Soldiers, Mercenaries, and Hypocrites

I had a friend who was ex-military and an Iraqi war veteran. He told me about his service and the difficulties of coming back home. He went from leading a team of men, being trusted with million dollar machines of war, to come back home and work an entry level job and the financial struggles his family had.

I told him we don't pay our military enough. With all the foolish things our country spends money on, we should take better finical care of our warriors. I wasn't too surprised when he said that would be a terrible idea, because he said that to me quite often. But I was intrigued on why an ex-military man would not want to be paid more. He told me you want "hungry soldiers." He also said he didn't join the Army to become rich and he didn't want to fight beside a mercenary. Military service is a sacrifice and if a person fought for money, when it came to a choice between sacrifice and profit, the mercenary is going to choose the profit, because that's why he fights.

In the mid 1600's, pastor William Gurnall wrote a book, The Christian in Complete Armour. He compared  hypocrites  to mercenaries, saying they were "Like some soldiers [who] when once they meet with a rich booty at the sacking of some town, are spoiled for fighting ever after." Gurnall made the point that a hypocrite can do the right thing, for a long time, for the wrong reason. A hypocrite is an actor. And, for whatever purpose, he plays the part of a Christian. It could be to stay in good graces with the family. It could be to make contacts in the community. It could be to advance a career by joining a church that has some social sway. Maybe they think going through the motions of religion puts them on good terms with God, so following the path of the Christian is for their own end amd glory. Judas followed Christ for money. Simon the Sorcerer for power.

But when it comes to the place where he must either give up his act and save his skin, or press on in his profession, he'll save what is most precious to him. If a person went to church to stay in good graces with Mom and Dad, but they get to the point in life where the pleasures of the world outweigh the pleasure of pleasing their parents, they fall away. Why? Because they were never following Christ, but following their own selfish motives, which they could gain through playing the part of a Christian.  The path of their own desires and the path of following Christ, for a season, were parallel roads. But there comes a point where the roads separate and the way of Christ is the hard way. Then you find the answer to the question, why do you fight? Why do you follow?