Chapter 4 - Intelligence And Diversity In Unity And Unity In Diversity
A. Intelligence
The next of the vital
factors in our spiritual warfare that we are to consider
is the matter of Intelligence. The above fragment of
Scripture is quoted, not as a peg upon which to hang
something, but as a key to very much more than its own
context from which we may seem to be separating it. We
refer again to the book from which many extracts have
already been cited, the great record of the campaign that
was conducted in South East Asia during the last war.
Under the heading of ‘Defeat’—to which
subject, half of that long account is devoted, a sad and
tragic part—there occur these words:
‘Our Intelligence was extremely bad. We were like a
blind boxer trying to strike an unseen opponent and to
parry blows we did not know were coming until they hit
us. The extreme inefficiency of our whole Intelligence
system was probably our greatest single handicap.’
You will weigh all this, because it is most significant
in the spiritual realm. The writer continues:
‘The first thing to get right was the Intelligence
organization. Until we could rely upon a reasonable
degree of information we could not hope successfully to
hold the enemy. We never made up for the absence of
methodically collected Intelligence, which should have
been available to us when the war began.’
Now these few extracts, if we carry them over into our
warfare, are most enlightening, instructive and
important. Spiritual intelligence for spiritual warfare:
that covers a very great deal of ground. As is so
emphatically pointed out here, it is fundamental to the
whole campaign. If we are lacking in spiritual
intelligence, we shall be lacking in one of the vital
requirements for victory. That is a well informed and
considered judgment in the earthly realm; and, as we have
repeatedly said, if it is true, as it has been proved to
be, in the natural, how much more true it is in the
spiritual—how much more is involved in this matter
of intelligence in spiritual warfare!
Spiritual Intelligence Counters The Blinding Work Of The Enemy
And so we pass from the
natural warfare to the spiritual, the warfare in which
you and I are, or should be, engaged.
We note, firstly, that God’s whole scheme for our
deliverance from Satan is based upon, or made effective
by, spiritual intelligence, or spiritual enlightenment.
We are told that, at the conversion of the Apostle Paul,
in indicating his life work, his commission, the Lord
said: “I send thee, to open their eyes, that
they may turn from... the power of Satan unto God”
(Acts 26:17–18). Here it is clearly assumed
that, by nature, all men are in the power of Satan; and
it is implied that they are there by reason of blindness.
The nature of their bondage, of their captivity to Satan,
and of his sway over them, that which gives it its power,
its strength, is spiritual blindness. The way out,
therefore, is not by means of an objective, external
drive upon their captor, by trying to deal smashing blows
at some imaginary spiritual force called
‘Satan’. It is by means of an inward operation
whereby spiritually blind eyes are opened, made to see. I
repeat, therefore, that the whole scheme of man’s
deliverance from the enemy is based upon, and made
effective by, spiritual enlightenment—that is, by
spiritual intelligence.
(a) His Concealment Of Himself And Of Man’s Condition
The enemy’s supreme tactic in maintaining his power and his sway over mankind is along this line of keeping them in ignorance. One of his most successful devices is that of concealing himself—keeping man in ignorance of himself and of his work—and also of concealing from man his own condition. Man, of course, will not credit himself with blindness. It is a very difficult thing to make man believe that he is blind. Has he not intelligence, has he not common sense, has he not education, has he not many things, all of which he regards as enlightenment? The most difficult thing is to make him believe that he is blind; and that is a sure and certain proof that Satan has marvelously triumphed. He has hidden from man his own real condition, and has made him blind to his own blindness.
(b) His Interception Of Knowledge
Another of the
enemy’s great tactics is to intercept all knowledge.
There is a great deal in this book about reconnaissance,
and the interception of reconnaissance: of how the enemy
gained the upper hand, and secured his tremendous victory
in the first campaign, very largely by completely
crippling the reconnaissance arm of the opposing forces.
The writer makes constant complaint and remonstrance
about the absence or the failure of reconnaissance, and
what it cost. In this matter of interception, of cutting
off every agent and instrumentality that would bring
intelligence to the opposing side, the enemy was in the
unquestioned ascendant.
I do not propose to say much on the subject of our
knowledge of the enemy, our information concerning him
and his ways; I want to get on to something more
profitable, more positive, than that. But this concern of
the enemy to intercept intelligence, to cut it off, to
make it impossible, to keep the Forces in ignorance, is
an important factor, and we shall have to underline it as
we go on.
The Apostle Paul, who, as we have already said, was a
great fighter, a great warrior, was very much alive to
this matter. He himself was up against this problem all
the time. It would be a profitable line of study to
collect all that Paul has written on the matter of
enlightenment, of revelation, of intelligence, of
spiritual understanding. For instance, it is impressive
to realize that six times over, in different places and
in different connections, Paul uses the phrase: “I
would not have you ignorant...” (Rom. 1:13, 11:25; 1
Cor. 10:1, 12:1; 2 Cor. 1:8; 1 Thess. 4:13). If you take
up the context of each of those six occasions, you will
find that there is something of great significance bound
up with each. “Brethren, I would not have you
ignorant...”, he says; and then follows something of
vital importance.
Spiritual intelligence, then, is related in the first
place to man’s deliverance from the blinding and
befogging activity of Satan.
The Inheritance Secured Through Intelligence
In the second place,
the whole basis of securing the inheritance of the people
of God is that of spiritual intelligence. It is something
more than being just saved. Salvation begins with
spiritual enlightenment, the opening of the inward eyes.
But thereafter, the pursuit of salvation to its ultimate
objective, the fulness of Christ, is along the line of
spiritual intelligence, illumination, understanding,
knowledge. It matters not whether those words mean
different things, or are inflections of the same thing;
the issue is the same.
We know, for instance, that the Book of Joshua is the
book of the inheritance. The people are going in to
possess, to occupy, to exploit, to inherit. But
what was the very first move, when Israel had come to the
borders of the land, forty years previously? The setting
up of Intelligence. Spies were sent to spy out the land.
Joshua sent over intelligence officers, his Intelligence
Corps. Intelligence was a tremendously important thing
here. We might say that Joshua and Caleb were themselves
the very embodiment of the principle of Intelligence. It
was they who brought the report which, in the long run,
resulted in a people going in and possessing. But note at
this point an interesting and impressive and significant
thing. The people thought to stone them! (Num.
14:10). You see, the enemy is not only over there in
the land—he is entrenched in the very hearts of the
people themselves, he has got a footing there. How true
that is to principle and to history! Let any of the
people of God begin to get some new light, and, as the
Lord’s instrument, they will become the object of
Satan’s hatred: he will stir up forces to stone that
instrument. He hates instruments of spiritual
enlightenment.
We pointed out, in chapter 2, that the Letter to the
Ephesians is all of a piece: that, although there are
progressive movements, it is nevertheless concerned with
one thing—it concerns the Church coming into her
inheritance. For the realization of that there is
tremendous conflict. ‘Principalities and powers and
hosts of wicked spirits in the heavenlies’ are
arrayed against that, so it says. But what is it that
precipitates the conflict, that makes it active, that
brings us up against the evil forces? Paul is praying
‘that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened,
that you may know... that you may know... that you may
know...’ Therein is the explanation of the
conflict. It all circles round this—‘that the
people of God may know’. We do well to ask
ourselves if we have really grasped that—if we are
sufficiently alive to that.
Conclusions
(1) Progressive Intelligence Essential To Victory
What are the
conclusions, then? Firstly, that intelligence, spiritual
knowledge and understanding, are a very great factor for
victory in this whole spiritual warfare. Do let us lay
that to heart. We shall find it out and prove it sooner
or later. The ‘sooner’ or ‘later’
depends upon whether we really grasp this fact. We shall
not come through into full victory without spiritual
understanding: we shall not get there willy nilly, just
anyhow: we shall not drift into it: we shall not just
find ourselves there. All along the way we shall find
ourselves up against situations with which we shall be
unable to cope, demanding a spiritual understanding and
knowledge from the Lord without which we shall be unable
to get through. The key to every further advance is more
spiritual knowledge, more spiritual understanding.
Without it, we shall be held up indefinitely.
Is that not true to experience? We come to an impasse,
and have to go to the Lord; and, until the Lord gives
light, we are locked up in that impasse. Once the light
flashes; once we see; once we are able to say, ‘Now
I understand the meaning of this thing!’—the
Devil’s hold is broken, and we are released. If only
we realized the background of situations, being quick on
the scent to get the significance of happenings and not
just taking them at their face value; if we were to say,
‘Well, it all looks so natural, it all seems to have
a very natural explanation of human fault and
circumstance and what not, but there may be something
else behind this’; if only we were more on the
alert, it might be that we should not ourselves be
knocked out of the fight, and other people who sadly
needed our help would not be deprived of it. Satan lays
his schemes very deeply, and covers them up so cunningly,
does he not? He argues, ‘Well, you see, it was this
and that and some other thing.’ Oh, no, it was
not!—and even if it was, it should not have had this
effect upon us.
Spiritual intelligence, then, is a tremendous factor in
spiritual warfare and in spiritual growth and progress.
‘That we may know... that we may
know...’—and therein is a great battle!
(2) Intelligence Must Lead To Action
The second thing in our conclusions is that our intelligence, our knowledge, must be followed by action. It must be practical knowledge, not merely theory. We have all the theory of spiritual warfare in the Bible, have we not? We have the whole scheme from Genesis to Revelation! But are we applying it? Is it applied knowledge, or is it only theoretical? Is it followed by action? Or, when a situation arises, does all the theory we possess fail to serve any useful purpose? Does it fail to come to our rescue? Our knowledge must be applied and practical knowledge. It must lead to action.
(3) The Need For Watchfulness Against Enemy Induced Inertia
Thirdly, the
enemy’s special concern is to keep God’s people
from increased spiritual knowledge: and that statement
covers a great deal of ground. So often, when the Lord is
purposing to impart to His children some particular
spiritual knowledge, there comes over them a strange
inertia: and that kind of inertia can sometimes be
sinister. It is something more than mere tiredness or
weariness; it seems to come over us suddenly, for no
apparent reason. I have often, during a long experience,
seen the children of God robbed of something vital
through succumbing to that feeling of inertia and staying
at home at such a time.
We need to weigh up our inclinations to stay at home, and
judge them. There are times when it may be of the Lord
that we remain quiet and alone at home, but let us be
careful that we are not just being smothered by the
enemy, in order that we may be robbed of something. Oh,
the unwatchfulness of God’s people! What loss it
leads to! Yes, the Devil will create an inertia, or raise
up some difficulty, some impediment, some circumstance,
just to intercept—just to make sure that you are not
there on some occasion; and then, like Thomas, when the
Lord comes in you are absent. You know, that is a loss
which is not easily recovered, and it may lead to some
very real defeat in coming days. The very thing that you
needed for a coming situation may have been there,
provided by the Lord. Because you were not alive to the
meaning of what was happening, and accepted the
circumstance or the event at its face value, you missed
some spiritual gain. How important this is! How very much
alive we must be, ‘intelligent unto
intelligence’! As Paul says, “with all prayer
and supplication praying... and watching
thereunto...” (Eph. 6:18).
(4) The Enemy’s Opposition To An Enlightening Ministry
Finally, opposition to a ministry which would make God’s people spiritually strong is one of Satan’s very definite activities. There is much history behind that statement. If there is a ministry—I am not thinking only of personal ministry—or any other instrumentality which can minister to a fuller knowledge of the Lord and to an understanding of His purposes concerning His Church, then not only the ministry itself, but the instrument of that ministry, the vehicle and the vessel of that ministry, and the place of that ministry, will all be an object against which Satan will be determinedly set—for its undoing, for its breaking down, for its disintegration, for its paralysis; somehow—anyhow—to destroy that instrument of ministry. Would that we might be fully alive to this!
B. Diversity In Unity And Unity In Diversity
What an immense variety
of functions go to make up an efficient and effective
fighting force! Almost endless are the auxiliaries and
the complementaries, both of activities and of means. In
an army, you have a large number of definite ‘sub-
forces’, or contributing forces. Think of some of
the main branches known to us: the Army Service Corps,
for supplies; the Engineers, electrical and mechanical,
for all installations and repairs and construction; the
Ordnance Corps, for a large variety of things such as
surveying, mapping, routeing, and so on; the Pay Corps,
which is quite an important one, to see that men get
their due and their rights (and it is strategic to do
that: if there is a grumble in that realm you may upset
the whole organization!); the Intelligence Corps, of
which we have just spoken; and the Medical Corps, dealing
with the whole matter of health and healing and care, and
numerous other duties. Here are many, many functions; and
yet, both within these main branches and without, there
are almost countless details, committed to different
people, all of which are essential.
And here is a really magnificent little paragraph from
the book. What it says is good, but that it should be
said by a Field Marshal is almost better, for it
indicates that right at the top, notwithstanding all the
great responsibilities and the important position and the
name, the smallest detail was not overlooked. He has been
speaking about the man right up in the battle front, who
is aware of his responsibility, aware of the effect and
influence of his behaviour and his demeanour; and he goes
on:
‘But it is harder for the man working on the road,
far behind, the clerk checking stores in a dump, the
telephone operator monotonously plugging through his
calls, the sweeper carrying out his menial tasks, the
quartermaster’s orderly issuing boot laces. I say it
is harder for these and a thousand others to see that
they, too, matter. You may be one of the half million in
the Army, but you have to be made to see where your
menial task fits into the whole scheme of things, and to
realize what depends on it and on you, and, moreover, to
feel pride and satisfaction in doing it.’
You see what I mean? Diversity in unity—unity in
diversity. Many Scriptures will come to mind: “There
are diversities of gifts, but the same Spirit... all
these worketh the one and the same Spirit” (1 Cor.
12:4,11). Paul has a great deal to say about this matter
of diversity in unity and unity in diversity. And the
Lord would have it to be found in the Church.
The Holy Spirit: Sufficient, Indispensable, Sovereign
Now, let us seek to
realize, first of all, that the Holy Spirit is
comprehensive of all needs for this great campaign; that
is, He covers the whole ground of what is required. He
Himself is the supply and the dynamic, the ability for
every section and every department and every function. He
comprehends the whole and leaves out nothing that is
essential. He covers everything. To put that round the
other way: in the Holy Spirit there is everything that is
required of ability, of faculty, of gift, of enablement,
for this whole campaign, in all its departments and
details. He is given to the Church to be all that.
But the next step is to realize that the Holy Spirit is
given to each one, personally, with the object of making
each one a functioning factor in the great campaign.
There ought not to be a single individual in Christ who
is not counting in this battle, who is not a vital factor
in it, who is not really telling, who is not in some way
making a contribution. If such ‘non- functioning
members’ should exist, there is something wrong,
because the manifestations of the Spirit are given to us
“to profit withal”, says the Word (1 Cor.
12:7). “Given to each for the profit of all”,
is Conybeare’s rendering: that is, to make us a part
of the inclusive profit and gain. And if we are not a
vital factor in this warfare, it means that the Holy
Spirit is somehow being hindered, checked, thwarted,
frustrated in us. There is something wrong in our
relationship to the Holy Spirit.
Thirdly, the Holy Spirit gives gifts as He will: that is,
He is sovereign. It is not for you or for me to say what
we are going to do in the Army, what place we are going
to hold, what work we are going to do. That is the
prerogative of the Holy Spirit. We have only to recall
Paul’s words, at the conclusion of the passage we
have already quoted (1 Cor. 12:11), about the gifts of
the Holy Spirit being distributed as He wills. You and I,
therefore, should claim, as our very birthright, that the
Holy Spirit should qualify us in some way to be a
functioning member of this great Army—whether it be
as ‘the quartermaster’s orderly distributing
bootlaces’, or whether it be something that we might
think far more important: although it would certainly be
a serious matter if a fighting soldier had not got his
bootlaces!
What I mean, of course, is this. All these things are
necessary; they are essential to the whole. It is not for
us to say that ours is too little a job—that it does
not matter. It does matter: yes, right down to a ‘
bootlace’ it matters in this whole. And it is not
just the nature of the job that you and I may be
doing, or be given to do, that makes it important. Its
importance lies in its relationship to the whole. Nor is
it a question of personal importance—it is
not that you or I are so important; any
importance we may have comes from our relationship to the
whole. And so we need to seek adjustment in this matter.
It is my firm belief that the Holy Spirit would in some
way qualify, for quite definite functioning in this
warfare, every member, every individual. For, in this
‘unity in diversity’, where everything is so
related, every member is significant.
The Incentive Of A Sense Of Vocation And A Spirit Of Service
I close with a word
about the saving value of a sense of vocation, of
service. If only we had this awareness of the greatness
of the thing that we are in! If only we had a new sense
that, as recipients of the Holy Spirit, we are those who
should count, should signify: for that
is why we have received the Holy Spirit—to make us
count. And it matters about us. It does not
matter to us about ourselves, but it does matter
to the whole order of things. If only we had a due sense
of that, what a great deal we should be saved! If our
attitude is: ‘I don’t matter, I don’t
count’, what is the result before long? A miserable
life!
I recently read an article about self pity, in which the
story was told of how the help of a psychiatrist was
sought by a woman who said that she had a nervous
breakdown coming on. She evidently expected him to take a
lot of trouble and analyze her history and give her some
comforting words of advice. But he said: ‘My dear
woman, go home, turn the key in your front door, make
your way to that poor district down there across the
railway, find somebody who is in need of help, and get
busy, and your nervous breakdown will never come
off!’
There is much good, Divine common sense in that. We are
enlarged by giving. We lose nothing by giving; our
increase comes along the line of giving, of turning
outward. Yes, “always abounding in the work of the
Lord”, always turned outward; animated by a spirit
of service, seeking to be useful or helpful wherever we
can; not just with a Bible under our arm, ready to go and
speak at a meeting, but in all sorts of practical ways
being a spiritual and physical help to the Lord’s
children. That is the way, not only of saving us from a
miserable existence, but of bringing ourselves
enlargement.
That is very practical, but it is very true. The Spirit
is given to us “to profit withal”! The Holy
Spirit can enable us to be of value in ways that we
cannot be naturally. Where would most of us be if we were
left to ourselves, to our own natural resources, gifts
and abilities—or lack of them? We should be of no
use at all, for we have nothing. But the Spirit makes up
wonderfully for our deficiencies; He really does make
good our short comings. By the Spirit’s aid, every
one of us can and should and must be counting in the
battle.
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