“Don’t say it, don’t say it, don’t say it,” I kept telling myself. I can’t help myself, but I always default to a military perspective in conversations, and it was happening once again.

Every Tuesday morning, my church’s pastors and staff conduct a Sermon Club to discuss the upcoming Sunday message. This is a process we use to help clarify the message with staff input. My pastor was reviewing the previous messages on the Beatitudes when he read, “Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called sons of God” (Matthew 5:9, ESV).

That was when my mind went militant.

I remembered a phrase we used in Vietnam: “peace through fire superiority.” As a Forward Observer, I called in artillery fire on enemy positions — the bigger the shells, the better. As soon as my pastor said “peacemakers,” the “fire superiority” phrase popped into my head. It took every bit of self-restraint to not open my mouth. “Don’t say it, don’t say it, don’t say it.”

My initial thought was that it was my all-too-often inappropriate line of thinking coming into play. As I reflected on it, I realized, while slightly off topic, that it was in fact a valid concept. Let’s define our terms here. The term “peacemaker” translates from the Greek word eirenopoios, defined as “an adjective signifying peace-making” (Vine’s Dictionary). The Greek root word for “peace” is eirene, defined as “harmonious relationships between men” and “nations” (Vine’s).

Jesus came as the ultimate peacemaker, offering peace with God to those who would accept His terms of surrender. “Therefore, since we have been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ” (Romans 5:1). Most conservative Christians agree with this concept.

Now, let’s look at the “peacekeeper” definition (not found in Scripture, by the way). The Merriam-Webster online dictionary defines “peacekeeping” as “the preserving of peace,” with this additional detail: “international enforcement and supervision of a truce between hostile states or communities.” We are both peacekeepers and peacemakers. As ambassadors for Christ (2 Corinthians 5:20), we extend God’s terms of peace (faith in Jesus Christ) to those who are still at war with Him. As Christian warriors, we go forth in the power of the Spirit and the Armor of God and enforce peace “between hostile states” — God’s Kingdom and the kingdom of darkness.

Our adversary will do everything in his power to disrupt our peacemaking efforts. Remember: “The god of this world has blinded the minds of the unbelievers, to keep them from seeing the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God” (2 Corinthians 4:4). When we, as ambassadors of Christ, offer terms of surrender to unbelievers, the enemy will do his best to prevent that.

That’s when we, through prayer, call for backup.

We need to follow Jesus’s advice about going to war. “Or what king, going out to encounter another king in war, will not sit down first and deliberate whether he is able with ten thousand to meet him who comes against him with twenty thousand?” (Luke 14:31)

Military schools teach you need a two-to-one advantage to be victorious in offensive combat. We have a two-to-one advantage. When Satan is cast out of heaven, he will draw one-third of the angels with him (Revelation 12:3-4), leaving two-thirds on our side. In describing angels, the author of Hebrews tells us they are “all ministering spirits sent out to serve for the sake of those who are to inherit salvation” (Hebrews 1:14).

Like Nehemiah rebuilding Jerusalem, we build God’s kingdom one brick (convert) at a time, holding the sword of the Spirit and asking for the heavenly resources to defeat the enemy. We are never outnumbered. Peace through “fire superiority”!

What say ye, Man of Valor?