Blitzkrieg

Casting all your anxieties on him, because he cares for you. Be sober-minded; be watchful. Your adversary the devil prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour. Resist him, firm in your faith, knowing that the same kinds of suffering are being experienced by your brotherhood throughout the world. (1 Peter 5:7-9 ESV). On September 1, 1939, German forces bombarded Poland on land and from the air, as Adolf Hitler sought to regain lost territory and ultimately rule Poland. World War II had begun. The German invasion of Poland was a primer on how Hitler intended to wage war, what would become the “blitzkrieg” strategy. This was characterized by extensive bombing early on to destroy the enemy's air capacity, railroads, communication lines, and munitions dumps, followed by a massive land invasion with overwhelming numbers of troops, tanks, and artillery. Once the German forces had plowed their way through, devastating a swath of territory, infantry moved in, picking off any remaining resistance. Once Hitler had a base of operations within the target country, he immediately began setting up "security" forces to annihilate all enemies of his Nazi ideology, whether racial, religious, or political. Concentration camps for slave laborers and the extermination of civilians went hand in hand with German rule of a conquered nation. For example, within one day of the German invasion of Poland, Hitler was already setting up SS "Death's Head" regiments to terrorize the populace. The Polish army made several severe strategic miscalculations early on. Although a million strong, the Polish forces were severely under-equipped and attempted to take the Germans head-on with horsed cavaliers in a forward concentration, rather than falling back to more natural defensive positions. The outmoded thinking of the Polish commanders coupled with the antiquated state of its military was simply no match for the overwhelming and modern mechanized German forces. There are several lessons that history may teach us in our own “war” with the devil. There are those times when Satan is subtle and others when he uses the “blitzkrieg” method seeking to destroy us. Peter understood this very well when he wrote that the devil was like a roaring lion prowling for his next victim. You may be feeling such an attack now. Peter makes one observation that sets the stage for a victory over such an attack: Give all your worries and cares to God. This is essence of faith and the source of strength. A friend of mine recently wrote and remarked how much easier it is to deal with spiritual and emotional difficulties than it is with physical difficulties. And, there is a great deal of truth in that. For many years he has suffered from arthritis. Everyday is a struggle just to get up and get going, and yet, I have seen him do just that! He gets up and gets going. He does so because he knows that God cares for him and in that knowledge he finds faith to continue. It is simplistic sounding, but it is the beginning. This week, we’ll look at more specific applications of faith in the midst of physical difficulty. We’re going to look at three things to practically apply: “The Right Equipment,” “The Right Training,” and “The Right Strategy.” For now, give your cares and worries to Him. Force yourself to take another step.