I Got Your “6”

“From the Gadites there went over to David at the stronghold in the wilderness mighty and experienced warriors, expert with shield and spear, whose faces were like the faces of lions and who were swift as gazelles upon the mountains:” 1 Chronicles 12:8

The United States Military uses the phrase I got your six to signify that a brother-in-arms (or sister) is protecting the area behind a soldier that they cannot immediately see. If you picture a clock with ’12’ being in front of you, the ‘6’ is naturally behind you. It originated with our WWI fighter pilots and has been passed on through most, if not all, of our military branches today.

Yesterday was a strange day for the majority of our tiny, rural, mountain community here in Troy, Montana. My morning was going as planned, helping a local business owner and friend install a security camera system in our church. No real feeling or reason to worry, just precautionary measures planned weeks ago. We were upstairs running wire when a trench brother of mine shot me a text that read, “Code Red – for Lake Creek/School House Lake Rd/and possibly HWY 56 area in Troy Montana”. I opened the text and then it disappeared so I called him and asked him to send it again. Seconds later, I opened his Facebook message that read the same information with an additional, “Please watch for a male 20 – 30 years old with facial hair wearing a plaid shirt and blue jeans, about 6ft tall. He may be possible armed and dangerous. If you see someone with this description please call 9-1-1. Lock your residences and vehicles and stay in your home.”

At that point, my friend and I decided to go to lunch and lock the church up. Our church resides on Lake Creek Rd, an area of concern issued in the “code red” warning. There is a day care that sits next to our church so before heading to lunch I stopped by to make sure they were safe and to encourage them to keep the kids inside with doors locked and curtains drawn. We love our day care and the friendships and opportunities they bring. I felt it my responsibility to let them know we were (and are always) here for them.

Are you wondering where I am headed with all this? Do you remember the Scripture verse I chose for today’s blog? It falls amidst a passage of Scripture entitled, “The Mighty Men Join David” and it goes on to list these awesome warriors and their families. You see, these mighty men went to David. They were there for him. They had his six.

Yesterday it dawned on me. The people of this town, when push comes to shove, have one another’s six. According to some reports, there were WWII vets driving around with rifles hanging out windows. Law enforcement vehicles paraded in and out of developments that were areas of concern. Not to mention, nearly all own weapons in our town. If you are running from the law, to be honest, Troy, Montana probably is NOT your best choice, even though there are plenty of places to hide.

Men, this is exactly where we want to be – standing on the side that does not retreat. As Christian soldiers, we must desire to have one another’s backs. We must yearn to guard our brothers’ and sisters’ six. Like the mighty men that joined David, we must report to any stronghold in our community that happens to be crying out in need of extra firepower. General George S. Patton said this very thing, in his famous address to the troops of the 3rd Army: Each man must not think only of himself, but also of his buddy fighting beside him.

Here’s how I want to encourage you today, trench brother. You are an awesome warrior. An imposing force to be reckoned with. The enemy thinks he can mess with us but don’t you find it interesting that the only time he can actually mess with us is when we let him. EVERY TIME. WE. LET. HIM. He doesn’t gain any ground on our battlefield that we don’t surrender to him willingly.

Today, let us declare that we do indeed have one another’s backs. Let’s look in our mirrors and see lions and gazelles – fierce and agile! Let’s become experts with our shields and spears, and while You’re at it God, make us experts with our swords too, please! Amen.

There is no foot or handhold here, Satan. You will not gain any ground in my life. Make this your battle/heart cry. Become or continue to be mighty and experienced warriors. Commit yourselves to the fight. That commitment will move you from theoretical knowledge to revelation knowledge. That type of change can and will transform the lens from which you view the battle. I got your 6! Do you have mine?! Trench Brothers!