Pilgrim Soldier

Over the last few days I’ve been involved in an ongoing discussion over at a couple of places about cultural relevance. Part of the discussion has got onto how whether the early pioneers in the Army were totally reliant on the Spirit. As part of this reliance it’s been said that as they responded to the Spirit’s leading they naturally communicated in a way that was relevant to the people they dealt with.

I don’t doubt this for one instance, but the natural conclusion to draw from this line of argument is that those who do build a strategy are not relying on the Spirit’s leading. I struggle to accept this as it seems to limit the power of the Spirit who is at work in us. Whilst it isn’t anti-intellectualism it seems to restrict the use of our minds and suggests that the regeneration that comes through the Holy Spirit means a removal of our intellect.

I truly believe that God intends us to use the intellect that He gave us for the furtherance of His kingdom. I believe that there is a place for both an instinctive response and a intellectual response to the Spirit. There are dangers in both of these as they are open to failure should we start acting on our own, without listening to the Spirit’s leading. There are dangers in both even when we truly believe we are following the Spirit, because sometimes our humanity can creep in without our realisation.