creed /krēd/ (noun):a set of beliefs or aims that guide someone’s actions.

The Soldier’s Creed:

I am an American Soldier

I am a warrior and a member of a team

I serve the people of the United States and live the Army values

I will always place the mission first

I will never accept defeat

I will never quit

I will never leave a fallen comrade

I am disciplined, physically and mentally tough

Trained and proficient in my warrior task and drills

I always maintain my arms, my equipment, and myself

I am an expert, and I am a professional

I stand ready to deploy, engage, and destroy the enemies of the  United States of American in close combat

I am a guardian of freedom and the American way of life

I am an American Soldier.

When I graduated basic training, my battalion, together, had to declare this creed in front of hundreds of civilians: our family and friends– in unison. It is a proclamation and a promise to protect American families and the  Constitution of the United States.

During basic training, I went to  Protestant Church on Sundays that was held at the battalion building. In one Chaplin Martin’s first sermons, he stated that the Army Values were very similar to those of Christian Values, and the two were conjointly applicable in our daily lives: Loyalty, Duty, Respect, Selfless Service, Honor, Integrity, Personal Courage. I didn’t find out until later, but there was so much more reality to his statement than he elaborated, including the Army Values’ correspondence with the Soldier’s Creed.

Americans can easily forget that we are fighting wars: world hunger, poverty, sex trafficking, and the most infamous war — terrorism. It’s feasible to go through the motions and forget the spiritual warfare all around us as well: in our parents’ bedrooms, in the malls, gas stations, parties, churches, even in the room in which you currently in…and everyone is in the war, but not everybody is fighting. Not everybody wants to fight. Not everybody knows there is a fight, and some do not realize they are a casualty of war. There are also those of who have the privilege of knowing what is not seen, and who live to fight with and for each other…something the Army teaches you the first day of basic training: to never go anywhere without a battle buddy to support you. Always look out for one another, police each other up, help each other out…and most importantly, NEVER approach an NCO without a battle buddy. The church, in a way, is an army. An army rising up against the devil and the world of evil, conquering land and setting prisoners free…an army that is quickly growing and becoming more defined each day.

“For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers over this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places.” Ephesians 6:12

So in the same way, the Soldier’s Creed is a declaration of those who have chosen to follow Jesus…please, allow me to elaborate.

 Synonymously, when a soldier says “I am an American Soldier“, we are saying “I am a follower of Christ.” When a solider says, “I am a warrior and a member of a team,” you guessed it, you are a member of the church. Declaring that we are part of a team is influential and powerful because it shows that we are part of an organization much more extensive than ourselves alone and our capabilities. In the Army there are more than 150 career paths, we call them MOS, or Military Occupational Speciality. In the same way, God has given everyone an inherent talent that he intends to use for His glory, and we all play part of a glorious and divine plan that sometimes we may not even understand …and that’s okay. Being included in anything colossal, means we carry out our individual or team oriented tasks to serve a greater purpose and accomplish a greater mission or aspiration. God may ask followers (of Jesus) to do certain things that they do not want to do, but they must do in order to expand the kingdom of heaven. Likewise, in the Army, soldiers may not understand or have the desire to effectuate orders from the officers appointed over them; however, they execute. One, they signed a contract saying they would (and well…it is punishable by UCMJ, Article 15 to defy an appointed officer) and secondly, because soldiers are instilled with discipline, understanding that everything they do is for the security of the country and protecting the American way of life.

“For just as each of us has one body with many members, and these members do not all have the same function, so in Christ, we, though many, form one body, and each member belongs to all the others. We have different gifts, according to the grace given to each of us. ” Romans 12:4-6

“I serve the people of the United States and live the Army Values. I will always place the mission first.“

I hope you starting to see the trend, and maybe you understand where I am going.  So what about placing the mission first, because what even is the “mission” of a Christian? Following Jesus right? So what did Jesus do? If you’re unsure, just start in Matthew and read until you get to the end of John. In short, everything he did, he brought glory to our Father in Heaven.

“Jesus answered, ‘Don’t you know me, Phillip, even after I have been among you such a long time? Anyone who has seen me has seen the Father. How can you say, ‘Show us the Father’? and that the Father is in me? The words I say to you I do not speak on my own authority. Rather, it is the Father, living in me, who  is doing his work. Believe me when I say I am in the Father and the Father is in me…And I will do whatever you ask in my name, so that the Father may be glorified in the Son’ ” John 13:9-13

Missions have targets and objectives, but always serve to function a larger purpose. Similarly, our sole mission is not to feed the homeless, care for the orphans, and be nice to someone who is mean to you (aka heap burning coals on their head). Always placing the mission first means in whatever we do: eat, drink, preach, sleep… we ensure we are brining glorifying the Father. When we find ourselves conducting all these actions in hopes of getting acceptance from God, or eventually even acceptance into Heaven, we are having the wrong aspirations. They should never be our main focus of ministry. We allow Jesus to transform our hearts, and all of these things fall in place, and we expand His kingdom and experience the beauty of when Heaven collides with Earth; it is by his power and for his glory alone. Why is it that way–some may ask…why does God need glory for everything?  Well, bluntly and truthfully, this is God’s universe. Plain and simple– so when one creates his or her own universe, then he or she can get the glory for everything that happens under the sun…For two, He deserves it because He saved His people from death and the power of sin.

When we make the decision to give our lives to Jesus, we also acquire the obligation of never giving up, and fighting the good fight.

“But you, man of God, flee from all this, and pursue righteousness, godliness, faith, love, endurance, and gentleness. Fight the good fight of faith. Take hold of the eternal life to which you were called when you made your good confession in the presence of many witnesses…I charge you to keep this command without spot to blame until the appearing of our Lord Jesus Christ.” 1 Timothy 6:11-14

I will never accept defeat.

Once a soldier, always a soldier. I took an oath to defend the Constitution of the United States against all enemies, foreign and domestic. In the same way, when I was baptized and I repeated the good confession in front of my church, I was forever saved, I was now part of God’s family and purpose — for the rest of eternity. I joined the fight, and I am expected to pull my weight as a follower for the remainder of my life and thereafter. Oaths can be a fearsome undertaking, to commit to something at all for the rest of your life can be a terrifying. I am always reminded of these words for fear of giving your life for a cause or commitment:

 ” A man who does not have something for which he is willing to die is not fit to live.” Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.

I, Ricardo Stuck, am not saying if you are not willing to die for something you are incompetent or lack a truly fulfilling life…those were King’s words not mine, I just simply referenced a quote.

Furthermore, as a follower, it is very hard to accept defeat anyway, that’s the good news! “Why?”, one might might ask. Well, because if Jesus lives inside of us, and if he has overcome the entire world, that means we too have already defeated alcoholism, materialism, loneliness, pornography addictions, disease, low self-esteem, grades, worry, cancer. Oh death, where art thou sting?

I will never quit. 

King understood the importance of knowing your purpose. So that whether your house is bombed, you’re made fun of, when your life is targeted, or you fall into a season of sin: you have reason to get back up and continue executing the mission. Enemies of war ( or Satan), want nothing more than for followers to be overwhelmed, and to give up because the battle seems too hard; he loves when followers doubt their ability to fight back, that the time spent in training and studying are worthless and that followers do not “deserve” the title of a Christian, or a soldier. Listening to Satan is almost like an American soldier being offended when the leader of ISIS calls his camouflage uniform ugly, or that he is not fit to fight. Sounds ridiculous right? It’s almost unbelievable the lack of power he has over our lives when we don’t allow him to, yet alone be offended or despondent by what he thinks of us. I will tell you for sure that in such a case, an American soldier will not let emotions jeopardize the mission. He disrespects the uniform, he disrespects America. Satan disrespects in the church, and wants you to lack confidence in her power to change you, and to change the world. You learn really quick that this is part of the battle, and you just have to soldier up and keep going: the secret to overcoming this is not relying on our own strength to conquer the things that hold us back. We rely on Jesus and His power, because He has already conquered death and has overcome the world!

I will never leave a fallen comrade.

We do not simply quit when it gets hard, because quitting does more than just effects us. It impacts the entire church.

The army is a professional organization, and part of being professional is the discipline soldiers display when marching, following orders, and living the Army Values. One can catch a glimpse of the amount of discipline soldiers have in an official formation, made up of ranks. I was told that a lot of times NCOs (noncommissioned officers) enjoy sitting in the stands during official formations and marches, and point out when a soldier moves during authorized rest positions or show active confusion on a marching order — showing that lack of discipline. This is especially applicable to drill sergeants, because they have been trained and expected to correct us to even the smallest of details. When one person messes up, it will make the entire formation look defective, and furthermore, may cause or encourage other soldiers to mess up, or show movement…and drill sergeants hate that.

I don’t discuss this to postulate that we mess up as individuals and make church “look defective”, geez, the church is made up of broken people! What this is about, however, is the dependency of our brothers and sisters in Christ, our comrades, and the consequences when a follower wants to simply stop trying or quit. One of Jesus’ last prayer is for the church, just before he is arrested:

” My prayer is not for them alone. I pray also for those who will believe in me through their message, that all of them may be one. Father, just as you are in me and I am in you. May they also be in us so that the world may believe that you have sent me. I have given them the glory that you gave me, that they may be one as we are one– I in them and you in me- so that they may be brought to complete unity. Then the world will know that you sent me and have loved them even as you have loved me.” John 17:20-23 

This is a very emotional and deep plea for the unity of the church. Without the unity of the church and the deep love we have for one another — it it very hard for people outside of the church to know that Jesus was who He said He was, and that He can change lives. We are the living examples of Jesus, and we show that His power is alive, we show that God is alive, by the way we love one another. Just as it goes…Jesus’ last prayer before he was arrested was for unity of the church, and the last Warrior Ethos is that we will never leave a fallen comrade. Conscience? Followers of Jesus stick together or they will be picked off one by one, by Satan, or everything else this world wants to offer. United IN Christ, not by some politically correct idea, because those always fall apart. Followers have an enemy who hates them, an enemy who will always try to play the “old tapes”, get them to accuse other believers of being a hypocrite, he will do anything to break the church’s unity; he knows the power of the Church, and it kills him and ruins the plans he has to destroy you. When we as a church are together, we grow. We fight for each other, we fight to make the church work, we fight to make the mission work, and fight to make sure the mission is executed.

“So Christ himself gave the apostles, the prophets, the evangelist, the pastors, and teachers, to equip his people for works of service, so that the body of Christ may be built up until we all reach unity in the faith and in the knowledge of the Son of God and become mature, attaining to the whole measure of the fullness of God. Then we will no longer be infants, tossed back and forth by the waves, and blown here and there by every wind of teaching and by the cunning and craziness of people in their deceitful scheming.”  Ephesians 4:11-13

I am disciplined, physically and mentally tough. Trained and proficient in my warrior task and drills. 

Christians become disciplined with prayer and accountability. Becoming trained and proficient in our warrior tasks and drills is all about being intentional with our faith, growing up, and learning to be comfortable outside of our comfort zones. We are joyful in hope, patient in affliction, faithful in prayer. Romans 12 shows us very practical ways of being intentional and loving in action. We share with people who are in need, we practice hospitality. We practice and practice until it becomes a way of life, a way of life that springs up from the transformation of our hearts. So that rather than “living as a Christian” and going to church as a resource for fulfillment, we start to do these things for entertainment; it starts to give us unspeakable joy. An “eat to live” mentality, when “eating” is not just entertainment or an escape from boredom, but for survival. Our knowledge becomes more than inert knowledge, it is life transforming, gospel engaging, emphatic, selfless love. Throughout Jesus’ ministry, we always saw that Jesus went to people. We find time and money for what matters. In a simple way of putting it, we grow up.

“The biggest threat to the church today is fans who call themselves Christians but aren’t actually interested in following Christ. They want to be close enough to Jesus to get all the benefits, but not so close that it requires anything from them…Fans don’t mind him doing a little touch-up work, but Jesus wants complete renovation. Fans come to Jesus thinking tune-up, but Jesus is thinking overhaul. Fans think a little makeup is fine, but Jesus is thinking makeover. Fans think a little decorating is required, but Jesus wants a complete remodel. Fans want Jesus to inspire them, but Jesus wants to interfere with their lives.” -Kyle Idleman, Not a Fan

Followers become an agent of change (or the difference between a civilian, and a soldier). We execute orders, without question (it’s crucial to learn the importance of submitting to authority He has put in our life so we can learn obedience toward Him). The more we grow, the more responsibility He may give us in heaven or earth, and he may ask or order us to do seemingly crazy or impossible tasks. Followers will execute.

“Therefore let us move beyond the elementary teachings about Christ and be taken forward to maturity, not laying again the foundation of repentance from acts that lead to death, and of faith in God, interaction about cleansing rites, the laying hands, the resurrection of the red and eternal judgment.” Hebrews 6:1-3

I always maintain my arms, my equipment, and myself. 

The concept of  maintaining our arms and equipment, is that if we want it to work to its’ full potential, in defeating our enemies, we must preserve our unity in Christ and combat together, and when the necessity arrises, to suffer together. The demonic entities are more powerful than ISIS warlords and terrorist; however, they have limited weaponry. If you know your enemy, you can win every battle. Our battle is not against flesh and blood, but against the authorities and the powers of this dark world and their spiritual forces. Know what or more importantly, who you are fighting. You are not fighting a pornography addiction or a broke family, you are battling the devil, and if you know that, it changes the game. The devil knows you, his demons study you, and they master military tactics against you as they temp you each and every day; recognizing your weaknesses. Using your weakness against you, setting you up for failure. If you know your enemy, you can win every battle. Fight Satan’s deception with the belt of truth, for he cannot deceive you if you already know the truth. Defend from his accusation with the breastplate of righteousness, because sometimes he will be right about you, and we cannot attain perfection, so we stand on the gospel of peace. And when you are doubting of the power of Jesus, arm with the shield of faith, and fight with your (s)Word, which is sharper than any two edged sword. As mentioned before, we cannot fight Satan alone.

When we put on the shield of faith, it protects our front, but you will notice it does not protect behind you, to your left, or to your right.  This is why it is so important not to leave a fallen comrade. The church is a growing army, and we need to support each other to make it work. Your brothers and sisters in Christ are the ones that protect your six, your left, and your right. When we stand like this, when we “grow up”, when we practice our faith, the church will eradicate sex trafficking, hunger, poverty, foster homes, and the list goes on. In the picture above, if one of these soldiers were to step out of formation, they would become a casualty of war, which happens way to often than it should in the church. Christians are warriors, and a member of a team: we have to remember that when making decisions, we have to remember that when we see a brother or sister falter, we have to remember that when we feel alone and helpless, we have to remember that when we see the world crying in agony for their purpose in life–we are a team; whilst never forgetting the power of  joint forces, of air superiority, and that prayer is our offensive that will always win.

“Therefore put on the full armor of God, so the when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand…And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests. With this in mind, be alert and always keep praying for all the Lord’s people.” Ephesians 6:13-18

I am an expert and I am a professional. 

We are always growing and learning about the love of Christ, and we all have different forms of ministry, so I have nothing for this one. (lol) Feel free to leave comments below about this section!

I stand ready to deploy, engage, and destroy the enemies of the United States of America in close combat. 

This statement was probably the hardest to say in unison with other companies because soldiers seemed to be so enthusiastic  and rushed the verbs that tell the story of the American Soldier, the heartbeat of our mission. We say it with pride, knowing the risk and danger we face. This enthusiasm is similar to Paul’s enthusiasm about going through trial, perhaps the same trial a soldier in war may go through. His boastings are found in 2nd Corinthians 11:23-28. He speaks of being a prisoner, exposed to death, beaten, danger from people who wanted to kill him and dangerous bodies of water, gone without sleep, pressure for his concern with the church. However, through all his misadventure, God was still glorified. So we must ask ourselves, do we stand ready to deploy, engage, and destroy the evil that breaks the unity of the Church? Deploying, engaging, and destroying evilness comes in all forms, from going on overseas mission trips, preaching, supporting ministries like International Justice Missions, to worshipping with 3rd graders at church on Sunday mornings. When we deploy, engage, and destroy evil, we spread the Kingdom of Heaven on Earth. When the Kingdom spreads, Satan loses both territory and hearts. We may or may not face trials, but one thing the Army teaches you is enthusiasm about tackling difficult situations, even if you struggle or fail. When its time to get our boots on the ground and get dirty, we may get hurt, and we may also lose people. Remember to get back up, maintain your arms, your equipment, and yourself, and continue executing the mission. In the Army, the more you get deployed, the more feasible it is for a promotion. Likewise, when we combat evilness, we will grow in faith, He may give us more responsibility of His Kingdom both in Heaven and/or on Earth, and learn that God will always be glorified in everything.

“Consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters whenever you face trials of many kind, because you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance. Let perseverance finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything…Blessed is the one who preserves under trail because, having stood the test, that person will receive the crown of life that the Lord has promised to those who love him.” James 1:2-12

I am a guardian of freedom and the American way of life. I am an American Soldier. 

Our freedom of religion is an overwhelming blessing. The blessings of God are everywhere, they are inescapable.

“For a nonbeliever, Earth is the closest thing they get to Heaven. For a believer, Earth is the closest thing they will get to Hell.” Dave Stone

For even a nonbeliever cannot escape the oxygen they breathe and the sun that warms their face during this winter. It is no mistake that everything we see has the Fingerprint of God’s goodness and glory. The earth is a beautiful masterpiece, so much of nature and physics show God’s touch and expertise, and the mind-blowing fact is that we only experience a fraction of His wonder and majesty. One of the things that my youth pastor, Caleb, pointed out to me, was how so much of nature can resemble seasons and areas of our personal lives, as if God intentionally made nature to reflect His greatest creation, us. Seemingly to help us understand our lives better, or maybe to simply show His sense of humor. Simply the wonder of why He creates and orchestrates all we experience should be enough to captivate any heart. It is no mistake that the world’s greatest fighting force, the United States Army, also has God’s fingerprint on it. All authorities that have ever existed since the beginning of time would have no power if it were not given and set from above. Through history and many generations that has molded the traditions and oaths of the Army, we see that even still, something as small and simple as The Soldier’s Creed can have powerful and exerted message to His children, the church, our lives,  and our mission. If we continue to look all around us, in the smallest of His oeuvre, God is sending us messages that are right in front of us, but are so easily overlooked. The more we are in the Word, the more we can see His beauty and splendor in the smallest of  implements, creatures, and undertakings. The Bible comes alive… It is the known truth God has chosen to reveal to us, it holds life’s secrets. We must build on our faith and trust every word of His Love Letter, so that one day when we stand before Jesus, He will look at you, and say, “Well done my good and faithful servant,”.

“For the Word of God is living and active. Sharper than any two-edge sword. It penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, and attitudes of the heart. Nothing in all creation is hidden from God’s sight. Everything is uncovered and laid bare before the eyes of him to whom we must give account.” Hebrews 4:12-13 

-Ricardo E. Stuck Jr.

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