A Battle Against Evil

There is a lot of publicity these days regarding the movie American Sniper. Some people are praising the movie, while others are wholeheartedly criticizing not only the movie but also the military. I will go on record to state that I have seen the movie myself. Typically I would not want to sit through a movie that is filled with filthy language, but I understand at the same time it is a military movie, and I’m pretty sure the language depicted in the film is true to form. I had been asked if it was a good movie. That’s a hard question to answer. From the standpoint of being a “feel good” movie that was enjoyable, the answer is no. From the standpoint of having a vested interest in the subject matter of the movie, the answer is an emphatic yes.

The movie is basically a depiction of the service of a U.S. Navy SEAL named Chris Kyle, who is the most decorated sniper in American History. It is played out before everyone’s eyes on the big screen not only how successful he was, but also why he did what he did. He did not take pleasure in doing his job; rather, he knew it was something that had to be done in order to protect his men. There was evil in the world, and he was doing his part to combat it as a member of the military. He felt this overwhelming desire to protect his men and keep them out of harm’s way (what his Father called a Sheepdog).

We understand there is evil in the world, and we know who is behind it. Jesus referred to Satan as “the ruler of this world” (Jn. 12:31). We can see evil at work in this world, whether it be in the U.S.A. or in the middle east where our troops have been trying to protect us. Paul talks in Rom. 13 about the authorities bearing the sword to be ministers and avengers for God. I wholeheartedly believe this is what our military is carrying out in their battle against evil. I can’t imagine what it would be like to be in their shoes; I am however grateful for what they are doing on foreign soil on my behalf. In the movie, Chris’s wife told him early in their marriage that he needed to be protecting her at home. He told her that the military was having to fight these battles overseas before they get to the home turf. 

Have you stopped lately to thank God that our military are fighting for us to protect us from the evil that could possibly come our way? Let us remember the words of Paul about the justice carried out by the authorities: “…it does not bear the sword for nothing…” (Rom. 13:4).