Strength from The Lord

Ephesians 6:10-11 (NIV)

10 Finally, be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power. 11 Put on the full armor of God, so that you can take your stand against the devil’s schemes.

The Apostle reminds us to believe in the mighty power of the Lord so we will be strong and find mighty power and courage to do things that stand against the devil’s schemes.

Hacksaw Ridge, a November 2016 movie produced by Mel Gibson, features the true story of Pfc. Desmond T. Doss, who won the Congressional Medal of Honor despite refusing to bear arms during WWII on religious grounds. Doss, a Christian who wouldn't touch a weapon or work on the Sabbath, enlisted in the Army as a combat medic because he believed in the cause, but had vowed not to kill. The Army wanted nothing to do with him. His fellow soldiers considered him a pest, questioned his sincerity, and threw shoes at him while he prayed. Doss' commanding officer, Capt. Jack Glover, tried to get him transferred. In a documentary based on Doss' life, Glover says Doss told him, "Don't ever doubt my courage because I will be right by your side saving life while you take life."

At Okinawa in the spring of 1945, Doss' company faced a grueling task: Climb a steep, jagged cliff—sometimes called Hacksaw Ridge—to a plateau where thousands of heavily armed Japanese soldiers were waiting for them. The terrain was treacherous. Under a barrage of gunfire and explosions, Doss crawled on the ground from wounded soldier to wounded soldier. He dragged severely injured men to the edge of the ridge, tied a rope around their bodies and lowered them down to other medics below. In the documentary, Doss says: "I was praying the whole time. I just kept praying, 'Lord, please help me get one more.'" Veteran Carl Bentley, who was also at Hacksaw Ridge, once said, "It's as if God had his hand on [Doss'] shoulder. It's the only explanation I can give."

Pfc. Demond T. Doss saved 75 men—including his captain, Jack Glover—over a 12-hour period. The same soldiers who had shamed him now praised him. "He was one of the bravest persons alive," Glover says in the documentary. "And then to have him end up saving my life was the irony of the whole thing."

[Adapted from Elizabeth Blair, "The Real 'Hacksaw Ridge' Soldier Saved 75 Souls Without Ever Carrying A Gun," NPR Morning Edition (11-4-16)]