“9 I am speaking the truth in Christ—I am not lying; my conscience bears me witness in the Holy Spirit— 2 that I have great sorrow and unceasing anguish in my heart. 3 For I could wish that I myself were accursed and cut off from Christ for the sake of my brothers, my kinsmen according to the flesh. 4 They are Israelites, and to them belong the adoption, the glory, the covenants, the giving of the law, the worship, and the promises. 5 To them belong the patriarchs, and from their race, according to the flesh, is the Christ, who is God over all, blessed forever. Amen. 6 But it is not as though the word of God has failed. For not all who are descended from Israel belong to Israel, 7 and not all are children of Abraham because they are his offspring, but “Through Isaac shall your offspring be named.” 8 This means that it is not the children of the flesh who are the children of God, but the children of the promise are counted as offspring. 9 For this is what the promise said: “About this time next year I will return, and Sarah shall have a son.” 10 And not only so, but also when Rebekah had conceived children by one man, our forefather Isaac, 11 though they were not yet born and had done nothing either good or bad—in order that God’s purpose of election might continue, not because of works but because of him who calls— 12 she was told, “The older will serve the younger.” 13 As it is written, “Jacob I loved, but Esau I hated.” 14 What shall we say then? Is there injustice on God’s part? By no means! 15 For he says to Moses, “I will have mercy on whom I have mercy, and I will have compassion on whom I have compassion.” 16 So then it depends not on human will or exertion, but on God, who has mercy. 17 For the Scripture says to Pharaoh, “For this very purpose I have raised you up, that I might show my power in you, and that my name might be proclaimed in all the earth.” 18 So then he has mercy on whomever he wills, and he hardens whomever he wills. 19 You will say to me then, “Why does he still find fault? For who can resist his will?” 20 But who are you, O man, to answer back to God? Will what is molded say to its molder, “Why have you made me like this?” 21 Has the potter no right over the clay, to make out of the same lump one vessel for honorable use and another for dishonorable use? 22 What if God, desiring to show his wrath and to make known his power, has endured with much patience vessels of wrath prepared for destruction, 23 in order to make known the riches of his glory for vessels of mercy, which he has prepared beforehand for glory— 24 even us whom he has called, not from the Jews only but also from the Gentiles? 25 As indeed he says in Hosea, “Those who were not my people I will call ‘my people,’ and her who was not beloved I will call ‘beloved.’ ” 26  “And in the very place where it was said to them, ‘You are not my people,’ there they will be called ‘sons of the living God.’ ” 27 And Isaiah cries out concerning Israel: “Though the number of the sons of Israel be as the sand of the sea, only a remnant of them will be saved, 28 for the Lord will carry out his sentence upon the earth fully and without delay.” 29 And as Isaiah predicted, “If the Lord of hosts had not left us offspring, we would have been like Sodom and become like Gomorrah.”” (Ro 9:1–29 ESV)

Imperfect vessels, the faces of War: operational intelligence and we are kit for the gambit. We are Called to a strength not originating in Human Relics, Human Ghosts, Human Spirit, but in the Divine. We find this Strength in a prayer not quite imitable, not quite Germane nor Forsooth: it is the prayer of “Help me, O Lord, a sinner”. It is the prayer of Defeat, and ventured therein nonetheless because of a Hope: Resurrection. Maybe, indeed, our own Defeat will by-and-by lead to a New Soul, a Resurrection.

Operational intelligence and we see through the Scope distant, dull roar, suddenly Front-and-Center, Near: Lucifer versus. Lucifer and Theology. Lucifer and the Kit for the Game. Lucifer and Jesus. Hearing the Shout of the Healer we strive, like they do—humans like us, waking each morning and coaching themselves, praying up themselves like us—to keep Fresh that Intelligence on the Spirit Realm.

The victory goes not to the glib and Precocious, Precious Ones. Not to the untouchable or pristine ones. It goes to some ramshackle and rankled Crew, colorfully outfitted perhaps, but nonetheless Firm and Certain of the Love, Moral Love, Upstanding Love, Fond Love, of the Father for them. It is a Love that spells Courage, spells Dignity, spells Verity, spells Simple Honesty. No, we need not lie, cheat, and destroy, even in our more humble moments. Even when “caught in the act”. No, rewind the tapes, renew the Promise, Start Again. The enemy can wait.

And as to that old enemy: it is no patronizing remark that any real War is between nominal equals or friends. That is, nothing worse than an enemy who doesn’t believe in themselves. Who will question our every Gambit and Concession, because they fear their own relevance will wane. Because they have not the Art or Comprehension, at least, they feel “patronized”. Not that they are! We as a Body of Belief love everyone (grant us a ten minute coffee break together!); we are not intending to ape or humiliate. Only this, all of us need to become Shriven, Confessed, that even our status as Sinner: even this status becomes a point of Pride, a Boast. So we wish immediately to share it: so-and-so is a sinner, too!

Meantime, all holy thoughts on pause, the Most Holy is that as approached by the officer and analyst, agent on the Ground, punching buttons below a wide Screen called Intel, called Situational, called Urgent and Life-Preserving. The most holy, and we are kit and caboodle for Projects, Operations, Forays most sublime, Holy and consecrated souls facing down Death, risking all, at times of motives Questionable, but we are Complete Souls, whose Mission begins with giving urgent and righteous Orders. To be followed. To be upbuilt via. To be Certain and True.