired, hungry, and cranky, as well as needy! Then to arrive in this foreign country, coupled with a huge time change, and then being in a hotel for three months waiting for housing through Thanksgiving and Christmas! Did I mention, my husband was back in the States for three weeks upon our arrival, and our one hotel room had shared bathrooms and kitchen area? You talk about the need for Jesus! The kitchen was connected to a bar room! There are some words everyone knows in the same language! But I trusted God! I trusted I was where he wanted me to be.

Being a military family is a guaranteed life of hellos and goodbyes! There were many times when I missed my family and friends from back home and would question this nomadic life, but the new and lasting friendships that occurred over the years are a treasure. We continue to stay connected with many of them today. The experiences along the way are also imbedded in my thoughts forever. The military functions, hails and farewells, picnics, and travels were such a positive experience for me and my family. I miss it all, even today, twenty years after retirement!

As a Christian spouse, I depended on my faith to see me through the difficult times, and I always tried to share my faith with those that were burdened by the same challenging times. As I shared my faith with others along the way, I prayed it had a lasting impact. I always enjoyed being part of the Protestant Women of the Chapel (PWOC). This was an awesome group who shared their faith through worship and assisting others within the military community.

Being a dedicated military spouse is something that I was able to be due to my reliance on God. As a Christian woman, I am happy that I had God to lead me and my family through such a successful and rewarding career.

I am endorsing my husband's book, Camouflaged Christian, with the very hope that it helps others to stand in their faith no matter the circumstances. I pray that this book will be useful to those about to serve and to those who are serving—active-duty and families. I believe it will be helpful for you to understand how faith can help you through the difficult times as well as carry you through the good times. May you always know that God is with you no matter where you are or what your circumstances are. Trust God. He is faithful!

Introduction

As a retired chief warrant officer, and twenty-four-year US Army veteran, I wrote this book to encourage all of our military men and women and their families who have served and are serving our nation. They all mean the world to me no matter what branch of service they are in. Defending the constitution against all enemies, foreign and domestic, was a call I answered back in 1977 while a senior in high school. I couldn't wait to finish high school and go off to basic training at Ft. Dix, New Jersey, and become a soldier. Becoming a soldier was something I had anticipated as a young boy playing army in my backyard, and one week after high school, I was gone.

I am well aware that we have an inside competitive edge between the services, but it takes members of every branch of service to complete a deployment and be successful in a worldwide endeavor to keep the peace amongst all nations. I have learned to love each branch: Army, Navy, Air Force, Marines, Coast Guard and all reservist and National Guard. I see and understand the diverse necessity of each branch of the military to keep our country protected and strong. I am proud to be a part of such a great legacy of men and women who gave their all in the name of freedom, not only for the United States, but freedom of all people that are in bondage and don't have the rights and privileges that we all thoroughly enjoy.

There are many leaders of countries that have held and are holding innocent civilians captive, terrorizing and mutilating their families. These leaders are tearing down legacies and ripping apart communities and are destroying ethnic heritages. All of this because of ruthless, self-serving leaders that want to be heroes in their own right. These leaders fantasize of becoming great world leaders and desire to be idolized by the people they rule. These ruthless leaders terrorize innocent people so that they have no choice but to serve them. These scared and innocent people become too afraid to rebel and take back possession of their lives and land. They recruit defenseless men, women, and children to do their dirty work and, more often than not, lead these people to their death for their own sake and glory. I am grateful to have served in our nation's military who play an important role in stopping this merciless tyranny.

Military life gave me an opportunity to see how wonderful we have it in the United States; our lives are filled with plenty and we want for nothing. I understand that not all people feel this way due to poverty, but this, too, should never exist in our homeland. The waste alone is more than enough to feed everyone in our country and others. If one could see for themselves how difficult it is to survive in other third-world countries, they would surely see themselves as rich, privileged, and blessed!

Personally, I see some things in a different light or perspective than others. I have the privilege of being a Christian, born and raised in the church where many of my friends and family have shown me the Christ-like life. It gave me an opportunity to know Christ-like love and to understand the opportunities to send missionaries and workers abroad to show them Christ through our actions. I have heard many sermons and help collect monies to help the needy and send money overseas to help others through missions. Because I grew up in the Salvation Army church, we used military terms and called ourselves soldiers for Christ. Our mission was to bring the gospel of Jesus Christ to all. We were soldiers of the cross! Our leader was a captain or major, who was given the charge to lead the soldiers of the corps into the battle fray. I have stood countless hours ringing a bell at the red kettle to raise money for the disenfranchised, and to help those in need throughout the year. I have helped raise funds to send to our headquarters to use for missionary work. I met my wife in the nursery at our church and grew up with her sharing all of these moments. All of these things, and there are so many stories before I became a US Army soldier.

I took this attitude and learning experience with me as I served others and with others in the US Army. During these years, I have learned much more about other people, countries, and cultures; and it has enhanced my life and my ministry today.

I am writing this book to share the gospel and some of my personal stories with the hope of encouraging those who have served and who now serve. My desire is to let them know and remind us how important it is to serve others. We should never be being ashamed of the gospel or being called a Christian. During these years, I have seen many men and women come in to the military service with an upbringing like mine—in the church, serving others, and serving God. When they put that uniform on, it's like they have become someone else and forget their roots and Christian values. It's as if they have to become this strong icon, a tough soldier—mean, lean, America's fighting machine—the way it's depicted in the movies! Suddenly, the Christian way is not tough enough. For some men and women, the Christian values become a thing of their past as they put on this new front of toughness and battle-ready machoism! They become a camouflaged Christian!

I have learned the hard way, that living a Christ-like life in my military uniform enhanced my ability to serve with pride and distinction. I didn't have to be shy about it, and in many instances, it has been a privilege and an honor to show this distinction to others. It has been fruitful in my life and life saving for others. Romans 1:16 says, I am not ashamed of the gospel, because it is the power of God for the salvation of everyone who believes. I must admit that in my initial time in the military, I was afraid to show this side of me. I wanted to display a rough, tough, mean, and lean soldier who was ready for action. It takes the strength of a mighty warrior to uphold his or her Christian values in a macho environment. I quickly learned that it would take a whole lot more than my own strength to get through many years of difficult situations. You and I do not possess such strength. It takes strength from the source, Jesus Christ.

A Bible verse that I consider to be one of my favorites is Philippians 4:13, I can do everything through him who gives me strength. Without him, I cannot accomplish the mission; the military mission nor the mission of bringing Christ to all through my actions, words, and deeds. The result of knowing and following Christ and depending on his grace is a great and everlasting promise, becoming a child of God and the promised gift of eternal life (John 1:12, 3:16).

I give great credit and love to my family. My wife Teri and children, Lindsey, Brian, and Dustin, have served right alongside me throughout my career. While being deployed, Teri would offer assistance and help provide the military families with their needs—physically, mentally, and spiritually. Together with their participation, I have enhanced my military career immensely. Following my military career, Teri and I went to The Salvation Army College for Officers in Suffern, New York, and became officers/pastors in the Salvation Army. There we learned how to continue to serve people, to love people, and to continue the mission of bringing Christ to the lost! It was an experience that set the tone for a lifetime commitment to serve others. After serving six years with the Salvation Army, we ended up moving back to our home in upstate New York where we continue to serve God in our community and church. I am now a reverend for the Christian and Missionary Alliance and enjoy serving others, making disciples and bringing the gospel to all nations.

Acts 1:8 says, But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.

Then Matthew 28:18–20 says:

Then Jesus came to them and said, All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Therefore, go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely, I am with you always, to the very end of the age.

This is our mission, the great commission, and it is for everyone who puts their faith and trust in Jesus Christ.

It has been on my heart and mind to write this book for a very long time. I have learned to be very patient and have come to an understanding that while writing this book I must be guided by the Holy Spirit. I have found that I could not just sit and write anytime I felt like writing. I needed to be guided and directed by the Holy Spirit and write in his time. There were many times when I didn't feel like I had the aptitude or skill to write this book, but Scripture tells me that God takes the lowly, the weak, the foolish, to do his work. Let me share some Scripture with you concerning this.

First Corinthians 1:26–2:5 says this:

Brothers, think of what you were when you were called. Not many of you were wise by human standards; not many were influential; not many were of noble birth. But God chose the foolish things of the world to shame the wise; God chose the weak things of the world to shame the strong. He chose the lowly things of this world and the despised things and the things that are not to nullify the things that are, so that no one may boast before him. It is because of him that you are in Christ Jesus, who has become for us wisdom from God that is, our righteousness, holiness and redemption. Therefore, as it is written: let him who boasts boast in the Lord. When I came to your brothers, I did not come with eloquence or superior wisdom as I proclaim to you the testimony about God. For I resolved to know nothing while I was with you except Jesus Christ and him crucified. I came to you in weakness and fear,