A letter to my son going to war:

There will be bitter fighting in pitched battles wherever you go. If you end up in the Middle East and bullets and bombs are destroying flesh, it may be hell. But no matter where you are deployed, the battle between good and evil will be intense. It may be an even fiercer battle between the Cause of Christians and the forces of evil than fighting on the battlefield. How many casualties will there be that you, 99 Bravo, will never see, can’t treat? Those who fall to the sword of evil will be hurt worse than those who are wounded by bullets or shrapnel. Those who lose their virtue in the battle of each individual against wickedness will hurt worse than those who lose their sight or limbs in explosions.

James E. Faust, who served in the Marines in WWII, said, “Many countries now face the dangers of terrorism. War exposes people to bodily harm, but there is also exposure to moral harm. Those of us who have served in the military in wartime have experienced the disruption in life that comes from being uprooted from home and family, wholesome associations, and the influence of the organized Church. I warn those who are now serving in the military, or who may do so, against the pitfalls of these disruptions. They can take us into the very jaws of the Devil's Throat.

“Many of the activities you will be engaged in are group situations where you cannot always choose your own company. But you can choose your standards. In the military you belong to an outfit where part of its strength comes from the unity of its members. You need to be loyal to the members of your unit because the fellow who is next to you may save your life tomorrow! But that doesn't mean you have to lower your moral standards. In any association there needs to be one or more who stand up and say, ‘What we are doing is not right.’ It takes moral courage to do this!” (2003)

I have fought the good fight... that's the Apostle Paul. He saw life as a battle between good and evil. There are evil forces today in our world who are in uniform; there are evil forces who hide in civilian clothing amongst civilians, but who are enemy combatants; there are evil forces, also who are civilians, who are doing the work of the evil one. Yeah, the evil one. You know. That evil one. They're the people who love the lusts of the flesh more than God; who love money more than any person; who love themselves more than any other person.

So are we soldiers, or not?