We knew we were going to have a fight. As our Company of Marine’s searched for our elusive enemy, we saw signs of their presence; bloody bandages, blood trails, and punji stakes in the ground to slow us down. The temperature was over a hundred degrees and we were loaded down with equipment.

I was near exhaustion when I asked our Platoon Leader when we would take a break. The words were hardly off my lips when the enemy opened fire. I saw my Platoon Leader’s head literally blown off before my eyes. As I threw myself to the ground, I saw my buddy Danny take a .51 caliber machine gun round to the chest, killing him instantly.

For the next few minutes, time moved in slow motion. Marines took up firing positions and began to return fire on the enemy dug into the jungle tree line nearly 100 yards in front of us. Over the sounds of automatic weapon fire, mortars impacting around us, and the shouts for “Corpsman” to attend to wounded Marines, it seemed as if we had stumbled into hell itself!

The command to assault the tree line was shouted out and, on both sides of me, Marine’s rose from the ground, running to the battle, firing as they charged. For what seemed like minutes, I felt frozen to the ground. I knew getting up meant being wounded or killed. I hesitated for what was probably only seconds and I knew I had to join the fight. I saw Marines and Navy Corpsmen do heroic acts that day. Somehow, when it was all over, I was still alive. Many of my buddies were not.

Getting up and running to the battle was not something I decided that afternoon. The motivation came months earlier as I went through Marine Corps bootcamp. During the course of our training, we were taught the history of the Corps and the stories of warriors, legends of Marines who had gone to battle before us. Their courage and sacrifices are what made the Marines the legendary force that continues to this day.

Courage is a funny thing. It’s not something you do automatically. It has to be instilled in you as boot camp did for me. I was inspired to act as I observed the courage of those around me. We still need courage today, but I fear it is a commodity in very short supply in our nation. In wartime, we need physical courage. Today, we need moral courage!

We have a culture of self-serving people who feel entitled to what they have not earned. Rather than serve, they demand to be served. Cancel culture has created cowards who, rather than stand against wrong, go along instead. Whatever they’re told to do, they do rather than face rejection or harm. A crime is witnessed but instead of helping, they pull out their phone and record it.

This lack of courage is seen in business, government, and the church. As we watch our freedoms being diminished literally daily, where are the courageous ones who take a stand and say “not on my watch”? The battle we face is a spiritual one and will be fought on our knees by faithful men and women. I believe it’s time to stand up against the most intense Spiritual Warfare I have seen in my lifetime!

Something to pray about!