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Lessons from the Battle of Pea Ridge

Recently, I had the privilege of walking upon the Pea Ridge battlefield in Northern Arkansas. The battle fought here determined control of the state of Missouri, which was crucial for the Union because they planned to use the Mississippi river to split the forces of the south. The union was defending Missouri at the time of the battle. Under command of Major General Earl Van Dorn, 16,000 confederate troops would march on the smaller force of 10,250 union soldiers of Brigadier General Samuel R. Curtis. Van Dorn chose to march around the lines of Curtis to surprise attack from the rear. With this superior force and tactics, General Van Dorn could have easily defeated General Curtis. However, General Van Dorn made a crucial mistake that lead to his defeat. Van Dorn, not wanting the enemy to discover his position, quick marched his troops leaving ammunition supplies behind so as not to slow his movements. On the first day of the battle, March 7th, 1862, Van Dorn’s troops gained on the union soldiers. However, on the second day, Van Dorn’s ammunition supplies ran out and he had to retreat. This resulted in permanent control of Missouri by the union.

Van Dorn’s fatal mistake is one that is imitated by many Christians today. When we allow our ammunition to run low, Satan attacks and prevails. In order for us to fight the good fight of the faith, we must make sure that our ammunition supplies are in high quantity at all times. God’s word is our primary weapon in the Christian arsenal today (Ephesians 6:17) and we must make sure that our stock is high! How do we ensure that our stock remains high”

First, we must take stock of our ammunition daily. We read in Acts 17:11 of a group of Christians who did this. “These were more noble than those in Thessalonica, in that they received the word with all readiness of mind, and searched the scriptures daily, whether those things were so.” Each and every day, we should ‘stock up’ on Christian “ammunition.” This ensures that we never run low and are always ready when the attack comes. Many fail to take stock of their ammunition daily and as a result, they run out and fall to the enemy. The Christian soldier always seeks to ensure adequate supplies of the word of God are at his disposal whenever and wherever he needs it.

Second, we must carry enough ammunition in that stock to defend ourselves against temptation. The Psalmist writes in Psalm 119:11 “Thy word have I hid in mine heart, that I might not sin against thee.” As a result of our daily study of God’s word, we increase the amount of God’s word that is in our mind. This is ammunition that we can use to defend ourselves against sin and Satan. The opportunity for Satan to tempt us occurs every day. We stay ready to defend ourselves against this temptation by hiding God’s word in our heart and using it when temptation occurs.

We must also carry enough ammunition to defend ourselves from external threats. Peter writes in 1 Peter 3:15 “But sanctify the Lord God in your hearts: and be ready always to give an answer to every man that asketh you a reason of the hope that is in you with meekness and fear.” These questions could come at any time of the day or night. We must ensure therefore that we have prepared ourselves to give answer when those questions may unexpectedly come. Being caught unprepared means sudden death for a soldier; it could mean sudden death for a soul on the battlefield of truth.

Third, we must carry enough ammunition to launch a regular and sustained offensive against the enemy. In Acts 8:4 we read, “Therefore they that were scattered abroad went every where preaching the word.” These, who were under persecution, took God’s word to other areas where they went. They did not passively wait for people to contact them, but used the ammunition that God had given them and waged an offensive against sin and Satan. They went to Judea, Samaria, and to the uttermost part of the earth teaching and preaching the gospel of Jesus Christ. The result was that the word of God grew and prevailed (Acts 12:24; 19:20). The offensive succeeded. God’s word conquered the hearts of the good and honest.

General Van Dorn’s mistake proved fatal to him, his troops, and ultimately to the army in which he served. If we make the same mistake that he made in the Christian fight, it will prove fatal to us as well. Let us determine never to leave our ammunition behind, but to take stock daily, carry enough to mount a good defense and to launch a regular and sustained offensive. By taking stock in God’s word, we can gain the faith that will give us the victory to overcome the world (Romans 10:17; 1 John 5:4)!