The fog of war

In the culture wars, how do we know when we’re winning, losing, or treading water? In evaluating a battle, there are two different vantage points.

There’s the vantage point of the general. A general may position himself on the bluff, overlooking the battlefield. From that prominence he enjoys a panoramic view of the battlefield. He can see the battlefield from one end to the other. He can see the foreground and the background. He can see over the brush. He can see over the dips and rises in the bumpy terrain. During the battle, he can size up the enemy contingent. He can see where the troops are spread out. He can see his troops in relation to their troops. He can see who is flanking whom. From his lofty vantage point, he can relay orders to couriers. Reallocate his troops. Take advantage of a breach in the enemy’s defenses.

Then there’s the vantage point of the infantry. Of the foot soldier on the ground. In the thick of battle, a soldier is in a very poor position to assess how the battle is going. He can’t see over the brush. He can’t see over the dips and rises. He can’t see through the smoke. He can’t see the relative size or position of the enemy contingent. He might be losing, but think he’s winning. He might be winning, but think he’s losing.

If his general is competent, then he needs to trust the judgment of his general. Follow orders.

Moreover, it’s one battle at a time. A battle is not the war.

It’s possible for the enemy to lose by winning a battle, if they have to pour too many resources into fighting a particular battle.

Christians don’t have to define victory. Christians don’t have to define the goal. Our duty isn’t to define victory, but to be faithful to the situation God has put us in. To do the best we can with what we’ve got. To play the hand we were dealt. Lobby for whatever is right and true, then leave the results to God. Whether that achieves the goal or falls short is not for us to decide.

It’s not our place to define victory. It’s not our place to set the goalpost. God defines victory. And we don’t know how God defines victory within human history. We know how God defines victory at the end of the church age, but not before then. We’re too shortsighted to assess the state of play in the long run.

Was Good Friday a win or a loss? To the disciples, Good Friday looked like an unmitigated disaster. A decisive victory for the forces of evil. Yet two days later, what appeared to be a loss for our side turned out to be a loss for the enemy side. What seemed to be a lost cause on Good Friday became a smashing win on Easter Sunday. And the apparent loss was essential to the win two days later.

In the fog of war, it can be hard to discern God’s providential battle plan. But our duty is to soldier on. At most, we’re tacticians. God is the strategist.